Melatonin

[netty]

Hi

My nine year old has recently been prescribed melatonin for a 2 -4 week trial as he is having real problems sleeping.
He will go to bed at 915 and still be shouting at 1130 or pottering about being naughty but sneaky in his bedroom.

originally we were referred to the hospital as he is underweight, eats very little without feeling bloated and get very anxious about certain things - such as car trips and worries about people being sick in the car.
They started him on movicol for his bowels and melatonin for his sleep and go back in 3 months and see a detician in the meantime. If the anxiety doesnt improvr she will refer him to a child psychologist,

what are everybodies experience of melatonin? Is it ok to use? do you use it long term or in short bursts?

Thanks

 

[x__amour]

Hi hon. I use Melatonin every night as I am an insomniac and it helped a lot in the beginning. It is supposed to be natural and technically won't get "used to it" but I am most definitely used to it and it has no effect on me whatsoever anymore.

 

[netty]

thanks for replying.

My son used it last night and it worked amazingly well.
I just felt as though I drugged him

I have to say he is really pleased with himself this morning which has already helped no end.

 

[MrsRabbit]

DS took it for 6-7 months started at .35 mg and went up to 6mg. We finally have to resort to a script medication to get him to sleep more than 3-4 hours every 24 if we were lucky.

I felt guilty but DS was happier and less likely to outbursts of crying, screaming, anger since starting the medication and sleeping more.

 

[BabyBumm]

Hi Netty, can you please tell me how you got a prescription for melatonin? I think it may benefit my son (currently being assessed for autism) but not sure how to go about asking!

 

[netty]

I went to see a paediatrician as he is underweight and suffers with anxiety and constipation.

I explaned it was taking me 3 hours at least to get him to sleep everynight and she offered me it.

He has onlt taken it 3 nights and i can already see a difference in his daytime behaviour too.

Are you any paediatricain for your son?

 

[BabyBumm]

No, he's not under any consultant, if that's what you mean. It has taken me 8 years for someone to agree to refer him for assessment! We're on the first rung of a very tall ladder but at least we're finally on it!

I wonder if our GP might be able to advise us on it... I'll give them a ring next week.

 

[netty]

yes it was the consultant who recommended it.
My gp wasnt keen but that is because it is not licensed for kids.

I would talk to him about the problems and if not ask to be referred to a community paediatrician

 

[hatbox]

My DD is on a sleep med. She's 7. When we first started her on it, I'd asked about melatonin. Her psyc told us that melatonin is safe for use in kids, provided it's for short use only. Long term use can cause their bodies to stop making it on their own. So we opted for a prescription med instead.

 

[netty]

yes they said just to try it for 2-4 weeks only.
i am going to do it for 2 weeks then stop but then i will still have some left over if we get as bad as were again.

 

[Tegans Mama]

Hiya Netty
Sorry to hear about the troubles you are having! regarding melatonin - my LO does not use this but I have friends who have children the same age as mine who do. I would say if it is ok for an almost 3 year old, it will be fine for your son!
My LO uses Movicol also (2 sachets a day) but it is not working for her anymore. She is paraplegic and Movicol just makes her poo runny. SHe can't push it out herself, no matter how runny it is

 

[netty]

thanks for your reply.

I have given him some melatonin for 5 nights and it works really well.
It is helping through the day with his behaviour and worryiing too.

He is having one movicol a day and is going every day if not every other but says the funny feeling in his tummy is starting to go.

I have had a letter from the hospital today saying that want him to have blood tests

 

[Tryin4Number3]

Hi my son has been on and off melatonin for about 5 yrs now (he's 11) and its been an absolute godsend. It helps him get back into a natural sleep pattern and the difference in him is incredible. Before he started taking it he would be awake til about 11.30 - midnight everynight and then would be really tired during the day and it was affecting him at school and making his behaviour worse. now he's able to tell me when he needs it for a few weeks and it gets him back on track.

 

[Nic1107]

I wish we'd known about melatonin when I was a kid; it may have made a huge difference! I still have to take sleeping pills as well, but without the melatonin my body stops reacting to the sleeping pills within a couple of days. With it, my I can go from complete insomnia to 'normal' sleeplessness and the pills will take care of it, ykwim?

Definitely no reason to feel like you're drugging him hun, it is after all a natural body chemical. It really surprises me that you have to get it on prescription over there though; here you can pick it right up in the vitamin isle!