Melatonin

[Ennyl]

Hi everyone can anyone advise me asto insomnia and perhaps treatment they are receiving please? Since August last year I have gone from constant fatigue sleeping to extreme but not feeling rested,since January I had real bad month off work chronic bronchitis as well as my COPD Brent to see cardiologist and awaiting echo have been given beta blockers aspirin and statins well really AV got aspirin but mix up with my gp waiting for beta blockers and statins as my heart apparently has difficulty! Melatonin apparently can help my insomnia, I work usually thirty hours but just completed 48 hours as support worker I am worn out but no sleep two hours at most, anyone amy info on melatonin for sleep problems? Am fine apart from no sleep! X

[stilltruckin]

drugs.com/comments/melatoni...

[Hidden]

Hi Ennyl. Insomnia is a terrible thing, especially if you have to work. You can't buy melatonin legally in the UK without a prescription, and I wouldn't buy it online. I believe it's a tricky thing, the dosage & time you take it have to be just right or it can make matters worse. As you probably know, as a supplement it's really for jet lag, though it's produced by the pineal glad to help induce sleep.

Have you seen your GP? If you explain this is making it hard for you to work he/she will hopefully prescribe a short-term sleeping pill. There are some over-the-counter remedies which can help but you have to be really careful if you're on a lot of other drugs. I've tried practically everything available.

I'm sure you know all the usual tips for winding-down but this website has some useful reminders sleepcouncil.org.uk/how-to-...

I think it's really important to avoid screens for a couple of hours before you sleep. They definitely inhibit the body's natural production of melatonin.

[Ennyl in reply to Hidden]

I got short term in January I was ill for over month and really desperate I explained I need sleep as I support assisted living with three young girls who are on constant medication one has cerebral palsy others autism challenging to say least but I love it I have to be on the ball and it's getting ridiculous now I started Saturday morning at nine am finished Monday morning at nine due to staff illness I could not leave I felt wrecked yesterday did all usual winding down methods and managed 90minutes sleep I am so desperate to keep on working I only work Saturday morning till Sunday night usually I have staff who cover my shifts when am ill I have COPD chronic bronchitis and now having heart problems I saw cardiologist last Thursday who faced new meds thru to doctors I have still to receive them honestly I am finding it so difficult I am positive person am fortunate to have seen cardiologist so quickly am waiting now to go for echogram if only I could sleep a little I know I will be ok. Thank you so much for information honestly appreciate it x

[Tee1008]

I have no personal experience of it, Ennyl, but in the late 60's I shared a house with a long haul air hostess who found it very effective to help her sleep. (She got it in USA). I think you would have to carefully research it for yourself, however.

Tee x

[Ennyl in reply to Tee1008]

Seeing doctor today hopefully I will get something I only thought of melatonin as its in our body anyway x

[Hidden]

Hi I suffer from bad insomnia and the doctor gave me an anti-depressant 15 mg of mirtazapine. I take just half and sleep much better now. I took it when I was working too and it didn't have any adverse effects on me during the day. x

[Ennyl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for info am seeing my doctor today I need something x

[Ennyl in reply to Hidden]

I mentioned you're meds to doctor then she gave Me Zopiclone 7.5 if it doesn't work I have to go back Thursday. Yet when I asked different doctor months ago was told they don't like to give them as addictive I stressed I only wanted short course before I went back to work but refused. It confuses me I don't want sleeping tablets for every day but I need to be rested before I go to work at weekend. I worked from Saturday morning till Monday morning looking after three girls who don't have mental capacity or physical for that matter I need to sleep to be able to continue working so now I have seven days of meds that I will only use once or twice a week that's if they do work. Soooo hopefully tonight I will actually sleep ha! What a lovely thought for me! X

[Ergendl]

My friend has a daughter with ME, who is in constant pain. She has been prescribed melatonin to help her sleep and her mother finds it quite effective. She is too young to have any other form of sleep medication.

[Ennyl in reply to Ergendl]

Thank you so much am seeing doctor today will mention it to him I can't go on like this ha! X

[Dedalus]

Sorry can't help Ennyl, but do be careful with non-prescription drugs xx

[Ennyl in reply to Dedalus]

Aw thanks I would not take anything my doctor hadn't prescribed! I am seeing doctor today and I will ask I thought melatonin being natural substance would help but obviously go thru my doctor first as I don't want to be addicted to anything I remember how difficult it was to give up smoking even tho my life depended on it! Hospital have phoned today I am to go on Tuesday to have echogram? I saw cardiologist last week and he said to speak to my doctor about my insomnia that's why I mentioned melatonin, am so tired and I need my wits about me for work so don't want anything that will affect driving or mental ability I just want to be able to sleep. Thank you I do appreciate all support I am given on this site x

[Dedalus in reply to Ennyl]

That's good news - hope you got what you needed from your GP to help you sleep & good luck for your hospital appt. next week xx

[Ennyl in reply to Dedalus]

Aw thanks I have been given 7 Zopiclone 7.mg I am running bath taking my tablet and hoping I get more than ninety minutes like last night. Am really happy I have my test next week I appreciate I haven't had a long wait I will let you know how it goes thank you take care much appreciated x

[ADJ60]

Have you ever given a thought to maybe you are simply stopping breathing during your sleep. Its call "Sleep Apoenia" (sorry not quite spelled right) I tried telling my husband for 10 years I was convinced he was stopping breathing during the night but he and my family were adamant I was talking rubbish and laughed at me. He blamed everything and anything for his disturbed night and was permanently tired. We tried everything possible to get him a good nights sleep to no avail. He suffered a massive heart attack being left in a coma. He received a defibrillator/pacemaker and went back to work in a lesser capacity. He was still always falling asleep at the drop of a hat. I was then told about the above condition and was astonished to read up about it everything tallied. I insisted on mentioning it to his consultant who suggested the gp could have him tested. He was and we found out he was stopping breathing every few minutes while resting. Hundreds of times a night! Its something to think about because it is so easily treated and is a significant factor in some heart problems but once known about is so easily overcome. Its just a thought! Its thought many thousands of people have this problem they are unaware of but more is now being done and its becoming easier to get treated while saving long term on trying different medications which simply never work. I hope I haven't spoken out of turn or scared you. But more people must know about this as it does save peoples sanity and lives. This is my first response to anything and I hope you are feeling better soon and I cannot promise another but thank you to everyone who responded a year ago when first joined. I am in a better place now but am still wary of the internet.

[Ennyl in reply to ADJ60]

I really thank you, unfortunately I don't get to sleep at all I have tried no tv warm bath milky drink am absolutely drained I am not anxious depressed stressed or anything like that I just can't sleep I don't drink and even tried an alcoholic ginger beer it made me feel sleepy but sleep did not come, I have just seen a doctor who has gave me 7 Zopiclone 7.5mg I told her honestly I am not a stress head I am happy that I am having tests for my heart I welcome opportunity as I lost my brother to massive heart attack he was thirty one his doctor told him he had indigestion, my parents both had heart trouble my late father had quadruple by pass my brother recently had triple by pass other brother a stroke and bypass in his leg. Cardiologist said he thinks my heart not working properly and I had telephone call yay to attend Tuesday for echograph am really pleased these tests are happening so quickly I have COPD and suffer breathlessness but not twenty four seven like I am having now I get told how sleeping tablets can be addictive I am only asking for one a week so I am rested for my weekend shift at work I only work Saturday morning thru till Sunday night assisted living withvthreevgurks who have autism cerebral palsy I need my sleep to give proper care am so tired now aftervworkingvextra at weekend I can't eat am so tired AV just arrived home from doctors going to have bath warm drink and take tablet and pray I sleep, honestly I really appreciate time you have taken to support me. Thank you so much x

[Ergendl]

I wake a lot during the night, and find that wearing an eye mask to screen out any light, and listening to story CDs through earphones very helpful. It stops me thinking about whether I'll get back to sleep with all my arthritic aches and pains, as I'm thinking about the characters in the story and imagining the scenes. I started by using simple meditation tapes and hypnotherapy tapes, but quickly got used to those so they stopped working. But there are endless stories. One of the best was a taped guide to driving around the south coast of Devon and Cornwall.

[Ennyl]

I like idea of story CDs think al have look for some thanks I managed hour and half totally exhausted so much for sleeping table from doctor will take one again tonight if it doesn't work doc says to go tomorrow but difficult getting appointment thanks for info I really like idea of story CDs x