I think i wrote on here a while back about this festive period and the massive amount of temptations with booze etc. I needed worry not as i seem to have handled things a lot better than i thought and although tempted a few times i didn't falter.
Just New Year to get out of the way now and i'll be fine!
Generally feeling OK - pretty tired all of the time which is common i guess with liver issues but if that's all i need to worry about then i'm more than content.
Sleep continues to be a nightmare despite the best efforts and i wondered if anyone has taken melatonin to help? I searched for and found the belw research paper and if i'm reading it right then some of it actually reads as if melatonin has been observed to be of some benefit when tested on subjects with liver damage (admittedly rats and mice :))
I'm not due to see my consultant for another few months so thought i'd ask in here
Hope everyone had a great christmas!
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Xenom0rph
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Ahh thanks Laura! I know about sunlight and Vit D but didn’t know, or more likely forgot 😕, the melatonin bit....and the aiding sleep. Keep out of the sun to avoid a repeat of solar keratosis = no sleep. Hehe that’s me then 🙂.
Velvetunderground clarifies the melatonin thingie so I got my fingers into gear and googled and found this nice easy to understand statement FWIW...
“A hormone that’s made by the pineal gland in the brain, melatonin helps control your daily sleep-wake cycles. Your body’s internal clock (also known as your circadian rhythm) influences how much melatonin the pineal gland makes, and so does the amount of light that you're exposed to each day. Typically, melatonin levels start to rise in the mid-to-late evening, after the sun has set. They stay elevated for most of the night while you’re in the dark. Then, they drop in the early morning as the sun rises, causing you to awaken.”
Hi Xen,
Good work getting thru Christmas without.
I have some over the counter bottled Melatonin gummies which I have not tried yet - to aid with sleep.
Several cautions on the back such as one should consult with a healthcare provider before taking if they have liver or kidney disease amongst other conditions.
I have heard from others that melatonin supplements or whatever they are have helped them in their efforts to fall asleep and sleep for longer.
Hi There - Melatonin is not vitamin D, it's a hormone which your body creates which helps control sleep. It is sometimes prescribed, short term, for sleep issues.
Please check with your consultant before taking it, NHS advice is to check with your doctor if you have liver or kidney issues.
I can say it will help you sleep, but I think it carries a bit of Jetlag getting started the next day. Sometimes I just need some solid sleep so I take one from time to time. I don’t recommend anything over 5 mg if your Dr. gives the green light.
Hi I've posted this before but a friend of mine had liver cancer and we have him some of ours we sourced from Italy. He said it was very helpful but I'm not sure it helps everyone..worth a try I guess?
Thankfully I have no problems sleeping at the moment but when I first gave up alcohol, l had terrible insomnia. The only thing that helped me get a decent night's sleep was a Sleep Aid capsule containing Diphenhydramine which is an anti allergy medication. I think it's the active ingredient in Benadryl in the USA but UK Benadryl contains something different. My doctor wasn't very impressed but we agreed on occasional use if I was suffering badly from lack of sleep. My sleep pattern stabilised after a couple of months and I don't use it at all now. I guess it's the same as Melatonin, would need to be run by the GP or hepatologist first before you could try it. Good luck, there is nothing worse than watching the alarm clock count down the minutes night after night.
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