Any words of wisdom regarding Melatonin as sleep aid?
I've always been a light sleeper, sensitive to sounds, light, etc.
in the past (50 years now), I blamed this problem on having raised children, always aware of unusual sounds, etc., in the night, which translates to interrupted sleep..
With PMR, its difficult for me, to get refreshing periods of sleep, and I am often up for hours at a time in the dark. Thanks to this forum, there is always someone else here also...so lots of reading happens in my nocturnal periods.
However, recently I have tried Melatonin, and found it helpful in getting to sleep. It also helps me return to sleep if I wake for bathroom breaks in night. I wake refreshed, and not "hung over" from the drugs.
Do you have thoughts and suggestions for using this over the counter substance for sleep?
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Purplecrow
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But if your pred dose still works fine - seems fair.
Can't try it in the UK, only available on script for a very restricted indication: short term use for insomnia in over 55s! If the cap fits why not wear it ...
I was wondering about the interaction between pred and melatonin. My current dose is 4 mg, And I havent seen any negative consequences yet.
Also, I'm curious that it requires script in UK,... in US, its available over the counter at most any grocery / drug market, ...even for pediatric use.
***And on that subject, I recently saw parents of 5 youngsters, oldest 13, youngest 3 years, use melatonin to get kids to sleep. The 4 parents included one doctor, one nurse and 2 medical social workers..!!!
Whats up with that...and what happened to reading a nighttime story?
And as witness...it clearly worked when all the rambunctious boys quietly crashed for the evening...parents then proceeded to have adult conversation and cocktails🤪
It is possible that your own body's release of melatonin is out of sync so you aren't sleepy when you should be. I think there are ways to get this normalized again, including adjusting mealtimes and exposure to daylight.
And making sure there are no light sources of particular wavelengths in the bedroom - even switching a light on and off (to see the time for example) is enough to stop natural production of melatonin and keep you awake. Screen use before bed has a similar effect for some people.
I hate those things - the low level is nice, but turning it off means it goes to the highest light first ... I had such a fight with OH to get a different alarm clock which didn't have a bright blue light all the time. Now he can't hear the replacement so I have to do the alarm duty - even when it is about 2 hours before I want to wake up!
Got this lamp when my hands were bad 3 years ago just before PMR took over the rest of me . Only do alarms before holidays and doctors appointments now . Rethinking about clocks and lights ,every little helps . Shame about alarm duty for you .
I just looked up some alarms for the deaf - and sent him the link, pointing out some are aimed at not waking the spouse... He's a bit dense sometimes "But you'd hear 113 dB..." I would, but that wasn't the USP I was looking at...
My son has used melatonin before when working shift work as his sleeping patterns were always changing. He reported it worked well for him.
Myself always being a light sleeper, I always sleep with ear plugs, and those nights I can’t sleep I take a few draws from my vape pen containing an indica dominant marijuana oil. This also really helped when I had PTSD and resulting night terrors that would make it very difficult to return to sleep.
Sounds like it is working well for you. Perhaps just check with your Dr. to ensure it’s ok with your other medication. Wishing you a good nights sleep and sweet dreams!
I never sleep well sometimes only four hours ,l get really tired after a few nights like that and then do sleep better which makes me feel more refreshed in the morning,but it never lasts long and l soon go back to laying awake for hours .l would love to try melatonin but am not sure if it will be OK with the steroid medication.l also take levothyroxine .
My last thoughts on this topic .......melatonin is cheap and not regulated by big pharm corporations... no $$$ to be made by sales, therefore not much high powered research. In that vacuum, doomsday possibilities fill the open space.
My doc has been quite willing to prescribe all sorts of other chemical sleep assist...most coming from pharmaceutical companies., plenty with high price tags, and tons of warnings about adverse possibilities .
The lowly melatonin is cheap, works pretty quickly, and by most appearances is safe.
All being considered...and said...I'll keep using my melatonin, and keep you informed about any consequences I discover.😁
I don’t take anything with the calcium pill....just water. It’s calcium citrate 200 mg and vit D3 160 IU.
My understanding is that calcium carbonate sometimes causes stomach upset and so it’s better to take with food.
A few years ago I considered taking melatonin but when I read that there hadn’t been any good studies on it so it’s safety wasn’t assured I decided to take the calcium. It may not work quite as well but I wasn’t as worried about taking it. I would prefer to take nothing!
I've never been a good sleeper. Six hours has always been the best I can do. My mother told me I was always like that, even as an infant.
A couple of things that seem to help me:
Limited caffeine after noon. None with or after dinner.
A little something in the stomach along with a cup of hot or cold water an hour before I intend to retire. Then nothing (oh, maybe a sip of water) until morning.
Completely emptying my bladder before I go to bed.
Allowing myself to get cool - not cold - for a while before getting under the covers.
Soft, loose, comfortable pajamas in natural fibers.
Cotton sheets, wool blankets, down comforters.
Socks, even in summer.
If I really can't sleep, I get up. I'll settle in the rocker or the big, old leather chair and read, or watch an old movie. I keep the room dark except for one lamp or the TV, snuggled under an afghan. If I can't settle down, I'll polish the silver or a piece of furniture, file my nails or pluck my eyebrows. When all else fails, I'll put on an old sweater or coat and go sit on the porch or in the garden.
One thing I don't do is stress about it. Sooner or later, things will balance out and I'll get to sleep. Worrying about it won't make that happen any sooner.
I wish I could be more accepting about not being able to drop off, and I think it's really hard not to lie there stressing, especially if you know you have to be up early for work the next day. It makes it worse. I admire you for you ability to stay calm through it all. Even if I am up trying to take my mind off it by doing something, I end up clock watching! Grrr! Having said all this, at the moment I am experiencing some good nights so fingers crossed it continues. X
An aminoacid called tryptophan is a precursor of seratonin and melatonin and is said to help sleep providing you have enough in your diet.
"Tryptophan is present in most protein-based foods or dietary proteins. It is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, dried dates, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spirulina, and peanuts."
and while it can be bought in the UK as a supplement, too much can cause unwanted side effects (nothing new there then) and it can cause muscle pain. It must not be taken if you are on certain anti-depressants (SSRIs). It is suggested that 5-HTP supplements are better and safer, they are a stage between tryptophan and serotonin.
This explains that - but possibly taking your levadopa with a lower protein snack is enough? You must have protein to keep healthy so don't avoid protein altogether. All it may mean is that you need a bit more levadopa if you are eating more protein.
I bought Meltonin whilst in Florida to help with the jet lag when I got home. Unfortunately, it gave me palpitations every time I took it so had to stop. I believe airline cabin crew take it to help them with the jet lag sometimes.
Google it’s side effects—seems to me I remember Mayo Clinic saying not to use it over 2 years—a man I know said his doc told him that too, due to possible side effects.
It gave me terrible hot flashes. I now am splitting my dose and take benedryl. 7 nights on, two nights off as recommended by the pharmacist as the body gets use to it. Works wonderfully.
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