Melatonin and RLS

[Wanman4]

Has anyone with RLS had any experience using Melatonin for sleep? Good or Bad?

.

[Elffindoe]

Melatonin is not recommended for people with RLS as it lowers dopamine levkls and can make RLS worse.

There is a simple way of raising melatonin levels recommended as part of "sleep hygiene" methods.

This is to make sure that you are exposed to a few hours of natural or full spectrum light during the day, e.g. late morning/ early afternoon. Plus, avoid it in the evening and at night.

Since modern technology has led to the development of a lot of devices that produce full spectrum light, (when it's dark) they should be avoided at least two hours before bedtime. This includes LED lighting, TVs, PC and laptop monitors, tablets, smartphones etc.

Some do have a feature whereby you can reduce the amount of blue light in the display and if possible this can be used. You can also get blue filter screens that you can place over a screen.

Many RLS sufferers suffer insomnia because of two things. One is that RLS symptoms can prevent sleep or wake you up. The other is that RLS also means you have excess glutamate which can interfere with sleep.

How ever, it's also worth considering that RLS may not be the only factor causing you insomnia. Many people who do not have RLS can suffer inbsomnia. The World Health Organisation identifies a few insomnia and sleep related disorders. Anxiety can also be a major factor in insomnia (and RLS).

see this link

icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en

It's worth then considering other sleep hygiene measures and other therapies for insomnia as well as seeking drug therapies.

Note that other conditions e.g. sleep apnoa can affect your sleep. If suspected ask your doctor about these.

If RLS is causing major sleep difficulties then it might be a good idea to review whatever RLS treatment you're having to see if symptoms, including insomnia, can be better controlled. Note that dopamine agonists can worsen sleep diffculties.

[Madlegs1]

Most prescriptions for Melatonin are for far too high a dose. Instead of 2.5mg to 5mg, they should really be only 25 micrograms. This is impossible to get in the chemist.I buy the 2.5mg liquid in a dropper bottle online, (Vitasunn) and use 1/10th of the dropper to get 0.25mg.

This will help me get to sleep, taken an hour before bed.

The higher doses will give you bad sleep and cause RLS.

I only use it about once a week, and have had no problems.

Elfindoes advice ,otherwise, is fairly ok-- as per usual!😜

Good luck and sleep tight!👍

[Stdorn]

Made my rls go nuts untill it wore off.

[Spurdog1]

I've used melatonin before i recognised the plm problem, it didn't scratch the surface. However, at times i found taking two paracetamol before bed was much better sleep. It's worth a go.

[DicCarlson]

Melatonin is a 2 edge sword. To initiate sleep 0.25mg is usually all you need. I can use a 1mg sublingual tablet broken into quarters. If I take it when waking up especially after 1AM - very groggy in the morning. I have also taken a 3mg time release - mostly too groggy in the morning. I did read recently that melatonin supplements somehow decrease iron levels - not really a good thing for RLS people.

[Zurp111]

it has made mine worse after a while, so not recommended!!!

[WideBody]

I used melatonin for years thinking it helped. I stopped taking i for a month and I have not taken it since. What I found is that melatonin helped me fall asleep but not stay asleep, granted that is rough with RLS. Melatonin made it worse for me, without fully realizing it.

[Hidden in reply to WideBody]

Hi Widebody, was your RLS noticeably better when you stopped the melatonin...like better than baseline?

[WideBody in reply to Hidden]

Melatonin really had no effect on my RLS, it even helped me fall asleep. Melatonin sems to have worsed help the insomnia portion. I am still a very light sleeper, but I do sleep longer without Melatonin.

[ncrdisabled]

i use it to help me sleep i take 1mg i take 5mg of Requip 5 times a day to control my restless leg and arms

[Ajaxandme]

I take @4-5 mg along with my Neurontin and CBD. Works very well for initially helping me fall asleep. I agree with some of the responses regarding higher doses giving undesirable effects- if I go higher than 5 my RLS gets considerably worse, Start with a low dose and see what works for you.

Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to Ajaxandme]

Hi Ajax, ya know a lot of people on here think that Melatonin aggravates the symptoms of RLS...at least in the SHORT run. I know it gave me the worst RLS of my life. However, I'm also of the belief that it might possibly up-regulate the D2/D3 receptors in the LONG run. As a matter of a fact, I am so convinced of this fact that I'm willing to make a gentlemen's bet with you that if you stop the Melatonin your RLS will be silent. You might not even need the Gabapentin? Feel like proving me wrong?

[Ajaxandme in reply to Hidden]

Hello Eitheror, I’ve struggled with RLS my whole life. Long before I knew there was such a thing as melatonin..,,

When one doc finally suggested Gabapentin, my life changed considerably.-FINALLY! Something that worked! It was a life saver!

That was 25 yrs ago.

I’ve heard pros ( there are a lot of pros, btw), and cons about the supplement, but for me personally, a low dose of melatonin works beautifully along side my Neurontin.

I have a much harder time falling asleep without it. (Yes, I’ve tried.)

Have a nice day!

[wildlegs]

Ive taken 10 mg of chewable melatonin foe 7 or 8 years now and I think it helps.

[Stelladevico]

I bought melatonin from the USA as you cannot buy it in UK and it made my RLS much worse.

[Ciduoc]

I have had trouble sleeping all my life, which was made worse by RLS. I now take "melatonin max" and it helps. But melatonin alone would not stop the RLS. I combine it with Gabapentin.

[Shumbah]

Some people cannot use melatonin, my self I seem to able to use the thebeautyelixir brand look on instagram or google, harder to find on google.It also has CBD AND MTC that might be why not sure