Melatonin

[Cobobay]

Hi everyone, I wanted to know if anyone has used melatonin to help them sleep or maybe zoplicone. Thanks 😊

[SueJohnson]

Melatonin makes RLS worse for most. zoplicone is fine.

[Cobobay in reply to SueJohnson]

Thank you Sue, have to say that's what I did ask this Doctor I saw today and he said as it was natural it was fine, so yet again another Dr that does not know or want to know anything about RLS, he is a new one from the UK to our Practice as mine was not available again today. He doesn't want ot prescribe Zopiclone due to my medication that I'm on.

[SueJohnson in reply to Cobobay]

You can always try it and see.

[ChrisColumbus]

Melatonin is an RLS trigger; zopiclone (Zimovane) is OK for RLS but - as with most drugs for insomnia - limited to short term use (up to four weeks) in the BNF, and there's also a *potential* interaction listed with gabapentin (possibility of daytime sedation) plus potential interactions with many other drugs. Not sure whether in Guernsey you can access the BNF:

bnf.nice.org.uk/interaction...

[Cobobay in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Thanks, I'm not sleeping maybe 1 hour a night for different reason other than my RLS which isn't good atm anyway, due to a lot of stress and upset in my life atm. I just wanted something to help me get some rest and maybe get me back to sleeping. I have had zopiclobe before for very short periods but not since I've been taking gabapentin, which doesn't seem to make me drowsy at all.

[ChrisColumbus in reply to Cobobay]

As a short term solution to insomnia zopiclone - or zolpidem - may be helpful, but your doctor will be considering the possibility of interaction with gabapentin but also with any other drugs that you are taking. I would hope that they might allow you a trial, but you'd have to be aware of *possible* daytime sedation, dizziness, ataxia (poor muscle control that causes clumsy movements).

[Cobobay in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Not sure about BNF says UK so probably not. Dr Dalal is from UK and was quoting UK guidelines etc