Hi everyone, melatonin cures my insomnia very well! Some people say that it makes RLS worse, however it does not aggravate my RLS at all (though it may do if I was not taking a medication that controls the RLS). If you are lucky enough to be able to try it, then please be aware that less is more. I find that if I take a tablet of 3 mg it doesn't help, whereas if I chop it into quarters (0.75 mg when I go to bed) it works very well and very quickly. My partner, who does not have RLS, is the same (he finds that the small amount works better). Melatonin is the main hormone produced by the pineal gland. As an added advantage, preclinical data have shown that melatonin can regulate different physiological pathways in the body that can help protect against cancer. These include inhibition of tumor cell growth, promotion of immune cell response, and enhanced apoptosis (normal cell death). Regarding side effects, I have not noticed any. Also, unlike when using sleeping pills, I don't feel groggy or sleepy the next day. For me melatonin is wonderful!
Melatonin is great for me: Hi everyone... - Restless Legs Syn...
Melatonin is great for me
It's good that it works for you, but there have been a lot of reports that it exacerbates RLS in others.
This may well be a function of size of dose, and I note that you cut your pills: Madlegs1 replied to a post last week saying that he needed to take liquid microdoses rather than milligrams. And someone in the US posted about the availability of liquid melatonin in fractions of a milligram.
I believe that in NZ melatonin is only legally available on prescription? It's the same in the UK - supposedly to stop people taking too much - but it's still prescribed in 2mg doses. I remember someone else posting in the last day or so that they were going to try microdosing as well...
Yes, maybe the size of the dose exacerbates RLS - good thinking!
So how much you are using please .and what’s it called please.x
I have 3mg tablets which I cut into quarters (so effectively I take 0.75 mg each night). It’s simply called ‘Melatonin’. There are many brands and my partner who has tried a few said that he hasn’t come across any that didn’t work. x
Thank you for replying .🥰🥰
Happy to help! I hope it helps you.
I hope so too would you mind telling me the brand you used .I have no clue and not all brands will be equal.🤗
Currently it’s Webber Naturals Sublingual Tablets. Have used Source Naturals also, which works for us. 🤗
Thank you so much.🤗🤗
Thanks for posting. That's encouraging. We really are all different when it comes to reacting to meds.
We sure are! I'm hoping that my post will encourage people to at least try it, as it can be a wonderful addition to our nightly strategy if it doesn't exacerbate the RLS.
Thanks for the commentary on Melatonin. My neurologist recently prescribed 3 mg at bedtime, several hours after I take my nightly gabapentin. I wasn't sure if I should increase melatonin when/if I wake up at night. Knowing "less is more" is such good info- thanks!
Great! I hope it helps you. Will you be cutting the 3 mg tablet to a smaller dose? Regarding waking up during the night, I used to wake up at around 2 am and not be able to sleep again, but now, while I still wake once or a few times during the night, I can fall asleep again quickly. This is without having to take more melatonin when/if I wake up!
Taking the full 3 mg at this time. So far so good at keeping me asleep... now if I could just fall asleep to begin with just a bit more easily.
100% agreed! I'm on Buprenorphine sublinguals and insomnia is a side effect for me. I'm with a good surgery and they support my regime of a balanced alternation of Zopiclone/Melatonin/Zolpidem, with Melatonin being the majority medication.
Wonderful! I tried Zopiclone and after a few days use it made me feel sad 😔. I think the Zolpidem did the same thing from memory. Maybe your alternation plan avoids that. Though we all react differently.
I'm delighted for you .
I think that's the key - very small doses, under 1mg - helps to induce sleep. I use a 1mg sublingual tablet broken into 4 pieces (0.25mg). There are also some time release brands that might deliver a similar dose.
Yes! Interesting about the time release brands. I find that that my small quarter piece lasts the whole night but the time release brands might stop me from waking up a few times a night.
I agree about the lower dose. Melatonin 1 ml liquid did aggravate my RLS but using .5 ml worked great. I also take .5ml of valerian root as the gabapentin made my RLS worse. Valerian root inhibits the breakdown of GABA which leads to calming. So much better than Gabapentin.
Ha! That’s interesting. I don’t take Gabapentin and will try Valerian root. Thanks!
Gabapentin dose.
Melatonin
Melatonin? How many have tried it?
A suggestion that is working well, for me at least. AT least for now.
long read: asking for community help deciding next steps -- worsening RLS/PLMD, medications, Neurologist, no sleep, HRT
