melatonin

[placey]

My MIL has mixed vascular and Alzheimer's, but lives at home with her daughter as carer. MIL has a sleeping pill but over the last weeks/months this has become ineffective and Mum had been up and down the stairs till all hours, busy 'faffing' about. She seems quite manic at times, and can wake SIL up at 2 or 3 in the morning, fully dressed and asking to be taken home. We have heard about a new drug called melatonin which could help restore her sleeping patterns. Has anyone come across this? (I've only heard of melatonin as being the pigment that causes freckles!)

placey

 

[CollegeGirl]

Me too, placey! Do you think it might be memantine you are thinking of?

Edit - however, have just googled melatonin and dementia and there are several sites that come up that you might want to read, so perhaps melatonin is right. I'm sure others will be along shortly.

 

[Saffie]

Melatonin can help with sleeplessness.

 

[legolover]

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that is involved with falling asleep and the sleep cycle. I have come across it in connection with children with autism who have great difficulty in falling and staying asleep. Some find it works. Some doctors wont prescribe it. Worth asking, I'd say

 

[Caroleca]

It can be bought over the counter here in Canada and in the USA....at any health food store. It is not a prescription drug at least here. Some people swear by it. It is certainly a option to a sleeping pill.

 

[Izzy]

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/p...arationMelatonin 2mg modified-release tablets

My husband took Melatonin for quite some time. I have to admit that I don't think it made a lot of difference to him but if course everyone is different. When he was in hospital with pneumonia in December the consultant took him off it. One reason was that it isn't actually licensed in Scotland for this kind of use but it is in England. Our GP prescribed it outwith the guidelines. The consultant also said it was not normally prescribed for chronic (ie long term) use. I think it's worth discussing it with your GP.

 

[Noorza]

My son has been on it as he doesn't sleep well, there are also two types of melatonin. He was on one to get him to sleep but he'd wake again, there is also a slow release which helps to keep him asleep. Don't like medicating but if he is awake and alert for his lessons it's better for him.

 

[sorrel89]

I have come across melatonin and it can be purchased on the internet. However I feel you must tread with caution when you are starting with any medication and particularly a hormone. I would perhaps suggest starting with supplementation of a good quality magnesium that appears to be deficient across the population and particularly with the elderly. If difficult to swallow you can purchase magnesium transdermal spray oil that is absorbed into the skin and then directly into the blood stream, also epsom salts contain a high amount of magnesium and will aid sleep. If this does not work than I would progress with caution onto a low dose of melatonin. Set below is part of an article on melatonin, magnesium and zinc. Sorry I am unable to list the link as I have written less than 10 posts. I will do at another date...

Hope this helps.

 

[Izzy]

I would encourage you to discuss this with your GP before you do anything.

 

[Noorza]

I would encourage you to discuss this with your GP before you do anything.

Good advice Izzy, my GP won't prescribe it for children rightly so too, it has to be after a thorough examination by a CAMHS (Children and Adolescents' Mental Health Service) psychiatrist and a team initially discuss medications and diagnosis prior to initial prescription, then tweaked by the main one over the years.

 

[Izzy]

The consultant told me it was mostly prescribed for children!

I'm familiar with CAMHS. I had a lot of contact with them as a head teacher. We had a few children who attended the CAMHS clinics. We also had two do their staff do an input to the whole school staff on ADHD. I was always impressed with them.

 

[sorrel89]

Good advice Izzy, my GP won't prescribe it for children rightly so too, it has to be after a thorough examination by a CAMHS (Children and Adolescents' Mental Health Service) psychiatrist and a team initially discuss medications and diagnosis prior to initial prescription, then tweaked by the main one over the years.

The psychiatrist that is looking after my dad has just increased his dose of sedatives and antidepressants to help him sleep rather than introducing magnesium and melatonin. However Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the body as part of the circadian rhythm. Antidepressants and sedatives are not produced naturally by the body and can cause terrible side effects and further lower absorption of vital nutrients. Difficult choices but I wish you well and I hope that sleep will improve.....

 

[love.dad.but..]

My dad started on a low dose because of night time pacing, agitation, not staying asleep or not sleeping. Have to say, it doesn't seem to have made much difference. He hasn't suffered any falls and I understand that the risk of higher dose or more effective sleeping pills puts them at risk of falls so it's weighing up one thing against another. Dad is on quite a few different tablets for his heart condition and gp is loathe to medicate as other drugs could interfere with his very necessary medication which we understand and accept.

 

[sorrel89]

My dad started on a low dose because of night time pacing, agitation, not staying asleep or not sleeping. Have to say, it doesn't seem to have made much difference. He hasn't suffered any falls and I understand that the risk of higher dose or more effective sleeping pills puts them at risk of falls so it's weighing up one thing against another. Dad is on quite a few different tablets for his heart condition and gp is loathe to medicate as other drugs could interfere with his very necessary medication which we understand and accept.

My Dad is also on a cocktail of drugs and I am sure there are already contraindications so I will try supplementing my dad with magnesium although I did ask the psychiatrist to consider melatonin. Magnesium is considered as a nutritional supplement so I will give it a go when he comes out of hospital. I always find it strange when doctors are so reluctant to trial very low doses of hormone such as melatonin when they are so very prepared to supply an entire population with birth control tablets (also hormones). But they will not prescribe a hormone that could potentially help someone sleep as the medical evidence states below:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21226679

I wish you well .....

 

[placey]

Thanks for that info!

My Dad is also on a cocktail of drugs and I am sure there are already contraindications so I will try supplementing my dad with magnesium although I did ask the psychiatrist to consider melatonin. Magnesium is considered as a nutritional supplement so I will give it a go when he comes out of hospital. I always find it strange when doctors are so reluctant to trial very low doses of hormone such as melatonin when they are so very prepared to supply an entire population with birth control tablets (also hormones). But they will not prescribe a hormone that could potentially help someone sleep as the medical evidence states below:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21226679

I wish you well .....