adverse effects on Melatonin

[Sooze2]

I gave DS Melatonin tonight for the second time, last night he took the capsule (1mg) with milk and was asleep after an hour and a half. He had trouble swallowing it.

 

Tonight I emptied the capsule into some juice and he was asleep after about 15 minutes at 9pm. He has just got up in great distress asking me to let the car drive over him because he wants to die and various other things! Has anyone experianced this with Melatonin?! He semi ok now on the sofa near me watching cartoons. He's never said anything like this before.

 

He's very very hot, he's been feeling sick all day, all his muscles ache and has a head ache. I gave him some neurophen syrup for kids about an hour before the melotoin - would that be why he's had a reaction? He does suffer from night terrors and sleep walks quite often.

 

Any advise will be greatly apprechiated.

 

I don't think I'll be giving it to him again but I'm worried about letting him out of my sight tonight.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Sooze2

[Flora]

Sorry I don't know! I've never heard of anyone having a reaction or side effect from melatonin. Maybe he's poorly and it's a coincidence?

 

Flora X

[lorryw]

I have never heard of anyone having an adverse reaction to melatonin. If he has been feeling poorly all day its probably a sympton of a high temperature, it sounds as though he is going down with a virus.If you are very worried give NHS direct a ring for reassurance

[JsMum]

My son is on melatonin, its not actually a drug, its a natural hormone in the body, children with ADHD/ASD have less in their bodies and so the hormone is given to help the body get into a natural sleep routine, they do not pose any of the side effects the only slight effect J has had is feeling tired the next day, but he doesnt stop and when given melatonin his body shuts down, the break gives his muscles a well erned rest and so in the morning he is worse for ware, but thats normal for an active kid, when I have slept a full 8 hours and gone at proper times sometimes I feel worse, but its just my body catching up, I would agree that its probable coinsedence and that he has a bug, they are flying around now.

 

I would not give him any more until he is recovered and then when he is better try again, for us melatonin has been safe and effective and it has given J the chance to get into a routine again.

 

I would share this problem with your sons GP but I very much daught its the melatonin, but to be on the safe side get medical attention and medical advice.

 

Hope that he is feeling better soon.

 

JsMum

[Sooze2]

Thing is he was fine until he took the first dose last night and then felt really sick, he still felt sick in the morning which continued all day.

 

Like you say he's probably going down with something. Thing is he is up in the night regularly but never so early, it would be at least midnight usually later.

 

Oh well he's asleep again now, I think I'll take him up to bed with me later on.

 

Just edited to post link to side effects - am I allowed to do that? I appologise if I'm not and will remove it.

 

http://www.herbal-supplements-guide.com/imgs/logo.gif

Edited July 9, 2008 by Sooze2

[Suze]

Hope you had an o.k. night.My first thought would be he has a bug and its a coincidence.My son also has melatonin, and has hallucinations sleep walking and night terrors.But he suffered from these before he started on melatonin so I know its not a side affect for him.Hope your boy is o.k. today <'>

[Sooze2]

Hope you had an o.k. night.My first thought would be he has a bug and its a coincidence.My son also has melatonin, and has hallucinations sleep walking and night terrors.But he suffered from these before he started on melatonin so I know its not a side affect for him.Hope your boy is o.k. today <'>

 

He was up nearly all night! Got him to sleep in my bed at about 2am and he woke at about 4.30 am dripping with sweat sitting up and freaking out, I was calm at first but he would suddenly come out of it then freak out again. After a while I was saying "stop it stop it your feaking me out!!" he came out of it after about an hour but I was totally freaked out by it. He's not been like that since one time when he was about 3, I'm used to him sleep walking and all the rest of it but last night was hideous - so scarey. Anyway he's is ill today, very sick, bad dioreah (sp?) head ache etc so it may be a virus.

 

I will give the menatonin another go in a week or so and see what happens. Shame that link I posted doesn't bring up the website properly, it's quite interesting.

 

Thanks a lot anyway.

[JsMum]

Hi, from your last post it could be he got too hot, is there any way you can take his tempreture, keep a note of it and keep him cool, take off clothing, fan in the room, a flannel to cool his body tempreture normal, also drinking plenty too, even if its 5mls every five mins, as dehydration can make you act different too, if tonight he continues to worsen I really would advise medical attention via a gp or A+E.

 

Hope that he is ok tonight, keep intouch.

 

JsMum

[Sooze2]

Thanks JsMum, after he was sick this afternoon he had a little sleep and started to perk up a little. He even had the energy to annoy his sisters for a little while so I think he'll start to get better tomorrow!

 

He must have felt very very ill to be lying on the sofa all day but on the rare occations that he's ill like that he seems to recover very very quickly. He can only allow one day of illness otherwise the house will be far too quiet for him.

 

Thanks for thinking of me

Edited July 10, 2008 by Sooze2

[Kazzen161]

I would check if it is OK to give him the contents not in the capsule - it may have changed the way it works (eg: if the capsuleis low release).

[Sooze2]

I would check if it is OK to give him the contents not in the capsule - it may have changed the way it works (eg: if the capsuleis low release).

 

Hiya, thats a good point. It seems strange that he's suddenly so ill after having the medicine. I will leave it in the capsule next time. The consultant said there was something else he could possibly try so all is not lost if this one dissagrees with him.

[Suze]

Hi, my son will hallucinate quite badly when he has a temperature <'> , he does,nt recognise who I am, and it seriously freaks me out too, its horrible isn,t it <'> , hope he feels better today.I usually use paracetemol and ibuprofen when he is like this, the 2 can be used together and can help bring a high temp down quicker.

[JsMum]

If the contents of the capsule is powdery then sprinkling it on food/drink is fine, but if the contents are tiny little balls then these are slow release and they should not be opened, J will not swallow capsules, he has melatonin fast melts, they sit on the tounge and melt, they taste like sweets and so J has no problem sucking these, a lot of people I know do sprinkle the powdery form on food, it is safe, but the slow release isnt due to the mechanics of the slow release capsule.

 

I do however still feel that your sons behaviour is due to the virus/high tempreture and not down to the way you used the capsule.

 

JsMum