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Melatonin?

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We had an appointment with the Consultant Pediatrician yesterday. One of the things that was discussed is Jack's inability to get to sleep until late at night, which is leaving him very tired during the school day and affecting his behaviour.

 

She suggested that we consider giving him Melatonin to help him get to sleep.

 

Has anyone out there used it with a child with an Autistic Spectrum disorder, and did it help?

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

 

Simon

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Simon

 

Melatonin is mentioned on many postings. You should be able to find them using search. I was considering it for my non diagnosed son, as he doesn't sleep at night and can't be woken in the morning. He will have to see the doctor about it, once children become adults you have no control over them, did I ever have control?!!!

 

Nellie.

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Simon

 

I know someone whose child has AS and ADD and uses melatonin- which friends buy off the shelf in the US for him (although his dosage is regulated by a UK doctor). It has worked well for this child.

 

Elanor

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Hi

I was told it isnt available in this country.I went to paediatrician last week , and she told me not to go down the medication route for sleep (easier said than done )

Someone had recommended melatonin for it, and im sure it was on this site.

Lisa

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Lisa

 

Melatonin is available on prescription in this country. Our consultant pediatrician has offered to prescribe it for our son, which is why I asked the question. I have heard that some Health Authorities will not fund melatonin prescriptions, so you may need a private prescription. (Not sure why as it isn't all that expensive)

 

If all else fails, it is easily available mail order from the USA where it is freely available 'over the counter', but this should only be done with the knowledge of your doctor.

 

 

Simon

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Hello Simon and Everyone. I have been giving Melatonin to my 9 year old boy, David, who has asperger's. Like you I was concerned about his inability to get to sleep. Once asleep he will sleep soundly through the night but it was a major problem getting him to drop off. We were also concerned that being tired the following day would have an adverse effect on his behaviour.

 

David would lie awake, singing, talking, writing lists(his favourite pastime), of CD's bands, movies in fact anything really. Knowing he is lying awake although quite safe meant we could never really switch off and relax.

 

 

David's paediatrician recommended melatonin and I can honestly say we hav enever looked back. Like many parents, we were very apprehensive about giving our boy any medication, but after discussing it with the doctor agreed to give it a try. The thing that swayed me was that it was non addictive, had no side-effects and is a naturally occuring substance in the human brain.

 

The dosage may seem high but that is because it has to work through the body unlike the natural substance which is already in the brain.

 

We give the melatonin to David around 30mins before bedtime. We have to disguise it in hot chocolate, yoghurts milk etc. It comes in capsule form which we empty into whatever we are using as a disguise.

 

The first time we tried it I couldn't believe it. Within 10 mins he was siiting on the couch almost asleep, eyes rolling in his head. I thought 'Oh no, what have I done to my kid?' It's never been like that again. He stays up for another half hour or so and goes to bed and is usually asleep within 10 mins.

 

Out of the 200+ nights he has been taking melatonin I would say that he has had problems dropping off no more than 10 times.

 

His behaviour at school did seem to show a little improvement. I would still carry on using it without an improvement in behaviour under the grounds that the more sleep he gets the better.

 

Children can develop an immunity towards it and the effects are not the same with everyone. I would recommend anyone to try it if their children are having difficulty getting to sleep.

 

I hope that this has been of some help to you.

 

Mike

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Hello Mike

 

Thank you for that information. The only negative thing I have heard about Melatonin is that it sometimes doesn't work. I'm pleased your experiences with it have been positive.

 

Nellie.

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Hi,

 

I am new to this forum and am hoping to hear of other peoples experiences with Melatonin similar to mine.

My son Leon is 2y 7m and was diagnosed ASD at the end of March. He was prescribed Melatonin around a week ago as he has no pattern to his sleep whatsoever.

Although he is now falling asleep around 30 mins after having the 2mg of Melatonin he is only sleeping for around 5 hours before waking at around 1am for approx 4 hours!!!

Does anybody know whether it takes a while to work for a full nights sleep or if this is probably the best I can hope for???

 

Joy

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Hi Everyone and welcome Joy.

 

Guess what!!! My son is living proof - he has not taken Melatonin but - since the start of the good weather he is out in the garden for most of the day "mostly naked" and guess what! He is sleeping right through the night - normally he does not sleep for more than 4 hours at a time!

 

I thought perhaps all that fresh air had done the trick, but I knew that was not the whole answer!

 

Well, well, well!

 

Apparently light (ie sunlight) stimulates production of melatonin from the brain and also vit D etc. My son looks like he has been on holiday - the only white bit is the whites of his eyes!

 

Come 7.00pm he is dead on his feet and tired!

 

You learn something new every day! Exposure to daylight - who'd have thought!

 

Thinking about it we all feel better when the sun shines!

 

Apparently lack of melatonin is also linked to SAD and other disorders!

 

Chuck the kids outside and see what happens! (apparently at least for an hour a day!)

Edited by CarolJ

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B)

Thanks CarolJ

 

I am sooo pleased the good weather has finally come along but didn't realise it helped us to produce Melatonin! Leon is, shall we say, 'choosy' as to when he is happy to play out in the garden, sometimes for hours other times he will stomp back inside after 5 minutes!!

 

But I will definitely encourage him to stay out there longer and see if this helps with his sleep.

 

Thanks again

Joy

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Joy, sorry, I misread the info - duhhh!

 

Sunlight inhbiits production of melatonin, sleep hormone. Sunlight encourages production of serotonin, which wakes you up! But, this still explains why scott is sleeping.

 

Serotonin and melatonin need to be kept in balance in the body. I find Scott when the winter and dark days are here, tends to fall asleep during the day, cat naps.

 

When there is sunlight he does not want to. Basically keeping him going all day, fresh air etc. must have somehow balanced these hormones in his body. I will be watching him closely on "darker" days when he is not outside to see how his sleep is then.

 

Saying that, the little so and so is still stalking around at the moment! So much for my theory!

 

Send us some of that melatonin.

 

But I also read somewhere else it inhibits ageing. I will try and get some for myself!

 

Sorry, for the wrong info just goes to show, dont believe all you read, especailly when I have written it. I got all excited earlier because I thought I had found the answer to my prayers - a good night's sleep!

 

Oh well, back to the drawing board! :crying:

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Hi folks further to this melatonin/seratonin.

 

We have had some pretty c**p days weather wise, and of course Wimbledon is on so it is blowing a force 9 gale outside and rain is pouring down, we are just up the road from wimbledon so of course we share its nasty weather.

 

Anyway, before I digress completely away from the subject in hand,

 

I have been watching scott closely to see how his sleeping/waking has been affected by the weather.

 

On dull days he tends to be "ratty" and "grumpy". He also sleeps in the afternoon and consequently is up for most of the night. Basically if its sunny he does not sleep! If its dull or raining he falls asleep during the day.

 

I have let him outside for a while and he seemed to love the feel of the wind in his face. But he still has just fallen asleep, so I will look forward to another stint in to the wee small hours!

 

So definitely lack of sunlight has played a part in Scotties sleeping pattern.

 

Seratonin is a feel good hormone is it not? Could this explain his grumpiness and out of sorts behaviour because he is not producing enough during the day? Also are ASD kids sensitive to changes in the weather/atmosphere ie ionisation on rainy and windy days?

 

I wonder if any clinical trials have been conducted on this?

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Thanks DMW

 

The amount of melatonin produced is directly linked to the sleep pattern  in mammals including human. The raw material used to made melatonin is the amino acid tryptophan (chemical name).  The tryptophan we consume during the day is converted into serotonin (chemical name), a brain chemical involved with mood. Serotonin in turn is converted into melatonin.

 

If I am right in interpreting the above, the amount of light consumed impacts directly on the amount of melatonin (sleep hormone produced) ie more light = serotonin = conversion into melatonin = good night's sleep! Something at the moment is not happening with Scottie, due to dark overcast days and when raining he spends more time indoors!

 

At the moment, its sort of sunny here and he is outside and wide awake. This time yesterday he was sleeping! He was awake from 12.00am to 5.30am this morning!

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My son is prescibed melatonin by the Doctor, he now has generated a mental addiction to it, if he does not get his pill he does not sleep. additionally the benefits of it deminish over time so periodically you have to take him off it. I would strongly recommend bachs remedies as an alternitive My wife (not the mother) is a qualified practitioner in bachs and I believe it to be more successful and less harmful

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Chadbukl,

I tried Bach's Calming Child Essence on my son, but with no results. He got the recommended dosage...would your wife be able to suggest anything else, calmness wise?

Esther

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I got this information from another site. I thought it might interest some members.

 

Nellie.

 

 

 

I'm looking into it for sleep reasons. But I read the following, while looking it up.

 

Melatonin

As an antioxidant

 

Recent research on Melatonin is supporting the belief that it is a powerful anti-carcinogenic hormone. Dr. Russel Reite, author of "Your body's natural Wonder Drug - Melatonin" describes it as one of the most powerful antioxidants, and advocates its use for this reason, for free radical damage to the brain is known to be the cause of a large number of serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Down syndrome and muscular dystrophy. Vitamin E, the universal antioxidant, does not cross the blood/brain barrier to prevent oxidation. Melatonin does!

 

An article in Cancer Research, 1998 Vol. 18 Iss.2B, pp 1329-1332 confirms that melatonin activates the immune system in Cancer patients. In a study of 31 patients, who failed to respond to other therapies, melatonin administered at 10mg per day showed significant results, with 12 patients (39%) achieving disease stabilization after 3 months. None had adverse reactions. This study concluded melatonin plays a significant role in defending the body against the progression of cancer.

 

Biological Rhythm Research, 1998, Vol. 29 Iss.2 pp 121-128 reported that coronary heart disease patients secreted considerably less melatonin from their pineal glands than healthy individuals and their night time cortisol levels at night were considerably raised. Melatonin therapy would thus be advantageous for these patients.

 

Neuroscience Letters, 1998, Vol. 247, Iss. 2-3, pp131-134 reports that melatonin is a modulator of the immune system. 35 children suffering from tonsillitis and due for tonsillectomy were studied and given melatonin therapy, which restored their B-lymphocyte values. Further studies are being undertaken to determine melatonin's therapeutic role in the pathology of tonsils.

 

And the mega-dosing with melatonin (up to 20mg) prior to chemotherapy has been shown to reduce the damage to the bone marrow, the most severe side effect of this therapy.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...9441909-0528409

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We are currently trying it for our son, have upped to the maximum dosage as advised by his doctor, and.........................he still doesnt get to sleep until midnight :wacko: However, we were warned that it works for some and not others, so all I can say is try it :)

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Perdita,

I love the signature!!

 

I think I have inadvertantly 'nicked' CarolJ's, so I'll need to think up a new one, ASAP!!!( Sorry, Carol!!! :wub: )

Good luck with the melatonin!!

 

Nellie,

thank you for that info on melatonin's antioxidant properties. My best friend's son is plagued by tonsil infections, I will duly inform her of your findings!! (How DO you do it???)

Cheers, big ears!!

Esther x

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Once again De-Mystification woman comes up trumps! How does she do it! - pat on back there Nells!

 

I was wondering could I get seratonin (opposite of Melatonin) - to help me stay awake at night to counteract my son's lack of melatonin - I have tried sitting under a lightbulb but not quite the same effect!

 

Any thoughts!

 

Caroljx

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Hi everyone, :)

My 12 year old son was offered Melatonin by his hospital Paediatrician, due to his sleep problems. We were advised that he would take a low dose for the first week and then a higher dose if needed the second week but if no benefits were seen by the end of the second week it would be unlikely that it was going to work for him as it doesn't help everyone. As the decision to take it is my son's, he has not decided to try it, because he is worried it is drugs and we are unable to convince him otherwise at present. We were also informed that we could only get the prescription from the hospital.

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My son has been taking Melatonin for a while now and it has helped tremendously in getting him to sleep. He used to still be awake at 2 or 3 in the morning before taking it, now he is usually asleep by midnight. Not a miracle but every little helps.

 

However, he still has problems staying asleep and will wake on numerous occasions, although since taking the melatonin he is much less agitated when he wakes. His psychiatrist promised me that she would research the matter and see if she could find anything to help.

 

I've received a letter from her today saying that she has discovered a "longer lasting form of melatonin", presumably slow release and if I would like my son to try it she will send me a prescription.

 

I think we will be giving it a go. Will let you know how we get on.

Edited by Tez

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I was at Community Paed appointment with my little girl. The Paed mentioned melatonin. The reason I am posting, is that she says it can possibly be prescribed by GP's now (off their own back/suggestion), and not just Paeds of Psychs at hospital. Not sure what the GP's would say if you went and asked for it, but interesting comment, none the less.

 

 

Elefan

xx

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Thanks for that Elefan,

 

Thanks for that, I am trying to persuade my younger son to discuss melatonin with his GP. He's doesn't go to sleep until after 4 every night..... or should I say morning!!!

 

Nellie. x

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hello well sorry to here your son has trouble getting to sleep i also have the same trouble and i hav aspergers, ocd and other diagnosis b4 i was on diazapan for sleeping of dizapan now and the hostipal said it is best to have a roteein bed time and hav 1hour queit time b4 bed and yoga tapes help me along wiv a hot milky drink, hopethis is some help.

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Just to update. My son has now been taking the slow release melatonin for about a month. He found at first that it didn't get into his system fast enough and it was taking him hours again to get to sleep. However, once asleep he found it easier to stay asleep.

 

Had a word with his psychiatrist and she told me that he was still on a relatively low dosage so to give him a normal melatonin tablet and a slow release one together, so will be trying the two together from tonight.

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Nellie

 

Does your son see not sleeping until 4 a.m. as a problem?

 

It is possible that the wee small hours when nobody else is awake is a time he enjoys as there will be few, if any demands made upon him. If this is the case, then taking melatonin to get him to sleep earlier will seem irrational to him.

 

 

Simon

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Hi everyone :)

 

My son has been taking Melatonin for a month and it's a blessing. After 11 years of not being able to fall asleep before midnight (or 1 am), he's now going to bed at 9 and falling asleep half an hour later. He also wakes up not feeling so tired every morning, feels more relaxed and is doing a bit better at school.The Paed. will see him in 2 months to control the medications. I hope that Melatonin doesn't have side effects in the long run. Does anybody know if there are any risks?

 

 

C.

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The research I've done suggest that there are relatively few risks although in some children it seems to delay puberty. It is generally promoted as safe because it is a hormone produced naturally by our body but there has been insufficient research done to confirm this so it is still unlicensed in this country for use on children.

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So interesting to see this discussion, it was so hard for me to find info on it when I first heard of the idea. A few months ago I started using melatonin with my son. It worked beautifully at first but now he seems resistant so I've stopped and his teacher is once again noticing his tiredness at school. For what its worth, I got a liquid form that I could slip into his evening milk from www.drugstore.com, I'm in the US and don't know if you can buy it from them overseas but there's a link anyway...

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you can obtain melatonin from health food sites in u.k.

one question though, how do you know what dosage to give if not prescribed by a doctor?

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It would be good to hear the dosages prescribed by doctors. I just did a lot of reading on the studies with children, reassured myself it wouldn't cause harm, and then to be conservative gave about 1/4-1/2 the min. dosage described in the studies--which like I said seemed to work for a while, I haven't tried to go higher and reading about others' experiences here am glad because it seems to be possible for them to become immune anyway.

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I initially gave my son Melatonin without a prescription from the Doctor. I was a bit nervous so started off on 1.5mg. When I told his psychiatrist what I had done, she told me that she would give it to him on prescription but that her minimum starting dose was 6mg and she raised this as necessary.

 

I've spoken to other people who have been started by their doctors on 3mg but nearly always this has been increased.

 

I would always start on a low dose and only increase if it wasn't having the desired effect.

 

With regard to it losing its effectiveness, the medical advice on this is not to increase the dose if it had previously been working but to stop it completely for a while and then restart.

 

As an aside I asked her whether she disapproved of me giving it to my son without medical advice. She told me that she had researched it extensively and felt that it should be licensed for over the counter use by children in this country.

Edited by Tez

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1stly sorry I've not been here for ages, new Job keeping me too busy :wacko:

 

Although Josh has been happier recently he's still running around the house at 1am & only getting about 4 hours sleep a night so obviously struggling to get up in time for his taxi to school (and what a battle getting that was, another story there!)

 

A nurse friend of mine has suggested asking for him to be prescribed Melonin to help him sleep. Has anyone heard or even used this? as I've no idea about it, my friend works with kids with special needs but not autism.

 

any advice on this would be really appreciated!

Edited by hartshayrose

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Can I then ask a vague question about when sleep becomes a problem?

 

Jacqueline has never slept well, and is always roaming about her bedroom till 11pm or so.

I have never really worried that much, as she stays in her room, and I just presumed she didn't need much sleep.

At times over the past 8-9yrs she has been prescribed phenergan to 'put' her to sleep, as she hasn;t slept at all.

NOW however she often asks for'sleeping' medicine as she is desperate to sleep, and really wants to be able to drop off.

We have tried the usual, warm milky drinks, lavender oil, quite soothing music etc etc

My other two daughters also don't sleep very well either, but I often think it's the running about and mischief that keeps them awake, but Jacqueline does say she wants to sleep. She too is always tired in the morning.

 

Anne

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Research suggests that melatonin is most useful in regulating sleep cycles so that people drop off atthe 'right' time. I use it myself for that reason, but have yet to use it wit any of our children, even though our doctor has prescribed it.

 

 

Simon

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