melatonin - questions - any other possibilities?

Question

last year I had heard about melatonin and cleared it with my doctor, she said I could take 3-6 mg daily to help with sleep. it helped tremendously. then about a month ago another physician who saw on my records that I was taking the melatonin said that the melatonin keeps you from making your own if you take it every day. so I stopped it, but I'm back to having trouble sleeping but I'm getting daily sleep - just not enough. I want to figure out as much as I can before I talk to my doctor again about it. any thoughts will be appreciated.

when I tried Valerian - it seemed to act more as a stimulant than something to relax me.

lavender does help some, but not enough really .

I probably should quit using the computer at night, big problem, but I live alone and I go to online grief chat things at night (my wife died)

I exercise quite a bit also.

a doctor sent me a referral for a sleep study - and then the doctor looked down my throat and said I probably didn't have sleep apnea and didn't do the sleep study - I still think I need to do it. but maybe I need a different kind of study.

is the computer making this worse for me?
I use the computer a lot.

Answer 1

Your doctor is right about Melatonin but if it is the only thing that works then take the lowest effective dose. You should also try Calcium and Magnesium before returning to Melatonin. They have a calming effect on your body. I would take 1200-1500 mg of Calcium and 600-1200 of Magnesium. Magnesium is especially relaxing. In fact, too much of it will have a laxative effect. Magnesium in a high-dose IV is what is commonly used to stop premature labor during pregnancy. A liquid Cal-Mag is best because it will be more potent than pills and is more likely to have the preferred organic forms (ie, citrate, glucoante, chelate, etc.) ENP has a good liquid Cal-Mag.

Answer 2

I was put on melatonin last year because I don't produce any levels of it at normal sleeping times.
If your not already seeing a sleep specialist it would be a good idea to do so (get a refferal from your doctor).Ask the sleep specialist to do a Dim Light Melatonin Onset Test(DLMO).
For the DLMO you have to stay overnight at a sleep lab,the test usually starts at around 8 and ends around 3 or 4 am,for that time you have to stay awake in a dim lighted room and once every hour on the hour a person will come into your room and ask you to roll around a little piece of gauze in your mouth for a few minutes.The gauze are put into individual wrappers and sent off for analysis.
I was never told that taking melatonin will stop you from making your own.On the contrary,the sleep specialist is planning on taking me off melatonin in a few years to see if I will beable to produce it on my own.
What I was diagnosed with is called Sleep Deylayed Phase Syndrom,I am not quite sure if that might be your problem or not but it might be worth bringing up in a conversation with your doctor.
If you have any questions you can always IM me (my Im address is in my profile).



The DLMO test is completely different then the sleep apnea test.Why did your doctor think it might be sleep apnea?
I would opt for a refferal to a sleep specialist before a refferal for a sleep study.A normal or even sleep apnea sleep study will not show the problems with melatonin(only a DLMO can measure melatonin).The most a sleep study will do is show you your sleep cycle,when you have light or deep sleep,when you have REM sleep and I believe a few other things but it will not measure how much melatonin you have at different times throughout the night(the normal sleep time).

As for the computer,it tends to keep me up sometimes.I guess it is due to time warp,time seems to go by faster when on the computer for some reason.

Answer 3

The problem with melatonin is that it "resets your clock" and it does, like any medication, stop your body from producing on it's own, because your body will start to rely on it. Your sleeplessness could also be anxiety, maybe just everyday stress. Talk to your MD about an anti-anxiety med or try Lunesta. I take Lunesta, due to a back injury and it's the best sleep ever.
I work in an extremely high stress enviroment. Majority of the people I work with take an anti-anxiety medication in the day time, which has had great effects on allowing to sleep. Sleeplessness was one of their side effects from the everyday stress. So the stress, anxiety of your wife passing is a huge reason that you could not be sleeping.
I wish you well. Things will get better.

Answer 4

Melatonin is a natural substance that occurs in your body and is released when it is time for you to sleep. I highly doubt you can overdose but I would ask a medical professional before you start experimenting with it. I have been taking it for years due to problems with insomnia and it works great. If you are just looking for a sleep aid, I would purchase it in oil form because it is absorbed easily and gives you nice, peaceful sleep. If you want to try for lucid dreams, take it in pill form. I (unfortunately) have the pills right now and they give me the craziest dreams and nightmares that I have ever had. If you are looking to sleep WELL I wouldn't get the pills, but if you want an interesting sleep then those are what you want. Anyway, I hope I helped and good luck!

Answer 5

Perhaps quiting the computer is a big problem, but you should change your lifestyle to resolve your sleep problem. Indeed, you can benefit a lot from melatonin. You may also try some homeophatic remedies which is proven to be safe. Also you can redesign your room, make it more comfortable and relaxing... Hope this helps...