Prescription Melatonin

Sorry I always forget to read through what I write before I click send , I go off track quite a lot but hopefully you get the gist . 

• Melatonin as a sleep aid is only helpful for certain people as I believe , it's because it's a hormone and not a sleeping pill and works in line with the rising and falling of the sun , it only helps and you must make positive healthy lifestyle choices with diet and exercise . The medication helps correct sleep disturbances like disrupted circadina rytham or people who's brain and body don't recognise and react as they should to the rising and falling of the sun , it's usually part of a medication regime and a very important part if correct diet lifestyle is implimented alongside the medication dosing and initial up and down titration and if tge patient is willing and cooperative which can be difficult as the brain and body adjust , it can be a distressing period for anyone at all and it is no matter what people may think a very difficult thing to do for the patient and the Dr's due to the nature of medicatin that affects cognition as it will on initiation affect how the person thinks , percieves and processes information , and depending on the individual and their personal set of surcumstances personal physiology , any external influences in their past or affecting them in the presnt and/or any physical health issues that are unrecognised and have been overlooked and left unadressed , I for instance had gastrointestinal issues that were due to diet and lifestyle that needed minor adjustments but because I have lived with adhd inattentive all my life and with adhd tge brain and body does not recognise or crave the correct things I just couldn't possibly have known what to do or what to adjust , I have aspergers syndrome and I'm getting much better at it but it's a very difficult process for all concerned my communication issues are very small but with co-occuring adhd inattentive untill my days and nights aligned and i dream at night and i am awake alert and can focus , concentrate , direct and control my thoughts without them being a distraction which can be caused by many things like the incorect spectacles or eating in the wrong way , not exercising correctly and not resting  appropriatly , it's not the same for everyone and nobody can tell somone what works for them but only provide them with information and advice as a basic guide that they themselves  can work with . It's usually one on one face to face appointments witb consitancey continuity stability and structure that help both the Dr and their team and the patient to achieve what is required and get the best possible outcome , any medications that affect cognition are very specialist areas and it take a team of experienced dedicated specialist who are able willing and resilient to even undrsatnd the complexities and what may or may not be the right approach for an individual,  GPs and GP surgeries named GPs are an essential part or any persons health care but they are not equipt or able to apply medications or be primary care providers for any lifelong complex health conditions , they can assess for advise on and treat minor health conditions and make referals for any other conditions identified on initial assessments and they must adhere to tge shared care agreement with secondary services like CMHT or secondary psychological service,  sleep service etc and if they don't provide what is required for the individual as a primary health care provider then everything after that point falls apart people become unwell and suffer unnecessarily .

I'm really very sorry if it seemed as if I were attempting to give medical advice - I really didn't intend (or rather mean!) to do so at all! And I certainly didn't intend to imply that you "can just take extra pills". I was talking about my own, individual experience - and not saying "this is as to what you should do!" I am really very sorry if I might have ever upset or offended you - I really didn't mean to do so! :-(  I find talking in messages such as this to be really very hard indeed, as there's no prominent cue to distinguish both tone and incinueated meaning - which usually, even in person, I find really very hard to un-pick! Also, I am curious, but also aware that this might sound, or rather seem, to be rather quite rude, (pre-emptive sorry!) how is it that I've presented as being irresponsible? I understand that as to what I've done is indeed wrong (in a factual sense, at least!) but I don't, however, see as to how I've been (or rather gone) so far wrong as to be seen as openly irresponsible. I've both apologized to you and corrected myself? And, for that matter, as for the "being incorrect" comment, I myself was incorrect - just as of my experience, I started at a slightly different dosage than typically given - so I was really quite confused, and falsely assumed that you were incorrect. Whereas I didn't fact check as to what I said - and, thus, next time, I shall do so. I later acknowledged this, but you don't seem to have noticed. I did, however, do so in a vaugely cryptic and dissmisive way. I didn't mean for this to be so, but it reads in a really very bad manner. It's not your fault, if anything it's mine. :-( I just found as to what you said (as in to say that I should consult a doctor before doing so) to be a little patronizing, and a little pretentious, and as such said so - in the form of playfully stating: "I'm not a complete moron! :-)" I also wrote a separate message in which I asked as to whether you thought me to be stupid. It was a genuine question - I was worried you thought me to be so, and I really didn't mean anything rude by it. To explain further, I was really very worried that you thought me to be less intelligent, or perhaps even stupid, so I wanted to ask you about it so that I could improve upon the way in which I communicate. But, alas, I (yet again!) said so in a horribly rude way. I realize that you didn't mean anything rude, or rather untoward, by it (very much the opposite, actually!) - I'm not certain as to whether it stems from past trauma, or perhaps it's just the way in which my mind works, but I often think the absolute worst of things, and first read them as far worse than they actually are. On further thinking, as such, I have no such problem whatsoever with as to what you said in your comment - it's logical, clearly structured and helpful - even if I've already done those such things. If anything, it's just my annoying brain both disproportionalising as to what you've said and taking it as a jab at my intelliect. It's important to note that I wrote this message whilst feeling upset, so I'm really very sorry if it sounds to be either rude or blunty - I will try to correct it as such when I've both calmed down a relaxed a little. And I totally get that I can be self centered - I'm really very sorry about that. In actuality, I'm not a bad person - I just have a really very nasty habit of doing so. I often talk about both myself and my experiences as opposed to others', which is really very unhealthy and, rather quite ironically, very self-important. I don't think poorly of you at all, and am really very grateful for the highlighting of my failures.

Rather_Quite_Rexquisite said:

I'm not certain as of how to say this

I see.  You've dug out a post that was written 3 months ago and decided to comment upon it - fine.  

You've then told me that I was incorrect, despite the fact I double-checked the National Institute's guidelines before writing - seemingly because you had a different experience to the standard or to the original poster.

Now you assume/presume that I may think something of you, despite the fact I've said nothing on any perceptions I may hold. 

The reasons I make comments here based upon fact - and dosage - are because this forum is available for the whole world to see, and there's an obligation to try to be responsible.  It isn't all about the individual.  

We also have a rule, which is not to give medical advice.  Implying that someone could just simply take extra pills might be a contravention of that. 

I'm not certain as of how to say this, because I'm really very worried that'll come across as being either rude or blunty - but here goes! (I apologize in advance!) I'm more intelligent (or rather more capable) than you think me to be, even if I may come across as being slightly incompetent. I've already done all of these things, and wouldn't be taking a dosage that the doctors didn't know (or were rather unaware) I was taking. 

Thank you ever so much for the advice, but I've already done that! (I'm not a complete moron!) :-)

Rather_Quite_Rexquisite said:

For instance, if I wanted to increase my dosage to 6 to 8, I could do so by simply ingesting another tablet.

I think the advisable thing to do would be to return to your GP if you felt your dosage was too low, as to increase your intake by yourself would merely insure your tablets ran out ahead of schedule, and you'd be taking more than your Doctor was aware of - with possible side-effects. 

The point about NICE is they set guidelines for the dispensing of medications for adults & children, so while you may feel the 2mg wasn't adequate - there will be good reasons for having this dose as a starting point. 

To be fair, it's really very unlikely that you'll be prescribed 2mg without further stuff - it doesn't seem to have much of an effect in such a small quantity. Usually, they're provided in 2mg tablets so that you can better control your dosage, in as little of an increment as possible. For instance, if I wanted to increase my dosage to 6 to 8, I could do so by simply ingesting another tablet. :-) (But yes, technically, they are provided in increments of 2, and thus at a starting dosage of 2mg).

Rather_Quite_Rexquisite said:

That is incorrect!

I am not sure what you mean about incorrect. 

You may refer to the NICE guidelines for clarity, as they too state that the starting dose would normally be 2mg. 

bnf.nice.org.uk/.../

Also, I was not prescribed Melatonin as an adult - so presumably the starting dosage would be higher than that of 4mg?

That is incorrect! (As in to say that the starting dosage, by standard, is 2mg) (Please do note that I'm not certain as of how it might be prescribed for other people, so this is indeed subspecific to me!) I have been taking Melatonin for a really very long time indeed, and do so in increments of 2mg, but have never found such a dosage (as in 2mg!) to be efficient. The recommended starting doseage (for me) was 4mg, but it very much varies from person to person - so I do suppose it's possible to be prescribed 2mg, albeit so unlikely. I now take 8mg, and have been doing so for a while!

Added a later stage: I am (or rather was!) incorrect by stating that it is not standard to be prescribed a starting dosage of 2mg. I was wrong in my claim and I am really very sorry. I was confused because I was prescribed a further dosage as compared to the standard dosage. Next time, I will fact check as to what I say before saying it. 

The 10mg tablets to which you refer aren't sold as a sleep aid, more as a dietary supplement, as far as I am aware - so these may be mixed with other ingredients.   

It (seems) that 2mg is the regular starting dose for an adult.   I realise this post is 3months old now, and you've spoken of a 3 month trial, so you must be coming to the end of it.  

Rather quite amusingly, I first read this as: "Yesterday morning, my key worker rang me to say that Shrek planned to email my doctor; asking to prescribe me a really very high-dosage of melatonin." (To clarify, the "really very high-dosage" part was (or rather is!) complete and utter drivel, only added for the humble purpose of vague amusement!) But, alas, I did indeed (and quite truthfully!) first read "the shrink" as none another than the diabolically disastrous name of "Shrek"!

Please keep us updated on whether it works or not. I asked about melatonin a couple of years ago and was told no by GP.