Prescription Melatonin

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.  

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. 

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. 

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?