Melatonin added to the mix

[rvjimzhr1]

I meant to add that I take my Gaba after dinner around 7 and then again 2 hours later. Almost every night I can be tired and dozing after those doses but by 10 or so I'm wide awake and often don't seriously doze again until anywhere from 10-3. I've what I believe are all the usual anti-insomnia 'hacks' to no avail. Hoping Melatonin might help.

Jim

[Polar Bear]

Melatonin did nothing for me.

[Frunobulax]

I'm curious if those of you who have reported success with smaller doses are still having good results with no worsening of RLS. Where are you finding lower dose tabs? I just checked Costco and see nothing but 5mg dose.

Maybe someone else knows more, I only know that there must be different brands and production methods. I'm from Germany and take something that is called Circadin which is a prescription-only drug for 2mg retarded melatonin (and does not list other ingredients). This does help without worsening my RLS, I've been taking it for 6 years now. And whenever I don't take it I have both more trouble falling asleep, and I will wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep and can't go back to sleep. With the supplement I still have some trouble falling asleep, but not as often. And once I sleep I can sleep pretty much as long as my RLS allows me.

Since there were phases where I couldn't get it prescribed (according to some guidelines it should be only used for 3 months at most), I tried other melatonin supplements, up to 15mg, and they did nothing. Nothing at all. Very curious.

[rvjimzhr1]

Ann,
You said....."I break a 2 mg tablet into 4 pieces and that is all it takes to make me tired within about 45 to 60 minutes after I take it".

Do you mean that you take 1/4 of that tablet over a period of time? How much time b/w each 1/4 tab?

Thanks!

[rvjimzhr1]

I bought a bottle of 1mg tabs at a health food store today. Will take one tab tonight. Fingers crossed.

[ViewsAskew]

Ann,
You said....."I break a 2 mg tablet into 4 pieces and that is all it takes to make me tired within about 45 to 60 minutes after I take it".

Do you mean that you take 1/4 of that tablet over a period of time? How much time b/w each 1/4 tab?

Thanks!

So sorry - I wasn't clear at all. When I use it, I take 1/4 of a tablet per night and it's enough for me.

[rvjimzhr1]

I started with 1/2 for a couple nights and then went to 1mg. I see no help at 1mg and it seems the rls is just little more severe than it had been. Was debating about going up to 1.5 mg but maybe I should go back and try it at 1/4mg. Thoughts?

[buglegs]

I've tried taking melatonin and it does nothing for me...I've tried different doses 1-MG up 5-MG and it seems to make my RLS worse..

[Frunobulax]

I've tried taking melatonin and it does nothing for me...I've tried different doses 1-MG up 5-MG and it seems to make my RLS worse..

My sleep doc says it can happen that melatonin production is impaired, but it's fairly rare. I'm among these people apparently as melatonin helps me. But this also implies that melatonin might not be useful if your melatonin production is normal.

It is thought that providing melatonin might free up seratonin (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7536843/) which might be useful in itself, but this would help with mood and not with sleep. Also the required melatonin doses would be a lot higher.

[Lissa496]

I was taking 3 mgs for a while, dissolvable, and it was helpful. I think I was one of the lucky ones as it did not bother my RLS.

[ViewsAskew]

I can say it has NEVER helped the urge to move issues. It helps me sleep. The urge to move is mostly controlled, but the insomnia and wakefulness at night? Those are things I battle with.

[TimG]

I'm still being helped--nothing dramatic--with sleep by taking low-dose melatonin. One change in my dosing from a few years ago is that I now take a 6-hour extended release form, 750 mcg (3/4 of a milligram).

[Polar Bear]

Any benefit in sleep is to be appreciated. I'm glad this has been a positive for you.

[Stainless]

I only get sleepy after a previous sleepless night. I worry because lack of sleep can be so detrimental to heath and maybe contribute to dimension. I have taken melatonin but found the effect quickly diminished and after a few days gone all together. Like many of you I don't remember the dose. It was in my wife's witches brew of every supplement known to man. Maybe I'll try it again a little more controlled.

[badnights]

My experience with Melatonin is from years back and it didn't seem to help with my sleep issues. I deal with refractory RLS and am have been on Gabapentin for 5 years. It is somewhat effective but I also have nightly insomnia and nothing seems to help....
I see no help at 1mg and it seems the rls is just little more severe than it had been.

I've tried taking melatonin and it does nothing for me...I've tried different doses 1-MG up 5-MG and it seems to make my RLS worse..

There are two possible reasons that I can see. One is that melatonin may not work for some individuals, for whatever reason. The other is that your WED/RLS is not controlled at the point when the melatonin kicks in. If the WED/RLS is active, no amount of being sleepy will help you sleep.

To be clear, melatonin does nothing for WED/RLS symptoms. Only for insomnia. Insomnia is common with WED/RLS. (It is often medication-induced; for example, opioids are alerting for most people with WED/RLS, based on posts on this board).

I meant to add that I take my Gaba after dinner around 7 and then again 2 hours later. Almost every night I can be tired and dozing after those doses but by 10 or so I'm wide awake and often don't seriously doze again until anywhere from 10-3

That could be describing me the last few months, except hydromorphone instead of gabapentin.

there must be different brands and production methods. I'm from Germany and take something that is called Circadin which is a prescription-only drug .... Since there were phases where I couldn't get it prescribed.. I tried other melatonin supplements, up to 15mg, and they did nothing.

I was reading an article on the quality of supplements, in general, and the problem of knowing what you're getting, because the supplement industry is largely unregulated and not quality controlled. And one of the examples they gave was melatonin. The stated dosage in the OTC brands they tested was wildly inaccurate, and some of the pills actually contained serotonin. (Serotonin is used in our brains to make melatonin, but the relationship is more complicated, since melatonin administration (to rats) has been found to increase serotonin levels.) For a supplement to contain a neurotransmitter that is not declared on the label is scary.

Nevertheless, I still buy OTC melatonin. I don't know if I could even get it prescribed - maybe I will ask next time I see my GP. Because precsribed melatonin should contain exactly what it purports to contain.

One change in my dosing from a few years ago is that I now take a 6-hour extended release form, 750 mcg (3/4 of a milligram).

@TimG, where do you get that?