Inositol ? melatonin?

[kferricks]

I gave dd melatonin before and gave her one last night. Have any of you ever noticed more pronounced symptoms the next day after giving melatonin?

just covering all my basis.

 

also, what exactly is Inositol? Do you use it? Is is know to have any drug interactions with the abx?

[MomWithOCDSon]

We've been giving our DS melatonin at night for sleep for over a year with no adverse side effects, behavioral or otherwise, that we've noted. Though, every kid is different . . . . maybe try giving it one night and skipping it the next and see what happens?

 

Inositol used to be considered part of the B Vitamin family, but then it got pulled out and given its own classification. Supposedly, it works like a "natural SSRI," helping support the retention of beneficial serotonin levels in the brain and gut. I've been told that you need to treat it like an SSRI . . . start low and slow with the dosage and gradually work your way up. Also, there's caution against giving a child who's already taking an SSRI a separate dose of inositol as it may "activate" them.

[LNN]

As Nancy said, inositol used to be called Vitamin B8, but is no longer considered a vitamin I believe because your body makes a small amount of its own and a vitamin is something your body cannot make on its own.

 

I do not believe it has any interactions with antibiotics, but it's been awhile since I was up to date on the topic, so that's worth verifying for yourself (maybe call the manufacturer of whatever abx your shild is on). We used inositol quite successfully for many months, but at the the time, my son was more anxiety driven than OCD. So we only dosed at 5g/day for anxiety (he was 45 lbs), not the higher doses used for OCD. I also took it at the same time, as it was those early "OMG what has happened to my child" days and I was just a wee bit over the edge with my own anxiety. I have to say it did take the edge off for me and was able to feel calmer. It also helped with my social anxiety, which has always been a struggle for me.

 

Here are some useful articles:

Inositol (Vitamin B8) as an SSRI alternative

a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol

b. http://www.nutrition...m/content/7/1/2

c. http://www.naturalad...es/natural.html

d. http://westsuffolkps...ol_and_ocd.html

e. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IS...55/ai_n6211958/

f. http://www.ihealthtree.com/inositol-powder...e-naturals.html

 

Please note you have to titer up the dosage, just like an SSRI, over about 4-6 weeks. Otherwise, you may get gas, cramps, diarrhea or unwanted behaviors. (one of these articles mentions dosing for an adult) Start at a low dose for about 4-5 days, then move up. If gas isn't a problem, you can move up every few days until you find a dose that seems to help. Likewise, if you decide to stop, titer back down - don't stop cold turkey. There were weeks when we found it mathematically easier to give three doses/day instead of two. At those times, I'd mix the inositol into chocolate milk in the lunch box. But after awhile, my son got tired of being pestered to finish every glass of whatever. So he opted to just pour the teaspoon onto his tongue and chase it down with a swig of water. I did the same thing. Easier than mixing and having to drink a whole glass. It has a very slight sweet taste - a bit like powdered sugar.

 

As Nancy said, do not use this in addition to an SSRI. It's intended as an alternative.