Melatonin safe for kids?

[lmkmip67]

I have used melatonin with Ian for a while now. It really helps get him to sleep and we avoid the nighttime rituals and meltdowns that can keep us up until 10 or after. I went to Vitamin World to buy the one that melts in his mouth and the store clerk told me it was dangerous to reply on melatonin for kids, that it causes their bodies to stop making its own melatonin. And if they knew it was for a child, they would not sell it, plus you had to be over 17 to buy it now...It caused me a great deal of worry. Am I doing harm to my son by giving him melatonin? I realize people can become reliant on things like this to sleep, even if they don't really become addicted. I only give me 1 to 2 mg (the pills are 1 each). he can't take benadryl really because it causes rages. Anyone have any input?

 

Lisa

[LNN]

The owner of my local health food store cautioned me about long term use when I went in to buy some for my husband. She explained 1-3mg is generally safe and ok to use short term (e.g. 6 weeks) to reset your body clock but she advised customers against long term use because it (according to her) reduced the body's own production it (much the way prednisone can make your body stop producing its own, which is why you need to taper, so your body re-starts its own manufacturing). But I also found articles about how it's very useful for people who don't make enough of their own, such as in kids with autism (tho I cringe when autism is used to describe what we know is a rainbow of issues and no one in their right mind should make statements to imply a majority of kids with autism share any particular health issue like under-production of melatonin).

 

A quick online search - I found lots of studies on short term use but none on long term. Mostly comments like "side effects from long term use are unknown". But this USA Today article may make you feel better:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-02-kids-melatonin_N.htm

 

Although I am hugely skeptical of what I read in Wikipedia for medical research, there are some interesting comments concerning immuno-modulation, cytokine production, brain detox, liver detox and other buzz words we tend to focus on. Too much to cut and paste, some of it seems to contradict the next sentence. So maybe just scan at your leisure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

[nicklemama]

I've been giving my DS7 0.5mgs for nearly 2yrs now. I'm not willing to spend two hours trying to help him get to sleep. I don't think its good for him and its not good for me. I hate to be so selfish but I am his main caregiver and I need my rest too, if I am to effectively deal with him during his waking hours. I spent at least 6 months of every night taking hours to get him to sleep. I cannot do that any longer. I have not seen any need for increasing the dosage, even though he is growing. I have the ok from two neurologists, his ped, his psychiatrist, two PANDAS experts, a neuropsychologist. A store clerk is not going to sway me, although I'm sure they mean well.

[kimballot]

I have the ok from two neurologists, his ped, his psychiatrist, two PANDAS experts, a neuropsychologist. A store clerk is not going to sway me, although I'm sure they mean well.

 

You have me literally laughing out loud! I don't know if there are long-term side effects either and I hope there are not. I don't think they could be any worse than the long-term side effects of ritalin, strattera, or SSRIs- all of which my son would need in substantial doses if he did not get sleep or if he spent the night worrying about someone breaking in and hurting his family.

 

The idea that we may be making some neuroplastic changes is interesting, though, and I am wondering if I should try to switch him at some point to valerian root or 5 htp for a while... any thoughts?

[tpotter]

We were never able to effectively use melatonin...either did nothing, or if we upped the dose...caused terrible nightmares.

 

But, we do use 5-HTP, per Dr. K's recommendation from 2 1/2 years ago, and when we try to decrease the dosage, we see behavioral changes. Sleep is always a problem when strep is in the picture in our house.

[peglem]

I have the ok from two neurologists, his ped, his psychiatrist, two PANDAS experts, a neuropsychologist. A store clerk is not going to sway me, although I'm sure they mean well.

 

You have me literally laughing out loud! I don't know if there are long-term side effects either and I hope there are not. I don't think they could be any worse than the long-term side effects of ritalin, strattera, or SSRIs- all of which my son would need in substantial doses if he did not get sleep or if he spent the night worrying about someone breaking in and hurting his family.

 

The idea that we may be making some neuroplastic changes is interesting, though, and I am wondering if I should try to switch him at some point to valerian root or 5 htp for a while... any thoughts?

Been using melatonin for years and years- 10? When my daughter has those ever-so-elusive good periods, I can reduce the melatonin down to 1.5mg from 3mg. I just think that a lack of sleep will have a greater negative impact on her health than melatonin does. For the last couple of years we've also been giving valerian root. I can't be sure, but I think the valerian was causing some problems- we're off it for now. But I think it may have contributed to the problems my daughter was having with muscle cramps and spasms in her hands- hard to be sure.

[lmkmip67]

Thank you all for your input! All the doctors we have talked to say the same thing, too and many have even suggested it.

[dut]

Hi - there was a thread askig the same question some time back with similar responses. You can experience more vivid, sometimes scarier dreams when taking higher doses.

 

We use melatonin for both dd and ds but I may try and wean ds off as the only really worrying side effect that I read about was lower sperm count and motility in men. Most of the men in the study saw a return to previous counts and motility but some had continuing issues despite discontinuation of the melatonin.

 

I haven't got the study to hand but if anyone is intereted I could go search again for it.. let me know if you are......