Hi Tina, I have taken Melatonin before for jet-lag – It resets the body clock.
It’s also said to make you look younger !
However, I’m not sure if it should be taken when on treatment?

As far as I know, you can’t buy it in the UK ,I have always bought mine when visiting the states.
It’s an excellent jet-lag remedy.
If it was proved to be OK on tx, it would definitely help some people I would think, but it’s probably best to check this out.
x

Melatonin has worked well for me in the past. Unless the laws have changed in the meantime, I believe we can only access the crap homeopathic variety over-the-counter in Aust; I used to import it from overseas which was no problem.

I have used Melatonin in the past. I requested a script from my GP and arranged good quality synthetic from a local compounding pharmacy. No human pituitary hormones for me. I found 3mg an initially effective dose however like almost all sleep medications, including the benzodiazepine hypnotics, it lost effect over time, even with increased dose. Ambien seems to be the only one which maintains long term effect but after reviewing some reports on this drug I intuitively reject it.

Overall, there seems to be a good rationale for developing behavioural routines to manage sleep. Although most instructions advise going to sleep at same time every night – some good clinics, instead, anchor new patterns around adherence to same wake up time. Development often involves a rugged period of adjustment – but apparently once established is quite functional.

I found providing I wasnt using the Melatonin too successively – it would still be useful to initiate & maintain a good sleep. When necessary I use some of the old standby antihistamines.

Hi Archer,

Melatonin is a hormone that our bodies make naturally in a daily rhythm which is likely why it is not included in the drug interactions charts. Apparently people in their 50s and older often don’t manufacture as much anyway which is thought to possibly be part of why we sometimes have sleep difficulties. So it seems to me that at the doses recommended we are just boosting our bodies own production and maybe changing the timing cycle slightly. I’m no expert but my assumption is that it should be fine to use occasionally as recommended during treatment. I find it helps if I take it for two or three days but then loses its effect, but that is usually enough to catch up my sleep/reset the pattern for a few more days. That way I reserve benzos for the “absolutely must have a good nights sleep so I can function for an important event tomorrow” occasions. YMMV.

Here’s what a friend of mine (also a nurse) says

“It is a good choice because it is safe and doesn’t appear to interact with any hep C drugs. The tricks are to take it properly and to find the right dose, and in melatonin’s case – more is not necessarily better.”
http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=1323.0

But the link she listed didn’t work.

I took Melatonin over the counter pill and found it very difficult to wake up. I now use the liquid so that I can use only a few drops.

P