started Melatonin 10mg few  days ago was having k7's everynight at 10:30pm that lasted 45min's on the nose.Last two nights k2/3's 10 min at the max.Iam hoping it's the meds. Kicked that devils A$$ last night,woke up talked to Jesus went for a walk and cancelled that SOB's concert before he got started.Slept like a baby,sorry satan you have meet your match.

I have had great success with Melatonin....

I now take 12mg about 20mins before i go to bed. I no longer have the 1am wake all call from  K10 :) I was prev seasonal but since Jan 09 i have been chronic. Started the melatonin in Nov last year taking 6mg and built it up until i now take 12mg and no longer have high hits during the night - though can still have shadows or lower kips but bearable.

I have had only K10 in July but that was from accidentally  nodding off early one evening .... i wont be doing that again if i can help it!!!

Steph awsome for you,I miss the afternoon naps and early evening naps. No naps means more time to work around the house.LOL

3 nights PF,now were talking. stuff does make you a little groggy in the morning,but who cares..  Does this stuff make you dream alot,cuz I had some awsome ones last night,but we wont go there. ;) ;D

mikstudie wrote on Sep 2^nd, 2010 at 9:09am:

Does this stuff make you dream alot,cuz I had some awsome ones last night,but we wont go there. ;) ;D

Some people stop taking it because they get some wicked pisser nightmares.

Yes, it does enhance the dreaming experience for some.

mikstudie wrote on Sep 2^nd, 2010 at 9:09am:

3 nights PF,now were talking. stuff does make you a little groggy in the morning,but who cares..  Does this stuff make you dream alot,cuz I had some awsome ones last night,but we wont go there. ;) ;D

Yes to both accounts.  I have been using the stuff for many years, and it has been the most effective preventive for me. 

I never could understand the people who would quit taking it due to the "hangover" in the morning or the dreams.  I mean really?  You'ld rather be woken up 4-5 times a night in screaming agony than the feel a little groggy in the morning or have crazy dreams?  Hmmmmmmmmm........ To each their own, I guess.

I slept like a baby last night,this stuff seems to work well for me.anyone with night time hits owes it to themself to try this stuff.I do 10mg 1 hour before bed.

Yeah, I swear by the stuff (and Jesus too!) but I didn't know about the dreams. I do have some crazy dreams-I take 15mgs/night-but I didn't know the melatonin could cause that. Yup...I'll take the dreams over the pain any night! Blessings! lance

The dreams I have are a good thing. ;) :D

I have been conducting a very unofficial study of dosing by people on the board to get an idea of where to start with establishing an effective dosing routine.

15 responses so far. The majority of those in the 175- 250 pound range use 10-15 mg, between 20 and 60 minutes before bed time. With one at 210 who only uses 6 mg. One combines 3-6 mg of regular, with 6-9 mg of time release melatonin to get him through the night.

The light weights  ;) 97-150, use 6-10 mg. The relief achieved varies from no night hits, to a 75% reduction in nite hits, and one who still gets attacks but now they are only K1-3's. These are real broad generalizations but gives you an idea of where to start your dosing!

Joe

How do you decide the adequate dosage to take?  My Melatonin comes in 3mg capsules.  The dosage recommendation on the bottle is 1.  How does one gauge how much to take, and what may be unsafe?  Just curious.  Thanks.

Based on what others are having success with, and considering none have posted of any significant side effects yet, if you're in that 175 to 250 pound range, I'd start with 9 mg half hour before bedtime. Give it a week and increase by 3 mg at a time.

Joe

Bassplayer Jim wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2010 at 11:47pm:

How do you decide the adequate dosage to take?  My Melatonin comes in 3mg capsules.  The dosage recommendation on the bottle is 1.  How does one gauge how much to take, and what may be unsafe?  Just curious.  Thanks.

An average person can take up to about 24mg before anything too crazy will happen.  After that you might sleep for 10-15 hours and have really crazy dreams, freaky stuff.

Okay, thanks.  Was just curious.  (Most I've ever taken to date was 5mg.  I will try more as applicable.)

Bassplayer Jim wrote on Sep 4^th, 2010 at 10:53am:

Okay, thanks.  Was just curious.  (Most I've ever taken to date was 5mg.  I will try more as applicable.)

When I'm really getting hammered I usually take up to 15, on a few occaisions I've taken 18mg.

This is merely anecdotal, but the few people I've talked to who have used melatonin and DON'T have CH find that 0.5 to 1.0 mg is an extremely effective sleep aid. My wife can't even take it because it gives her the bed spins.

Something about most non-CH people having "normal" serotonin levels. I'm pretty sure we CH'ers are down a quart or so.

Brew wrote on Sep 4^th, 2010 at 11:48am:

This is merely anecdotal, but the few people I've talked to who have used melatonin and DON'T have CH find that 0.5 to 1.0 mg is an extremely effective sleep aid. My wife can't even take it because it gives her the bed spins. Something about most non-CH people having "normal" serotonin levels. I'm pretty sure we CH'ers are down a quart or so.

Exactly, that is why we need the larger doses.  And why non-CH people shouldn't take anywhere near the amounts that we do.  How much is too much and how much is not enough, that is the trick question because it is different for all of us.  Use, sleep, adjust dosagae as needed, your mileage may vary.  But the thing that has helped me the MOST, was mixing in some time release with the regular stuff, that way I keep my melatonin level steady throughout the night. 

Hi again...yes i get vivid dreams and whilst i was increasing the strength over so many months to stop the K10 attacks, the vivid dreams was much worse but once i'v been taking a set dose for a while the vivid dreams lessoned.

I still get a few now but not as bad...

Even though i now take 12mg each night ( i go to  bed around midnight ish) I STILL wake up briefly 2 or 3 times though i can get back to sleep more easily (thankgod)

I get up at 6.10am everyday (even wkends now - as i'v found out, any lay-i'ns brings on a bad CH attack) feel a little groggy just for a short while but only for about 10/15mins

I always take the Melatonin even when i have a few days PF or low shadows.... i tried once not taking the Melatonin and within 3days i was back in KIP10 hell....i will take Melatonin for the rest of my life now.... ::)

Brew wrote on Sep 4^th, 2010 at 11:48am:

Something about most non-CH people having "normal" serotonin levels. I'm pretty sure we CH'ers are down a quart or so.

What's the interaction or connection between melatonin and seratonin? Is melatonin a derivative or byproduct of seratonin?

wimsey1 wrote on Sep 6^th, 2010 at 7:58am:

What's the interaction or connection between melatonin and seratonin? Is melatonin a derivative or byproduct of seratonin?

I don't know, Lance. It's just something I heard somebody smart say once.

1 week 10mg 1 hour before bed only one hit in the pm,friday lasted 10min with the help of a red bull.Did have a hit Sunday MORNING (first am hit) 15min 1 red bull.Iam hopeing this is a sign of the end of cycle.

wimsey1 wrote on Sep 6^th, 2010 at 7:58am:

Brew wrote on Sep 4th, 2010 at 11:48am: Something about most non-CH people having "normal" serotonin levels. I'm pretty sure we CH'ers are down a quart or so. What's the interaction or connection between melatonin and seratonin? Is melatonin a derivative or byproduct of seratonin?

Melatonin is a byproduct of serotonin.  The serotonin in your body gets changed over to melatonin when the sun goes down.

I know this is an old post, but just had a really interesting discussion with my husband about this. He's getting almost exclusive night hits now, so we've been considering introducing melatonin. We were surprised how spot on the symptoms of meletonin defficiency are to what he's been dealing with:

difficulty getting to sleep
difficulty falling back to sleep when awaken during the night
light sleeper/easy waking during the night
early morning awakening
un-refreshing sleep
as well as fatigue and feeling down


This sums up his past few months exactly. In fact the symptoms started before his cycle started. We're going to be on the lookout now to see if these symptoms return before his next cycle and try to dose with Melatonin preemtively and see what the results from that are. Also starting at 10-12 mg TODAY for the tail end of his current episode.

Just wondering if anyone had experience with melatonin levels dropping pre episodic cycle onset.

i was reading somewhere that melatonin is produced in our bodies during daylight till sunset and is being released afterwards.
getting more sun helps it along the way so if you can get more sunlight do it.
don't know if it is accurate but thought to share anyway