okay folks..... I'm justa fraidy cat I guess, but in my experience... whatever makes me sleepy-gets me a ch hit. And if at night when I go to sleep and the hit comes, if I don't wake at the first sign of it and get to my abortive (whatever that may be) I am in real trouble!  In other words... I am better off (in my mind) to not sleep too deeply so that I can be on alert for the first sign of any hit. I bought some melatonin, but now I'm kinda scared to take it. Talk me into it

Hi Snook,  

Your body needs sleep and there is no use trying to fight it.  Take the melatonin, it has helped many people get some pf rest.  Give it time, results are not immeadiate.  Do you have 02?

Take care,
Beth

I believe I understood that melatonin helps you bypass REM stage of sleep.  About an 1 hour or 2 after falling asleep is when you go into the REM cycle.  People who get hit at night usually get hit during REM.  A couple of times when I took melatonin I had no night hits which allowed me to get a restful night of sleep- a much welcomed relief from nightly 2 am attacks.  I did have a HA as soon as I woke up though, but I was well rested and able to manage the beast with all I had.   Around the time I started experimenting with melatonin is around the time my verapamil started working so I just didn't mess with the dosages or take it anymore.  


I have seen so many posts from people who have reported great success with Melatonin.  Go to the search button and search for posts about Melatonin and see the evidences there of peoples success.  I certainly think its worth a try just based on that.

Kelly

Melatonin is the best sleep aid i have ever taken.  I also take some benadryl with it.
Start small with it if you are nervous.  I started with only 4.5mg while many here take 12-15mg+.  I found very good success with the melatonin and benadryl cocktail.

Try to take the sleep aids on an empty stomach about 30 to 60 minutes before bed.  If you stomach is empty, they are absorbed immediately rather than standing in line behind food.

Do not worry.  Melatonin is an OTC item and it is a natural chemical in your body.  Absolutely no side effects for me and reduced my nighttime hits by 50%+

Thanks to all of you. To you in particular, Beth.... no, I do not do oxygen.... but I do have my imitrex and for the lesser ones I use the good old energy drinks and/or coffee/ice and sometimes icy shower.  If my hit is strong enuff for oxygen.... I need imitrex!! I also use the old trick of making one injection into 3.... one of the best damn ideas I ever picked up in all my 25 years of this nightmare. But I definitely see the logic and science behind this melatonin idea and am going to start tonite!! I'll letcha know!

Snookarosis I met Beth and several more of these wonderful people at the O.U.C.H. Convention in Dallas and they are Spot On with their advise.  Barb (another CH I met at Convention) first told me about melatonin.  I was getting hit about 5 times a night.  I have just started using it and on another's advise I am starting slowly, but my hits are down to 1 and some nights none.  I am not going to tell you it is the Melatonin or just that the Beast decided to rest for a bit and hit me harder in the day (which he has) but it does seem to work.  Man my clusterhead is off to you if you battle the 7 and higher hits with cold showers and imitrix alone.  I would strongly recommend you try O2.  On 6 and lower you can get them to abort (usually) in less than 10 minutes, plus save the cost of the imitrix.  Here's wishing you many PF days.  Wishbone.

Hi Snookarosis,

I take melatonin at the moment too and it really helps. I let it build up in my system, starting with 3mg. I went up to 9mg, but found it to be a little too much and I couldn't get out of bed for work in the morning!! So I stick to a 6mg dose (my tabs are 3mg each).

It didn't work straight away for me. It took a couple of days to get it working, but I was just the same as you - especially as my doc won't prescribe it for me (it's not licenced here or something) - a little afraid. However, when I saw it for sale on the shelf of a drug store in Canada, I figured that it was worth a try and wouldn't kill me.

Keep your abortive close by at night so at least if you do wake a little groggy and feeling the beast sneak up, you don't have to go too far in the dark!!

Let us know how you get on.

Em
xx

I found it quite easily on the shelf at walmart with the dietary supplements.... vitamins and such.  But my cycle is winding down (knock on wood, very loudly) and I have decided to quit. I DO however consider myself armed with new and valuable knowledge for the future and thank all of you. As a matter of fact I even have the stuff here for when he shows up again! :)