Hurray: Melatonin works very well for me

[roster]

Now I value Snoredog's opinions highly because he pushed me to have an upper endoscopy and the doc found asymptomatic (silent) gerd, flaccid LES and ectopic gastric mucosa in the UES. The doc set up a therapy routine for me and I have seen great improvement.

So with this success due to Snoredog's advice, I have been reading with interest his posts on the effectiveness of melatonin. Sunday night I hopped on the internet and order a large bottle of 3 mg melatonin from Wonderlabs.

Melatonin is so good that just ordering it has been great for my sleep. With the exception of one night, I have had some good sleep this week. I just got up from 7 hours of good sleep and have pumped some iron already this morning - barbell squats and deadlifts. I slept through all night without a bathroom trip two nights this week - very unusual for me!!!

So I am very glad I ordered the bottle of melatonin! Now I will have a dilemma later this week: When the bottle arrives in the mail should I open it?

[Catnapper]

You do have a dilemma. Why fix it if it ain't broke?

You can always keep the bottle on the nightstand to ensure it continues to work, or to open if not.

[roster]

You do have a dilemma. Why fix it if it ain't broke?

You can always keep the bottle on the nightstand to ensure it continues to work, or to open if not.

Maybe I will tape it to that bar of Ivory soap.

[socknitster]

Rooster, you are so funny! I happened to take some last night because the night b4 last I slept poorly and I was anxious to have a good night. I slept like a log!

My husband takes it when he goes to China on business--12 hour time diff. It makes it possible for him to recover quickly from jetlag. Better than ambien. He has done ambien cr, reg ambien and melatonin and prefers melatonin. The only caveat is that when the alarm goes off, he has to get up and pull the curtains back in the hotel room so that the sunlight tells the brain to break down the remaining melatonin. He says when he does that he isn't groggy at all.

I'm having the endoscopy on Monday in conjunction with my tonsilectomy. So, I'll let you know what my results are from that as I am able. I don't know how long it will take b4 I feel like going online again. I also highly value Snoredogs advice and I'm always interested in anything you post, Rooster, since we have so much in common.

Jen

[ozij]

Good luck with both procedures, Jen!

O.

[DreamStalker]

I too started trialing it after SD's suggestions. For the past week, I do feel as though I am sleeping better ... however, I have also noticed that right around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I start getting very sleepy. Maybe I need to cut back on the dosage?

[socknitster]

I too started trialing it after SD's suggestions. For the past week, I do feel as though I am sleeping better ... however, I have also noticed that right around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I start getting very sleepy. Maybe I need to cut back on the dosage?

Studies on college students revealed the optimal dose is 300 mcg which as you may know is 0.3 g (hope I'm remembering basic chem right!). I noticed at walmart a week or two ago that it is now available there in 300 mcg, 3mg (most commonly found) and 5 mg (the max recommended dose is 6mg).

My sleep doc told me to cut the commonly available 3 mg pills in quarters. That would make the dose roughly 750 mcg, close enough to the optimal without being too fiddly.

Make sure to expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning. Sun sends a chemical message to the brain to break down remaining melatonin in the brain. It gets converted to some other brain chemical--maybe serotonin, not sure about that though.

Also, be sure to eat a low glycemic-load lunch. Another common cause for afternoon sleepiness is too many refined carbs at lunchtime.

Jen

[sleepyred]

Good luck with your procedures - I'll be thinking of you!

I'm having the endoscopy on Monday in conjunction with my tonsilectomy. So, I'll let you know what my results are from that as I am able. I don't know how long it will take b4 I feel like going online again. I also highly value Snoredogs advice and I'm always interested in anything you post, Rooster, since we have so much in common.

Jen

[socknitster]

Thank you for the goodwill. I've been pretty nervous and cleaning and organinzing like crazy. I have made 9 batches of sorbet/ice cream--kinda got obsessed there. (I'm allergic to milk so I have made up my own recipes with coconut milk in place of cream and milk--I can't just send hubby to the store for a pint of ben and jerry's).

I'm feeling better today. I saw my ent for pre-op yesterday and he really made me feel better. We talked about all the possible things I could do for this disorder and he gave me his opinions (and he is very knowledgable, current, and down to earth, so it was great!). He spent prob 40+ minutes with me. Set his whole schedule off kilter, I'm sure! But I needed it.

He seemed impressed with my interest and research into all of these things and I think we both found the conversation helpful and stimulating. He doesn't pull any punches either. When he thought my oral surgeon was trying to get me to do an inappropriate surgery, he didn't hesitate to tell me he wasn't qualified to do that--it was just a communication error (apparantly there is a surgery called TAP and he misunderstood what I was talking about when i mentioned my oral appliance fitting--my bad for rushing, thinking he might be out the door in a minute!).

Anyway, I took the melatonin bc I needed to sleep better bc I have been anxious.

Aside note about sleeping poorly and anxiety. We have talked b4 about the associations of panic disorder possibly being caused by apnea. I was at one time diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I usually freak out during blood draws. I can't control it--my whole body goes haywire. I break out in a cold sweat and waves of heat pulse thru me. I see spots etc. This time I didn't do that. Granted, they all know me as "the one who must lie down" during tests and I did that and it helps but I usually don't feel like popping up and going about my day within seconds like I did yesterday. Maybe all of this good sleep is adding up to lots of other benefits as well.

I took my last 5 mg prozac yesterday too. No withdrawel affects and mood completely under control. Amazing what sleep can do!

jen

[roster]

.......

Make sure to expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning. ....

Jen

My wife would kill me.

[socknitster]

R--you KILL ME!

Jen

[Catnapper]

Aren't roosters supposed to greet the sun every morning anyway?

Cock-a-doodle-doo! What does that mean?

[DreamStalker]

Aren't roosters supposed to greet the sun every morning anyway?

Cock-a-doodle-doo! What does that mean?

That's probably exactly why his wife would kill him

[SleepGuy]

rooster, after all of the help you've given others on the forum it's great to hear about your success! Sleep is an awesome thing!

[Snoredog]

I too started trialing it after SD's suggestions. For the past week, I do feel as though I am sleeping better ... however, I have also noticed that right around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I start getting very sleepy. Maybe I need to cut back on the dosage?

In Mexico it is called Siesta time

I think it is normal, maybe lunchtime meal has something to do with it, maybe it is our melatonin levels rising, think the effects are made worse at a desk job under fluorescent lights, I used to have the hardest time during that period, I had to get up go walk around, get some tea, go outside and hope it wasn't 105F.