MELATONIN and METHYLPHENIDATE
Question:
Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? Has anyone taken the combination? Why are you taking the melatonin ? I am sure it was not on the advice of your doctor.
I just started ritialin, I have been taking melatonin when needed for sleep. It works for me. Randy
Response:
I take 15 mgs. of Ritalin 4 times a day and usually 5 or 6 mgs. of Melatonin at night from time to time. It works for me with no ill effects the next morning. I also find taking about 2 grams of GHB in juice before bed also works well to induce sleep.
Response:
Sigh! Melatonin is a Chrono-active drug, it should be taken in one dose right at bedtime. Taking one pill and then another, just won’t work because what you create, is a different titration pattern, with peaks that have nothing to do with optimum sleep efficiency. If you feel you need 2 pills instead of one (And I always did) take them both at the same time, instead of spreading them over 4 hours like that. Be wary of the OTC brands, however, as it seems that the manufactorer will not commit to the contents, suggesting that perhaps you are not getting JUST Melatonin. We expect to see it available as a prescription drug, some time in the future, but, at present, CANADA has pulled it off the shelves again. At least until it gets properly tested.
: I’ve taken it, but I didn’t ask my doc first — something I don’t recommend. : Sometimes (or should I say "often") I have to break the rules. Lets face it, you ask your doctor about melatonin, and most likely you are going to get the put-off. Chrono-active drugs are not easily administered and are not well understood, so testing tends to be rather inconclusive, unless they are properly modelled. Melatonin has been one of those drugs, that was improperly modelled to start with, and as a result, the testing had difficulties, that proper models would have dealt with. : I sense that you’re having problems with insomnia or lessened sleep quality Well that IS the reason most of us take it, although, WHY that insomnia, or lessened sleep quality exists, is one of the factors that seems to have a few discussions attached to it. Since the models for insomnia do not as a general rule include chrono-Biological cycles, and phase displacements with the Day/Night cycle if your problems are caused by such a problem, you needn’t expect too much help from the doc. After all, he won’t buy it. Of course if your problems are not Chrono-Biological in nature, they will be if you mess with the timing of your Day/Night Cycles. So, you end up in a bind. Treat yourself, or wait 5 to 10 years until the medical comunity figures out enough about the way that the brain works, to admit that it does have chrono-biological cycles. — : hence the question. I found melatonin effective for about 4 hours. After that : I was an insomniac again. A second dose of melatonin in the middle of the : night simply made me two hours late for work. : Get help from your doc. Yeah, Right! GREY — 2536 138A ave Edmonton
Response:
Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? Has anyone taken the combination? Why are you taking the melatonin ? I am sure it was not on the advice of your doctor.
You don’t need a DR. to prescribe melatonin. To *combine* it with prescription drugs you might want to ask the DR. I just started taking melatonin to help me conquer a stubborn insomina prob, and it works great. Taken during the day it can make you drowzy, watch out. I don’t mix it with anything, so I can’t address that. — Laura Goodwin <— that friendly Hartford, CT lady "I am in earnest. I will not equivocate; I will not excuse; I will not retreat a single inch; And I will be heard." (Wm. L. Garrison)
Response:
In Reply to: Well that IS the reason most of us take it, although, WHY that insomnia, or lessened sleep quality exists, is one of the factors that seems to have a few discussions attached to it. Since the models for insomnia do not as a general rule include chrono-Biological cycles, and phase displacements with the Day/Night cycle
I definately agree it’s associated with chrono-biological cycles as it makes sense. No matter what I do or try I cannot avoid staying up until 4 to 7 o’clock in the morning. Not only is this normal for me, it is somewhat of a necessity. It just happens to be the time when I’m most productive. I don’t believe I have a sleep or insomnia problem, I can sleep fine in the morning and this is true of other ADDers I know. As a note to this: Provided the right hour, I can most of the time fall asleep when I go to bed. The problem for me is procrastination, I forget that I do in fact need to sleep sometimes and when to do so. To speak of the cycles though; one alternative is to emerge yourself in an enviornment where ADD sleep patterns are acceptable. Personally, I’ve had more than my share of insomnia episodes and extreem work problems associated with them. I found that with minor modifications to my schedule they could be completely avoided and I can rest well. I believe if you find the optimum "sleep hour" you will be able to rest with no problems and avoid the "ADD – I can’t seem to wake up" syndrome! This opinion may not be accepted by most, but it is an alternative to more drugs! Darin ||"Sometimes the strange and unexpected things in life, || || become your life, and there’s nothing wrong with that"||
Response:
If you take malatonin, make sure that you are using the tablet form, and as small a tablet (as little filler) as possible.. Put it under your toungue and let it absorb sublingually. Some non-time-release niacin and vitamin B6 may also be helpful at bedtime.. (helps metabolize dietary tryptophan into serotonin..)
Response:
RS: Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? RS: Has anyone taken the combination? JL: Why are you taking the melatonin ? I am sure it was not on the advice of JL: your doctor. Hi Randy & Jack, I not speaking for Jack here, but I’ve started on Ritalin & Melatonin, each for their own reasons. The Ritalin to counter the ADD (I think that’s fairly obvious to anyone who frequents this newsgroup), and the Melatonin to help modify what for me is a sleep schedule without apparent pattern. In consulting with my doctor the other day, I asked him about this mixture, and the best he provided was a cautionary response. The caution, however, was not related to mixing these two substances, but rather a question of the purity and reliability of the melatonin itself. In the United State (and please, anyone, correct me if I’m inaccurate about this) I believe melatonin is not classified as a drug (i.e. you can normally buy it at a health food store), which means it hasn’t been screened by any FDA process, which means you basically take your chances with what you buy. When I suggested to my doctor that I’m not sure if that should be an issue of major concern — in as much a many of us generally depend on whatever manufacturer whenever we purchase, for example, vitamins — my doctor cautiously agreed, but nevertheless only underscored the idea that you need to exercise extra caution since, with melatonin, you’re dealing with a recognized FDA substance. For those new to the loop, melatonin is a substance naturally created by the human body, who’s purpose is to bring the body into the restful state of sleep (once again, if anyone other there finds error in this statement, please correct me). The taking of melatonin pills, therefore, it to aid in this process, and this seem particulary appealing to those of us who’s sleep rythums are not in sync with the normal 24 hour day cycle. To be tired when you’re shouldn’t be and to fully awake when you know it’s time for sleep is a frustration for anyone who has to related to anybody else in the outside world (i.e. if you can’t fall asleep until 5:30am and you’re expected at the office at 9:00am, that is a strain on your system). I am such a person who has difficulty with my sleep patterns. I envy those who fall asleep at the same time every night, and get up relatively refreshed every morning. To know such a person is to know that we hunger for any aid that might help stablize the sleep/wake schedule. For this situation, I have, at different times, been offered such medications as Rivotril (clonazepam) and/or Valium (diazepam). These may work, but I think first I’ll give the melatonin a try. My Ritalin intake is 3x a day — generally at 8am, noon, & 4pm. The melatonin is taken just before bedtime. How has this mixture been? I’ve only been on it for a week or two. Perhaps if someone asks later on, I’ll have a better answer to give. Brain substances — if I may call them that — are still more of an art form than an exacting science. In most cases, we try what is recommended to us, and see if it works. If it does, we continue. If not, of if the side effects are too strong, we discontinue and/or try something else. When I finished with my doctor the other day we both humbly concluded that neither of us knows for sure. We try things with caution and with monitoring, and whatever works is what gets used. I hope that somewhat helps. C.J. — C.J. Morgan
Response:
When I finished with my doctor the other day we both humbly concluded that neither of us knows for sure. We try things with caution and with monitoring, and whatever works is what gets used. I hope that somewhat helps.
Could you keep us posted on the results you achieve ? Your doctor seems to respect you. JAck
Response:
My Ritalin intake is 3x a day — generally at 8am, noon, & 4pm. The
melatonin is taken just before bedtime. C.J., As long as you’re not taking the SR Ritalin, and it doesn’t look like it from your dosing schedule, the methylphenidate should be out of your system before you even take the melatonin – unless you go to bed at 7 or 8 pm! Is the melatonin helping you sleep at all yet? How much are you taking? Kate in IL — * Life’s too short to put up with lousy coffee. *
Response:
I take 15 mgs. of Ritalin 4 times a day and usually 5 or 6 mgs. of Melatonin at night from time to time. It works for me with no ill effects the next morning. I also find taking about 2 grams of GHB in juice before bed also works well to induce sleep.
I use <elatonin too, with mixed results. What is GHB, how is it used and obtained. Thanks
Response:
Melatonin works (sort of) to help me get to sleep.. I usually take one 2 mg tablet sublingually, along with niacin and Vitamin B6. but _every single night_ for as long as I can remember… I wake up around 3 or 4 am.. And little has worked for that… :( Anyone have any suggestions? -Chris.
Response:
Hi. As a follow-up on the M and M thing. I asked my daughter’s psychiatrist about these two substances, as she has a severe sleep disorder. He was not aware of melatonin, and admitted this. He didn’t even know it was being sold in U.S. health food stores, and was not available in Canada. Professionals often don’t know what is going on outside their "world". This is not a criticism, but just show that clients often have to do some educating. Don’t assume your physician knows about Melatonin. I too would like more information about the combination of M and M. Thanks Jan T.
Response:
Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? Has anyone taken the combination? Randy
Response:
Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? Has anyone taken the combination?
Why are you taking the melatonin ? I am sure it was not on the advice of your doctor.
Response:
I’ve taken it, but I didn’t ask my doc first — something I don’t recommend. Sometimes (or should I say "often") I have to break the rules. I sense that you’re having problems with insomnia or lessened sleep quality — hence the question. I found melatonin effective for about 4 hours. After that I was an insomniac again. A second dose of melatonin in the middle of the night simply made me two hours late for work. Get help from your doc. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone know if it is safe to take melatonin with Methylphenidate? Has anyone taken the combination? Randy
