Is it OK to give your immune-suppressed child melatonin?

[CrohnsKidMom]

Here, halfway between the equator and the North Pole, we get short days in the winter, long days in the summer. As the days get longer, my son with CD has trouble getting to sleep at his usual bedtime. (He has always been like this, and in the dead of winter he's ready for bed before supper!). I was considering giving him a little melatonin to help make him sleepy, but there's a warning on the box stating not to take it if you are on an immuosuppressive drug. Anyone have any insight on this? (FYI, I already have his room as dark as I can make it, read stories, drink warm milk, etc, etc.). Thanks!

 

[Clash]

I saw the same warning when I purchased it. I mentioned it to the GI since we were trying to find some thing to get C back on his sleep schedule. GI nurse said no issues(my son was on remi and mtx) he used it for several weeks he had no problems but it did nothing to help with his sleep.

 

[Lisa]

From what I have read doing a quick search - melatonin may counter-act immunosuppression - that is probably why there is the warning. I personally have taken it intermittently with no ill effects.

I would consult with your GI doctor to see if it would be ok to use it - someone in your son's situation may be able to take it without issues.

 

[Tesscorm]

Just noticed another thread discussing melatonin...

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=62751

 

[Twiggy930]

I have wondered the same thing. My son, and myself for that matter, have the same sleep issues. I thought about giving it to my son and stopped short when I read the warning you describe. I have tried it myself and didn't feel like it did anything so I haven't explored the idea any further.

 

[CrohnsKidMom]

Since coming back from vacation a couple weeks ago, my 7 yr old, non-IBDer son has been having trouble settling down at bedtime. I think it's the aftermath of having all slept in a hotel room together for 2 wks, now he's back in his own room again. I thought I'd use him as a guinea pig last night. I don't know if it was a mind-over-matter thing, but he was asleep in 5 mins and stayed asleep!

I will see what the other thread suggests, and ask the GI about it before I give it to my IBDer. Thanks for the link, Tess. Sorry I missed it.

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

[DustyKat]

I think it is still very much in an ambiguous state where IBD is concerned. Some studies seem to support it and others not but this one is a bit of a wrap of Melatonin use in general...

Clinical uses of melatonin: evaluation of human trials.

Abstract:
During the last 20 years, numerous clinical trials have examined the therapeutic usefulness of melatonin in different fields of medicine. The objective of this article is to review, in depth, the science regarding clinical trials performed to date. The efficacy of melatonin has been assessed as a treatment of ocular diseases, blood diseases, gastrointestinal tract diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, infectious diseases, neurological diseases, sleep disturbances, aging and depression. Melatonin has been also used as a complementary treatment in anaesthesia, hemodialysis, in vitro fertilization and neonatal care. The conclusion of the current review is that the use of melatonin as an adjuvant therapy seems to be well funded for macular degeneration, glaucoma, protection of the gastric mucosa, irritable bowel syndrome, arterial hypertension, diabetes, side effects of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer patients or hemodialysis in patients with renal insufficiency and, especially, for sleep disorders of circadian etiology (jet lag, delayed sleep phase syndrome, sleep deterioration associated with aging, etc.) as well as in those related with neurological degenerative diseases (Alzheimer, etc.,) or Smith-Magenis syndrome. The utility of melatonin in anesthetic procedures has been also confirmed. More clinical studies are required to clarify whether, as the preliminary data suggest, melatonin is useful for treatment of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, infectious diseases, neoplasias or neonatal care. Preliminary data regarding the utility of melatonin in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis are either ambiguous or negative. Although in a few cases melatonin seems to aggravate some conditions, the vast majority of studies document the very low toxicity of melatonin over a wide range of doses.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20423309

Dusty. xxx