Is anyone familiar with Rozerem?

[Only me]

We got the sleep study results back for 14 year old dd. It took her 2 hours to fall asleep. She woke up 3 times during the night completely. She woke up 22 times per hour in a semi-conscious state. She also stopped breathing several times during the night. We are taking her to the ENT specialist to see if she has problems with her sinuses or adenoids but that is only part of the problem. Taking 2 hours to fall asleep is a completely different problem. Now the doctor wants her to try Rozerem. The doctor said it was very safe with very little side effects.

 

I was all set to start giving it to dd tonight but decided to check online beforehand (Web MD, drugs.com, etc.). There were a bunch of side effects but the one that alarmed me the most was the possible effect on hormones (missed periods and other things). This worries me that dd is only 14 and is also a late bloomer. It was too late to call the doctor today but I called the pharmacist to get his opinion. He said that it isn't recommended for kids, not much is known about it since it is a new medication. He also said that he would not give it to his own child, especially a 14 year old girl because of the possible problems with hormones.

 

Now I have no clue what to do. If the Rozerem didn't work he wanted to put dd on heavy duty sleep meds-another scary choice.

[Pip]

I am the first to look at people when they give me a simple answer for medical problems that have plagued me for years (the best, when I mentioned to someone that I had chronic migraines for years was being told, "you need to drink more water), but have you tried melatonin?

 

My oldest has suffered from sleep problems for years. We finally found a dr. who said this was a serious problem. He put her on melatonin. He also checked with a pediatric endocrinologist who said it was fine.

 

The reason I ask is that when I was on sleep medication while dealing with depression, I was told I could NOT take Rozeram because it contained a type of melatonin and it could interfere with the SSRI I was taking.

 

DD has tried many different types of melatonin and we have just found Enlyten. It works great. Far and away the best one we've tried. Solaray also makes one with valerian in it which we found to be very effective.

 

I know the frustration of dealing with a child who can't sleep. My dd was starting to get depressed and it can be very frustrating. Hormonal changes play a big factor in not sleeping. I would be reluctant to put my dc on a prescription sleep aid unless I absolutely had to.

 

Anyway, the upshot is all I know about Rozeram is that it does something with melatonin production, along with other things.

[Aunty Social]

I don't have any help on the medication front since I've never heard of it, but I'd be very hesitant to start my dd (also 14) on any sleep medication until I had exhausted all other options. The problems she has once asleep obviously need medical intervention, but falling asleep? I don't know what you have/haven't tried so far, but I'd try altering her bedtime routine, giving her calming teas and baths, maybe an herbal sleep pillow.....natural things that are known to help people get to sleep.

 

Just off the top of my head...

no tv, computer, phone, texting, etc two hours before bed.

warm tea - chamomile, lavender, other soothing herbs (some have mild sedative properties - you can find lists online)

a warm bath with some nice smelly stuff (my kids like a concoction of powdered milk, powdered oats, chamomile and lavendar flowers. tie up in some cheesecloth and throw under the running water. use the bag as a washcloth)

maybe some quiet reading - depends on the person. If I read before bed and get caught in the story, I won't go to sleep:tongue_smilie:

 

Anyway, this is long and possibly completely irrelevant. :grouphug: as you try to get this resolved.

[Tree House Academy]

I would be more inclined to trust the DOCTOR over the pharmacist...especially since the doctor is trained in this and likely uses this medication on lots of patients. Your daughter has some serious sleep issues and this medicine may help her overall physical AND emotional well-being by enabling her to get some true rest. I would discuss the side effects with her doctor tomorrow, but I would not necessarily veto the meds just because a pharmacist doesn't agree with the prescription.

[Orthodox6]

Familiar with Rozerem? Yes. Every night. (I'm currently using it again.)

 

I have had insomnia for thirty-six years. Nothing works for me for more than a few weeks before ceasing to have any effect. "BTDT" for nearly everything except for "heavy prescriptive drugs". (They are addictive, according to everything I read, and doctors have said the same thing.)

 

I can't address hormonal (apart from the hormone melatonin) effects of Rozerem. I have taken the med, on-and-off, for a couple of years now. It helps me to fall asleep, but does not help me remain asleep.

 

The doctor (our family practitioner) prescribed Rozerem for me precisely because it is the safest of all the prescription remedies, is NOT addictive, and currently appears safe.

 

When you look up a drug on the Internet (and, of course, stay with reputable websites -- which you did, I believe, with WebMD -- rather than consult blogs) every last possible side effect is going to be listed. If you read carefully, though, you can tell which side effects are rare. I just looked at the WebMD site, and the side effects on menstruation are listed among the "unlikely" side effects.

 

The only side effect I ever have had are the "crazy dreams." Just like those ridiculous advertisements. (President Lincoln and the beaver) Never nightmares or scary dreams; just silly, implausible dreams.

 

HOWEVER -- (and this is a very important "however") : Rozerem is NOT "FDA-approved for children." This would be what they call an "off-label" use. (Off-label is common practice, but you should factor this in.) AND: The technical literature dispensed by the manufacturer of Rozerem point blank states "Rozerem is not for children."

 

I would not approve Rozerem for my children. Nor would I approve the other, addictive sleep medications.

[Only me]

We have tried everything. I've followed suggestions from the many helpful people on this board too but nothing has worked. I really, really hate to have her on any medication especially when it isn't approved for children but on the other hand my dh feels that we need to do something for her. It isn't healthy for her to not be able to sleep. It has affected her health, her energy and her mood. She also needs to start high school in a few months and be able to wake up at 6:00. If she is still having the same sleep problems that means that she will only be getting 4 hours of interrupted sleep a night, not near enough for a teen.

 

My dh convinced me to have dd try the pill tonight. I'm sure she will be ok short term but it scares me that there is the potential (even if small) that it could affect her reproductively. It also scares me that it hasn't been approved for children.

[yslek]

I would be more inclined to trust the DOCTOR over the pharmacist...especially since the doctor is trained in this and likely uses this medication on lots of patients. Your daughter has some serious sleep issues and this medicine may help her overall physical AND emotional well-being by enabling her to get some true rest. I would discuss the side effects with her doctor tomorrow, but I would not necessarily veto the meds just because a pharmacist doesn't agree with the prescription.

 

I disagree with this. Pharmacists spend four post-graduate years studying drugs. Doctors have so much more to cram into four years of study, that drugs comprise only a very small part of med school (2 months for our doctor friend). A pharmacist is a specialist of sorts, whose job it is to know medications. I do agree with bringing up your concerns with the Doctor, though.

[Pip]

I want to preface this again with I am not an expert. I am just offering things from my experience you may want to try. You know your dd best, obviously, and I have not walked in your shoes. I can only share my journey with sleep issues in my family.

 

I also tend to agree with the pharmacist. Pharmacist are there to be the gate keeper if there is a problem with prescriptions. Doctors are not. My sister, who is a nurse, told me it is her responsibility to monitor the side effects or potential drug interactions of her patients, not the doctors. A good friend of mine who is a dr. says they are constantly bombarded with drug reps and they can't keep up with it all. And I have been with doctors who just push pills to treat symptoms instead of looking for the cause.

 

For example, did you know with IBS the doctors generally do not address the cause and treat it with dietary measurses, like eliminating gluten and dairy, but just treat the sypmtoms with drugs?

 

After reading some of these posts, a couple of things came to mind. First, if you doubt your dr., I would try to find a doctor who treats wholistically, like a GOOD osteopath (hard to find a true on these days) or a functional doctor. You can do a search for a functionaly doctor in your area. Functional doctors are regular md's who vere off from treating just one area to start treating the body as an interdependent system. Medicine is becoming increasingly specialized and doctors who treat wholistically are hard to find. I have a good friend whose dh had sleep issues, and, depending on what type of dr. they saw, they all found a different cause. Finally they found out he was depressed and anxious and not sleeping was how his depressions manifested itself.

 

I went through a serious bout of depression last year and could only sleep for a few hours a night and wake up at 4 am without fail. My dh said I seemed agitated the whole time I did sleep and woke up anxious. I took ambien. I had to take the extended release because regular ambien put me to sleep bu didnt keep me asleep. He said I needed an extended release sleep aid, which eliminated Lunesta and Rozeram, which was a problem for other reasons mentioned in my other post.

 

I also had my hormones tested. Not a blood test. A spit test. I found a doctor who believed in them. She billed my insurance for it. My progesterone levels were very low. This is a very common problem with women. Progesterone is your calming hormone. It also helps you sleep. Usually, doctors will prescribe birth control pills, which have estrgoen, which you obviously don't need, and some progesterone, to give you enough progesterone. She presecribed bio-identical proseterone capsules which have to be compounded. I just read an article that again, said they have found bio-identical hormones are far superior to synthetic ones. And as for cancer, estrogen causes cancer. Since being on progesterone, I sleep like a baby, do not wake up and wake up refreshed. My dr. says the cause of most sleep issues in women is inadequate progesterone.

 

Walgreens now compounds, at least some of them. There are 4 here in OKC that do. So they bill my insurance, which my coumpounding pharmacy would not.

 

I would not be surprised if a 14 yo girls could have some hormone issues going on. A good spit test will also measure her cortisol levels to see if she is experiencing stress. This may not be something you see; it could just be her body not releasing stress combatting hormone when it should. Those levels should fluctuate during the day in a specific pattern.

 

Finally, I know what it is like dealing with a child with sleep issues. I got so tired of being told "be glad you homeschool" or "that just means she's smart and can't shut her brain down." I finally found our doctor who has 8 children and homeschools and he could understand. He was willing to call OU Children's Hospital and find the right people to ask to find out if melatonin is safe. But you do finally reach the tipping point on what am I going to do. You know the ramifications of not being able to get enough sleep. It would be one thing if your dd just didn't need sleep, but if she is being effected physically she needs the sleep.

 

Good luck.

 

Ann

[KristenS]

I'm no expert, but I am experiencing pretty bad sleep difficulties like your daughter's, and I also have an anxiety/panic disorder. If it were *me*, I'd probably try the drug short term, while working on establishing better sleep-inducing habits. (I know you said you've tried a lot of suggestions, but trying them again while on medication and actually getting rest might get better results.)

 

I've had to work hard on my go-to-sleep routine, and it still takes forever, and I don't stay asleep. My psychiatrist is working with me on the medicine end of things, and my counselor on the routine end of things. I'm reading this thread with great interest so I can get some ideas for medications that might not react badly with my anxiety meds (all of which are supposed to induce sleepiness but no longer do for me).

 

I hope she finds some relief soon, one way or another!

[Only me]

My oldest has suffered from sleep problems for years. We finally found a dr. who said this was a serious problem. He put her on melatonin. He also checked with a pediatric endocrinologist who said it was fine.

 

DD has tried many different types of melatonin and we have just found Enlyten. It works great. Far and away the best one we've tried. Solaray also makes one with valerian in it which we found to be very effective.

 

Where do you buy the Enlyten melatonin? I did a search for it online and it looks like something I'd like to try with dd. She has tried the regular melatonin with limited success but I'm wondering if the theanine in the enlyten melatonin would help more.

 

It is also reassuring that the endocrinologist said that the melatonin was fine. That was another worry of mine. Did the endocrinologist say that it was ok for you daughter to be on the melatonin long term every night?

[Pip]

We found it at a compounding pharmacy here. We were taking Mellowtonex (sp?) and it worked well. However, the pharmacy was out but they mentioned they had the enlyten. I did a google search on it and found some reviews on it, but didn't pursue it as far as where to purchase it would go as we can get it locally. I would just start calling around to local health food stores. Maybe Whole Foods.

 

It comes in 3 plastic containers holding 14 strips each. If you want to pm me or email, I can give you the name or phone number of the pharmacy here and see if they can help you. The herbalist there is very helpful and they may be able to send you some.

 

There is a huge difference in melatonin. It may not be a problem with the person dealing with not being able to sleep on occaision, but if you have chronic sleep issues, we have noticed a difference in brands.

 

Ann