Well here's hoping you will be in dreamland soon!!!

Take care,

Melody

So.. for us insomniac feebleminds, is melatonin good for sleep?

Sleep is always a problem for me, I normally cant fall asleep until well passed midnight, then I wake several times before getting up at 6.

Before Diabetes I slept like the dead, in college I regularly slept through fire alarms in my dorm.

Now, I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I thought maybe because I had my blood sugars under control and had lost weight that I just had excess energy, but I also have PN and pain sometimes keeps me up.

Are you taking metformin for the diabetes?
Metformin depletes B12 and folic acid.

Are you a Type II diabetic? If so what drugs do you take?
Or are you Type I and use insulin?

B12 and some other supplements have been shown very helpful in diabetics of both types with neuropathy.

MethylB12 (the active form) is a cofactor in the enzyme that
makes melatonin from serotonin in the brain. So if B12 is low, you get little or any melatonin to help you sleep and regulate your circadian hormone cycles daily.
SSRI antidepressants, beta blockers for blood pressure and NSAIDs also affect melatonin status.

So while the basic answer is yes to your question, a better answer to is find out what is going on with you and fix THAT as well.

I am type II, I could not tolerate the Metformin because of Gastroparesis issues, so I manage with Insulin (Lantus 20u a day) Diet and excercise are the other thing I manage it with - I was getting to the gym 3 - 5 times a week before Motor Neuropathy made working out, hell just standing, to painful. I am getting an AFO soon to help with that and hopefully will be back in the gym or in a pool.

Aside from the Insulin, I take a daily multivitamin, B12, B6, ALA, Gabapentin 3600mg/day, and Cymbalta 90 mg/day, also a small aspirin. Occasionally Ibuprophen if muscle pain from strained muscles is to much to deal with.
I take Omerazole and Domperidone for the Gastroparesis.

It was funny, I was sitting with the older folks at a church potluck and they were all comparing how many pills they take a day, the most they could come up with was 17. I probably take double that amount.

For all the listed side effects of "May cause drowsiness" it never seems to happen at night when I want it too. Maybe I should try some melatonin.

I wonder if you were on antibiotics before this motor neuropathy manifested? Cipro or Levaquin, or Avelox?

I think you might benefit from acetyl carnitine. It works with ALA and improves mitochondria functions.
There is an improved version of ALA now called r-lipoic acid.
It is much more potent, in a lower dosage. Typically 100mg a day is enough. ALA itself requires high doses to work because some of it is inactive.

Another useful supplement is benfotiamine which is a version of thiamine.
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

I hope your dose of B12 is adequate..at least 1000mcg/day and preferably the methyl version.
There is an RX version of methyl B12/ activated B6 and activated folate called Metanx made for neuropathy. This may be very helpful for you.

Many regular vitamins are not in the active state when put into supplements. Some people lack the biological ability to convert them, so they suffer deficiency in the face of plenty.
Metanx is designed to help those. Your young age and progression suggest a unique problem you may have.
Genetic polymorphisms in methylation chemistry are inherited and can be treated more effectively by choosing ACTIVATED forms for the vitamins involved.

More here:
http://www.metanx.com/

Thanks for more detail on the vitamins and suppliments, I need to print out your reply next time I go to the store.

Wasnt on antibiotics, did have cortizone injections in my spine for back issues during lead up to finding out I was diabetic, I have wondered if those may have elevated my Blood sugars to a point where triggered stuff.