Circadin (Melatonin) 2mg Tablets

Circadin tablets contain melatonin 2mg as the active ingredient in a modified-release form. It is prescribed to treat jet lag for people who are travelling across three or more time zones.

Modified-release means the active ingredient is released from the tablet slowly over time. This is usually between 8-10 hours and mimics your own natural melatonin release and helps to promote sleep. It is important to swallow the tablets whole with water and not to chew or halve the tablets. Splitting or chewing the tablets will destroy the prolonged release formulation and make them less effective.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone, which is released from the pineal gland to help you sleep. The release of melatonin is dependent on darkness and is your body's natural way of promoting sleep at night time. It can be attributed to us feeling a little sluggish in the winter when the days are shorter.

Melatonin release also usually occurs in a regular (circadian) rhythm, hence why you start to get tired at a similar time each evening.

When you arrive at your new destination, take one tablet at bedtime. The number of days treatment is the number of times zones divided by 2, then add one extra day. For example if you have crossed 4 times zones, you would need divide four by two (equalling two), and then add an extra one. Therefore you would need treatment for three days.

This is a rough guide, some people may find that they need treatment for a day more or less depending on their normal sleeping habits and how well they adapt to their new environment.

Swallow the tablets whole and do not crush, chew or split them in half.

Circadin tablets have a special prolonged release formulation that delivers the melatonin dose over 8-10 hours. The melatonin you can buy in health food shops is released immediately in to the system in one go. This immediate release of large doses of melatonin does not mimic your body's normal hormone levels and is less likely to be effective and may be more likely to produce side effects.

Circadin is a medicine and has a product license. This means that it has undergone testing and is subject to standards set by the MHRA (Medicines Health Regulatory Authority) in the UK. As such it is mandatory to have a batch number and expiry date and be subject to strict manufacturing regulation. An audit trail from manufacture to consumption is traceable and thus ensures it contains what it states. Health foods are not subject this strict regulation.

The medication is best taken an hour or two before bedtime starting on the first day in your new destination and at the same time each day.

It will make you feel drowsy but not dizzy or sedated like traditional sleeping tablets.

Although the effects of alcohol and Circadin have not been studied, the manufacturer advises to avoid the combination. Alcohol disrupts your normal sleeping pattern and will counteract the aim of the Ciracdin to establish a new sleeping pattern in your destination.

Circadin does not contain gluten and can be taken by coeliacs.

Yes, Circadin does not contain any animal products and is suitable for vegetarians.

Take it as soon as you remember. It is not advisable to double the dose or take more than one tablet per day.

Circadin can be taken when you need it and is not habit forming. You need to take it continuously for it to have an effect.

As with any medicine there is the potential or side effects. Circadin is well tolerated and side effects are mild as it is usually well tolerated.

If you were to experience side effects these are likely to be headache, back pain and increased sex drive.

Melatonin is a hormone released from the brain’s pineal gland during the night and facilitates night time drowsiness and the ability to maintain sleep. Individual levels of melatonin may vary, but it has been found that people suffering from insomnia often have lower melatonin levels than people without insomnia. Melatonin therapy can improve the symptoms of insomnia.

Circadin is prolonged-release melatonin, which adds synthetic melatonin to the naturally occurring melatonin throughout the night. This facilitates the feeling of sleepiness.

Circadin is a melatonin-based treatment that helps regulate sleep patterns. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the brain and plays an essential role in regulating when you feel awake or sleepy. Melatonin-based medications can help with sleep disruption because they supply the body with a synthetic version of the hormone when sleep would otherwise be disturbed.

If you are using Circadin only to fight jet lag, take it for 2 to 5 days. You can stop using Circadin at any time.
Jet lag affects most long-distance travellers and can cause various sleep-related problems. Circadin naturally changes your internal body clock and eases symptoms of jet lag.

Though it is only temporary, jet lag is a particularly annoying condition because it can spoil the beginning of a holiday or trip and disrupt sleeping when you return. The symptoms, such as lack of energy and tiredness, can take days to fade. Circadin can help you to avoid such symptoms, leaving you better able to enjoy your travelling experience.
Melatonin adjusts sleep patterns more naturally than is achieved through sleeping pills, which have risks such as addiction and side effects.
In clinical trials, 32% of patients reported large improvements in sleep quality compared to a placebo.

Circadin comes in a standard, 2mg dosage. It is a prolonged release tablet, which means the tablet releases medication slowly after you’ve taken it.

Jet lag occurs when you fly through different time zones and your body struggles to adjust, leaving you feeling tired and confused. It becomes more serious the more time zones you cross. Jet lag upsets your sleeping pattern and makes you feel tired.

The body clock is your body’s response to sunlight during the day and lack of it at night. Darkness at night causes the body to generate a natural hormone called melatonin. Melatonin regulates your internal clock, helping you rest and get ready for sleep. Daylight prevents the production of melatonin so you are more active and energetic.

If you travel to a different time zone, it disturbs the cycle of when melatonin is produced in your body. The production and inhibition of melatonin affects sleeping patterns. This is where melatonin tablets can help.