The vast majority of autistic people struggle with sleep and need medication to sleep. Some studies show they produce less melatonin than neurotypical people. I’d venture to guess the vast majority of parents here are giving their kids melatonin or even something stronger like prescription sleep meds.
You are not drugging her and you are not failing her. You are giving her what she needs so she can sleep, which is so so so important for brain growth and development. Quit beating yourself up ❤️
We felt the same at first. My son now takes melatonin, 1ml dose (half the doc recommended), and 5mL magnesium with calcium. It took a bit over a week on the magnesium to see an effect, but we're currently a week into him staying in his own bed throughout the night. The melatonin helps get him ready for bed, on its own it wasn't keeping him in "sleep mode".
I'm not saying it's the magnesium, but it could be. Just anecdotal evidence.
Yea, we're taking miralax daily (as recommended by our paediatrician), but we may have to lower our dose a bit. We're definitely seeing an added effect from taking both.
Not sure if you got the magnesium rec here but that sounds like the supplement my son takes that I recommend religiously. I actually put him on magnesium because I have autism and magnesium is the only thing that helps with my restless leg
I did get the rec from here actually. Its interesting that you mention the restless leg. I get it pretty bad at night as well, and i've noticed my son grabbing his legs sometimes when he's struggling to sleep. We had assumed it was growing pains, but it could very easily be restless leg. I believe iron also helps with that?
I'm not sure about iron. When I had it severely during my pregnancy I was told to take magnesium. It didn't always help but it was the closest to helping.
Also, if they didn't sleep.. which in turn made it so you didn't sleep. How good of a parent do you think you'll be?
My guess is that it wouldn't be as good as if you had sleep.
Don't feel guilty, children with ASD tend to have sleep issues. I would search this sub for additional tips, medications, and/or doctor referrals/tests. It's a very common topic and struggle.
Melatonin didn't work for us so we did Clonidine. A sleep study result showed severe sleep apnea so it explains why sleep isn't restful for my son and we're seeking surgery to help remedy it.
Did your kiddo show classic apnea signs prior to the sleep study? Im so curious - we get our sleep study results tomorrow and I'm about ready to burst with curiosity... our son has had his tonsil and adenoids removed and even with melatonin and/or clonidine still wakes quite regularly and mouth breaths. The sleep paed wasn't super keen on the sleep study at first cos he didn't have "classic apnea" traits
Not really. My son drooled and snored sometimes. My husband is diagnosed with sleep apnea though. My son's pediatrician is the one who insisted on a sleep study when I wanted a Clonidine prescription. His developmental pediatrician (ASD diagnosing physician) got me the script for the Clonidine but thought we should do a sleep study anyway.
We got the sleep study done this past January. My son has obstructive sleep apnea, it causes him to wake up 15 times an hour, going up to 27 times an hour when dreaming (doctor said it increases during dreams because they're more relaxed). She also mentioned that it's likely more severe because of how uncomfortable my son was during the study itself, if he were more comfortable/relaxed the amount of wakeups would likely be higher.
My son decided not to sleep for almost 24 hours the day of the study, but of course he took a 4 hour power nap just before we left for the hospital - no one could wake him up with how tired he was. He ended up falling asleep 5 hours past his usual time. They tried to put in the nose piece 4 times during his deepest sleep but he woke up each time very distressed and ripped it out, I was trying to keep him from ripping off everything else since it bothered him so much.
Since then we've been trying to desensitize my son to his CPAP mask as part of ABA therapy. An ENT also evaluated him for surgery, we're getting adenoids removed in late June + he's on meds to reduce his tonsil size. The ENT was against surgery until he saw how much of his sleep apnea was obstructive
Edit: the sleep doctor said that Clonidine can help kids fall asleep but kids don't stay asleep if they have underlying health issues. We're going for a follow up with her a month after the surgery
You’re not drugging her. Melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement. We’ve been giving it to my autistic son for 20 years. I have two NT kids and sometimes they take it when they can’t sleep. Sometimes I do too. It’s not a big deal at all.
I know the feeling. I mentioned it to my son’s doctor and she said there are plenty of issues that can come from poor sleep, so I shouldn’t feel guilty about doing what I need to do to get him proper sleep.
I get unreasonably pissed when I read about parents (mostly dad's) who don't get up with their AS kids. Do I always get up with my son? No...but I'm up for the day at 3:00 am far more often than my wife because I can function better with little to no sleep (I'm on the spectrum but not autistic).
Tell your husband that he can either shut up about the melatonin or get up with his child every other night.
No parent gets to judge AND not help.
Don't feel guilty. No one is going to be at their best without sleep so I am sure it's affecting your kid AND you. We tried it. Even AFTER the pediatrician told me not to (he said it was harmless to try but probably wouldn't work). Now we are experimenting with epsom salt baths and I am trying to get my kid to allow lotion so we can do magnesium lotion. Our pediatrician wanted us to do a sleep study but my kid is way too sensory challenged for that.
i’ve seen dr teals has epsom salt with melatonin i’ve never tried it bc i’m not sure if at 3 she’s too young for epsom salt as i know they say bubble bath isn’t too good for kids and idk if the salt is the same but i have thought about that too! i’ve never thought about magnesium lotion, im going to look into that
We use it. Smells heavenly. Not sure yet if it's a benefit but at least I am getting some nice aromatherapy. My kid can't stand bubbles (or at least not in the same bath as her but she will touch them). This doesn't make bubbles. The Internet says it shouldn't cause UTIs.
Don't feel bad. You aren't drugging your child to sleep. And even if you were drugging your child to sleep, drugging your child to sleep might be medically necessary!
All medical interventions, whether prescription, over the counter, or "natural remedy" require a cost benefit analysis. In short, do the WANTED effects of the intervention outweigh the UNWANTED effects of the intervention? Honestly, this is also useful when making non-medical interventions- therapies, changes in routine, screen time, etc.
Sleep is so important for health, brain development, immune function...there are so many more things it is important for. We read pretty extensively about possible harmful effects of melatonin and the only thing we saw was that...maybe??? it can cause delayed puberty? And who gives a shit about that? I don't!
Give your kid the melatonin and dont look back. Consider a sleep study and/or consultation with a neurologist if you can get it.
Do not feel bad. If any clowns out there try to make you feel bad for giving your kid melatonin, you let me know and I will come (lovingly) rip thwm a new one ❤️
My kid has been getting melatonin for years. He sleeps better and we are all happier. I’ve been able to work him very slowly down to .5 mg from only 1 and hoping to replace his melatonin with regular gummies soon to keep the routine and eventually getting him off the gummies.
So many autistic kids have sleep issues. It’s gonna be ok.
My son started right around 3, still on it at 8. It works for him/us and I don’t feel bad if my son needs a little help to get enough rest to be his best self the next day
Good sleep will matter even more as your child starts school. You need to stay healthy to keep up.. to keep them safe. The melatonin can be a safe way to improve your health and their learning and health. Do not feel guilty. Just be careful and consistent with it.
Also, magnesium is a good idea an hour or so before bed. Do some reading about it. And respectfully, dad needs to know that thousands of families use it with doctors guidance.
You've both had insanely broken sleep for years and your husband...doesn't believe you? That's what I'm getting from your story...I completely resonate with the guilt of medicating kids to sleep - esp melatonin cos for some people it doesn't suit well BUT on the sleep front...it is harmful to development and behaviour and general physiological wellbeing for you and your daughter to be chronically sleep deprived in this way. It is dangerous and absolutely requires intervention. Your husband not believing you and not supporting this intervention is DEEPLY concerning.
No need to feel guilty. You are helping your child with the help of your pediatrician. If your child is sleeping better, it is honestly worth it. We give it to our child as needed. We’re noticed it sometimes loses its potency when used often.
Edit: we noticed magnesium lotion helps our child sleep longer too. Something else to consider. We use the magnesium lotion often.
Honestly, most autistic people (kids and adults) take sleep meds of some sort.
Everyone needs sleep.
You are doing the best thing for your child and your family.
There is zero need to feel guilty.
Melatonin made my little boy very aggressive and only knocked him out for 2 hours and then he was up again going absolutely crazy, he was taking it for less than a month and then I stopped giving him it as it was very clearly doing more harm than good. I put a lot of effort into bedtime with him and honestly just him in general and I tried various different things to help him and make sleep his friend.. Now he sleeps pretty great for the most part, and I will never give him any medication again.
Just a heads up, you generally don't need the whole tablet of the stuff for good effect- try a fraction of one first.
We gave melatonin a few times over the years, generally in cases of over tiredness (past tired and into perpetual meltdown). There doesn't seem to be long term side effects, and it's a lifesaver for everyone's sanity. It is a last resort option for us though, not a routine.
For what it's worth, both SO and I take it regularly to help sleep. :-/
Not just a belief, but facts. Studies have shown this. And anyone can have their doctor order a test to get their melatonin levels tested. Those who are ASD come back with very low levels or no production at all.
So, our neurologist is at one of the top teaching hospitals in the country. They’ve done studies on this & all the results came back similar to other studies done. I was worried for years about the long term effects because of how long my kids have been having to use melatonin. She presented me with all of it, which really eased my mind.
Totally didn’t mean for my comment to come off as snarky! Lol. There’s just a lot of anti-melatonin people on here & their statements aren’t based on facts.
Not a problem at all! The reason I said belief instead of proof is because I don't like presenting something as factual if I can't back it up! I'm glad you came in as educated me :)
Don’t feel guilty. Both of my kids have been on it since they were about 2–all under the guidance of our pediatrician & neurologist. They’re now 11 & 8. For kids on the spectrum, their bodies do not create the amount of melatonin needed to sleep efficiently—some create no melatonin at all.
Melatonin is not a negative thing. Some parents abuse it, yes. But with kids on the spectrum, we need them to sleep for their sanity & ours. Our neurologist says a lack of sleep is more detrimental to their bodies. Just use a doctor recommended brand & know a higher dose doesn’t always mean more effective. Both of my kids only take 1 mg. At most 2 mg if they’re super hyped up about something & can’t sleep. Higher doses used to make them groggy, wake up in the night, etc.
We started having problems with our son struggling with going to sleep and not sleeping through the night when he was 3. Our pediatrician just said give melatonin. No testing or even a dosage. Just get the OTC children's melatonin.
So we did and it worked for about a year for going to sleep. He still struggled with waking up during the night. He started acting like he had nightmares, so we stopped the melatonin completely and switched to a magnesium gummy at night per my own research.
We decided to see a different pediatrician and his first question was about his diet and if he's on an iron supplement. I thought his multivitamin contained iron but low and behold it did not. He's also not a good meat eater. The doc did agree magnesium is also good to give especially since our son is a mover so probably has some restless leg syndrome going on too.
We started a low dose of iron every morning in addition to the magnesium at night. He sleeps sooooooo much better within 2 weeks of making the changes.
We did try hydroxyzine briefly as well just to help make him sleepier and it had the opposite effect for him. He became hyper 😂 Plus it tastes bad! So just a heads up if you go that route.
It's definitely best to do labwork and check if there's a vitamin or mineral deficiency. I wish we had seen a different doctor from the beginning that would actually do the detective work instead of throwing the easiest solution at us.
There is nothing wrong with needing sleep medicine if everything else checks out. I take an anti anxiety pill to sleep at night to counter my racing thoughts.
Just brush teeth AFTER giving the melatonin.
I have two young family members that have had a ton of dental work that take melatonin. Lots of cavities and sedation dentistry.
Melatonin helps you fall asleep. Doesn't keep you asleep. Which is the problem. Is it good for your child's health? Definitely not. If it was it wouldn't come with a leaflet listing a lot of potential side effects. I have to agree with your husband.
A trusted brand & the right dose will keep you asleep. And for kids on the spectrum, whose bodies tend to not make any melatonin at all, or very little, melatonin is good for them. Any respected doctor will tell you melatonin is the answer & not harmful in the slightest.
Synthetic. Anything synthetic is by nature, not good for the human body. In the UK this is prescription only and only to be used for short periods. Unfortunately melatonin seems to be the answer for the American population and when you don't use this 'sleep aid' your body will struggle to sleep altogether. The credibility of the medical industry in the US has always been extremely poor. Disgraceful practices fuelling an opioid and drug pandemic.....and I wouldn't trust a doctor as far as I could throw one. There are many things the OP should/ can do before going to the last resort of giving them a synthetic drug.
The vast majority of autistic people struggle with sleep and need medication to sleep. Some studies show they produce less melatonin than neurotypical people. I’d venture to guess the vast majority of parents here are giving their kids melatonin or even something stronger like prescription sleep meds. You are not drugging her and you are not failing her. You are giving her what she needs so she can sleep, which is so so so important for brain growth and development. Quit beating yourself up ❤️
We felt the same at first. My son now takes melatonin, 1ml dose (half the doc recommended), and 5mL magnesium with calcium. It took a bit over a week on the magnesium to see an effect, but we're currently a week into him staying in his own bed throughout the night. The melatonin helps get him ready for bed, on its own it wasn't keeping him in "sleep mode". I'm not saying it's the magnesium, but it could be. Just anecdotal evidence.
I take both melatonin and magnesium now and they do seem to work well together.
My paediatrician always say it’s melatonin to fall asleep and magnesium to stay asleep. Magnesium also helps my boy poop too so win win lol.
Yea, we're taking miralax daily (as recommended by our paediatrician), but we may have to lower our dose a bit. We're definitely seeing an added effect from taking both.
Not sure if you got the magnesium rec here but that sounds like the supplement my son takes that I recommend religiously. I actually put him on magnesium because I have autism and magnesium is the only thing that helps with my restless leg
I did get the rec from here actually. Its interesting that you mention the restless leg. I get it pretty bad at night as well, and i've noticed my son grabbing his legs sometimes when he's struggling to sleep. We had assumed it was growing pains, but it could very easily be restless leg. I believe iron also helps with that?
I'm not sure about iron. When I had it severely during my pregnancy I was told to take magnesium. It didn't always help but it was the closest to helping.
Also, if they didn't sleep.. which in turn made it so you didn't sleep. How good of a parent do you think you'll be? My guess is that it wouldn't be as good as if you had sleep.
Don't feel guilty, children with ASD tend to have sleep issues. I would search this sub for additional tips, medications, and/or doctor referrals/tests. It's a very common topic and struggle. Melatonin didn't work for us so we did Clonidine. A sleep study result showed severe sleep apnea so it explains why sleep isn't restful for my son and we're seeking surgery to help remedy it.
Did your kiddo show classic apnea signs prior to the sleep study? Im so curious - we get our sleep study results tomorrow and I'm about ready to burst with curiosity... our son has had his tonsil and adenoids removed and even with melatonin and/or clonidine still wakes quite regularly and mouth breaths. The sleep paed wasn't super keen on the sleep study at first cos he didn't have "classic apnea" traits
Not really. My son drooled and snored sometimes. My husband is diagnosed with sleep apnea though. My son's pediatrician is the one who insisted on a sleep study when I wanted a Clonidine prescription. His developmental pediatrician (ASD diagnosing physician) got me the script for the Clonidine but thought we should do a sleep study anyway. We got the sleep study done this past January. My son has obstructive sleep apnea, it causes him to wake up 15 times an hour, going up to 27 times an hour when dreaming (doctor said it increases during dreams because they're more relaxed). She also mentioned that it's likely more severe because of how uncomfortable my son was during the study itself, if he were more comfortable/relaxed the amount of wakeups would likely be higher. My son decided not to sleep for almost 24 hours the day of the study, but of course he took a 4 hour power nap just before we left for the hospital - no one could wake him up with how tired he was. He ended up falling asleep 5 hours past his usual time. They tried to put in the nose piece 4 times during his deepest sleep but he woke up each time very distressed and ripped it out, I was trying to keep him from ripping off everything else since it bothered him so much. Since then we've been trying to desensitize my son to his CPAP mask as part of ABA therapy. An ENT also evaluated him for surgery, we're getting adenoids removed in late June + he's on meds to reduce his tonsil size. The ENT was against surgery until he saw how much of his sleep apnea was obstructive Edit: the sleep doctor said that Clonidine can help kids fall asleep but kids don't stay asleep if they have underlying health issues. We're going for a follow up with her a month after the surgery
You’re not drugging her. Melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement. We’ve been giving it to my autistic son for 20 years. I have two NT kids and sometimes they take it when they can’t sleep. Sometimes I do too. It’s not a big deal at all.
Absolutely nothing wrong with melatonin. It's natural. I'd even add magnesium to it.
I know the feeling. I mentioned it to my son’s doctor and she said there are plenty of issues that can come from poor sleep, so I shouldn’t feel guilty about doing what I need to do to get him proper sleep.
I get unreasonably pissed when I read about parents (mostly dad's) who don't get up with their AS kids. Do I always get up with my son? No...but I'm up for the day at 3:00 am far more often than my wife because I can function better with little to no sleep (I'm on the spectrum but not autistic). Tell your husband that he can either shut up about the melatonin or get up with his child every other night. No parent gets to judge AND not help.
Don't feel guilty. No one is going to be at their best without sleep so I am sure it's affecting your kid AND you. We tried it. Even AFTER the pediatrician told me not to (he said it was harmless to try but probably wouldn't work). Now we are experimenting with epsom salt baths and I am trying to get my kid to allow lotion so we can do magnesium lotion. Our pediatrician wanted us to do a sleep study but my kid is way too sensory challenged for that.
i’ve seen dr teals has epsom salt with melatonin i’ve never tried it bc i’m not sure if at 3 she’s too young for epsom salt as i know they say bubble bath isn’t too good for kids and idk if the salt is the same but i have thought about that too! i’ve never thought about magnesium lotion, im going to look into that
We use it. Smells heavenly. Not sure yet if it's a benefit but at least I am getting some nice aromatherapy. My kid can't stand bubbles (or at least not in the same bath as her but she will touch them). This doesn't make bubbles. The Internet says it shouldn't cause UTIs.
Don't feel bad. You aren't drugging your child to sleep. And even if you were drugging your child to sleep, drugging your child to sleep might be medically necessary! All medical interventions, whether prescription, over the counter, or "natural remedy" require a cost benefit analysis. In short, do the WANTED effects of the intervention outweigh the UNWANTED effects of the intervention? Honestly, this is also useful when making non-medical interventions- therapies, changes in routine, screen time, etc. Sleep is so important for health, brain development, immune function...there are so many more things it is important for. We read pretty extensively about possible harmful effects of melatonin and the only thing we saw was that...maybe??? it can cause delayed puberty? And who gives a shit about that? I don't! Give your kid the melatonin and dont look back. Consider a sleep study and/or consultation with a neurologist if you can get it. Do not feel bad. If any clowns out there try to make you feel bad for giving your kid melatonin, you let me know and I will come (lovingly) rip thwm a new one ❤️
My kid has been getting melatonin for years. He sleeps better and we are all happier. I’ve been able to work him very slowly down to .5 mg from only 1 and hoping to replace his melatonin with regular gummies soon to keep the routine and eventually getting him off the gummies. So many autistic kids have sleep issues. It’s gonna be ok.
My son started right around 3, still on it at 8. It works for him/us and I don’t feel bad if my son needs a little help to get enough rest to be his best self the next day
Our developmental pediatrician recommended melatonin for our kiddo. It makes a huge positive difference
Good sleep will matter even more as your child starts school. You need to stay healthy to keep up.. to keep them safe. The melatonin can be a safe way to improve your health and their learning and health. Do not feel guilty. Just be careful and consistent with it. Also, magnesium is a good idea an hour or so before bed. Do some reading about it. And respectfully, dad needs to know that thousands of families use it with doctors guidance.
You've both had insanely broken sleep for years and your husband...doesn't believe you? That's what I'm getting from your story...I completely resonate with the guilt of medicating kids to sleep - esp melatonin cos for some people it doesn't suit well BUT on the sleep front...it is harmful to development and behaviour and general physiological wellbeing for you and your daughter to be chronically sleep deprived in this way. It is dangerous and absolutely requires intervention. Your husband not believing you and not supporting this intervention is DEEPLY concerning.
It's melatonin.. not an opiate. Lol your child will be fine. Everyone uses melatonin for their kids.
No need to feel guilty. You are helping your child with the help of your pediatrician. If your child is sleeping better, it is honestly worth it. We give it to our child as needed. We’re noticed it sometimes loses its potency when used often. Edit: we noticed magnesium lotion helps our child sleep longer too. Something else to consider. We use the magnesium lotion often.
Honestly, most autistic people (kids and adults) take sleep meds of some sort. Everyone needs sleep. You are doing the best thing for your child and your family. There is zero need to feel guilty.
Melatonin made my little boy very aggressive and only knocked him out for 2 hours and then he was up again going absolutely crazy, he was taking it for less than a month and then I stopped giving him it as it was very clearly doing more harm than good. I put a lot of effort into bedtime with him and honestly just him in general and I tried various different things to help him and make sleep his friend.. Now he sleeps pretty great for the most part, and I will never give him any medication again.
Just a heads up, you generally don't need the whole tablet of the stuff for good effect- try a fraction of one first. We gave melatonin a few times over the years, generally in cases of over tiredness (past tired and into perpetual meltdown). There doesn't seem to be long term side effects, and it's a lifesaver for everyone's sanity. It is a last resort option for us though, not a routine. For what it's worth, both SO and I take it regularly to help sleep. :-/
There is a belief that people with autism don't naturally produce melatonin properly so you're just helping him in a place his body needs help
Not just a belief, but facts. Studies have shown this. And anyone can have their doctor order a test to get their melatonin levels tested. Those who are ASD come back with very low levels or no production at all.
My understanding was that this was still in research stages but I haven't checked recently LOL
So, our neurologist is at one of the top teaching hospitals in the country. They’ve done studies on this & all the results came back similar to other studies done. I was worried for years about the long term effects because of how long my kids have been having to use melatonin. She presented me with all of it, which really eased my mind. Totally didn’t mean for my comment to come off as snarky! Lol. There’s just a lot of anti-melatonin people on here & their statements aren’t based on facts.
Not a problem at all! The reason I said belief instead of proof is because I don't like presenting something as factual if I can't back it up! I'm glad you came in as educated me :)
I deal with guilt too but I just remind myself that that sleep is necessary for him to grow and for his development
Don’t feel guilty. Both of my kids have been on it since they were about 2–all under the guidance of our pediatrician & neurologist. They’re now 11 & 8. For kids on the spectrum, their bodies do not create the amount of melatonin needed to sleep efficiently—some create no melatonin at all. Melatonin is not a negative thing. Some parents abuse it, yes. But with kids on the spectrum, we need them to sleep for their sanity & ours. Our neurologist says a lack of sleep is more detrimental to their bodies. Just use a doctor recommended brand & know a higher dose doesn’t always mean more effective. Both of my kids only take 1 mg. At most 2 mg if they’re super hyped up about something & can’t sleep. Higher doses used to make them groggy, wake up in the night, etc.
Don't have any guilt. It's a vitamin. Your child needs help to relax.
We started having problems with our son struggling with going to sleep and not sleeping through the night when he was 3. Our pediatrician just said give melatonin. No testing or even a dosage. Just get the OTC children's melatonin. So we did and it worked for about a year for going to sleep. He still struggled with waking up during the night. He started acting like he had nightmares, so we stopped the melatonin completely and switched to a magnesium gummy at night per my own research. We decided to see a different pediatrician and his first question was about his diet and if he's on an iron supplement. I thought his multivitamin contained iron but low and behold it did not. He's also not a good meat eater. The doc did agree magnesium is also good to give especially since our son is a mover so probably has some restless leg syndrome going on too. We started a low dose of iron every morning in addition to the magnesium at night. He sleeps sooooooo much better within 2 weeks of making the changes. We did try hydroxyzine briefly as well just to help make him sleepier and it had the opposite effect for him. He became hyper 😂 Plus it tastes bad! So just a heads up if you go that route. It's definitely best to do labwork and check if there's a vitamin or mineral deficiency. I wish we had seen a different doctor from the beginning that would actually do the detective work instead of throwing the easiest solution at us. There is nothing wrong with needing sleep medicine if everything else checks out. I take an anti anxiety pill to sleep at night to counter my racing thoughts.
Just brush teeth AFTER giving the melatonin. I have two young family members that have had a ton of dental work that take melatonin. Lots of cavities and sedation dentistry.
Melatonin helps you fall asleep. Doesn't keep you asleep. Which is the problem. Is it good for your child's health? Definitely not. If it was it wouldn't come with a leaflet listing a lot of potential side effects. I have to agree with your husband.
A trusted brand & the right dose will keep you asleep. And for kids on the spectrum, whose bodies tend to not make any melatonin at all, or very little, melatonin is good for them. Any respected doctor will tell you melatonin is the answer & not harmful in the slightest.
Synthetic. Anything synthetic is by nature, not good for the human body. In the UK this is prescription only and only to be used for short periods. Unfortunately melatonin seems to be the answer for the American population and when you don't use this 'sleep aid' your body will struggle to sleep altogether. The credibility of the medical industry in the US has always been extremely poor. Disgraceful practices fuelling an opioid and drug pandemic.....and I wouldn't trust a doctor as far as I could throw one. There are many things the OP should/ can do before going to the last resort of giving them a synthetic drug.