Melatonin

We have to give Macayla melatonin to help her sleep. Since she has a degenerative neurological condition, she does not produce enough melatonin naturally. Our neurologist suggested that we start melatonin and that some of the recent research suggest that the starting dose be 12 mg. The normal adult dose is 3 mg. We have found that we usually have to give Macayla 18 mg. The problem is that melatonin normally comes in tablets and when we crush them they do not mix with water and will clog her feeding tube. We have found a capsule form of melatonin made by Life Time and the capsules contain a fine powder form of melatonin. We pull the capsules apart and mix the powder with equal parts water and formula. The formula (Elecare) is the normal formula we feed Macayla. For 18 mg (6 capsules worth) we have to mix it with 30 ml of water and 30 ml of formula. We blend it all together with a fork (for several minutes) and then shoot it in with a syringe through the feeding tube. It must go quickly and be flushed quickly or the mixture will clot in the tube and cause the feeding tube to leak. We have found the particular brand we use at a local health store, but it is hard to find online. The company's website does not seem to have a direct link to it. However, they reference iherb.com and there are some melatonin capsules for sale there.