Questions & Answers

Here you can find answers to some of the most common questions concerning Circadin. Choose your area of interest from the left-hand menu. For more specific questions, we invite you to contact us. Our Medical Advisers and Experts are always happy to help.

General information
Q1: What is Circadin®?
Q2: How does endogenous melatonin help me to sleep?
Q3: What are the benefits to health care professionals in prescribing Circadin®?
Q4: What are the most important benefits to patients?
Q5: Are there any new trials on the horizon? Mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
Q6: How is Circadin® metabolised and how long does it stay in the body?
Q7: How does Circadin® work compared to other melatonin formulations?
Q8: Does the use of Circadin® make the body less able to manufacture its own melatonin; i.e., does the natural melatonin system ‘switch off’ and, if so, does it switch back on again when Circadin® treatment is stopped?
Q9: Should melatonin levels be measured prior to treatment with Circadin®?

Dosing and administration
Q10: What is the optimal dose for Circadin®? Will Circadin® be available at different dosages in the future?
Q11: What happens if I take a higher dose than Circadin® 2 mg?
Q12: Is the sustained-release formulation really needed? What about fast/immediate-release melatonin?
Q13: Why can’t I take Circadin® together with alcohol? How long do you have to wait between dinner with a couple of glasses of wine and intake of Circadin®?

Clinical relevance
Q14: Why is Circadin® only for people aged 55 and over? Can Circadin® be used in adult patients younger than 55 years?
Q15: How quickly will Circadin® make me fall asleep? Q16: The clinical effect size does not look impressive and the placebo effect is large. What is the explanation behind this? What is the clinical effect size with other hypnotics? How does this relate to the risk:benefit ratio?
Q17: Zolpidem is as good as Circadin® (and cheaper) – so why use Circadin®?
Q18: I am perfectly satisfied with my benzodiazepine treatment, why should I change to Circadin®?

Safety
Q19: What are the risks connected to Circadin® administration?
Q20: Is Circadin® contraindicated in any patients?
Q21: Can Circadin® be used in patients with hepatic or renal impairment?
Q22: Can Circadin® be taken with SSRIs or other antidepressants?
Q23: Does Circadin® interact with thyroid and sex hormones?
Q24: Can Circadin® be used in patients with diabetes?
Q25: Can children take Circadin®?
Q26: Why is there a red triangle on the package if Circadin® doesn’t cause a next-day residual sedative effect, e.g., it has no effect on vigilance, etc?
Q27: What happens if the patient takes Circadin® on an empty stomach?
Q28: What happens if Circadin® is taken in the morning?

Other topics
Q29: The population sizes are very small
Q30: What is the longest Circadin® treatment duration in a clinical study?
Q31: Does Circadin® also work in Jet-lag?
Q32: Will Circadin® work on the first night?
Q33: Why should Circadin® be taken for 21 days? Why not more than 21 days? Why not less than 21 days? How many 21-day Circadin® treatment courses could a person have in a year?
Q34: What happens when you stop Circadin® after 21 days? Will the insomnia come back again?
Q35: Does Circadin® contain any animal ingredients (can vegetarians take it)?
Q36: Why is Circadin® a prescription-only medicine? Why is Circadin® not available OTC, when other forms of melatonin are available on the Internet?
Q37: Primary insomnia doesn’t really exist, does it? Isn’t insomnia always secondary to something else?
Q38: In patients who are distressed and agitated, will Circadin® get them to sleep?
Q39: Why does Circadin® smell?