The Dark Side and Downsides of Melatonin

[ChicagoGranny]

https://vanwinkles.com/the-dark-side-do ... -melatonin

December 17, 2015

[chunkyfrog]

The list of countries where it cannot be sold OTC is an eye-opener.

[Mudrock63]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting. Never tried the stuff.

[hegel]

I tried melatonin once. Never again. I felt miserable the next day. And I didn't sleep well either. Yes, this is anecdotal; it's just, I really didn't like how I felt. And it wasn't a familiar feeling at all--I'm very sure it was a melatonin hangover. Unpleasant. ymmv.

I probably bought a version that had too high of a dosage.

[LSAT]

Most of the February issue of Consumers Reports is devoted to sleep issues...Pills...Mattresses.. Suppliments...gadgets. They say that 34 million Americans use Melatonin. Researchers say that 1-3 mg is enough for most but as little as 0.1-0.3 mg may work for some people. I have used 1.5mg (half of 3mg) for years with no side effects. It helps me fall asleep quickly, but doesn't help me stay asleep. Problem is that when you go to a pharmacy it is hard to find lower doses. They carry 3, 5 and even 10mg tablets.

[kbh209]

Interesting to read the article that backed up a theory of mine. My body/brain became immune to the Melatonin brand that Costco Wholesale sells, and pretty much immune to the fast disolve I bought at Wal-Greens. I was using Melatonin to "correct my sleep pattern" back when I was trying to go from going to bed at 6AM to 11PM. It worked, but it's a double edged sword. The insomnia and OSA symptoms finally got me to sit down and talk to my PCP. My PCP gave me a prescription for Ambien but just taking that once made me feel sleepy and loopy.

[Pugsy]

Melatonin isn't nearly as benign as it is purported to be...there are some rather nasty side effects.

the side effects that stood out at where I read them were
daytime drowsiness
dizzinezz
and changes to libido (couldn't ever figure out exactly how it might be changing it but I assume decrease and not increase because most of us would look at an increase as a good thing.... )
The new blue miracle pill like Viagra for men but for women...I would take it for it if it worked.

But I tried it once and I took the lowest dose I could find and I am pretty sure it as 1.0 ....and I got so dizzy within about 15 minutes that I was bouncing off the walls and it lasted all night and I was miserable and it took the better part of the next day for me to return to normal. I never had the urge to try it again.
I was so dizzy sick that if it had caused any changes in my libido I wouldn't have been able to do about it anyway. Maybe that's how it changes the libido...it kills it with dizziness.

[wm_hess]

Most of the February issue of Consumers Reports is devoted to sleep issues...Pills...Mattresses.. Suppliments...gadgets. They say that 34 million Americans use Melatonin. Researchers say that 1-3 mg is enough for most but as little as 0.1-0.3 mg may work for some people. I have used 1.5mg (half of 3mg) for years with no side effects. It helps me fall asleep quickly, but doesn't help me stay asleep. Problem is that when you go to a pharmacy it is hard to find lower doses. They carry 3, 5 and even 10mg tablets.

LSAT

I get my 1mg melatonin from my local natural foods store (Sprouts). You can also get 1mg from amazon. I take them and break them up in 1/4's so I'm taking .25mg on the (rare) occasion of insomnia.

-Bill

[ChicagoGranny]

Researchers say that 1-3 mg is enough

You commented without reading the article.

[LSAT]

Researchers say that 1-3 mg is enough

You commented without reading the article.

I did not read your article from Van Winkles (?)
I took this statement DIRECTLY from the article I was referring to in Consumer Reports.

[ChicagoGranny]

I did not read your article from Van Winkles (?)

You would do well to read the article and the study it references - http://news.mit.edu/2001/melatonin-1017

Limit Consumer Reports to washing machine opinions.

[LSAT]

I did not read your article from Van Winkles (?)

You would do well to read the article and the study it references - http://news.mit.edu/2001/melatonin-1017

Limit Consumer Reports to washing machine opinions.

Read it all and do what you feel is best for you....(Your article is 15 years old..lots of research since).
I know you always like the last word so..go ahead...I'm done.

[BlackSpinner]

It does nothing for me - neither side effects nor sleep.

[sptrout]

I am not going to get in the middle of whether melatonin is good or bad (but, most of what I have seen the past year or so is negative except for older folks that can no longer produce needed levels of melatonin). However, for those that do take it remember that melatonin has a very short half-life, which is likely the reason people awaken in the middle of the night when taking it at bedtime, or more likely an hour before.

The melatonin product at the link below is for a sustained release form of melatonin (around 6 hours I think). This is the only sustained release melatonin that I have seen and from a good company that manufactures just a few products (sustained release magnesium is their main product). Even though this product is in a sustained release form, it is scored so it can be cut down to any strength that you feel comfortable with (very unusual that a SR product can be cut).

http://www.jigsawhealth.com/supplements/melatonin/

[ChicagoGranny]

Your article is 15 years old..lots of research since

Please cite some research that contradicts what is in that study.