Melatonin

[Guest guest]

Melatonin can cause depression and it did to me on about 2 mg. per night.

Newton told me about this and if it weren't for him, I might still be

taking it. I was taking it with an antihistamine. It doesn't feel like it

is doing

anything to you but apparently it messes up your brain chemistry. ?

Mike

[Guest guest]

Sure it is OK. However I recently got a news letter in which one of the CFS

gurus stated that people take to much melatonin. What really makes me take this

seriously is that I was put out by one of

the vitamin email sales groups. How often do you see an article that says take

less of something when they are trying to sell you that something? The Dr. said

to take only .3 mg of melatonin but it

generally comes in tabs of 3 mg. Melatonin does not really effect me one way or

the other but you may want to just take a bite out of the pill.

good luck

Steve

Barry Blake wrote:

> Hi,

>

> Can anyone advise whether it is o.k. to take Melatonin at night together

> with Amitriptyline?

>

> What are peoples experiences with Melatonin - does it give a deeper more

> refreshing nights sleep?

>

> With thanks.

>

> Barry

>

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>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

Barry - I often take melatonin along with elavil - i just can't take elavil

if am on antivirals Deb

Melatonin

> Hi,

>

> Can anyone advise whether it is o.k. to take Melatonin at night together

> with Amitriptyline?

>

> What are peoples experiences with Melatonin - does it give a deeper more

> refreshing nights sleep?

>

> With thanks.

>

> Barry

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> High rates giving you headaches? The 0% APR Introductory Rate from

> Capital One. 9.9% Fixed thereafter!

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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

[Guest guest]

I recently read that the correct dose for Melatonin is .3 mg per day (did you

see the point). I was very surprised my this. The author indicated the the doses

sold are way to high. Having said that

I can't tell much difference when I am taking Melatonin and when I am not -- I

always forget to take it.

Steve

mcamp10139@... wrote:

> Melatonin can cause depression and it did to me on about 2 mg. per night.

> Newton told me about this and if it weren't for him, I might still be

> taking it. I was taking it with an antihistamine. It doesn't feel like it

> is doing

> anything to you but apparently it messes up your brain chemistry. ?

>

> Mike

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Get paid for the stuff you know!

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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

At 10:43 PM 4/14/00 -0400, you wrote:

>Barry - I often take melatonin along with elavil - i just can't take elavil

>if am on antivirals Deb

Hi,

What are the effects for you when taking antivirals and elavil? This is

intesting.

Thanks, Christie

[Guest guest]

As far as drug interactions are concern you can call some pharmacy 800 numbers.

They have pharmastist who will do computerized cross checks of all the

medication you take. You do not need to be a

health care provider or even a customer on that pharmacy. I have often used

Osco's 800- number but I am sure some of the other big pharmacies have numbers

of their own.

Steve

> If you are taking a number of drugs, I would be willing to check them

> out on the Physician's online drug interaction data base for you. I

> can see if they react with each other or with any foods.

>

> Take care,

>

>

>

>

> >

> > > Melatonin can cause depression and it did to me on about 2 mg.

> per night.

> > > Newton told me about this and if it weren't for him, I

> might still be

> > > taking it. I was taking it with an antihistamine. It doesn't

> feel like it

> > > is doing

> > > anything to you but apparently it messes up your brain

> chemistry. ?

> > >

> > > Mike

> > >

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Get paid for the stuff you know!

> Get answers for the stuff you don’t. And get $10 to spend on the site!

> 1/2200/2/_/531724/_/955824814/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

Steve wrote:

> The Dr. said to take only .3 mg of melatonin but it

> generally comes in tabs of 3 mg. Melatonin does not really effect me

> one way or the other but you may want to just take a bite out of the

> pill.

I second the recommendation for small doses. But most melatonin pills

are very tiny, and taking 1/10 of it would be difficult.

I have found a product in the health food store called " meta-rest " ,

which is a little dropper bottle of melatonin and valerian extract. Ten

drops is a " normal " dose, so one or two drops is a perfect CFS dose!

BTW, be warned that some people with depression experience a big

increase in depression when taking melatonin, so be careful. I did, but

then I had a diagnosed clinical depression that runs heavily on both

sides of my family, and hit well before I became ill with CFIDS. If you

are only taking a small dose of antidepressant, mostly for the

painkilling and sleep inducing effect, it shouldn't be a problem.

--

el - andrea@...

(IFF " FNORD " appears - remove it from my email address to reply)

" ...wake now! Discover that you are the song that the morning brings... "

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/16/00 12:59:48 AM Central Daylight Time,

egroups writes:

<< BTW, be warned that some people with depression experience a big

increase in depression when taking melatonin, so be careful. I did, but

then I had a diagnosed clinical depression that runs heavily on both

sides of my family, and hit well before I became ill with CFIDS. >>

I was never depressed pre CFS and melatonin really got to me. Once I stopped

taking it, I felt better within a few days. I was never 'clinically

depressed' during

CFS, except maybe initially and during the long relapses, but who isn't.

Mike

[Guest guest]

Barry

Mealtonin really helps me sleep.I am taking .3 mg of melatonin.I take it

with Paxil.

Phil

[Guest guest]

Phil

Thanks for info. I have tried one 3 mg tablet but it seemed to do funny

things to me - I awoke in the night and thought I was dieing ! What is

Paxil?

Barry

Re: Melatonin

> Barry

> Mealtonin really helps me sleep.I am taking .3 mg of melatonin.I take it

> with Paxil.

>

> Phil

>

>

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> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

[Guest guest]

Barry

Paxil is an antidepressant. It's the only I've tried without making my mouth dry

or me constipated. For some it helps with energy;not me it helps me sleep. We

are all different.

Phil

" barry.blake " wrote:

> Phil

>

> Thanks for info. I have tried one 3 mg tablet but it seemed to do funny

> things to me - I awoke in the night and thought I was dieing ! What is

> Paxil?

>

> Barry

> ----- Original Message -----

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/6/00 11:45:34 PM Central Daylight Time,

egroups writes:

<< But be aware that many people who are predisposed to depression

experience a worsening of their depression on melatonin. You won't hear

this from the health food store clerks or in the usual advertising hype,

but it's becoming well known. >>

Especially true when one starts to recover. I think there are many better

choices

than melatonin like benadryl or klon. I will never take melatonin again.

Mike

[Guest guest]

Also, the bottle I bought about four years ago had a warnign on it that it

shouldn't be taken unless you consults your doctor of you have an

auto-immune disease...............

Re: Melatonin

> In a message dated 5/6/00 11:45:34 PM Central Daylight Time,

> egroups writes:

>

> << But be aware that many people who are predisposed to depression

> experience a worsening of their depression on melatonin. You won't hear

> this from the health food store clerks or in the usual advertising hype,

> but it's becoming well known. >>

>

> Especially true when one starts to recover. I think there are many better

> choices

> than melatonin like benadryl or klon. I will never take melatonin again.

>

> Mike

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

[Guest guest]

> << But be aware that many people who are predisposed to depression

> experience a worsening of their depression on melatonin. You

won't hear

> this from the health food store clerks or in the usual advertising

hype,

> but it's becoming well known. >>

>

> Especially true when one starts to recover. I think there are many

better

> choices

> than melatonin like benadryl or klon. I will never take melatonin

again.

>

> Mike

Hey Mike,

I don't like taking Klonopin because it affects my short term memory,

and causes several other side effects, so I thought I would quit it

and try melatonin again.

After 4 nights of insomnia and major daytime depression I am again

convinced that melatonin is not for me. Better to be forgetful than

major league depressed. Back to the Klonopin, my double edged friend.

I usually take 1 mg before bedtime.

[Guest guest]

Newton wrote:

> I don't like taking Klonopin because it affects my short term memory,

> and causes several other side effects, so I thought I would quit it

> and try melatonin again.

>

> After 4 nights of insomnia and major daytime depression I am again

> convinced that melatonin is not for me. Better to be forgetful than

> major league depressed. Back to the Klonopin, my double edged friend.

>

> I usually take 1 mg before bedtime.

I have found the best cost/benefit tradeoff by combining small(er) doses

of several sleep drugs (with my doctor's OK) than by going for higher

doses of any of them. For me, 1 mg of Klonopin makes me completely

stupid the next day (as opposed to my usual partially stupid state ;@).

My current sleep combo is:

.5 mg Klonopin

200 mg Desyrel (trazedone)

50 mg Benedryl (gen. diphenhydramine HCl)

I take it about two hours before I plan to turn in, and it's been

working for a year now.

--

el - andrea@...

(IFF " FNORD " appears - remove it from my email address to reply)

" ...wake now! Discover that you are the song that the morning brings... "

[Guest guest]

I could never take that much trazadone without feeling " spaced out " the next

day. I do not take it anymore but 200mg is quite a dose. Most folk who take traz

for sleep only take 25-50mg

steve

el wrote:

> Newton wrote:

>

> > I don't like taking Klonopin because it affects my short term memory,

> > and causes several other side effects, so I thought I would quit it

> > and try melatonin again.

> >

> > After 4 nights of insomnia and major daytime depression I am again

> > convinced that melatonin is not for me. Better to be forgetful than

> > major league depressed. Back to the Klonopin, my double edged friend.

> >

> > I usually take 1 mg before bedtime.

>

> I have found the best cost/benefit tradeoff by combining small(er) doses

> of several sleep drugs (with my doctor's OK) than by going for higher

> doses of any of them. For me, 1 mg of Klonopin makes me completely

> stupid the next day (as opposed to my usual partially stupid state ;@).

>

> My current sleep combo is:

> .5 mg Klonopin

> 200 mg Desyrel (trazedone)

> 50 mg Benedryl (gen. diphenhydramine HCl)

>

> I take it about two hours before I plan to turn in, and it's been

> working for a year now.

>

> --

>

> el - andrea@...

> (IFF " FNORD " appears - remove it from my email address to reply)

>

> " ...wake now! Discover that you are the song that the morning brings... "

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

Steve wrote:

> I could never take that much trazadone without feeling " spaced out "

> the next day. I do not take it anymore but 200mg is quite a dose. Most

> folk who take traz for sleep only take 25-50mg

> steve

>

> el wrote:

>

> > My current sleep combo is:

> > .5 mg Klonopin

> > 200 mg Desyrel (trazedone)

> > 50 mg Benedryl (gen. diphenhydramine HCl)

>

Sorry, forgot to mention that I also have depression. I started taking

Desyrel for clinical depression and was up to 350 mg/night at one

point. When side effects got too bad, my doctor and I experimented and

found that a combination of Prozac, Desyrel, and Armour Thyroid did the

trick for me. When the rheumatologist gave me Flexeril for sleep and

pain (and it turned me into a zombie), I dropped it and moved my Desyrel

to before bed. For depression, 200 mg is a low dose; for sleep and

pain, you're right, it's a high dose.

--

el - andrea@...

(IFF " FNORD " appears - remove it from my email address to reply)

" ...wake now! Discover that you are the song that the morning brings... "

[Guest guest]

Melatonin

> did give me permission to quote from her book regarding

> Melatonin. Knew she would - bless her heart. This is on page 74 of

> The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog by Volhard, second edition

> - it's the paperback edition that just came out. Wonderful book. Very

> informative.

>

Thanks for that, most interesting.

JOhn

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/28/00 2:16:29 AM Central Daylight Time,

egroups writes:

<< Would someone in the USA be so kind as to mail me some melatonin in

exchange

for a money order? I'm embarassed to report that it is illegal to sell

melatonin in Canada. >>

I will send you some if you will send me ONE of those Canadian quarters with

a buck or elk on the back (my daughter really likes them). Send me your

address.

Mike

[Guest guest]

I've had very good results using valerian to help me sleep, even acts to

start up my dream cycle which all but ceased after brain surgery. It may not

be safe over the long term, don't know. It can be a little bitter, so I mix

it with a mint tea. Melatonin did not have the same effect on me.

Zoe

[Guest guest]

Melatonin

>I stumbled across this--don't know how much faith you have in Dr.

>Weil, but here is a quote from 8 WEEKS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH:

>

> " the brain hormone melatonin...is a nontoxic regulator of the

>sleep-wake cycle that has become very popular despite warnings from

>neuroscientists who study it. I will repeat my opinion here that

>melatonin appears useful as a SHORT-TERM strategy for managing jet lag

>and other disruptions of our biological clock but that I am very uneasy

>about people's taking it for more than a few nights in a row or over

>long periods of time. No one knows the full range of consequences of

>taking supplemental melatonin; in my view, there is reason to fear that

>it can disturb the delicate balance of our hormonal physiology and

>compromise health and healing in as-yet-unknown ways. "

>

>He goes on to suggest valerian as a much safer sleep aid, but still does

>not recommend for regular use. He also mentions using the right

>mattress, a quiet room/white noise, avoiding stimulants, relaxing

>breathing, stretching, and reading.

>

>Don't know much about this--just thought it was interesting. I went out

>and bought the Nerve Factors after hearing about them here, but haven't

>had the " nerve " to use it yet for Cary!

>

>Susie, mom to Cary-8 (CP, keto-kid since 12/97) and Ryne-10 (Tegretol)

>Brownsburg, IN

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/22/2001 4:27:11 PM Central Standard Time, tenzin@... writes:

I can't remember details, just know it IS useful to help prevent jet lag, but for the very same reasons, can really mess up the body clock adjusters. You might be able to find something on the internet about it. I read and do research in a lot of health magazines, but once I get a general sense of something, tend not to remember details unless they are important enough to file for later. Just remember this was something I never would recommend anyone use. Does that help? Maybe Tabitha knows something more definitive.

The only thing I remember for sure is that the formulations were too strong, not matching what was on the label, contained hidden ingredients, and all formulations were different. Guess I could do some reasearch but right now I'm too tired.

TABITHA SCHAFFER, TabMTBC@...

See my listings at http://www.amazon.com/shops/mls1

[Guest guest]

According to & Phyllis Balch.....

Although no toxic levels of melatonin have been found, some researchers

feel that certain people probably should not use this supplement until

further info is available. Included in this category are pregnant and nursing

women; people with severe allergies or autoimmune diseases; people with

immune system cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia; and healthy children

who already produce sufficient amounts of the hormone. Since high doses

of melatonin have been found to act as a contraceptive, women who wish

to become pregnant might also want to avoid taking it.

Maintaining it naturally.....

Eat regular meals to keep your body in sync with the rhythms of the

day; keep diet light at night. When melatonin production begins after nightfall

the digestive process is slowed. Thus any heavy foods eaten close to bedtime

may lead to digestive problems making it difficult to sleep. Avoid stimulants

like coffee, tea, caffeine-containing medications and colas can interfere

with melatonin production. Avoid exercising late at night.

I know when I had problems sleeping and I tried including melatonin,

it made me feel very weird and then had an even harder time sleeping. So,

for me, I know I can't take it - that my body doesn't want it. If I find

I'm having a hard time falling to sleep, I will use chamomile. This works

for me.

blessings,

kathy s

I can't remember details, just know

it IS useful to help prevent jet lag, but for the very same reasons, can

really mess up the body clock adjusters.

[Guest guest]

Why is melatonin dangerous? Please give me some examples or stats.

Aloha

CB

I don't know a lot about it, but do know it can cause you to have nightmares.

[Guest guest]

> Why is melatonin dangerous? Please give me some examples or stats.

> Aloha

> CB

>

Dear Cheryl,

I have used low dose melatonin for about 3 years now. 1 (1mg) pill

before I go to bed every night, except weekends...(Explained later)

It enables me to get up in the morning awake and refreshed.

I have always been a night owl, late to bed and late to rise. I have

tried to change this by habit, go to bed early, get up early etc, but

I just end up rolling around to several hours or waking up at the

slightest noise at two in morning. This started in my early

twenties, before that I could sleep through a hurricane (literally).

Although, I have always taken at least 45 minutes to an hour to fall

asleep. No caffeine, no late exercising, etc...

I always felt that this was normal until I met my wife. She falls

asleep early and within 5 minutes, her father is the same,

both " A's " . On top of this, her most active and energetic time is

morning, I always joked that I didn't truely wake up until 11AM, and

was at my best at 11PM.

I was introduced to Melatonin by my mother, (same sleep issues as me)

and took it for jet lag. After waking up early and refreshed, I

decided to try it for several nights in a row. Magic... now I had

the same sleep pattern as my wife. I happily included it in my

normal routine. Interestingly, my wife reacts poorly to it.

Obviously she didn't need it to sleep, but when she took it for jet

lag it made her feel groggy and drugged the next day. Later, we

found that half a pill worked well for her jet lag.

Honestly, if I follow the LR4YT model with lots of vigorous exercise

daily, I find my sleep problems are improved, but the next morning is

still a struggle w/o melatonin. When I want to sleep late (for

weekend recharges) I just skip it and can sleep til 10AM or 11AM easy.

This information took a scary turn, when I met my wife's

grandfather. He was a very typical " O " , and reminded me of myself in

many, many ways. He was also in the late stages of Parkinson's

disease. Then I saw an article in Eureka Alert

http://www.eurekalert.org, that Melatonin can prevent Parkinson's

like brain damage

http://www.btinternet.com/~ms_pages/MelatoninParkinsons.html

and another article that matched my " O " like behaviors with an

increased risk of Parkinson's

http://www.mayo.edu/comm/mcr/news/news_1384.html

All this information made me conclude that I have a generally low

level of naturally occuring Melatonin and that may increase my risk

of Parkinson's disease. This may be just my linking too many dots,

but it helps me in other ways so why not...

Other " O " 's should make their own informed decisions, but if this

describes someone else's condition then I hope this information helps.

Reade

Sorry about the long post....