Melatonin

[Amoeba]

I agree with beau on that one. Age has no bearing here. Some people will find it useful and some dont. It varies from person to person. I am approaching 45 years.

I used to manage 5.5 - 6 hours of sleep a day. During this time I used to wake up several times. So during the day I feel tired and sleepy.

I have been taking 3mg tablet everyday for the last 9 months or so. Now I sleep quite well and usually dont wake up during sleep. So it has definitely helped me.

PS: I could only find 3mg tablets here in Saudi so haven't tried changing the dosage though. 3mg works for me just fine.

Yeah I regularly have dreams but can't remember most of them when I wake up!

 

[Z...]

I looked it up and it was clear that I was experiencing all the symptoms of overdosing. I think generally healthy people under the age of 40-45 do not have much need for melatonin.

I can't really agree with that. I'm under 30 and quite healthy yet I take 3mg every night before bed and I have found that I fall asleep much faster and my sleep is much less interrupted during the night. It's helped me have more energy during the day since I get a good night's sleep, whereas before I started taking melatonin I woke up a lot during the night and it would affect me during the day.

Most pills come in 3mg form, you should just cut them in half and try that dosage.

as I said this was generalisation, and you might be exception which actually confirms the rule.
I repeat - the truth about melatonin is to be find on individual level, each person has its own truth. Still we might be able to identify some general patterns. It seems persons under 40 who really dont produce enough mealtonin for healthy sleep are minority, at least this is what available scientific data on the subject point to.

In fact I did take lowest possible dose i.e. half of 3mg pill ( as I said :P) I would have start with quarters but the pills were to small for precise cutting.

 

[Renaissance]

It seems persons under 40 who really dont produce enough mealtonin for healthy sleep are minority, at least this is what available scientific data on the subject point to.

Certainly age is a factor that contributes to a decline in meletonin production, but what about data that indicates that age is not the only factor - that both fluoride and ELF waves from 50-60 hrz block it's production. Are you dismissing it? What specific research are you refering to when you say, "It seems persons under 40 who really dont produce enough mealtonin for healthy sleep are minority,..."

I'm 26 and the quality of sleep I get when I take melatonin is drastically better than when I don't. For the first couple of years when I started taking melatonin I slept best with 3 mg, however now I only need 1mg - .5mg, I don't know what caused the change. I was without a cellphone for years so perhaps that helped in healing the pineal gland a bit - don't know.

 

[anart]

as I said this was generalisation, and you might be exception which actually confirms the rule.

Actually, I agree whole-heartedly with Beau, and others who have expressed the same understanding, on this, so, perhaps you are the exception that 'confirms the "rule"' you read? I began taking melatonin long before I was 40 and the difference was and is amazingly beneficial. At this point, I'm not sure what I'd do without it. I have no problem breaking off a 'ragged quarter' of a 3mg pill - it's what I usually did, until just recently when it became apparent that I needed a higher dose. Anyway, I adore the stuff simply because it has greatly improved my quality of life - but that's just me -and several others.

 

[mkrnhr]

This is the text i want to quote.

Well, if you liked the woman and the dream, why not?

-

So you can gradually increase your dosage up to a level you feel an effect without fear.

- yes, I'm planning to possibly increase dosage to 6mg in few days... when I'll be less affraid :P

I'm under 30 and quite healthy yet I take 3mg every night before bed and I have found that I fall asleep much faster and my sleep is much less interrupted during the night.

- I am 30 (and few months) and it really improved my energy and I really feel good after a good night. Before taking those 3mg melatonin pill I used to sleep an average of 4 to 5 hours and being tired all the day. Now I take them (well I'm taking a pill of 3mg every two dayes for the moment) I fell reallu better. But I'm still affraid oftaking more and more regularly.

I also agree with Anart on that point. The point of Shane is also interesting, our need for melatonin is due to our close environment (electromagnetic polution and others) that perturb our natural sleeping cycle. The last time I slept well before experimenting melatonin was in a remote region of the sahara desert where there was nothing except sand and the most beautiful sky I've ever seen... maybe it was just due to the romantic ambiance then :P I don't know

 

[Z...]

Actually, I agree whole-heartedly with Beau, and others who have expressed the same understanding, on this, so, perhaps you are the exception that 'confirms the "rule"' you read? I began taking melatonin long before I was 40 and the difference was and is amazingly beneficial. At this point, I'm not sure what I'd do without it. I have no problem breaking off a 'ragged quarter' of a 3mg pill - it's what I usually did, until just recently when it became apparent that I needed a higher dose. Anyway, I adore the stuff simply because it has greatly improved my quality of life - but that's just me -and several others.

Both your and beau's personal accounts are invaluable, so is mine , actually this is probably the only place on the net where you can discuss personal experiences with melatonin intake

but until we have a proper study and proper sample group we will never be able to establish definite truth about melatonin and certain age groups

 

[mkrnhr]

well, is it possible to get a significant statistical sample with the participants to the forum? for example by special post as a poll? I don't think it would be sufficient. The physiological response depends upon the specificities of everybody. For example : when the C's mention melatonin during the transcript it was in order to remember dreams. how many umong us remember better the dreams (in relation to the situation before taking it) now we are sleeping with the aid of melatonin? I personally just started so I guess I am in a sort of transitory state. What about the others? Did melatonin increase our dreams awareness or is it that now that we have a more quiet sleeping we have to train how to control our dreams like it apears in the teachings of Castaneda for example?

 

[mkrnhr]

heu... my post has nothing agressive even if it could looks so... it is mostly questions I ask to myself and I share them to get clues or answers from others :/

 

[the rabbit]

Hi
Just a note regarding melatonin. Recently I had to go into hospital for a series of operations. Everything was checked out beforehand, blood etc.

Now I know nothing at present regarding what a good reading is for blood pressure , but when mine was taken the doctor was a little shocked that my blood pressure is that of a healthy teenager.

Now im definitely not mr healthy guy, i get nowhere near enough the excercise that i should , im mainly vegetarian, though i do eat meat at others houses on rare occasions. I use to drink quite a lot in my early days, though not very much these days, a little wine , and beer occasionally .

Anyway I sat wondering what could be giving the bloodpressure results that we where seeing, and then it suddenly dawned on me that it could possably be the melatonin ive been taking for the last few years. Obviously I cant prove it , though i would think it is a high probability.The blood pressure remained constant during the ops also.

Just taken one now and im off to bed.

cheers

 

[Zadius Sky]

Anyway I sat wondering what could be giving the blood pressure results that we where seeing, and then it suddenly dawned on me that it could possably be the melatonin ive been taking for the last few years. Obviously I cant prove it , though i would think it is a high probability.The blood pressure remained constant during the ops also.

It is very likely. I think the recent research are going in that direction: melatonin as a treatment for high blood pressure. Did you tell your doctor that you've been taking melatonin?

I hope the following links might be of some help:

_http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/blood_pressure_and_melatonin.html

_http://onelifeusa.com/health_news/Sleep%20Aids%2001.htm

_http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/2/192

_http://cjonline.com/stories/012004/pag_melatonin.shtml

fwiw

 

[the rabbit]

Zadius Sky
It is very likely. I think the recent research are going in that direction: melatonin as a treatment for high blood pressure. Did you tell your doctor that you've been taking melatonin?


HI Zadius
You´ve got me kicking myself. No I did not mention my melatonin intake. Duh! It was only a day after they let me out that I actually sat down and reflected upon my medical notes. Of course i smoke as well and I know for my mother her doctor recommends (off the record of course) that she continue to smoke as it helps her with her blood pressure, keeping it down.

I did mention the benefits of tobacco though ,which they did not like to hear. Soon as I mentioned I smoke out came all the questions and the information that it would now take longer to heal and recover. I told them i smoked between 2 and add as many zeros after that 2 depending on what i was doing.My notes say i smoke 2-20 cigarettes a day.

My oxygen intake was also at 99/100% which must have also surprised / disapointed them coming from someone who has been smoking for over 30 years.

Thanks for the links.

 

[Ruth]

I think this is very relative to the individual and I wouldnt say there are no ill effects when overdosing. As described few pages before I took 1 half of 3mg tablet.
I couldnt sleep all night, I was rather drifting in very shallow slumber and waking up every 5 minutes, all of this was accompanied by nightmares and wierdest of dreams. All next day I felt tired and drained. For me this was ill effect enough.

I looked it up and it was clear that I was experiencing all the symptoms of overdosing. I think generally healthy people under the age of 40-45 do not have much need for melatonin.

Melatonin is very useful for 'resetting' the diurnal cycle, so people who work shift work and suffer jet lag can take it to stop them feeling like they've got the flu (without the temperature)... and generally feeling like crap.

As for the psychic effects, well, that may be individual. But one thing's for sure, taking more isn't going to solve your problems if your problems need to be addressed in a different way. A pill can only do so much, really, and what works for one person may be unhelpful for another.

There can often be other changes in lifestyle and especially in confronting issues which may have more beneficial and helpful (but not necesarily 'nice') long term side effects. I don't think people should take something to effectively 'cover up' a deeper problem. That just tends to make things worse. And there may be a proper time (and dose) for everyone.

 

[Guest]

Over the counter melatonin is one of the worst supplements ever created.

Do you have any data to support this claim?

Unfortunately not much. I wish I did.

However, this is only because not many studies have been done on over-the-counter melatonin.

I do have a lot of case studies.
Nearly everyone in my family takes it and they report the same effects - second-day fatigue, memory loss, lethargy, etc.

Many research studies are linked at the global dna solutions site about how cherries convert to natural melatonin in the human bloodstream, much in the same way that certain types of bread convert to serotonin.

Its worth trying.

 

[rrraven]

just googled melatonin cherries ,loads of info to much to repeat here,good for pain relief too
RRR

 

[Beau]

Nearly everyone in my family takes it and they report the same effects - second-day fatigue, memory loss, lethargy, etc.

Well, I personally know plenty of people who take melatonin and do not suffer from any of the effects above, myself included. I don't think the anecdotal evidence you have given should be enough to so say that melatonin "is one of the worst supplements ever created". That seems like quite the stretch.