Melatonin

[lenin]

After failing with amitryptiline for sleeping, (I woke up with tachycardia in the middle of the night and other side effects) Im considering high dose of melatonin. I've read that it is a very powerful antioxidant and relieves muscle pain. I tried it already for a small dose of 1mg, and I slept for 2 hours and then i would wake up, but I quited after some time.

There is a place close to where I live, that they provide doses of, at least 50mg. It sounds a bit crazy for me, I think such a high dose may mess up some other parts of our bodys...

Has anyone tried these high doses?

Thanks

 

[Tammy]

I havn't ever tried melatonin...........but I know of others in some other support groups I belong to that have taken high dosages. I think the highest was 60 mgs. Others took 20mgs...........some 40mgs. They worked up to these dosages.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I tried it already for a small dose of 1mg, and I slept for 2 hours and then i would wake up,

1mg is already a high dose for melatonin. I wouldn’t take any higher dose.
Melatonin works for falling asleep, but it seems less effective for staying asleep.
Therefore, it is not surprising that it helped you to fall asleep, but not to stay asleep.
It should also be noted that melatonin is a hormone with a variety of effects on the body, besides inducing sleep.

Many other people here have experience with melatonin.
To read their stories, you can do a “google site search” for the word “melatonin”.
To do this, just click on the search box in the top-right of the screen, and then click on “Google Site Search”, and finally search for “melatonin”.

Hope this helps.

 

[AnnaDove]

@lenin , I have been working with higher doses of melatonin for about 2 mo now and am finally getting the best sleep I've had in 20 yrs. I had to start at 1mg at bedtime and have worked up to 4mg at bedtime and 5mg when I wake up in the middle of the night. I also take 1500mg of glycine in the middle of night.

I've had no side effects except for one good one. There is a correlation between frequent urination and low melatonin. I only have to get up once at night now which further saves my sleep. I am totally enjoying not feeling chronically sleep deprived.

 

[ryan31337]

FYI you can get slow-release formulations of melatonin, check out Circadin.

Works well for me. OTC normal melatonin would send me to sleep but I'd be wide awake in the middle of the night (especially with higher doses of melatonin). Circadin keeps me sleepy all night, just be wary if you get up in the night to pee!

 

[Belbyr]

I think I read that melatonin supplements can be all over the place since they are not regulated. You could buy a bottle that says 5mg and it will have 20, and another will say 5mg and it's less than 1mg.

 

[ryan31337]

Yeah the neurologist that suggested Circadin to me said OTC stuff can be pretty poor. Circadin is prescription only so should be right all the time.

 

[Hip]

Melatonin works for falling asleep, but it seems less effective for staying asleep.

I would agree, but I plan to try the extended release-type melatonin, which conceivably might work better at keeping you asleep.

What I am going to do is take normal melatonin to get to sleep, and also take a tablet of extended release at the same time, which should be released slowly throughout the night.

 

[Float]

I used to take 3mg at night but still had disturbed sleep.
One day at the pharmacy, another unemployed person told me that she saved money by chopping them into quarters...with the unexpected effect of better sleep!
I now settled at 1.5mg per night it really helps better than 3mg not sure why.
Slow release too expensive.
Never heard of high dose but I'd try it if on offer ! Probably look 20 years younger!

 

[Aurelius]

Several years back I also read a few articles about the more is not the better with Melatonin (I forgot why but probably some feedback loop). The closest to the normal secretion was 1mg I think.

 

[godlovesatrier]

I would say I suffer with normal wakefulness due to ME like sleep disturbance and when I am taking things like ubiquinol/higher dose multi vitamins - it's hard to sleep. But also when I'm over stimulated I often wake with a racing heartbeat due to stressful thoughts or nightmares.

Anyway I find the melatonin doesn't really help with the nightmares, in fact it made them worse recently. But if real life stress is at a normal level, I find a tiny amount 0.3mg keeps me asleep for 9 hours, even if I do wake up I go straight back off again. I'm also no longer a light sleeper so to speak, when I take this I actually sleep much heavier, which is perfect for me.

Does anyone know how safe it is to take it 4 days a week in 0.3mg doses long term? I find it forces my body to replenish and repair muscle tissue and fatigue a lot more effectively than normal sleep as well. I think this is just a sleep quality issue, nothing to do with the melatonin per say.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

1mg is already a high dose for melatonin. I wouldn’t take any higher dose.
Melatonin works for falling asleep, but it seems less effective for staying asleep.

I agree with both the above statements. Your body naturally produces something like 0.25 mcgs of melatonin, if you overwhelm it with HUGE doses, it can throw things badly out of kilter.

But then. we're all different, so who knows .....

It should also be noted that melatonin is a hormone with a variety of effects on the body, besides inducing sleep.

Again, I refer to the above .... too much melatonin can be ..... unhelpful.

There is a correlation between frequent urination and low melatonin.

I didn't know that, thank you !!!

The closest to the normal secretion was 1mg I think.

Even 1 mg is high in proportion to the body's natural production .... but again, everyone is different so I guess it's the usual tedious experimentation, using yourself as the Petrie dish .... a lot of studies found what @Float posted, that small amounts in divided doses may work best for some of us. Others do better on much higher amounts.

As a word of caution, I seem to remember reading that exceedingly high doses of melatonin act as oxidants as opposed to antioxidants, and may laso be involved in the development of some cancers, so do a little research before diving in wholeheartedly .....