Melatonin

[Reliel]

So I was given some Melatonin for my sleep disorder and I'm a little curious as to whether anyone has taken some or not. Anyone have some experience with this stuff?

I'm told to take 1 3mg tablet before bed.

[Gompers]

Good place to ask, I'm sure there are a few of us on these forums that have dabbled in insomnia!

I've tried over the counter Melatonin, and it really didn't do anything at all for me. If yours is prescribed that might be a different story.

[Reliel]

Good place to ask, I'm sure there are a few of us on these forums that have dabbled in insomnia!

Didn't even occur to me, ha ha.

Edit: Over the counter, 3 MG. It's what my doctor said to try and if that didn't work, take two. If that didn't work he'd subscribe something.

[Androidpk]

Good place to ask, I'm sure there are a few of us on these forums that have dabbled in insomnia!

Mine has improved tremendously since I've started lifting again.

[Gompers]

Yea, any type of sustained physical activity will help a whole lot with sleep. As far as the drugs go though, I never found anything that worked better for me than Ambien...but I found that to be very easy to become dependent on

[Aylien]

It works for some people and not for others.

3mg puts me OUT. My MiL may as well take a baby aspirin, for all the good melatonin does her. Some people have good results mixing it with valerian root and/ or camomile.

[Reliel]

I've heard lots of people have serious issues of dependency with Ambien and frankly I don't need to ween myself off of a sleep medicine that's meant to help me get over my lack of sleep. (Some people even said they had night terrors. I don't need any more of those.)

And holy shit it just hit me so yeah it must be working.

[Aylien]

I never got dependent on Ambien, but it really does some interesting things. When I take ambien, I have about a 20 minute window to get my ass in the bed. If I miss that window, not only am I up all night, but I'm usually saying dumb shit I don't remember on lnet.

[4a6c1]

Never had any sleep disorders. In fact I have the super power of being able to go to sleep anywhere, anytime, under any conditions and wake up refreshed in four hours. BUT, one of my brothers deals with insomnia and takes Melanonin. It works almost too well. He keeps 3 alarms clocks set at all times while sleeping, all very loud and far away from him. He takes it at the same time every evening and although his sleep is broken he is able to snag a healthy REM cycle and function normally as a machinist.

[jpatter123]

I've heard lots of people have serious issues of dependency with Ambien .

Talk to your doctor about that. I would call into question if it was used under the care of a physician and used in accordance to the prescription (Although dependance IS possible). I also run into cases all the time where someone has taken different hypnotics and tend to lump all hypnotics into one group(ie compare it to benzodiazepines like Valium (diazepam) which may have a higher rate of dependency).
I know lots of people(including doctors) who recommend trying melatonin first and many say it works, but may not work at all for some. I personally have been meaning to get around to trying it as the only med that helps me at all is Ambien(zolpidiem) , although I take it rarely. My big problem with any sleep aid is by the time I could get around to taking it, I don't have a full 8 hours to devote to sleep even though Ambien tends to have much less of a hangover effect than other sedatives/hypnotics.

[jpatter123]

When I take ambien, I have about a 20 minute window to get my ass in the bed. If I miss that window, not only am I up all night,

I have a very similar reaction to many meds that have a sedative effect. Usually once I start to feel drowsy I have 15-30 minutes to get to sleep or I'm up for the night even though I may feel like I've down some cough medicine.

[Nuc]

Melatonin may or may not have any effect on you. It is supposed to help regulate sleep patterns, not necessarily make you tired. I've taken it before and not really noticed any difference. You aren't supposed to notice a difference overnight, but over a week or two it might help.

[jpatter123]

btw we are taught when a patient is having difficulty with sleep the #1 method is to evaluate and adjust the sleep routine. I know this sounds obvious, but the books do say that evaluation of a person's night time routine and adjustment of said routine can have a dramatic affect on sleep. If you are really anti med having someone evaluate your routine may be a good way to go.

[AnticorRifling]

So they gave you some? What was your final count? Does it make you a jedi?

[DCSL]

I'm constantly battling insomnia. I took melatonin for a week and it did absolutely nothing for me. Might as well have just been taking a sip of water for all the difference it made. I hope it works a whole lot better for you!

[diethx]

Melatonin knocks me right the fuck out. I take it sometimes when I have trouble getting to sleep. My issue with melatonin is that I often wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes wide awake, sometimes I can get right back to bed. I guess that's what happens when I take it to go to bed early and I'm not tired, heh.

[Soulpieced]

I've slept like a baby ever since I started taking these multivitamins.

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Animal-Nutrition-Supplement-44-Count/dp/B000GOT54C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342056417&sr=8-1&keywords=animal+pak

[Liagala]

Never had any sleep disorders. In fact I have the super power of being able to go to sleep anywhere, anytime, under any conditions and wake up refreshed in four hours.
Okay. We've disagreed on just about everything it's possible to disagree on. We've argued in threads, PMs, and rep. But through all of that, I've always liked you. Until now. Now, I officially hate you.

[Latrinsorm]

My mom takes it, no complaints. I think she takes one dose before bed and then another when she wakes up in the middle of the night.

I took Seroquel. It worked great, but the withdrawals when I stopped taking it were very uncomfortable, and I wean like... something that weans to the maxxx.

[Androidpk]

My mom takes it, no complaints.

You don't say.. :)

[WRoss]

The medicines they gave me after surgery put my ass to sleep real quick, but they are prescription only. Also, when I used to smoke, that did a pretty good job putting me to sleep. Now I just do herbal teas with some honey if I can't sleep.

[diethx]

I like to watch TV, or listen really, when I'm trying to fall asleep. I don't want a movie because I'd end up paying attention to it, and I don't want regular TV because it never fails: the show will be so quiet and then commercials will come on and BAM too loud, knocked right out of wherever I was on my way to sleep. So now I put on the gem shopping network and it helps. Helps probably almost as much as the melatonin.

[DCSL]

I like to watch TV, or listen really, when I'm trying to fall asleep. I don't want a movie because I'd end up paying attention to it, and I don't want regular TV because it never fails: the show will be so quiet and then commercials will come on and BAM too loud, knocked right out of wherever I was on my way to sleep. So now I put on the gem shopping network and it helps. Helps probably almost as much as the melatonin.

Ugh, the commercial thing happens to me too. I leave the TV on at level four on volume and certain channels' commercials still wake me up. I tend to leave it on Syfy channel or NatGeo Wild or something. Comedy Central is the chief offender with loud commercials. I wish my stereo hadn't broken during my last move, no commercials on that if I just hook up my mp3 player.

[Warriorbird]

I just remove every bit of light and sound. Then I sleep great.

[DCSL]

I sleep with a guy who grinds his teeth, three dogs dotted around the room and I'm a very light sleeper. I need some kind of low-level white noise going on to keep me from noticing every little twitch any of them makes.

[jpatter123]

. I need some kind of low-level white noise going on to keep me from noticing every little twitch any of them makes.

those vornado fans work really well for that. Also they sell the little white noise maker for babies that sound like a fan just a little more constant. We bought a portable A/C that's for a room 3x's bigger than our bedroom so it's droning loud, but super constant even when the compressor kicks off the fan drowns out any possibility of noise. Works awesome, but now i can't sleep in a quiet room for the life of me.

[Reliel]

So I feel pretty good. It worked well and it feels so good to get a full nights sleep.

[Gompers]

So I feel pretty good. It worked well and it feels so good to get a full nights sleep.

Seems like your avatar had a night terror, though.

[Reliel]

Seems like your avatar had a night terror, though.

It involved old women and a strip club. That's all it would tell me before it started crying.

[g++]

I take 2 or 3 occasionally when I drink too much coffee to help me fall asleep. It works to a point. Its especially good for hang over induced insomnia, like if you had a blow out weekend and cant sleep on sunday popping 3 or 4 of them will help.

[Malgaftan]

I've dabbled in melatonin as a sleep aid. I don't believe it's actually FDA approved.

My wife has also taken it and so has a couple of our friends. It worked well as an occasional sleep aid. I personally found that instead of making me tired it just actually helped me stay asleep once I was able to relax and calm my thoughts. My wife, me, and our friends all agree that after about 3 days in a row of taking 1-2 pills that it's effectiveness substantially decreased.

I and my friends took it cause for sleep problems related to quitting "taking a break" from smoking pot. My wife took it for that reason and cause she has medical issues that make it difficult for her to sleep for normal periods of time.

Overall I give it a thumbs up for temporary insomnia relief.

We've all also tried prescription sleep aides and though they remain effective for longer periods of time and actually induce sleepiness, they also run a much higher risk of becoming dependent on. If sleep aides are actually a necessity for you I would get 2-3 different types that seem to work for you and rotate them but never mix them. I also suggest working out as that was the most effective and cost efficient way to deal with sleep troubles I have encountered.

I personally take my dogs on a 45 minute walk each night around 9-10pm and for 15 minutes of that I let them off the leash and run with them. It tires them and me out at the same time. Not to mention it's cooler at night and the dogs are my protection from nefarious would be evil doers.

[Reliel]

I get some serious room-spin inducing dizziness going when I take Melatonin but it's working good still.

[4a6c1]

Okay. We've disagreed on just about everything it's possible to disagree on. We've argued in threads, PMs, and rep. But through all of that, I've always liked you. Until now. Now, I officially hate you.

Heee! Half genetics, half conditioning and it's worse than you think. I always give stupid advice on how to sleep better because that kind of difficulty is just not within the realm of my understanding. I'm like "run five miles to get sleepy!!" or "only go to sleep with the radio, tv and lights on to get your mind used to distraction!!" Which is why I came to this thread armed with info straight from an insomniac. :)

[AbnInfamy]

I've been prescribed ambien for the past year and a half. I take 5 mg, and sometimes I can stop taking it for a week or two and still get to sleep. Most nights it still takes well over an hour to fall asleep. Ambien is neither a cure-all nor as dependency forming for every person.

But, on to what I'd really like to present. You mention not needing any more night terrors. If your problem is waking up from nightmares you should ask about Prazosin. It's an adrenaline blocking medicine that suppressed the adrenaline so you don't wake up from your nightmares. They've been studying its usefulness on PTSD patients (where my sleep issues originate). I can't sleep more than an hour and a half at a time without being jerked awake by nightmares. With prazosin when I can manage to fall asleep I stay there.

[Tisket]

I have a hard time staying awake once I'm prone. I can be in the middle of a sentence when I lie (lay?) down and suddenly it's morning. On the very few occasions I can't sleep I take an Advil PM and it's lights out.

[jpatter123]

you must be amazing in the sack

[Tisket]

you must be amazing in the sack

When I'm not snoring.

[Mohrgan]

Heh we actually just talked about this in a lecture on thursday, about how residents and medical students should deal with being constantly sleep deprived.

Very little evidence that oral melatonin does much of anything for your sleep. Yes, it is definitely the case that Melatonin plays a huge role in the physiology of sleep and circadian rhythms but in terms of supplementing it in a pill for insomnia...yeah...it's pretty much never been shown to be effective. Lot's of subjective testimonials, so some people may find that it works for them, others will not. A lot to be said for the placebo effect, after all.

That's the thing about nutritional supplements of any kind, they are totally unregulated. Completely unregulated by the FDA means that no one has to prove that any supplement does anything, ever. You can pretty much put dirt in a jar and say that it cures cancer, if you want, so long as it doesn't actively cause harm.

Best thing, objectively, for insomnia is exercise, according to science. Otherwise Doxylamine (its got some brand name in the states that you can buy it under, I cant remember, doxylamine is the generic) is really quite effective, but its only for short term use, as it is habit forming. It's very similar to Ambien (zolpidem), really, both are 1st generation antihistamines. I use it sometimes, when I really can't afford to lay awake for hours trying to fall asleep.

But, if you find Melatonin is working for you, then rock on. It certainly isn't likely to cause any harm.

[Drakefang]

you must be amazing in the sack

She simply has to stay vertical. Ride em, Cowgirl!

[Back]

If you haven't tried it heavy drinking can help you sleep. You get used to the hangovers after a while.

[Reliel]

If you haven't tried it heavy drinking can help you sleep. You get used to the hangovers after a while.

I'll leave that to you and yours.

[Androidpk]

Is melatonin OTC?

[Reliel]

Is melatonin OTC?

Yeah.

[Latrinsorm]

It certainly isn't likely to cause any harm.This is a great phrase.

[Stanley Burrell]

Try and find the Nature Made 3mgs vs. the 5mgs capsules. Well, you can take a ridiculous amount of that antioxidant and it's not going to harm you. If you can withstand the dreams you have when going to sleep wearing a nicotine patch, then it's a great product. If it gives you nightmares or vividly unpleasant dreams then don't take it. It gets absorbed pretty quickly + differently than a lot of other sleep products, so you should actually go to sleep no more than 30 minutes after you've taken it. I've taken 3-12mgs nearly every night for the past two years. Just stick with Walgreens-esque brands that say "Hi. Melatonin." And not weird online Google ad sleep aid shizneeit results.

"Those who lose dreaming are lost."

[iJin]

I took an over the counter Melatonin 10 mg. Let's just say...I was seeing double.

[Gompers]

I took an over the counter Melatonin 10 mg. Let's just say...I was seeing double.

Out of curiosity...is there such a thing as prescription melatonin?

[Mohrgan]

I very much doubt it. If it was available by prescription then it would have to be FDA approved. To get FDA approved, there would have to be evidence that it was effective, objectively. Melatonin is not FDA approved...ergo, I can't see how it would be a prescription medication. It is classified as a supplement...which is essentially the opposite of an FDA approved drug.

There is no such evidence, to the best of my knowledge. For disclosure's sake, I have not personally undertaken a review of PubMed to confirm this, I am basing it on a lecture that I got last thursday from the chief of the university hospital sleep medicine department.

That said, it is entirely possible for a health care provider to recommend someone try Melatonin to see if it works for them. Lots of people have trouble sleeping but either don't warrant or don't want to take a bunch of prescription or even OTC hypnotics/sedatives/antihistamines/etc.to fix it. In those circumstances, a trial of Melatonin or other herbal what-have-you's is a reasonable course of action. Just because something isn't FDA approved or classified as a "medication" doesn't mean it is inert. That's the double edged sword of herbals and supplements. You don't know what the hell they are really putting in it, because no one is monitoring the manufacturers in any way, shape, or form. The same pill might help one guy's insomnia and make the next guy hallucinate for three days.

...then again, I might be thinking of peyote instead of melatonin...

If it works for you, rock and/or roll.

[g++]

I very much doubt it. If it was available by prescription then it would have to be FDA approved. To get FDA approved, there would have to be evidence that it was effective, objectively. Melatonin is not FDA approved...ergo, I can't see how it would be a prescription medication. It is classified as a supplement...which is essentially the opposite of an FDA approved drug.

There is no such evidence, to the best of my knowledge. For disclosure's sake, I have not personally undertaken a review of PubMed to confirm this, I am basing it on a lecture that I got last thursday from the chief of the university hospital sleep medicine department.

That said, it is entirely possible for a health care provider to recommend someone try Melatonin to see if it works for them. Lots of people have trouble sleeping but either don't warrant or don't want to take a bunch of prescription or even OTC hypnotics/sedatives/antihistamines/etc.to fix it. In those circumstances, a trial of Melatonin or other herbal what-have-you's is a reasonable course of action. Just because something isn't FDA approved or classified as a "medication" doesn't mean it is inert. That's the double edged sword of herbals and supplements. You don't know what the hell they are really putting in it, because no one is monitoring the manufacturers in any way, shape, or form. The same pill might help one guy's insomnia and make the next guy hallucinate for three days.

...then again, I might be thinking of peyote instead of melatonin...

If it works for you, rock and/or roll.

I kind of hope its never FDA approved. As it stands its like 10 cents a pill. If a pharma company proved it was effective and marketed it I probably couldn't afford to use it anymore.

[Androidpk]

I kind of hope its never FDA approved. As it stands its like 10 cents a pill. If a pharma company proved it was effective and marketed it I probably couldn't afford to use it anymore.

If a pharma company proved it was effective they wouldn't market it.

[Archigeek]

I kind of hope its never FDA approved. As it stands its like 10 cents a pill. If a pharma company proved it was effective and marketed it I probably couldn't afford to use it anymore.

This is basically what happend with simvastatin. Basically, a drug company took a supplement, (red yeast rice), and took one of the statins (chemicals) out of it and synthesized it. They then proceeded to claim successfully that they had created an FDA approved drug, and since it was approved and red yeast rice contained it, then red yeast rice should no longer be legally marketable as a supplement if it still contained simvastatin. The FDA agreed, and now all red yeast rice is supposed to havethe simvastatin removed. The drug was then marketed as a very successful drug for many years: zocor, that the pharmaceutical company made billions off of. Money for nothin' and chicks for free.

[jpatter123]

I very much doubt it. If it was available by prescription then it would have to be FDA approved. To get FDA approved, there would have to be evidence that it was effective, objectively. Melatonin is not FDA approved...ergo, I can't see how it would be a prescription medication. It is classified as a supplement...which is essentially the opposite of an FDA approved drug.

There is no such evidence, to the best of my knowledge. For disclosure's sake, I have not personally undertaken a review of PubMed to confirm this, I am basing it on a lecture that I got last thursday from the chief of the university hospital sleep medicine department.

That said, it is entirely possible for a health care provider to recommend someone try Melatonin to see if it works for them. Lots of people have trouble sleeping but either don't warrant or don't want to take a bunch of prescription or even OTC hypnotics/sedatives/antihistamines/etc.to fix it. In those circumstances, a trial of Melatonin or other herbal what-have-you's is a reasonable course of action. Just because something isn't FDA approved or classified as a "medication" doesn't mean it is inert. That's the double edged sword of herbals and supplements. You don't know what the hell they are really putting in it, because no one is monitoring the manufacturers in any way, shape, or form. The same pill might help one guy's insomnia and make the next guy hallucinate for three days.

...then again, I might be thinking of peyote instead of melatonin...

If it works for you, rock and/or roll.

all good and true information. Not to mention the placebo effect.. it works because people believe it does. ie ...Glucosamine(among dozens and dozens of other herbals/topicals) is one of those supplements which people sware by despite all the scientific reviews to the contrary.
I wouldn't say the FDA isn't paying attention to the supplement market at all though, if enough of a danger is presented they will regulate(remove from the market) a supplement ie HCG , DMAA, Ephedra etc.. of course some of these took decades to get pulled, but you are right they do not regulate dosing or chemical composition of the supplements and if I am correct an herbal supplement only has to contain the ingredient listed on the labeling ie a 3mg melatonin cap may only have 1 mcg of melatonin.

[Mohrgan]

all good and true information. Not to mention the placebo effect.. it works because people believe it does. ie ...Glucosamine(among dozens and dozens of other herbals/topicals) is one of those supplements which people sware by despite all the scientific reviews to the contrary.
I wouldn't say the FDA isn't paying attention to the supplement market at all though, if enough of a danger is presented they will regulate(remove from the market) a supplement ie HCG , DMAA, Ephedra etc.. of course some of these took decades to get pulled, but you are right they do not regulate dosing or chemical composition of the supplements and if I am correct an herbal supplement only has to contain the ingredient listed on the labeling ie a 3mg melatonin cap may only have 1 mcg of melatonin.

Yeah, if something they are putting in a supplement is subsequently shown to be harmful, then yes, they will make the manufacturer pull it from the market. The example they always cited in my classes was the original formulation of the dietary supplement "Hydroxycut"...I don't remember what the ingredient was but it turned out to destroy your liver if used incorrectly so it was eventually banned. However, once they got it labeled a supplement from the outset, it made millions of dollars for the manufacturer before it was eventually shown to be poison. Then they just reformulated it to some completely different mix of chemicals and slapped it back out on the shelves...you know, why waste all that hard fought brand recognition? So yeah, in that sense, they pay attention, but not until its already out there on the market. Getting that supplement stamp on your bottle is basically a free pass to skip phase I, II, and III trials, and then sit back and wait for someone else to do a phase IV that proves your substance is toxic.

The difference between "supplements" and "medications" is that for medications, they have to be shown to be safe and effective ahead of time, but if you can get something classified as a supplement, you can sell it until in is subsequently shown to be harmful. It's a really bizarre way to do things and not surprisingly, the current way that it works with supplements is the product of decades of lobbying and politics much more than public health considerations. cuz, you know...FREE MARKET!!! (vote ronpaul)

/cynicism

[Mohrgan]

If a pharma company proved it was effective they wouldn't market it.

Sure they would, but they'd do everything they could to market it as a chronic disease, so, you know, you'd have to keep taking it.

Sorry, sorry everybody, I just realized that I typed

/cynicism

in my PREVIOUS post. Clearly I am a liar.

[jpatter123]

The example they always cited in my classes was the original formulation of the dietary supplement "Hydroxycut"...I don't remember what the ingredient was

that was ephedra

[diethx]

Ephedra was some fucked up stuff. I took Stackers what, 9 years ago I think, at a few parties. The last time I took it, it made my vision go totally black for about 30 seconds. I didn't pass out, but I couldn't see a damn thing. I never took that shit again. Scared me to death, and made me realize that illegal drugs were way safer, lol.

[jpatter123]

I took ephedra for a while, but all it did was make my higher than normal body temperature even higher. I always felt like I was burning up and living in South Florida that was the last feeling I wanted.