Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain and it is well known for causing and regulating sleep.
- Melatonin confers neuroprotection (brain health) and reduces levels of Alzheimer's biomarkers. [1]
- Melatonin is highly effective for the treatment of insomnia at 3mg (time release formulation) or lower concentrations when taken before sleep. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- Melatonin is effective, when taken at the destination's bedtime, in normalizing the circadian rhythm and reducing the symptoms of jet lag or shift work. [8] [9] [10]
- Through antioxidant means, melatonin inhibits mineral-induced damage to DNA. [11]
- Melatonin has a significant protective effect on life in cancer patients with solid tumors. [12]
- Melatonin has shown a notable protective effect against both aspirin and heliobacter pylori induced stomach ulceration. It was also found to be effective in healing ulcers. [13] [14]
- Symptoms of GERD, most notably heart burn, are reduced significantly following daily melatonin ingestion. [15]
- Melatonin reduces symptoms associated with tinnitus. [16] [17] [18]
- Melatonin is being actively studied for its life-extending properties. [19]
- For regulating the sleep cycle, doses of melatonin between 500mcg (0.5mg) and 5mg seem to work. It is recommended to start with 500mcg, and if it doesn’t work, work up to 3-5mg. The benefits of melatonin are not dose-dependent - taking more will not make falling asleep any faster. To help with sleep, melatonin should be taken roughly 30 minutes before going to bed.
- For endometriosis: 10 mg daily for 8 weeks has been used.
- For high blood pressure: 2 mg to 3 mg of a controlled-release melatonin has been use for 4 weeks.
- For jet lag: 0.5 mg to 8 mg at bedtime is commonly taken on the arrival day at the destination, continuing for 2 to 5 days. Low doses of 0.5 mg to 3 mg are often used to avoid the hypnotic properties of the higher 4 to 5 mg doses.
- For reducing anxiety before surgery in adults: 3 mg to 10 mg of melatonin has been taken 60 to 90 minutes before surgery.
- For jaw pain: 5 mg of melatonin at bedtime for 4 weeks has been used.
- As treatment for solid tumors in combination with conventional therapy: 10 mg to 40 mg along with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or interleukin 2 (IL-2). Melatonin is typically started 7 days before the start of chemotherapy and continued throughout full treatment course.
- For prevention and treatment of lowered clot-forming cells (thrombocytopenia) associated with cancer chemotherapy: 20 mg to 40 mg of melatonin daily beginning up to 7 days before chemotherapy and continuing throughout chemotherapy cycles has been used.
- Resveratrol is synergistic with melatonin in neuroprotection (brain health) and possibly cardioprotection. [20] [21]
- Combination of melatonin with Vitamin C or with Alpha-Lipoic Acid demonstrates synergism in protecting DNA from oxidative damage. [11]
Melatonin is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth or injected into the body during pregnancy. Melatonin might also interfere with ovulation, making it more difficult to become pregnant. Melatonin might make bleeding worse in people with bleeding disorders. Melatonin can make symptoms of depression worse. Melatonin might increase blood sugar in people with diabetes; blood sugar should be monitored. Melatonin can raise blood pressure in people who are taking certain medications to control blood pressure. Melatonin can increase immune function and might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy used by people receiving transplants. Using melatonin might increase the risk of having a seizure.
- Taking melatonin along with birth control pills might cause too much melatonin to be in the body. Some birth control pills include ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (Triphasil), ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Ortho-Novum 1/35, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7), and others.
- Taking melatonin along with fluvoxamine (Luvox) might increase the effects and side effects of melatonin.
- Taking melatonin along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of these medications.
- By affecting blood sugar, melatonin might decrease or increase the effectiveness of diabetes medications. The dose of the diabetes medication might need to be adjusted. Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
- Melatonin might decrease blood pressure in healthy people. However, melatonin might make blood pressure worse in people who are already taking medications for high blood pressure. medications for high blood pressure should not be taken together with too much melatonin.
- Taking melatonin along with medications that decrease the immune system might decrease the effectiveness of these medications. Some medications that decrease the immune system include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), and others.
- Taking melatonin with drugs that lower the seizure threshold might increase the risk of a seizure. Some medications that lower seizure threshold include anesthetics (propofol, others), antiarrhythmics (mexiletine), antibiotics (amphotericin, penicillin, cephalosporins, imipenem), antidepressants (bupropion, others), antihistamines (cyproheptadine, others), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine), narcotics (fentanyl, others), stimulants (methylphenidate), theophylline, and others.
- Melatonin might slow blood clotting. Taking bromelain along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, indomethacin (Indocin), ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
- Taking melatonin with methamphetamine might increase the effects and side effects of methamphetamine.
- Taking melatonin along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
- Taking melatonin along with verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan) might decrease the effectiveness of melatonin.
- Flumazenil (Romazicon) might decrease the effects of melatonin.
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[11] López-Burillo S, et al. Melatonin, xanthurenic acid, resveratrol, EGCG, vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid differentially reduce oxidative DNA damage induced by Fenton reagents: a study of their individual and synergistic actions. J Pineal Res. (2003)
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[13] Konturek PC, et al. Role of melatonin in mucosal gastroprotection against aspirin-induced gastric lesions in humans. J Pineal Res. (2010)
[14] Celinski K, et al. Effects of melatonin and tryptophan on healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers with Helicobacter pylori infection in humans. J Physiol Pharmacol. (2011)
[15] Kandil TS, et al. The potential therapeutic effect of melatonin in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. BMC Gastroenterol. (2010)
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[17] Rosenberg SI, et al. Effect of melatonin on tinnitus. Laryngoscope. (1998)
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[19] Ferrari E, et al. Neuroendocrine features in extreme longevity. Exp Gerontol. (2008)
[20] Kwon KJ, et al. Melatonin synergistically increases resveratrol-induced heme oxygenase-1 expression through the inhibition of ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway: a possible role in neuroprotection. J Pineal Res. (2011)
[21] Lamont KT, et al. Is red wine a SAFE sip away from cardioprotection? Mechanisms involved in resveratrol- and melatonin-induced cardioprotection. J Pineal Res. (2011)