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Do You Or Have You Ever Taken Melatonin?
My son was prescribed Melatonin to use as needed to help him sleep during his recovery from transplant. He said it helped for a while but eventually he thinks his body developed a tolerance for it making it less effective. He hasn’t used it in years.
I tried it for the first time this week and it really works for me. But a neighbors car alarm woke me in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I took another one. Worked but today I feel really groggy so I won’t take 2 in the same night again.
I don’t know if Melatonin is safe to take with PH. Has anyone used it with doctor’s permission? Does it work for you? How often do you use it?
Important Reminder: What is safe for one person might not be for another. Please check with your doctor before you try any over the counter medication or supplements.
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8 Replies
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Nice, @colleensteele, that it worked pretty well until the car alarm woke you. Ughh, sorry, taking 2 was too much for you, maybe later as you need it. Hopefully, no more neighbor’s car alarms, hehe.
I have not tried melatonin but know a few PHriends who have used it, which helps them. I have heard that your body does develop tolerance and therefore requires more, like a titration every so often.
I found this easy-to-read link about melatonin that some may find helpful.
I like the important reminder; it is so true. We must always check with our PH team.
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@jenc the bottle says you should work your way up to 10mgs, which is confusing since the bottle dosage is 12mg’s. I will never again take more than one pill a night. Even with one I find myself groggy for a while the next day. But, I am sleeping better than I have been.
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That is crazy, @colleensteele, but I am not shocked by that confusing bottle. I am happy that you take one pill, a 12 mg tablet, that is helping you. Did you start taking it? I hear it takes awhile.
Hey @mainegal, where have you been hiding? I am happy to see your posting. I am happy that with the decrease in melatonin and progesterone, you are sleeping better. Take care.
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Years ago I was taking 10mg for a very long time. Then I read that high doses can make you depressed. I realized that when I first awoke each morning I felt a little depressed. It passed, but I decided to stop anyway. When I told the doctor, he said just to cut it down to 3 mg, which I did and the depression stopped. But my doctor also prescribed progrestrone, which really helped sleep.
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Melatonin did not work for me at all. However, it worked and still does help my husband. Our doctor wanted me to try it as it is non-habit forming. I have been taking Tamazapan which my doctor really isn’t very happy about because it is habit forming and he said long term it could cause dementia – well so can lack of sleep and at 77 I believe a good night sleep is important. As yet I have not shown any signs of dementia, of course how would I know!!!!
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Hi @cdvol3gmail-com, I m grateful that melatonin has been helpful for Dick. I love your sense of humor; give me sleep. I can hear you tell the doctor, lol.
Thanks, @mamabear007, you provided some excellent resources. I know many others will appreciate reading these, too. I hope you are back in your groove this week.
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@colleensteele, about a year ago, I read that Melatonin actually helped with PH in mice. See https://pulmonaryhypertensionnews.com/2019/12/18/oral-melatonin-seen-to-protect-against-signs-and-symptoms-of-pah-study-in-mice-reports/ to read about the study.
For those who don’t know, most people produce their own Melatonin, and the chemical sends a signal to the body that it’s starting to get dark and time to wind down. At age about 40 – 45, the body’s Melatonin production slows down, and that’s why Melatonin helps so well in people over that age. In younger ages, the body can build up a tolerance to it and make the person dependent on it. This could have been what Collin noticed.
On the flip side another natural supplement, L-Tryptophan, can worsen PH. See https://pulmonaryhypertensionnews.com/2017/06/08/medications-can-cause-pulmonary-hypertension/ for more on this.
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Very interesting @mamabear007! I will read those articles later tonight. That very well could be why it helped Cullen for a short time. It might have been the case for me as well. I tried it about 7 years ago when Cullen was taking it and it didn’t seem to help. My husband recently tried it for the first time, said it really helped so I decided to try it again. It works like a charm now. I’m 49 now so maybe age played a part in the difference.
@mainegal the information you shared is important too. I wasn’t aware depression can be a side-effect. I have felt a little off in the mornings lately and I wonder if the melatonin is the reason. But then again, insomnia makes me feel that way too so I don’t know which is worse.
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