Melatonin Might Be Beneficial, Especially in Preventing Hearing Loss?

I started taking melatonin (for sleep - both because I've always had some insomnia, and also because the T was making that worse) about a month and a half ago. I was taking 5mg at night (because that was the dosage I found in the drugstore). Last couple weeks or so have been taking a product that mixes 3mg melatonin with valerian. Whether that's the cause or not, my T has been noticeably better, especially the last couple weeks.

 

What exactly is this mixture? Is there a name for it? Or do you mix two different things together? Thanks

 

Does melatonin cause headaches the next day. I've taken it thrice now and 2 times I've had headaches the next day. Any one else had this.

 

I've been taking 1.5 mg. Do you think that's too much

 

It makes me very drowsy.

 

Thanks@erik for the caution. I am going to try using it only intermittently. I'd rather not be dependent on them. Thanks for the headsup

 

Yep, learned a lot thanks, going to do lowest dose possible and use on the nights I really need it.

 

Well after more than a year I'm planning to try Melatonin, I know there are a lot here who used Melatonin, can you share your experience with this? I read that it's not supposed to be taken long term?

 

i use it for those nights when my body is tired but my mind is awake, other than that i sleep fine without it .. but i do drink bed time camomile and light candles to make me relax and i am out within 10 mins ,,,,, but i do blow out candles first lol.......

 

The pharmacist told me all Melatonin are sublingual (under the tongue)? I bought the 3 mg and I'm planning to take half for now...wish me luck...I'll give an update tomorrow.

 

@Petloy You're in Canada so perhaps melatonin is only sold this way. I take mine as a tablet, and it is 3 mg time released. I believe the time release is also important, or else you might wake up when its effects wear off. But that might just be me. Others on the board have had good luck with regular melatonin (not time released) and some have taken doses as low as .5 mg and have gotten good results. The only way you'll know is through trial and error. When your tinnitus settles back down--and I still believe it will--you probably won't need melatonin since you didn't need it prior to your spike. And if melatonin does not work, some people have good luck with valerian. It's an herb, unlike melatonin which is a hormone.

Good luck!

 

I take two Alterils most nights. In about an hour, I'm pleasantly drowsy and can usually drop off to sleep pretty easily (although sometimes I do need my sound machine on as well). **Generally** I have noticed a quieting of the T after taking these... doesn't happen every night (Mondays are my noisiest days - my first day back at work after a laid-back weekend spent mostly at home) but often enough that it's stood out to me. I have not found them to be physically habituating, though there is a mental dependency that can form on them ("if I don't take 'em will I be able to sleep?" and spend so much time focusing on it so that naturally you don't fall asleep). I haven't tried any other melatonin brands, but have been thinking of experimenting. I have not noticed any headaches due to these pills (though I DO get cluster headaches if I drink a glass of wine too late at night). These dang pills have been a godsend... much better than the "official" sleeping pills I was prescribed when I first got the T....

 

Wouldn't that indicate increase of testosterone, not esterogen?

 

I use melatonin on and off, and it is helpful. Just be careful: It's pretty powerful stuff for a supplement, so don't think you can pop unlimited amounts with no side effects. My psychiatrist considers melatonin on the borderline of being a drug (heck, many of the prescription drugs we take start with potent natural plants or herbs, like yohimbe) and may end up being regulated one of these days.

Anyway: About 1.5 mg is a good dose, but you can try less. I was told to never take more than 3 mg. Yes, melatonin sometimes gives me a headache. And also, you can wake up pretty groggy if you take too much of it.

 

Well I am not one to follow lots of research on things because I have found many things that I just don't agree with. Anyway as far as melatonin is concerned I take a 3mg pill every night before bed. Have done for 8 months now. As far as sleeping it helps a little however sometimes I sleep better without it. But if I don't take it my tinnitus is worse the next day. So I just take one every night. 2 pills is too much. A little less than 1 pill might be better but its working for now so I just keep taking one.

 

I take melatonin in the natural form of cherry tart skin capsules! Sounds exotic! I take one before bed. In my eyes it doesn't help me get to sleep, but it's turned me from a light sleeper, woken at the slightest noise, to a deep sleeper. I've been taking it for about 4 mths and hardly had a bad sleep in that time. As for improving my T - I've been using masking devices at the same time - I have no doubt the masking devices have worked. I think the melatonin has only helped my sleep. Having said that - good sleep DEFINITELY helped calm your tinnitus.
By the way - I've zero grogginess or headaches etc - so no side effects...

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21859051/

 

I take 5mg of melatonin now and was thinking of adding 5-HTP to it or get off off Melatonin and just do the 5-HTP. Has anybody taken 5HTP for sleep and if so how did you make out?

 

Hi @Carlos1:

I believe @yonkapin is a fan of 5HTP. Not sure if he takes it for sleep, however. Perhaps he can chime in here.

-Golly

 

Bit late to this thread, sorry!

I've used 5htp for years and I can tell you it definitely does work when it comes to mood regulation - it's great stuff for the brain. I didn't use it exclusively for sleep though so I can't really chime in there, but I've read a bunch of times that 5htp and more specifically l-tryptophan (precursor to 5htp) promote healthy sleep, amongst a gang of other benefits. There's plenty of talk about it online, so you'll be able to sort it out pretty easily!

I've taken melatonin and 5htp together and everything was all good, so experiment a little bit and see how you go I guess, good luck!

 

I took 200mg of 5htp last night, and slept right through. Yay!

 

A local ENT suggested taking Melatonin. I took a time-released 3mg dose for about 2 weeks, and was sleeping relatively well until I started having disturbingly vivid dreams for two consecutive nights. The ENT warned me about this, and suggested cutting the pills and half to see how it goes. I haven't mustered up the courage to try it again, but I might soon especially if I'm only getting good sleep every three days like I have been and like I was in the beginning of my T.

I'm still not exactly sure if it was the Melatonin that caused the dreams or mixing 1mg of lorazapam (anxiety) and 50 mg of Elavil (anti-dep).

The ENT said to try to take it every night for 30 days so the good sleep will reduce the ringing. There has been a recent increase in my T volume, so I might get back on the Melatonin horse.

 

If I take melatonin (1,5-3mg) I tend to wake up around middle of the night and I can't get good sleep after that anymore. I have tried time-lapse melatonin (Circadin) as well, but it makes me feel tired the next day. I have now been taking L-tryptofan about a week and it seems to work nicely. It converts to HTP-5 and then to melatonin.