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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Melatonin--Comments
        
(Message started by: Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 9:41am)

Title: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 9:41am

O.K. I started taking Melatonin last week, 1 pill is 3mg and I took 1 pill a night. One night it worked another night I had a brutal cluster at my regular time.

Last night, I took 2 pills (6mg) and no headache but a brutal shadow and grogginess in the morning.

Should I stick with it? Does this ever completly work and if I take 2 pills a night will it completly shut down the night time attacks?

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Redrum on Sep 6^th, 2006, 9:44am

My understanding of it (and of course i'm usually wrong) is that it's not supposed to stop the ch just help you sleep through it. some folks take as much as 9-12 mg.

PFDAN...

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 9:52am

I do not think it is possible to "sleep through" a cluster.

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 11:51am

so is melatonin supposed to stop the clusters at night. So far since last Thursday I have been pain free three nights and had clusters twice.

pain free
thursday, saturday, monday nights

clusters
friday and sunday night

is this normal?

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Sandy_C on Sep 6^th, 2006, 12:42pm

I would say stick with it. It will take a couple of weeks of use for your body to adjust - you should lose the morning grogginess. I don't think that Melatonin will stop 100% of your nighttime hits, but if it even helps you sleep through two or three nights a week, it's well worth it, isn't it?

Sandy

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by marlinsfan on Sep 6^th, 2006, 12:43pm

Melatonin is a chemical your body produces at certain times during the day. At night time, it is released naturally, and it helps regulate your circadian rythms (body clock).

It is widely believed that while in cycle, the natural production of melatonin is affected and that is one reason why most of us get hit especially hard at night, because it messes up your body clock.

By taking melatonin supplements, you help your body get what it needs.

For me, 9 mg about 30 minutes before bedtime has worked wonders, but it does take about 1 week to ramp up. Once ramped up, I can usally get 6-7 hours of sleep before it "runs out" and my first CH hit comes. I've learned over time not to go back to sleep after that initial 6-7 hour stretch because if I do, I'll get another hit.

It does make me groggy when I wake up, but who cares.

Nothing will always work for everybody. We are all different, and the beast decides to attack us all differently. You have to try and find what works for you, and you'll even find that what worked during one cycle may not work at the next.

Be strong and keep at it.
Jose

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by starlight on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:38pm

Superirish,

Here is my experience. I get hit frequently at night. I use melatonin. Until the peak of cycle I was able to produce many pain free nights. The catch--I started at 9 mg and built my way up to well over 18 mg. I had to increase dosage every couple of nights. Melatonin works great for me--the only problem--my body becomes immune to it after a couple nights at the same dosage. Then I increase and my body goes back into headache free mode (for a few days). The other catch--once cycle peaked for me at week 4 or 5 nothing works too well.
To me this makes sense. My guess is that the further one goes into cycle the less and less melatonin that is produced. To me that makes sense. So to me it also makes sense that some will have to take increasing amounts of the melatonin.
6 mg is rather low--it is recommended to start at 9-12 mg--this is what was found in studies.
I am just saying what works for me. I bought many pain free nights but it was up to me to "feel out" the headaches and fight back. I hope this makes sense. I am not advocating anything only saying what worked for me.
By the way I am still in cycle with sporadic pain free nights.
Good luck.

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:41pm

Thanks for the response Marlinsfan, I am pretty much done posting here because I feel like a pest and brewcrew's last post to me pretty much confirmed it.

Nice talking to some of you and ike I said I will figure thi out somehow. something has to work and SOON!!!!!

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by starlight on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:47pm

Superirish,

I don't think you're a pest at all. I really am more than happy to share any info that I think could help others. I hope I personally didn't make you feel bad somehow in my post. Today I am so tired so if anything I write to anyone sounds weird it is because my brain is in slow motion. Take care, Star

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:55pm

not you but many others especially BREWCREW

I deserve it though because I have been a pain and have posted why to much I guess it becomes bothersome to others here.

see ya, like I said I gotta find something to work and SOON!!! my maxalts will be gone by friday!

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by starlight on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:57pm

PS Superirish--

I just read brewcrew's post to you. I hope I am not interfering if I interject.
Hey, if you are new to CH you may not realize how much O2 can help you. it might sound like a weird thing or too daunting or just too outlandish. Also sometimes the pain of CH can kind of throw a person into a vicious cycle of wanting to stop the pain but just now knowing how and then getting too anxious to figure things out.
Anyway, superirish, it sounds like brewcrew is giving you some kind of toughlove.
I went untreated for years back in the 90's cause docs didn't know much about females and clusters or clusters period. Some docs still don't know much. But Getting oxygen was the best thing that ever happened to me. If you don't have that O2 around it's a damn hard battle and there's not a lot that will work totally and you want that O2 there when you have breakthroughs. Anyway, don't despair. There is oxygen information on the left side of screen. Bring it to your doctor and then it will be easy getting set up. Hope you get some relief. Star

Title: Re: Melatonin--Comments
Post by Superirish2005 on Sep 6^th, 2006, 1:59pm

goodbye everyone