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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> whats the fuss about melatonin?
        
(Message started by: navymech on Jul 17^th, 2006, 12:15am)

Title: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by navymech on Jul 17^th, 2006, 12:15am

I keep hearing about melatonin but I dont know a whole lot about it. Another member suggested I try it so naturally I went right out and bought some but I have only used it one night so far and from what I understand it takes a couple of days to work. Plus I think that my cycle is starting to wind down so its kinda hard to tell whats working or if I am just getting fewer HA's cause my cycles over. What exactly is melatonin and what does it do? Are there any problems interacting with other drugs? I've been having CH's for about 10 yrs but I am only just now starting to try and treat them. After finding this site and researching Clusters I have given up on hoping they will go away on their own.

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by TxBasslady on Jul 17^th, 2006, 1:07am

Melatonin is produced naturally in the body. It appears that those of us with CH suffer from a reduced amount.

Melatonin regulates the sleep/wake cycle.

For alot of us, the melatonin has helped with the night time attacks of CH. It's more of a natural sleep aid.

I started with 3mg....and increased/decreased as needed. The most I took was 9mg. It worked for me for a long time. I went off it when I started taking the Kudzu.

Lots of luck to you....I hope your cycle is ending...but if not, you might continue with the Melatonin...give it a chance to build up in your system.

Jean

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by georgej on Jul 17^th, 2006, 1:53am

I can only give you an anecdotal answer.

I've taken melatonin during my last two cycles. Along with magnesium and calcium supplements, it's pretty much the only thing I take.

I don't believe that it's actually shortened my usual cycle, but I get hit almost exclusively at night, and it SEEMS to get me past the more predictable hits early and late in my cycle. It doesn't seem to do much in the middle of the cycle, but then again, nothing does.

In cycle, I take 9 mg a night. Out of cycle, I still take 3 mg nightly, and continue the magnesium and calcium supplements. I don't think it can hurt, and it SEEMS to help. In any event, I doubt that it's actively harmful.

More than I can say for a lot of the drugs I was prescribed years ago when I still medicated. Many of those definitely made things actively worse--extended cycles, and increased the number of hits.

Regards,

George

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by E-Double on Jul 17^th, 2006, 5:05am

http://med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Melatonin (thanks Flo ;))

http://www.achenet.org/articles/84.php

Quote:

Cephalalgia

Vol. 22 Issue 8 Page 695 October 2002
Melatonin for cluster headache
MG Smits, JE Nagtegaal

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050215/717.html

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by starlight on Jul 17^th, 2006, 10:03am

Navymech,

A doc at the best headache clinic in New England told me that at the FIRST
warning of your cycle starting--for me my "warning" almost always takes the form of a headache threatening to come on upon waking (then they start slamming me all night during REM within days) --to take 9mg melatonin at bedtime. It's helped me tremendously--I really can't say enough about it--for me it is the difference between hell and not hell. I will say that I did up to 12mg melatonin before bedtime after about a week. I have posted quite a bit about this only b/c I went through 18 years before getting this good doc. I am going to see him today and if he has any jewels of knowledge to share i will certainly post them here.

PF days and nights to all, Starlight

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?ier
Post by floridian on Jul 17^th, 2006, 5:20pm

on 07/17/06 at 10:03:27, starlight wrote:

I agree - start taking melatonin at the first signs, and take it at the same time, and go to bed at the same time - preferably a bit earlier than your normal bedtime. In the past, 3 mg or less has been enough for me.

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jul 17^th, 2006, 10:48pm

I think the melatonin/benadryl cocktail has helped me. It immediatey reduced my hits per nite by half.....and the nice thing about benadryl is that it is an allergy med so it helps with the drippy nose and the runny eye when you do get up.

I love melatonin/benadryl. Since I started taking it, I sleep well. Its not a cure all, but it does help out. Unfortunately, I have become addicted to it and when I dont take it I cant sleep.

B$

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by thomas on Jul 18^th, 2006, 5:27pm

I've found that taking half regular melatonin and half time release melatoning is more effective for me. I take between 9-15 mgs per night when in cycle.

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by frizzle on Jul 21^st, 2006, 9:03am

So does it help with any of your daytime hits? Or is it just helpful at night?

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by thomas on Jul 21^st, 2006, 9:14am

If it works for you, it will greatly reduce or eliminate your night time hits. Doesn't do anything for the daytime ones. Unless of course you count getting a great pf night's sleep in, so you have the strenght to fight during the day as a positive. ;;D

Title: Re: whats the fuss about melatonin?
Post by Melvyn on Jul 21^st, 2006, 4:24pm

Hi,

I'm in my third cycle and have tried a few different things over the years. Started on Melatonin about four weeks ago - 9mg each night. It started to have posirive effects after about four days. And that;s when I stopped taking any other drugs.

Apart from very mild attacks - kip 1 to 1.5 I am CH free. I can even have a beer without climbing the walls.

I also thought that maybe my cycle was coming to an end but the minor hits which I get every other day have convinced me that the Melatonin is doing it's work. I thank God every day for finding this site and the link that you can see above which advocates trying Melatonin.

Best of luck in your quest.