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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Melatonin
        
(Message started by: sandie99 on Oct 28^th, 2004, 1:22am)

Title: Melatonin
Post by sandie99 on Oct 28^th, 2004, 1:22am

Hi guys!

My mother told me that there's an article (she read about the article in a general newspaper) about HAs and melatonin.

In the article a research came to the conclusion that the lack of melatonin is triggering HAs. I am now wondering if it could be one reason why we are getting CHs. Has anybody's neuro talked about this option?

I haven't seen the article myself, but if one of you gets your hands at medical journals, it should be in NEUROLOGY, number 24, 2004.

Best wishes,
sandie99

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by thudpucker on Oct 28^th, 2004, 2:48pm

I'm new here, but I had the feeling that the connection between ch and melatonin had been pretty well established. Upon the advice of the clusterheads here, I started taking 6mg of melatonin at night, and I've been pf since (couple of weeks now).

I went to the Neurology web site

http://www.neurology.org/current.shtml

where I found that the current issue is

October 26 2004, Volume 63, Issue 8

I searched the magazines from 1999 to present for all of cluster+headache+melatonin, and got one hit:

Melatonin, 3 mg, is effective for migraine prevention
Peres et al. Neurology.2004; 63: 757

...There is increasing evidence that melatonin secretion and pineal function are related to headache disorders....
...Altered melatonin levels have been found in cluster headache, migraine with and without aura, 1 menstrual migraine,...

I don't know whether this is the article your mother was referring to or not. There doesn't seem to be a "number 24" is this Neurology magazine (journal). In any event, they wanted $20 for a day's access to the article, and I was reluctant to pungle up too quickly.

But I do have a related question for the folks who are using melatonin at night: have you or has anyone tried taking melatonin during the day as a preventive--like 6mg at night and maybe 3mg during the day to maintain? (About 99% of my ha's occur at night, and I haven't had a daytime one yet this cycle, knock on wood and hope I didn't just invoke the jinx.)

thudpucker

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Oct 28^th, 2004, 8:32pm

Actually there are a number of articles documenting the correlation between Seratonin levels and clusters. Melatonin is a very close relation, so it makes sense that increasing your levels of Melatonin might help with attacks. Certainly does for me.

You might be able to learn more by searching for Seratonin and how it affects the body.

Kris

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by RichardN on Oct 31^st, 2004, 11:55pm

Started taking 3mg malatonin 34 days ago - - - have not had over a KIP 5 since. Two or three days prior to trying the melatonin, I had a KIP 8-9 at a favorite watering hole and gave them a show - - - had one well-intentioned fellow praying over me and others (many friends) insisting on driving me to the emergency room, and I telling them it would be gone by the time we got there.
My headaches just returned about two months ago and were getting steadily worse and more frequent. Had gotten my Verapamil refilled and of course my 02 (just finished knocking one out while typing this - - wonderful 02) I had reservations about starting the Verapamil again, and haven't yet if the Melatonin will keep them manageable. My reservations have to do with lowered blood pressure - - - I stopped taking Verapamil and Altace approx. 5-6 mos. ago because my blood pressure was uncomfortably low and I also was about to start a 3 mos. course of chemo therapy (successful I'm told - - another scan in a few weeks)......................sooooo, I'm hoping the Melatonin will do the trick. So far, I'm impressed

Richard

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by floridian on Nov 1^st, 2004, 8:41am

Clusterheads have low melatonin production, and that is a year round problem even in episodics. The total amount produced is low, and there is "blunted peak' after falling asleep compared to most 'normal' people (who have a definite spike during sleep).

Low serotonin will generally lead to low melatonin production, as serotonin is a building block for melatonin. But in some, the problem is from a lack of communication between the hypothalamus and pineal gland, or a malfunctioning pineal gland.

This article is one of the classics on melatonin and cluster headache. 6-sulphatoxymelatonin is the metabolized form of melatonin that is excreted, and for the most part, it is a good measure of melatonin levels in the blood.

Quote:

Cephalalgia. 1998 Dec;18(10):664-7.

Abnormal 24-hour urinary excretory pattern of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in both phases of cluster headache.

Leone M, Lucini V, D'Amico D, Grazzi L, Moschiano F, Fraschini F, Bussone G.

Neurological Department and Headache Centre, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy.

The typical cyclic occurrence of cluster headache suggests the involvement of hypothalamic rhythm regulating centers in the pathogenesis of this primary headache. In previous studies, reduced 24-h plasma melatonin levels during the cluster period, loss of circadian melatonin secretion in remission, as well as permanently reduced excretion of urinary melatonin in both illness phases have been reported, supporting the hypothesis of a hypothalamic derangement. In this study, the 24-h urinary excretion of the main melatonin metabolite, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, was evaluated in 20 cluster period cluster headache patients. Thirteen were retested 12 months later, in the same period of the year, during remission. Fourteen age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were the controls. As expected, significantly higher levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin were present in nocturnal urine than in day-time urine in controls, while in both cluster headache groups urinary levels of this metabolite did not differ between day and night. Nocturnal levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin were significantly lower in both cluster headache groups than controls. Day-time levels did not differ significantly between the groups. Altered excretion of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin even during remission indicates that at least some of these anomalies are independent of the pain, and provides further evidence of involvement of the hypothalamic rhythm regulating centers in cluster headache.

Here's a recent article on pineal cysts (which can disrupt melatonin production) and headache:

Quote:

Headache. 2004 Oct;44(9):929-30.

Headaches and pineal cyst: a (more than) coincidental relationship?

Peres MF, Zukerman E, Porto PP, Brandt RA.

Pineal cysts are common findings in neuroimaging studies. The cysts are more frequent in women in their third decade of life. Pineal cysts can be symptomatic, headache is the most common symptom. The pineal gland has important physiological implications in humans, but little is known about the impact of pineal cysts in human physiology. We report 5 headache patients with pineal cyst, 4 women, 1 man, mean age 37.6, mean cyst diameter 10.1 mm. Two patients had migraine without aura, 1 migraine with aura, 1 chronic migraine, and 1 hemicrania continua. Three patients had strictly unilateral headaches. We hypothesize pineal cysts may be not incidental in headache patients, inducing an abnormal melatonin secretion.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by JSD on Nov 1^st, 2004, 8:40pm

Just started another wicked cycle a few days ago. Would like to try the melatonin. Can one get this OTC ?

Please excuse the short post.

Thank you.

John

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by JSD on Nov 1^st, 2004, 9:53pm

Whew, found the info I needed. We have it here at our Wal-Mart. Just got off the phone with them and on my way now. I'm pretty hyped up !

Wish me luck.

John

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by fullhead on Nov 6^th, 2004, 3:36pm

Have had some success w/ melotonin - increasing from 2 mgs to up to 8. Question: can one OD or get too much?

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by becky8 on Nov 6^th, 2004, 7:31pm

I was up to 12mg and did good, but after a few weeks you start to feel more like you just can't get moving. Did help alot with my hits. I am going back down to 7 now. good luck.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by E-Double on Nov 6^th, 2004, 7:39pm

I started having some break through again recently only i decided to actually give my body a rest...9mg wasn't doing it anymore and have gone a week without.

Funny thing is that I got slammed a couple of times this week faster and harder than it has been in a while.

Time for Melatonin again and some much needed sleep.

Best to all.

E.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by Giovanni on Nov 6^th, 2004, 7:45pm

9mg of melatonin for clusterheads is about average. I would experiment with different levels and see what works for you.

John

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by Mr. Happy on Nov 6^th, 2004, 11:10pm

on 11/06/04 at 15:36:26, fullhead wrote:

Question: can one OD or get too much?

Melatonin has no known LD50 at this writing which means it is nearly non-toxic (http://www.melatonin.com/melatonin-faq1.htm)

Edited to provide a smooth intro for Don's ad on Melatonin.........one drug that may help, and can't kill you.
Unless you're _Really_ determined.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by don on Nov 6^th, 2004, 11:23pm

I'm the worlds biggest skeptic of OTC supplements, herbs, spices, minerals, potions, lotions, and tonics......but................

I now use melatonin both in and out of cycle.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by floridian on Nov 7^th, 2004, 12:09pm

on 11/06/04 at 23:23:05, don wrote:

I'm the worlds biggest skeptic of OTC supplements, herbs, spices, minerals, potions, lotions, and tonics......but................

I now use melatonin both in and out of cycle.

Whether your society chooses to call something a drug or a supplement or a food ingredient is a politcal decisoin often unrelated to the facts. Melatonin is a supplement is a hormone is a compound found in plants. It is as essential to health as insulin, cortisone, or adrenaline. Someday mainstream medicine in the US will claim it, and it will be a drug, too. But the profit potential is currently too low to interest most pharmaceutical companies.

Title: Re: Melatonin
Post by don on Nov 7^th, 2004, 4:22pm

Quote:

Whether your society chooses to call something a drug or a supplement or a food ingredient is a politcal decisoin often unrelated to the facts.

No argument there. I just believe that most of the OTC stuff suggested to treat CH is like bringing a knife to a gun fight resulting in an un-neccesarily frustrated sufferer.