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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> anyone try melatonin?
        
(Message started by: berriegirl on Jan 9^th, 2005, 2:55pm)

Title: anyone try melatonin?
Post by berriegirl on Jan 9^th, 2005, 2:55pm

My neurologist suggested melatonin.Has anyone tried this.I went and bought the liquid but i am afraid it will affect my sleep pattern (my ch does not occur in the night).Any insight on this will be great,thanks. :)

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by CC2004 on Jan 9^th, 2005, 3:13pm

hi there - check out earlier postings, there are many mentions of melatonin
I havent tried it myself (yet) but its commonly in use to regulate sleep patterns to help stop the REM triggered night hits - if you're sleeping fine I cant see any reason to mess with that and think maybe you should just keep it aside until you might need it... ask your neuro

Someone with some experience may be along here to advise you, but the title for your message will be offputting as it suggests you havent looked on the boards first - research all you can, there is no better place to get the info you need to deal with CHs than this site
Good luck
CC

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by LAW on Jan 9^th, 2005, 3:23pm

My cycle just began a week ago & I began the melatonin. 3 mg total...1 mg tab & 2mg time released tab. It has worked wonders for me for the past 5 days. If you take it a half hour before bed you should have no problem w/ it screwing up your sleep. I felt a bit groggy after the first night of taking it but after that I have been fine. Note: My CH occurs mainly at night which may explain why it helps me so much.
It may not be as helpful for you but worse case is that you get a good nights sleep.

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by E-Double on Jan 9^th, 2005, 3:35pm

If you do have the "typical" wake you up in the middle of the night horrors then.... Melatonin might be a savior.
MAny of us (myself included) have found that taking 6-9mg (some take more) about a 1/2 hour to 45minutes prior to bed have Knocked out the night visits and can finally get sleep.

good luck!

E.

Sorry didn't catch the "do not occur @night"

Try it anyway could have an effect during the day but it only works for sleeping @ night.

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by Redrum on Jan 10^th, 2005, 9:22am

In the past I rarely saw the beast at night but my last episode They started waking me up every night around 1 am. after reading about it here I started taking melatonin. Although 6-9 mg was recommended I figured I would start out slow and took 1 mg sublinguil (did I spell that right?) the first night. I have not had a bad ch, day or night, since that first dose although I do get some shadows and will occasionaly up my dosage when they start building up. Its been about 4 months now.

Now I have not heard a single story similar to mine, most here say it helps them sleep through the night hits but does not stop the episode the way mine did. I am inclined to believe my experience was just a lucky coinsedence (theres that dang spelling thing again) its happened before and the timing was right anyway. But I'd be interested in hearing if you or anyone has similar experiences. for my self, I guess I'll find out in a few months when my next episode usually begins.

PFDAN ~Andy

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by don on Jan 10^th, 2005, 3:40pm

No night hits? Take it anyway. A good nights sleep may restore some of the energy you lose fighting the pain during the day.

I'm not in cycle right now but still use the melatonin for a good nights sleep.

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by CC2004 on Jan 10^th, 2005, 4:21pm

on 01/10/05 at 15:40:36, don wrote:

BerrieGirl has a young child though - I havent tried it myself but if its kind of like a sleeping pill might not be a good idea -
no night hits so I tend to think if its not broke dont fix it
CC

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by don on Jan 10^th, 2005, 8:22pm

Its not a sleeping pill, will not knock you out or make you groggy.

It simply gives you a better quality of sleep.

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by floridian on Jan 11^th, 2005, 9:21am

on 01/10/05 at 09:22:42, Redrum wrote:

Now I have not heard a single story similar to mine, most here say it helps them sleep through the night hits but does not stop the episode the way mine did.
PFDAN ~Andy

Not sure as I have taken more than just melatonin, but I think I have prevented two cycles using melatonin.

My cycles are always in summer. Prior to getting hit, I start to feel great - more energy, I go to bed late and wake up early, feeling 100% refreshed. I used to think that this was great, but now, when it occurs in the summer, I recognize it as a warning. Melatonin does gets my sleep back to normal - and I believe, can prevent a cycle. The past two years I have used melatonin when I get into those patterns, and have been headache free. I still feel other disturbances of my nervous system that are typical of a cycle, but I am pain free.

Melatonin won't work for everyone, but if it works for you, it is a Good Thing.

Quote:

Cephalalgia. 2001 Dec;21(10):993-5.

Melatonin in the preventive treatment of chronic cluster headache.

Peres MF, Rozen TD. Jefferson Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. marioperes@yahoo.com

Cluster headache is a stereotypic headache disorder marked by short-lasting bouts of severe unilateral head pain and associated autonomic symptoms. Almost pathognomonic of this condition are nocturnal attacks that usually occur during the first random eye movement sleep phase of the evening. Melatonin levels have been found to be decreased in cluster headache patients. A lack of melatonin secretion may predispose the cluster sufferer to nocturnal and, possibly, daytime attacks. Leone et al. demonstrated that melatonin could rapidly alleviate cluster attacks, but only in episodic cluster patients. We report two chronic cluster headache patients who had both daytime and nocturnal attacks that were alleviated with melatonin.

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by cat14 on Jan 11^th, 2005, 9:36am

I love it, take 9mg every night and rarely get hit at night anymore! Sleep way better to and enough sleep makes Wendy a happy girl! ;;D

Title: Re: anyone try melatonin?
Post by Maggi Jons on Jan 11^th, 2005, 1:15pm

hey hey

melantonin works wonders on me, 9 mg an hour before bedtime.. ususally sleep without problems now
(wish theyd sell it here though)

magg