Has anyone tried Melatonin?

[Brownlow]

A fairly recent (2013) piece of research found that 10mg of melatonin a day taken at bedtime could help some women with endo by reducing pain and lesions. The results aren't groundbreaking as it seems only about 40% of women tested reported good results but that's good enough to make me give it a try. I would prefer if it said 100%!

Here's the abstract of the study on pubmed ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed...

Also an article that cites it although I think the title is a bit optimistic! healthcentral.com/chron...

Apparently our brains produce melatonin between midnight and 1a.m. when we are in a deep sleep so best to get to bed early!

Have any of you come across this or used melatonin? I'll be speaking to my doctor soon about this and see what he says and I'll report back. He's an open minded type!

[Brownlow]

I have just discovered it is illegal in UK but available on prescription.

Also, melatonin can be found in tart/sour cherries which I have already come across as being anti-inflammatory. Here's an good article nbcnews.com/id/6124646/#.Uy...

Incidentally, the research study used 40 women with endo which is not a very big sample but I still think the results are worthy of further investigation.

[Hidden in reply to Brownlow]

Hello Brownlow

My son is on the autistic spectrum and his paediatrician prescribed melatonin for him to help him sleep.

I now get my relatives to bring melatonin over from the states for both my son and I. In the States melatonin is sold as a food supplement and is regarded as safe. (However, we must always check with our doctors)

I've never taken melatonin for My endometriosis but if I'm in a lot of pain, I sometimes take it to help me get off to sleep.

Very interesting!

Regards,

Barbara x

[Brownlow in reply to Hidden]

Hi Barbara,

I have come across coconut oil being very helpful for many things including autistic spectrum issues. This site is one of the best on coconut oil coconutoil.com and if you do a search top right for autism several articles come up.

There are plenty of naysayers as always but I have done a fair bit of reading on coconut oil and I am impressed with its powers. I use organic, cold pressed, virgin coconut oil to cook with, add to dishes and use as a body and face moisturiser. It's like a wax but melts at low heat. It is a bit expensive but I think it's worth it.

Not a "cure" for endo but one of those things we can take to support our health I think.

[Hidden in reply to Brownlow]

How are you doing Brownlow?

[Brownlow in reply to Hidden]

I'm at that point in my cycle when all pain has stopped and I'm thinking there's nothing wrong with me! My trouble all happens when I get my period and I also get growling ovary pain mid-cycle but that pain stopped yesterday. Went through a phase last week of being very scared about it all but all you lovely ladies helped me through. This forum has been a lifeline for me. I'd be lost without it.

How are you doing. You had a bad night recently. Any improvement? x

[Hidden in reply to Brownlow]

I also get scared about things. I keep thinking about the consequences if my bowel gets blocked!

Silly to worry about something that probably won't happen.

Yes I had a dreadful night on Thursday. I was in so much pain. On Friday I was even contemplating going on the GNRH drugs (it was that bad !). Things have settled a lot but still have the shooting pains. I'm seeing my brilliant GP tomorrow about my next step.

My ovaries growl at me too! They really are my nemesis ..... It's a shame I need the little sods!

I hope you continue to stay pain free.

Best wishes,

Barbara x

[Brownlow in reply to Hidden]

All the best for your visit to your GP tomorrow. x

[latvianlady]

10 mg seems like a lot. My bottle of melatonin from Trader Joes in the States is 500 mcg per tablet - that's 0.5 mg. And the dosage says "one tablet; do not exceed recommended dosage". Hmmm...

[Hidden in reply to latvianlady]

My GNC melatonin also from the states is 3mg

[Brownlow in reply to latvianlady]

Hmmm indeed! I also thought 10mg was rather high. Instead, I am going to buy sour cherry juice concentrate hollandandbarrett.com/pages... and add to the long list of different foods and drinks I'm starting to take. Should be safer until I find out more and discuss with my doctor.

I notice that the study was a Phase 2 trial which means it was a detailed check to see if a drug works before placing on the market. There is plenty on info on the internet on melatonin and side effects. I thought this one was a good overview diagnose-me.com/symptoms-of... Scroll down for all the information. I was very interested to see that it says:

"One of melatonin's roles is the reduction of estrogen production in the body, and probably also reduction of the number of estrogen receptors. Studies have shown that the protective, estrogen-reducing effects of melatonin are significantly reduced by excessive exposure to light (including late night TV viewing) and probably electromagnetic fields, chemical pollutants such as pesticides and fungicides, and many commonly prescribed drugs, such as beta blockers for heart disease, high blood pressure and headaches."

So there you go. Yet another factor in creating oestrogen dominance!

If my doctor has anything interesting to say on the subject I'll report back.

[gemmap in reply to Brownlow]

I too would be interested to know if this is an option for the future let me know what your doctor says? X