Does anyone use Melatonine during IVF?

[Pigi]

Hi, I’d just like to check, because my endocrinologist advised me to take melatonine 3mg in the evening...it should help relaxing and better sleep. I’m in 2ww - 3dp3dt...maybe I shouldn’t have taken this supplement? Is there anyone else who takes it?

Thanks a lot dear ladies, I’m sending lots of baby dust to all of you❣️

[Ladypii]

Hello,

Good luck with the 2 ww.

I took melatonin, in the lead up to egg collection and then stopped. I followed the advice in “it starts with the egg”. She advises you to stop taking after transfer though. I do not think it will do any harm, but the reason for taking it is to improve egg quality by getting better quality sleep. After that there seems little benefit.

Xx

[Pigi in reply to Ladypii]

Thank you so much...it makes sense. ❤️

[Purpledoggy]

It’s fine up to EC but it won’t do anything other than affect sleep in the TWW in an IVF cycle. In a natural cycle it can increase progesterone. 3mg is quite a high dose and melatonin is a ‘less is more’ for many folks. 2mg is the most I can take before it stops me sleeping, 1-1.5 mg is perfect. There are studies to show 3mg before EC improves IVF success but I just can’t tolerate that much so take what I can. I haven’t come across any data to show it improves chances of conception in a natural cycle but I am by no means an expert! I just did some digging before starting IVF xx

[Pigi in reply to Purpledoggy]

Thank you so much for your answer, it sounds logical to me. ❤️ But, when you say 2mg is the most you can take before it stops you sleeping, do you mean that you can’t sleep with higher dose? Cause sometimes I can’t sleep well in 2ww period (it happened in previous cycle also...)🙄 it really drives me crazy...

Xx

[Purpledoggy in reply to Pigi]

Yes exactly - a higher dose has the opposite effect as it acts like a stimulant at higher doses. It's a sort of goldilocks thing - it needs to be just right to work best. I find if I have too high a dose (for me 3 mg) I lie in bed feeling a bit high, jumpy, and start hallucinating. Melatonin is made from serotonin in the body, and I am sure I have read that an excess can cause an excess of serotonin, but now can't find the reference or mechanism. I have no doubt everyone's tolerance is different - I can't take amitriptyline as it has the same excessive stimulant effect. In the UK the usual prescribed dose is 2 mg (prescription only here) - are you based in the US or UK? xx

[Pigi in reply to Purpledoggy]

Oh!!! Thank you sooo much!!! I noticed that I just wake up all of a sudden...could be due to high dose! Thank you sooo much!!! I’ll just continue with 1mg. Hope I havent done any harm😔

[Purpledoggy in reply to Pigi]

You won’t have done any harm 🙂 you might just find it works better at a lower dose xx

[Pigi in reply to Purpledoggy]

Sorry, I havent answer your question...actually I’m live in Serbia, Belgrade😊 but just found this site the best of all!!!!!

[BBHH1]

Even though melatonin is natural 3mg is much much more than what we produce so should be avoided because there are no studies saying it’s safe.

[Pigi in reply to BBHH1]

Thanks a lot!!! ❤️ You are right, I should stick to 1mg...it was also strange for me that my dr (endocrinologist) suggested that high dose.

[LewisLongbody]

I’ve been taking 3mg in the last few months in preparation for my second round; my husband and I took it as needed for sleep reasons before this as well (we both go through bad sleep periods every now and again and it helps). I started stimming (unexpectedly) this week and stopped it as I wasn’t sure if I should keep taking it during stimming; given it’s a hormone I’m worried it could interfere with the stimming drugs; does anyone know anything about whether you can take it or should take it during stimming?

[Purpledoggy in reply to LewisLongbody]

I believe in the studies on melatonin in standard IVF it was taken up to egg collection but you could ask your doctor if you aren’t sure. it could also depend on how you are doing your IVF (standard vs mild or nat modified etc) as that would dictate how much your own hormones are doing . I took it all the way up to EC and had a good response to the meds and so far at D3 good looking embies (hoping they keep at it to D5 🤞🤞🤞) so certainly doesn’t seem to have had a negative effect so far. But time will tell! Xx

[LewisLongbody in reply to Purpledoggy]

Thanks so much for your reply. We weren’t expecting to start our second round quite so soon so I’m scrambling a bit to try and remember what to stop taking and when, and all the mess and confusion that is ivf 🙈 I have a scan tomorrow, so I’ll ask then 🙂