Advice on Melatonin for sleep please ... - Thyroid UK

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Advice on Melatonin for sleep please ...

furcoatnoknickers profile image

Hello all,

Could I please get some advice on Melatonin.

Does it work? Are there side effects?

Have tried everything else including CBD oil, 5-HTP. (All vits are optimal).

If anyone has had a good experience with a particular brand, and could point me in the right direction of where you've purchased it from, I'd be grateful if you could let me know or, (private message me).

Many thanks

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24 Replies
Tilly4547 profile image
Tilly4547

I take it and it works for me. Helps me to drop off and mostly I’d stay asleep unless my 5 year old wakes me. I get the 3mg fast dissolve one from Biovea Uk.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply toTilly4547

Thank you!

Marymary7 profile image
Marymary7

I found that magnesium Citrate and bio identical HRT both have cured sleep problem.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply toMarymary7

Already on magnesium and HRT, but thank you for your response. Much appreciated.

Alanna012 profile image
Alanna012 in reply toMarymary7

Hi did you go to a private doctor to get your bio identical HRT? Is it very expensive?

Marymary7 profile image
Marymary7 in reply toAlanna012

No my doc referred me to a menopause specialist at the local hospital as the stuff he gave me was not helping. One visit and I was sorted.

Alanna012 profile image
Alanna012 in reply toMarymary7

Wow! Your doctor sounds great. I need to find a good one. Good to know it helps x

RockyPath profile image
RockyPath

There are cautions about using it all the time, as it is a hormone and will throw off the natural rhythm of your body. 0.5 mg is considered an appropriate dose.

I’ve found that restoring thyroid hormones to their optimal level promotes a return to normal sleep patterns.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply toRockyPath

Many thanks, Rockypath

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply toRockyPath

Hi

As we age or have illnesses our melatonin levels can drop. So that’s not entirely right. We are addicted to sleep and without it ( and I speak from person experience here) it can be a nightmare.

If you read drmyhill.co.uk and in the top right hand corner of the home page type in melatonin. The article is very helpful and she has written a book on sleep too.

Melatonin is only produced between 10 pm until midnight. It is possible to have levels tested also if you take it regularly using above 9 mg of it creatinine levels must be checked ever 6 months. melatonin is used if someone has high dhea levels, that’s fairly uncommon but by the same token if someone has very low dhea levels or borderline levels, adjustments will have to be considered. So someone like myself with no dhea has to take slightly higher levels of pregnenolone or adrenavive.

Ldn is another consideration if you say have sleep issues and are in pain or are very tired despite addressing diet, absorption vitamins, thyroid meds and adrenal issues.( you need a prescription for this or medical screening though Dicksons the Chemists who make it or E med) I take it and have found it helpful but it’s the icing on the cake not a cure all.

L thytophan, valerian root and Motherwort are helpful too.

Sleep is tricky and you may have to try a few different options before you find a combination that suits you. ( assuming all the basics are in place see the same link but in the home page type orchestra and it takes you to the best article on achieving good health I have read)

Please do not hesitate to ask anything. Personally I find natrol the best make of melatonin.

Good luck.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply toHoward39

Howard39, amazing info. Thank you so much!

Spottedtowhee profile image
Spottedtowhee in reply toHoward39

Can you please explain in more detail how to find the best article you have read on achieving good health?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply toSpottedtowhee

Dr Myhill's website

drmyhill.co.uk/

Type Orchestra into the search box

Spottedtowhee profile image
Spottedtowhee in reply toSeasideSusie

Thank you!

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado in reply toHoward39

Sorry to resurrect this old post. I read the Dr Myhill Orchestra page, and found this very interesting explanation for why Ketogenic diets often don't work for hypo people. It's something I've noticed often on the forum. Hypos seem to either love it or feel sick on it. I'm so pleased to have found any possible explanation I wanted to paste it onto the forum somewhere!

"This may be a particular problem if they are doing a ketogenic diet because their body will then use adrenal hormones to fat burn. They are biochemically in ketosis, but they suffer the symptom usually associated with low blood sugar (which in fact are adrenalin symptoms). This is called ketogenic hypoglycaemia.

So, in this case, what we have here is

Thyroid is going slow

Adrenal hormones are used to compensate for this – there is a greater effect here if doing the ketogenic diet because thyroid hormones are used to burn fat and thyroid is going slow any way

Person then suffers the symptoms of high adrenalin – which are the same symptoms as you suffer with low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)"

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply toSilverAvocado

You’ve cut that from her web page.

She goes on how to address the issues by stopping the thyroid and adrenals going slow.

So the issue is not the diet but that people don’t monitor levels of adrenals and thyroid meds. Also that appropriate action is not taken.

It’s also covered in her books “Prevent and cute diabetes” and The PK cookbook Go Paleo- ketogenic and her the best of both worlds.

I can’t say I’ve come across people ( especially diabetic/ hypo clients) who’ve no issues with the change in eating habits. Only some that cheat by going back to eating high gi load foods then feel ill again.

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado in reply toHoward39

Yes, sorry if it wasn't clear, the piece inside quotation marks is cut and pasted from the Dr Myhill page.

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado

I've found it very good. I take Now brand, and when I've tried others they haven't helped me.

I think I'm allowed to say that I order it from iHerb, an American website. Its pretty cheap in comparison to other supplements, although the post and packing is always a bit hard to understand.

When I first took this, I found that within half an hour or so I felt sleepy. And realised I hadn't felt that sensation in years!

I buy 3mg size, started off taking 1 tablet and moved on to taking 2. I take them when I start getting ready for bed.

I've done a lot of things to try and sleep better, and taking melatonin and doing mindfulness are the two biggest things that have helped.

I'm on day 10 of trying CBD, and that seems to have helped my sleep, too. I did hear that it goes very well with melatonin.

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply toSilverAvocado

Lol saves me skurting around the supplier. I use natrol though, the slow release one and yes it is so much cheaper in the US.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

It makes me severely depressed if I take it on consecutive days. I'm okay taking it for a very occasional day but that is all. I've never worked out why I have this reaction. Doing some searching I found one or two references to other people having the same reaction as me, but it doesn't seem to be common.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply tohumanbean

That will be something to watch out for. Thank you.

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply tohumanbean

Hi

I was initially so I reduced my dose to 0.5 mg and built up very slowly. Now I am fine.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toHoward39

I take a tiny dose when I take it at all - less than 1mg. I cut up 3mg tablets. The brand I have doesn't cut clean though, so my dose will vary from about 0.5mg (possibly less) - 1mg.

furcoatnoknickers profile image
furcoatnoknickers in reply tohumanbean

Fantastic info and lots now to go on. Thank you!

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