Melatonin for thyroid patients

[HassanJutt]

Hello everybody i have a sleep problem, something called insomnia or whatever but I can't sleep at night well. So i searched on internet for sleep medications, and i am afraid to not to be addicted on sleeping pills then i searched for melatonin supplement called (SOMNO). I have a thyroid disease i don't know its autoimmune or other but i have positive antibodies i have HYPOTHYROIDISM and i want to know that can i take melatonin supplement if i have autoimmune or hypothyroidism?

[shaws Administrator]

You might find the following link helpful and we do need to sleep well,

everydayhealth.com/hs/healt...

[Chrisandbob]

Dear Hassan Jutt,I am a lot older than you, but I too am hypothyroid and regularly suffer from insomnia so I do sympathise with you. When you can’t sleep it is truly awful! Over the years I have tried many supplements including melatonin. If you follow the instructions carefully on the container it should be perfectly safe for you as it does not affect levothyroxine as far as I am aware. Best of luck!

[humanbean]

If you take melatonin, take the smallest possible dose. I have bought 3mg ones in the past and I break them/cut them up with a scalpel into 3 or 4 pieces and I only take one of the pieces.

If you take higher doses you could end up stopping your own production of melatonin, so take a tiny dose as rarely as possible, and always take it just before getting into bed and turning the lights off (although I have read of some people taking it much earlier in the evening, so experimentation is vital to see what works for you).

It is possible to get side effects from melatonin, so look them up online. Watch out for mood changes and headaches.

I should point out that hypothyroid people need optimal levels of basic nutrients to have a hope of getting to sleep. So get your vitamin B12, folate, ferritin (iron stores) and vitamin D checked, and post the results and reference ranges in a new post.

Getting your dosage of thyroid hormones right for you is also vital to overcoming insomnia.

[pinkstrawberry]

I have Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism, along with a few other things, and Melatonin doesn't work for me. Some prescription medications for sleep also haven't worked, but I'm currently on Amitriptyline, 12.5mg, and it works great. I believe it's non-habit forming. I have no idea if my thyroid issues affect this, but I figured I would share my experience!

[NIKEGIRL]

Hi. My dr would not recommend melatonin for autoimmune thyroid issues. Not enough research around effects on auto immune disease

[Lunario]

Beside adequate levels of thyroid hormones, I found something called Ashwagandha very helpful. But the effect doesn't kick in immediately, you have to take it for some weeks.

As far as I remember this was also mentioned in a book of Isabella Wentz (thyroidpharmacist.com/).

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[humanbean in reply to Lunario]

Ashwaghanda is what's called an adaptogen. There are several supplements around that are described this way. They have an effect on cortisol, and in many cases they reduce it.

Since having the wrong level of cortisol can cause all sorts of problems with relaxing and getting to sleep adaptogens are worth trying. There is also a relationship between cortisol and thyroid hormone levels.

You might find this thread of interest :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Lunario in reply to humanbean]

Interesting thread, yes. I think I should read more of your posts 😉

[Bellazzurra]

Hi Hassan, I have Graves’ Disease and used to have trouble sleeping as well. Melatonin didn’t work for me although I’d say it’s worth a try for you provided it’s not contraindicated with Levothyroxine (I assume you’re taking Levothyroxine for your hypothyroidism?). The one thing that worked really well for me was CBD oil. After just two weeks of using it every night, I stopped having difficulty sleeping. Now I go weeks without using it and still have no issues with falling asleep or maintaining sleep. It’s like it fixed some sort of dysregulation in my HPA axis. I’m happy to share more if you have any specific questions.

[NIKEGIRL in reply to Bellazzurra]

Oh I would love some of that CBD oil. Since my accident sleep has been just rubbish. 😩

[Bellazzurra in reply to NIKEGIRL]

Provided it’s not contraindicated with any medication you’re on (and it seems to be pretty safe with many medicines), I’d recommend it! Personally, I had no issues taking it with Carbimazole. The thing I love most is that it’s not something that needs to be used on a permanent basis to work.

[NIKEGIRL in reply to Bellazzurra]

I’m on PTU. Wouldn’t even know where to buy it

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to NIKEGIRL]

Maybe have a look here for starters: cbd-oil.co.nz/

[NIKEGIRL in reply to helvella]

Interesting website. I’ll talk a more serious look into that. My sleep is still off despite being the best I’ve been blood was T4 8.0 range 10-24 and T3 7.1 range 2.0-6.0 tested last week. Next test next week. Thyroid is still swollen. A bit swollen more on one side than the other. Enough to notice it by touch. I do wonder when the swollen thyroid will go or is it the antibodies affecting the swelling?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to NIKEGIRL]

I don't feel I know enough to explain what has happened. And I'd rather not go off speculating.

[NIKEGIRL in reply to helvella]

That’s fair enough. I don’t know much myself. My GP is going away in 3 weeks for 6 months and there is a chance he won’t come back.aaaaarrgh. I’ll have to wait until September to speak to the Endo. I’ve not had any scans.

[Bellazzurra in reply to NIKEGIRL]

My endocrinologist says that the goitre gets bigger whenever the thyroid is struggling, and that could be because it’s overactive or under-active. Once normal thyroid function is restored, the goiter usually goes down although the swelling may not go away completely. In my case, I’ve noticed that the swelling has gone down since I started treatment. However, I’ve also noticed that it can fluctuate from day to day. When I haven’t had enough sleep, it’s more swollen and in the past, it would get more swollen whenever I did vigorous exercise. I’ve heard other people with Graves’ Disease talk about this too, but some may say that it’s all in our heads. I beg to differ!

[NIKEGIRL in reply to Bellazzurra]

Hi. That’s very interesting. I’m like u. The size of the goitre fluctuates. I’ve always thought it was antibodies but have not seen anyone for any credible knowledge. My next Endo appt is September but I don’t want to go to see them. Interesting about size and sleep and also exercise. I’m not exercising yet. I’m losing weight though now I’m in range and am struggling to eat 1,400 calories a day now. Thanks for the info. It’s interesting

[PABA00]

Hi Hassan,

I also have trouble getting to sleep so I take magnesium at night .. like an hour before i want to sleep.

[Ellie-Louise]

Melatonin is banned from sale in the UK and only available on prescription. The authorities looked into it and decided that it warranted a drugs licence.

I discovered this when a friend in the USA said he used it for sleep problems and I did some research on it for my husband who has trouble. He decided not to bother and now uses magnesium before bedtime.

[Canu]

A cortisol imbalance can cause insomnia. Doing a 24-hour saliva cortisol test might be a good idea.

[Dottie44]

I concur with Magnesium. It's good for your thyroid, and offers a restful night sleep.

[PixieElv]

Hi HassanTry Valerian. It’s a natural herb, non addictive and available in Boots or health food stores. I’ve been using it (on and off) for years.

Good luck

[designguy]

I have hypothyroidism and take melatonin along with ashwagandha, phosphatidylserine and magnesium glycinate before bedtime without problems. They aid in lowering cortisol and making it easier to sleep.

[HassanJutt]

Nutrifactor's Sleep Well is an advanced combination of naturally sourced melatonin with relaxing and sleep-inducing herbs including Passion flower, Valerian root extract, and Chamomile flower.

...

Supplement Facts:

Valerian Root Extract.

Melatonin.

Passion Flower Extract.

Chamomile Flower Extract.

in the above list which is good for thyroid?

[heathermr]

I have recently bought some Melatonin on the web and it arrived safely despite the recent rule changes. It's a company I have used before and is reliable but there were no problems with delivery. I use it to help me sleep through horrendous hot flashes due to very low oestrogen.Heather