melatonin - 3 doctors 3 opinions?

Question

doctor #1 - melatonin is safe to use - and I can take 3-6 mg per day.
doctor #2 - melatonin is not safe to use, use 5HTP instead
doctor #3 - melatonin is safe to use in small amounts like 1mg 2 times a week or 1/2 mg or so would be better.

what's true?

Answer 1

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on tv either, but I use melatonin in small doses (1mg) on an irregular basis. Maybe once a week or when I notice I've been having trouble getting to sleep for a night or two. I've never noticed any problems. The only exception is that if I take much more or use it frequently, that I have a harder time waking up in the a.m.

This is just my personal experience, no medical training to back me up. Sorry.

Answer 2

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland. The pineal gland is about the size of a pea and is located in the centre of the brain. Melatonin is secreted at night or in the dark. Is melatonin safe? Melatonin is one of the least toxic substances known. The only side effects related with taking a large amount of melatonin are continued drowsiness and a slower reaction time. Many people are discouraged from taking melatonin. People with the symptoms of severe mental illness, severe allergies, auto-immune diseases, or immune system cancers such as leukemia should not be taking melatonin. It is also not recommended during pregnancy or for women who want to conceive. A normal question with any dietary supplement is how much should someone take? There is no answer for this question. One study suggests that a 1.5mg dosage at bedtime would be the best (1). The appropriate dose can vary enormously form person to person (2). One doctor has administered doses ranging from .1 mg to 200 mg, and has seen results both ways. Another researcher suggests to begin melatonin treatment with one mg before bedtime. If it does not aid in falling to sleep, increase the dosage. If a user wakes up feeling fatigued or hung over, decrease the dosage. It should be taken before bedtime.
The numbers in brackets represent the links given under the same numbers at the foot with reference to the aforementioned details.

(1) http://www.melatonin.com/
melfaq.htm

(2) http://www.ceri.com/
melaton.htm

Hope this helps
matador 89

Answer 3

It's a natural sleep aid. You could take it for the rest of your life with no side-effects, and no addiction. You can buy bottles of them off the store shelves. I use to take them every night, stopped for a while since I didnt need them, then I took one last night. I love em!

Google melatonin wiki and open up the wikipedia page on it. safe safe safe