Furthermore melatonin has been shown to have valuable effects on cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and endothelial function and it might benefit patients with heart failure.
While melatonin is generally considered safe, there have been some reports of it causing heart palpitations in certain individuals. This may be due to the fact that melatonin can lower blood pressure, which can cause the heart to beat faster to compensate.
Single melatonin intake can lower BP, but only when melatonin is taken during the day, when general SCN neuronal activity is high and endogenous melatonin levels are low. This effect could be mediated via an immediate inhibition of SCN–neuronal activity inducing a state resembling nocturnal SCN output.
Less common melatonin side effects might include short-lasting feelings of depression, mild tremor, mild anxiety, abdominal cramps, irritability, reduced alertness, confusion or disorientation. Because melatonin can cause daytime drowsiness, don't drive or use machinery within five hours of taking the supplement.
Do not use melatonin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have an autoimmune disorder, a seizure disorder or depression. Talk to your health care provider if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
You Might Increase Your Risk for Some Health Issues
Even though melatonin is a hormone, not a supplement, it still has side effects and medical interactions, notes Dr. Weiss. "For example, some people might experience side effects after taking melatonin, including drowsiness, stomach aches or dizziness," says Dr.
Melatonin has been linked to headaches, dizziness, nausea, stomach cramps, drowsiness, confusion or disorientation, irritability and mild anxiety, depression and tremors as well as abnormally low blood pressure. It can also interact with common medications and trigger allergies.
- In the UK, the Medicines Control Agency has banned the high-street sale of melatonin after it was decided the compound was "medicinal by function," and as such requires a drug license. The MCA has written to all relevant suppliers, which comprise mainly health food shops, ordering them to stop selling the product.
Taking an unknown dose of serotonin for a long time can affect your heart, blood vessels, and brain. People taking medication for a mood disorder should be especially careful, as these medications already boost serotonin so an extra dose of serotonin can particularly impact them.
Melatonin may increase blood pressure in individuals taking medication for hypertension and increase blood glucose levels in diabetics. Melatonin can also increase the sedative effect of central nervous system depressants and diminish the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy and medications for epilepsy.
Summary. Studies have demonstrated that melatonin has significant effects on ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial chronic intermittent hypoxia injury, pulmonary hypertension, hypertension, valvular heart diseases, vascular diseases, and lipid metabolism.
Fatal arrhythmic events follow a circadian pattern [2]. Arrhythmogenesis decreases during nighttime when the melatonin levels increase 30 to 70 folds. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and sudden cardiac death) are more likely to occur in the morning after waking.
These studies strongly suggest that melatonin protects the heart and blood vessels. Importantly, patients who have had a heart attack have reduced nighttime melatonin levels.
Melatonin inhibits angiotensin II-induced atrial fibrillation through preventing degradation of Ang II Type I Receptor-Associated Protein (ATRAP)
The nonbenzodiazepine, GABA receptor agonist, zolpidem, has been found to have considerable benefits over traditional benzodiazepines as a soporific medication. The investigators hypothesize that zolpidem will safely improve sleep quality in patients with heart failure.
Melatonin and Emergency Medical Care
If you're experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rise in blood pressure after taking melatonin, you should seek emergency health services immediately.
Melatonin is possibly safe when taken long-term. It's been used safely for up to 2 years. But it can cause some side effects including headache, sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea. Don't drive or use machinery for 4-5 hours after taking melatonin.
What is a safe melatonin dose? According to Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, “melatonin is very safe if taken in normal doses,” which is anything between 0.5 mg and 5 mg.
The NDPSC considered that insufficient information was available on the safety of melatonin to allow it to remain exempt from scheduling for human therapeutic use and that it should not be available without prescription.
Natural alternatives to melatonin, such as magnesium, valerian root, l-theanine, chamomile, and passionflower, are all-natural remedies that have been used for centuries to promote relaxation and help people get a better night's sleep.
In the UK and most of Europe, it's classed as a medicine, not a health supplement and as such, requires a prescription. This is because melatonin is considered “medical by function” which means that it requires a drug licence.
Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production. Research suggests that melatonin plays other important roles in the body beyond sleep.
A typical melatonin dose is around 0.1 to 10 milligrams, which is already substantially higher than what your body produces—between 10 to 80 micrograms a night. While it would be extremely rare to overdose on melatonin, taking too much can cause headaches, vomiting, and even changes in blood pressure.
In several clinical trials, melatonin was found to be well tolerated and not associated with serum enzyme elevations or evidence of liver injury. Despite wide scale use, melatonin has not been convincingly linked to instances of clinically apparent liver injury.