Melatonin side effects - What are they?

76

By experimenter

You most probably have found this webpage because you want to know the Melatonin side effects , No worries, you will find them out in the next paragraphs. However, before we enumerate the side effects of melatonin, whether you're planning to take melatonin for improving sleep or cancer protection, let's make sure that we're both on the same page, let's first know what a melanin is.

Melanin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that maintains the body's circardian rhythm (commonly known as body clock) and helps regulate other hormones. Melanin also helps to control the release and the timing of female of female reproductive hormones.It helps to determine when menstruation will begin, its frequency and duration.

Melatonin has also been associated by researchers to aging process. Scientists have also found out in their experiments  that Melatonin can strengthen the immune system. On top of that, Melatonin is also known for its antioxidant effects.


melatonin side effects
melatonin side effects

What are the uses of Melatonin?

  • Improves sleeping / fighting Insomnia

High blood level of Melatonin causes anyone to feel sleepy, however there are people (insomniacs) who have low blood level of Melatonin even at night when the natural melatonin production should be at its peak, causing them to find it hard to sleep.

  • Oral Contraceptive

Some research results suggest that when a man takes high doses of Melatonin, there's a decrease in sex drive and sperm mobility. Melatonin may inhibit ovulation in women.

  • Protection from Cancer

Melatonin inhibits the growth of some types of breast cancer cells. It can help to enhance the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs. It's also been found out that Women with breast cancer have lower levels of melatonin compared to women who are cancer free.

  • Depression and Seasonal Affective disorder

Like the case in cancer, people who suffer from depression and panic disorder have lower levels of melanonin. Melatonin causes an increase in serotonin, which can help in alleviating the symptons of depressive illness.

  • Heart disease

Heart diseases are associated with low blood levels of Melatonin. There are studies that melatonin may protect the heart from the negative effects of decreased blood flow and oxygen that usually leads to a heart attack. Please take noteh however that more studies are needed before the researchers can give a final conclusion.

  • Breast cancer
Studies show that low level of melatonin stimulates the growth of some breast cancer cells and adding melatonin to the chemotherapy medication caused tumors to shrink. Please consult with a doctor first before taking any hormonal supplements.




What are the side effects of melatonin ?

There are many different possible melatonin side effects since this is a hormonal supplement. The last thing you want to happen is for your situation to get worse instead of improving. So if you're planning to take Melatonin for whatever reason, it is still best to consult with your doctor first before buying a Melatonin supplement just to be on the safe side. But for the sake of answering your question, below are the usual side effects of taking melatonin.

  • headaches
  • nausea
  • nightmares and vivid dreams
  • abdominal cramps
  • dizziness and
  • irritability

Please note that one of the possible Melatonin side effects to children is seizures. This could happen if a child takes too much melatonin. Make sure that you're giving him or her the correct dosage by consulting your doctor. 

Lastly, children who takes Melatonin supplements tend to sleep heavier. This means that the child wouldn't want to wake himself up in the middle of the night if there's a need for him to use the restroom. the result? Wet bed.

Comments

shareitt profile image

shareitt 2 years ago

Good Information, Thanks :)

karirosepink profile image

karirosepink 2 years ago

Very helpful! Thanks.

karirosepink profile image

karirosepink 2 years ago

Very helpful! Thanks.

Greenheart profile image

Greenheart 2 months ago

Thanks for this. I am planning to take 3mg melatonin at night to help with sleep issues.

Submit a Comment
Members and Guests

Sign in or sign up and post using a hubpages account.



    • No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked
    • Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites

    Please wait working