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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by always_doing_laundry on July 13, 2008, at 21:17:37
Doc recommended melatonin, 600 mcg, daily at night (no term, just keep taking) for sleep. I go through periods of sleeping fine, then not at all, for no apparent reason, except I'm in mid-life and, therefore, subject to decreasing natural mel levels.
It seemed to work great. I also felt like I had especially improved mood, or maybe it was a sense of "calm," even though I read that the "half-life" is only a couple-to-five hours (though some people may be prone to storing/accumulating it in the liver).
At the same time, I suddenly had no period for 126 days. GP did a *huge* work-up for any- and everything, including menopause and thyroid. Thyroid levels had creeped nearer abnormal/hypo levels, yet I didn't feel symptomatic. Otherwise, all labs normal.
I didn't eat more. In fact, I was exercising lots more. In theory, I should have lost weight. But I gained weight ... 10 pounds. When I decided to drop the melatonin, period came back.
Now, I wonder if melatonin=thyroid function effect=weight gain ... and if weight will now return to baseline by itself, in absence of the supplement.
Online search showed, generally, melatonin shows promise for weight decrease in *male* rats but weight *increase* and "wintering behavior/weight gain" in *female* minks. I also note a study showing potential to block some weight gain among patients taking zyprexa ... while cancer patients with muscle-wasting gained weight/muscle mass, perhaps through improved appetite.
I also see that a synthetic form is in development for birth control. So, does mel have the same hormonal weight-gain potential of other oral contraceptives? Has anyone else gained weight on this supplement, especially at suggested and not a high dose?
Posted by bleauberry on July 21, 2008, at 20:37:29
In reply to Melatonin=weight gain; no period, posted by always_doing_laundry on July 13, 2008, at 21:17:37
I don't know, I am convinced all the hormones and all the neurotransmitters are interconnected and that you cannot impact one alone without impacting the others in some way. Exactly how to explain your experience is beyond my imagination, and probably even the best scientists would just be guessing. But you are proof that, in some way, impacting melatonin impacted other things as well.
But, mileage varies. While all our bodies are basically the same, the molecular differences are huge. My mother has taken melatonin for years without any problem. And I'm sure plenty of other people too. Me, I get really depressed the next day after taking melatonin. Already depressed to begin with, but to make it profoundly deeper, melatonin can do that to me. Go figure.
This is the end of the thread.
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