# Melatonin



## amanda8 (Jan 21, 2008)

Hey, I was just curious if anyone who has D has taken Melatonin to help with sleeping? If so, did it affect your IBS in any way? Thanks!


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## nicole82 (Mar 16, 2009)

Actually I've never heard of that. I'm going to look into it. I have terrible IBS-D and it wakes me up in the early morning hours every day. I have recently been put on Elavil, which seems to help me fall asleep, but not stay asleep.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2009)

Yes , I have tried it , the highest dose that you can take at bedtime , which if I recall was 4 mg's , it did NOTHING at all to help me fall asleep and stay that way.Do Not start taking over the counter sleep aides. That will put you into a bad situation .The Melatonin didn't effect my IBS-D in any way.Personally I founf this to be a waste of money. But that is just my opinion only.


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## amanda8 (Jan 21, 2008)

Nicole - I used to take Elavil about 5 years ago. I recall it made me sleepy so I took it at bedtime. The sedative effect eventually wore off, though.Glenda - I used to take Melatonin occassionally for sleep aid years ago, before I realized I had IBS. So, I don't recall whether it affected my IBS in any way. It worked amazingly well for me when I had restless nights.I'm not sure why you counsel against over the counter natural sleep aids? Are you concerned about what's in the sleep aids themselves? Or are you concerned about becoming dependent on them? My doc said Melatonin, valerian, etc are quite harmless so long as I get them from the health food store and not some questionable place and don't abuse them. Right now when I have bad nights I take half a Benadryl which makes me too groggy to function the next day.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2009)

I just don't like to see people start relying on medication to fall asleep. My pharmacist said it isn't good to do that. You start becoming dependant on it.I also take Benedryl at bedtime to try to make myself sleepy. And it doesn't seem to help.About 12 years ago I began having anxiety panic attacks and my doctor at that time put me on Ativan (Lorazepam) for it.The medication began to become less effective for my attacks , so the damn doctor told me to take it daily just as a preventive measure to ward off any possible future attacks.Well , I have been on this junk for about 12 years now. I am dependant on it and desperatly need to get off it , so I went from 4 mg's nightly , to 2 mg's nightly , and now I am down to 1 mg nightly , along with a Benedryl tablet.I tried to stop it cold Turkey , but I started feeling strange , so I looked up the withdrawal symptoms for this medication , and they are Deadly.Please use extreme caution if you start using medication to help you sleep. That's why I kept taking the Ativan after it quit helping my anxiety , it seemed to help me sleep at night for my bad Insomnia. Now it barely does anything. Please say a prayer for me that I can get off this horrible medication safely.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Melatonin is a natural substance your brain makes as a "go to sleep" signal.It is not a sedative drug.I've seen no reports of Melatonin abuse or addiction. I have some sleep issues and do use it sometimes to make sure I get as good a sleep as possible. I also practice very good sleep hygiene which helps a lot as well (get up at the same time, even on weekends, etc).If you do need to get off addictive medications, please talk to your doctor. There are often ways to detox you that are much safer than anything you would do yourself at home. Not every medication is addictive and most herbs and natural dietary supplements do not have addiction issues. They aren't totally harmless, but they are not the same as prescription medications that the DEA keeps track of.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2009)

My current doctor is the one that wants me off my Ativan (Lorazepam) because I have been on it for sooooo Long.And since it has stopped helping my anxiety issue's , there is No point in taking it.So the doctor told me to gradually reduce the MG's amount.That's why I went from 4 mg's , to 2 mg's , and now to 1 mg at bedtime , along with my 1 Benedryl tablet.I tried to stop it Cold Turkey and I began feeling really wierd. I was off it 3 days. Couldn't sleep at all during those days.Then I read the withdrawal symptoms from stopping it , and it scared the Life out of me.One of the side effects is seizures. So I thought I better go take a tablet to get it in my blood stream before I had a problem occure.I want to get off this medication desperatly. My doctor wants me off it too. So she said to gradually just reduce the Mg's .Which I am now doing. I wonder how long it will take me to get off it and be Ok ?? I'm worried*I do not want to have to take another drug to get off of my current one , so I guess I will just have to do as the doctor recommends and just reduce the mg's gradually.Just abit of a suggestion from me , if you don't have to take medication , Please Don't.Taking the Ativan for 12 years has screwed up my health.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

With drugs like that usually once you've weaned down to the lowest dose then you can cold turkey safely. The side effects from quiting are usually when you drop from a high dose to nothing.Not all medications or natural supplements are equally addictive, but it is good to know which ones are when you start them. A lot of things you can stop cold turkey with no problems, you just don't want to do that with the wrong thing.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Glenda C. said:


> Just abit of a suggestion from me , if you don't have to take medication , Please Don't.


Hear hear!


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## amanda8 (Jan 21, 2008)

Thanks for the concern, Glenda, but I'm not looking to being talked out of taking it as needed. I've done the research into melatonin and it's not physically habit forming or addictive. I'm not worried about mental/psychological addiction either as I am only looking for something to help out when I have a particularly stressful day at work coming up (e.g. trial, deposition, mediaton, etc) and not for regular use.For clarification, I just want to know if anyone has noticed an increase in IBS symptoms when taking it. Thanks.


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## Guest (Mar 18, 2009)

Hello , I know Melatonin is harmless. I wish it would have helped me. I wouldn't tell any one Not to take it , specially if it helped them to sleep. My main consirn is when people start relying on actual over the counter sleep aides and Rx. sleep aides.I just don't want to see anyone become dependant on them.


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

Iam 65 and have not a full night sleep in 10 yr or more......I tried melatonin and it made my IBS D worse after a few doses...but then for me so does Advil!! I felt groggy the next day but it did nothing to make sleep better..oh well at my age so what if I donot sleep..you will taking the long dirt nap soon enough..enjoy all your waking time!!!!


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2009)

I am 52 and haven't had a good night's sleep in a long , long time.My health is pretty poor.I hope I don't take the dirt nap anytime soon though !!I am not ready to leave yet.Although there are days I am so sick I feeling like blowing my brains out. But won't , because I need to be here to care for my diabetic hubby.


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## mfinch74 (Feb 5, 2009)

Melatonin gave me AWFUL dreams!!! The dreams were so bad it was like I couldn't tell what really happened from what I dreamed.


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Melatonin did nothing for me!Didn't help me sleep.Didn't help or hurt the IBS.Thai


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## amanda8 (Jan 21, 2008)

FYI- I finally tried it over the weekend. It made me sleep like a rock. I had no grogginess and no ill side effects, IBS or otherwise.Interesting about Advil, I take it all the time without any stomach upset


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## Ukolowiczd (Aug 23, 2013)

I know this is an old post but due to an anxiety ridden summer I developed a bit of intermittent insomnia (12 intermittent nights), started a sleep journal and began taking melatonin some nights to help me go to sleep. I started having really bad diarrhea in August, it went away and then came back, etc. I checked my sleep log and realized I had diarrhea the next day or days after taking melatonin (only 2 mg). I'm not saying it was the melatonin that caused diarrhea but it is a possibility. I also ran across this discussion on the web.

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/question/761671/112886


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