A Study on the Safety of Melatonin Tablets

Posted on by Jesse Santiano, M.D.

Question: “Jess, How about exogenous melatonin daily?” That is from Dr. N.B., my good friend from college and medical school.

To answer this question, I searched the National Library of Medicine on the internet. The most complete answer about melatonin safety was from research in 2000 to assess the safety of the chronic use of melatonin. (Reference below)

Testing Procedure

It was done with 40 volunteers who took 10 mg of melatonin for 28 days.

To test for adverse side effects and toxicity, blood tests like the complete blood count, lipid profile, blood sugar, and serum electrolytes were done.

The health of the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, reproductive hormones, cortisol, and melatonin levels was also monitored.

The sleep quality of the participants was measured using polysomnography. Polysomnography measures brain waves, breathing, heart activity, oxygen levels, and limb movements to assess the quality of sleep and detect any sleep disorders.

Finally, the participants were asked about any adverse effects during the study.

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The Answer Regarding the Safety of Melatonin

  1. The result showed that the participants were able to go into a light sleep faster.
  2. Objectively, there were no harmful effects detected in the blood tests.
  3. Subjectively, the melatonin group did not have any worse side effects compared to the placebo group.

Precautions

  • Although the study did not show any severe adverse effects using 10 mg tablets, the present recommended dose for jet lag is 0.3 to 0.5 mg 30 minutes before bedtime.
  • Due to a lack of human studies, pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take exogenous melatonin at this time.
  • Talk to your doctor if taking melatonin tablets is safe for your medical condition, especially if you are taking prescription medications for possible drug interactions.
  • Click here for patient tips for melatonin from drugs.com

Related Readings:

  1. The Best Time to Take Statins
  2. Using the Circadian Rhythm for More Effective Blood Pressure Control
  3. The Protective Effects of Sleep and Melatonin on the Stomach
  4. The Circadian Rhythm: Timing is Everything
  5. 30 Ways For a Good Sleep Without Drugs
  6. How Does Sleeping Protect the Brain?

Reference:

  1. J Pineal Res. 2000 Nov;29(4):193-200. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial, controlled with placebo, of the toxicology of chronic melatonin treatment. Seabra ML1, Bignotto M, Pinto LR Jr, Tufik S. abstract

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Night Sky Photo by Brandon Morgan on Unsplash

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