Posted by Tomatheus on October 20, 2006, at 22:29:21
In reply to wow, posted by adamCanada on October 12, 2006, at 1:46:38
Adam,
I apologize for taking so long to reply to your post. I have been feeling quite unwell as of late and have not had the energy to post a coherent message here.
Based on my experiences with melatonin, reports from other Psycho-Babble members who have described a worsening of depressive symptoms associated with melatonin, and the fact that Rozerem (the M1/M2 agonist prescription sleep aid) has been shown to worsen depressive symptoms, I agree that there is definitely good reason to warn consumers about melatonin's potential to worsen depressive symptoms. Although it is not common for supplements to carry warning labels, there are some (such as kava kava) that do. And in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to place restrictions on supplements and/or to warn consumers about potentially adverse effects associated with the use of a particular supplement. I don't know for sure whether or not Health Canada has the same type of authority when it comes to dietary supplements sold in Canada, but my guess is that it does.
I'm not sure if any cases of melatonin-associated worsening of depressive symptoms have been described in any published research reports, but I intend to search through a few academic databases some time next week or so to see if any such cases have been documented (assuming that I'm feeling well enough to do this). I'm considering writing a letter to the FDA to 1) report the adverse effects that I experienced while taking melatonin, 2) summarize any documented evidence in the peer-reviewed literature describing melatonin's potential to worsen depressive symptoms, and 3) recommend placing a warning label on melatonin supplements. Considering that some people do seem to benefit from melatonin, I certainly would not advocate taking it off the market. However, the public certainly has a right to know about any adverse effects that may arise from the use of melatonin (and all other supplements), especially considering that it's often touted as being "safe and natural."
So, I'm curious...are you feeling any better now that you've stopped taking the melatonin?
Tomatheus
> They should give some kind of warnings. No wonder I been having such strange dreams.
>
> I will stop the melatonin and see how I feel over next few days.
poster:Tomatheus
thread:693817
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20061013/msgs/696427.html