|
Postmenopausal women who take melatonin may experience reduced glucose
tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
A 2.5-mg dose of melatonin has hypothermic, but not soporific, effects during
66 min of intermittent exercise performed under moderate heat stress. The study
also suggests that postexercise systolic hypotension is more marked after
ingestion of melatonin.
This study advises caution in the uncontrolled use of melatonin in hypertensive
patients. The pineal hormone might interfere with calcium channel blocker
therapy and should not be considered simply a dietary supplement.
Caution should be exercised when driving under the influence of melatonin.
In the absence of sufficient information regarding the long term safety of
exogenous melatonin, the conservative course of action is to restrict melatonin
use to those therapeutic applications in which a significant benefit is
expected.
The decision to ingest melatonin should be preceded by careful consideration of
the expected benefits as well as the potential costs of treatment, with
recognition of the fact that there has been exaggeration of the benefits and
little attention paid to the potential costs in most discussions of this issue
to date.
Melatonin is available in the United States without prescription, and adverse
effects appear to be uncommon. However, because melatonin appears to have
immunomodulatory properties, the potential exists for the development of
autoimmune-related side effects.
The temporal relation observed between melatonin use and the development of
autoimmune hepatitis raises the possibility that the drug might be involved in
the pathogenesis of this patient's autoimmune disease
MELATONIN - IN STOCK
Click here to enter
Herbal Information Center Home Page
|