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Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

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Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#61

Post by srean »

themodelplumber wrote: post #18
gnulinux wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have chronic insomnia, I had it all my life. I used to use melatonin but yes over time it lost its effect and melatonin is not one of those drugs you can just take more to sleep. It has a very precise dosage and if you take more it doesn't make you more sleepy. If you have chronic insomnia, you need to solve the root cause. In my case it is anxiety, and currently I'm trying to solve my anxiety and my sleep quality…

I take doxylamine succinate 5-10 mg about an hour before bed and find that it helps with sleep much more than melatonin, which only seemed to help with a very time-limited form of tiredness (it wore off and I'd wake up). Still, even the antihistamine (sold as a sleep aid) can't do all the work when something big is going down the next day. Like a meeting with a big client requiring a lot of travel. A big stressor mus…

Good that it worked for you. In fact purchasing it from the anti-allergic counter shelf used to be lot cheaper than buying it as a sleep medication.

I did not benefit from the few times I tried it. Its very potent, even 1/4th makes me super drowsy. However, under the surface my mind is alert. Its like being very drunk but trying furiously to concentrate through that drowning drunkenness. As a result, I did get sleep, but not remotely of the restful kind.

L-Theanine and writing on the other hand has been a big help. So lots of shared experiences.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#62

Post by GordonS »

themodelplumber wrote: post #29
pmiller2 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doxylamine succinate is a potent anticholinergic drug, as are (IIRC) all other OTC antihistamines that cause drowsiness. Long term use of such drugs have been linked to dementia later in life. I would at least read some of the literature and re-evaluate whether using drugs like this to sleep on a regular basis is worthwhile.

Already done. No dementia in family history, and the actual literature leaves much to be desired in terms of qualitative result. By the way I discourage the use of the term "linked" in light conversation as it has recently and unfortunately become a socio-culturally appropriated term indicating proof of causality. That a linkage exists often means far less than most people think, and this could immediately impact the…

I didn't read the paper since it first came out (1-2 years ago?), but I seem to recall a clear causal link was found?

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#63

Post by ben_w »

oskarpearson wrote: post #59
Reason077 wrote: post #46

I once asked about melatonin in a health food shop and was told it’s illegal in the UK! The seems odd in a country where (for example) you can buy codeine pills over-the-counter, so now I’m curious about why it was banned, considering it’s reported to have few side effects?

You can easily buy it on eBay. A USA company which has local dropshipping sells it, and manages to skirt the regulations. My understanding is that it’s not sold over the counter (otc) is because it’s a hormone. The class of drugs isn’t available otc. Also: I think many people use it in completely the wrong quantities and in the wrong way. I’ve heard of people in countries where it’s legal giving their kids 30mg to ge…

When I moved to Berlin and found I couldn’t get paracetamol, ibuprofen, or aspirin in the supermarkets, a local told me the “it’s otc so it must be safe” attitude had caused people to overdose on them.

People are strange everywhere.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#64

Post by Reason077 »

dc2447 wrote: post #47
Reason077 wrote: post #46

I once asked about melatonin in a health food shop and was told it’s illegal in the UK! The seems odd in a country where (for example) you can buy codeine pills over-the-counter, so now I’m curious about why it was banned, considering it’s reported to have few side effects?

Melatonin is now available from Chemists. You need to do a short online consultation but other than that it’s straight forward to buy

It’s not permitted to be sold by chemists in the UK. If so it would be an over-the-counter medicine.

Rather, it looks some online chemists skirt around the rules by having an “online doctor” issue you with a prescription. But the UK-based ones I found were very expensive and it is surely cheaper just to import from the US via eBay etc.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#65

Post by ben_w »

dogma1138 wrote: post #50
Reason077 wrote: post #46

I once asked about melatonin in a health food shop and was told it’s illegal in the UK! The seems odd in a country where (for example) you can buy codeine pills over-the-counter, so now I’m curious about why it was banned, considering it’s reported to have few side effects?

It’s a fairly recent change you could’ve gotten it from Amazon until a few months ago. That said you can import them from outside of the UK since you can import any drug for personal use even without prescription.

“Any” seems incredibly implausible. Class A drugs have penalties for mere possession.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#66

Post by beagle3 »

zdragnar wrote: post #9
canttestthis wrote: post #5

Tangentially I'm interested to know whether taking melatonin for long periods of time (years) reduces its effectiveness. I've been taking it for nearly a year but I've heard stories about how you need to keep increasing the dose to get the same effect.

It lost effectiveness after a few months for me. On top of that, it gives me very restless legs, to the point that it can actually be harder to fall asleep :/

Restless legs is not yet a solved problem, but supplementation with either iron, niacin or both seems to help most suffers.

AFAIK, no clinical deficiency of either is observed (with iron it will be in your blood chemistry, with Niacin it would manifest as Pelagra if observed).

Do your own reading about them. Both iron and niacin can be overdosed.

From my experience, use only pure niacin (nicotinic acid), rather than nictoinamide or inositol forms (the latter apparently completely useless but still marketed). Also, avoid the time release forms. But ... this is the internet, I might as well be a dog. Do your own research. Woof.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#67

Post by andy_ppp »

timClicks wrote: post #28
gnulinux wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have chronic insomnia, I had it all my life. I used to use melatonin but yes over time it lost its effect and melatonin is not one of those drugs you can just take more to sleep. It has a very precise dosage and if you take more it doesn't make you more sleepy. If you have chronic insomnia, you need to solve the root cause. In my case it is anxiety, and currently I'm trying to solve my anxiety and my sleep quality…

I don't have specific knowledge to counter this, but am surprised. It implies that humans would need more melatonin over the course of their lives, yet they produce less and less as they age...

To be honest I think lots of systems in the body are working less well over time?

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#68

Post by abainbridge »

zuminator wrote: post #54
abainbridge wrote: post #51

> administering melatonin prior to exposure to UV radiation increases cell survival and reduces oxidative damage. Topical melatonin applied to skin 15 minutes prior to exposure to UV radiation completely prevented skin redness (erythema) in a small randomized double-blind study of human subjects This isn't necessarily good news. Sun burn is your body's way of reducing skin cancer. When your body detects too much expo…

Are you saying this as a medical research professional or just spitballing? Because the article send to be straightforwardly claiming that melatonin is reducing oxidative damage, not just disabling the visible effects. One of the referenced sources is entitled, "Melatonin as a major skin protectant: from free radical scavenging to DNA damage repair," which seems to be saying that the "more research needed" has alread…

Guilty as charged. I didn't read the references. Thanks for the kick in the ass.

Re: Melatonin's Effect on Skin and Hair

#70

Post by dogma1138 »

ben_w wrote: post #65
dogma1138 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a fairly recent change you could’ve gotten it from Amazon until a few months ago. That said you can import them from outside of the UK since you can import any drug for personal use even without prescription.

“Any” seems incredibly implausible. Class A drugs have penalties for mere possession.

Drugs as those which are controlled under the Medicines Act not by the Misuse of Drugs Act. There is no limit on importing POM for self use, the violation only happens if you distribute them without a prescription.
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