Re:Nootropics
by pedalpete on Wednesday September 21, 2016 @01:54AM
(#12545743)
You have to be careful with Melatonin, your body will produce less of it's own if you keep topping yourself up, which means diminished returns with continued use.
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A study assessing 6 months (n=112) and 12 months (n=96) of melatonin treatment of 2mg in a controlled release capsule, taken 1-2 hours prior to sleep, people aged 20-80 with primary insomnia failed to show any tolerance to the treatment. The authors noted a slight sensitization to the effects of melatonin at the 3-4 month period, which was attributed to better entrainment of the circadian rhythm. These results have been replicated in another study, lasting 6 months, with a sample of 791 people. No melatonin tolerance due to usage was observed. Another study, lasting 6 months with a sample size of 421 people also replicated these results.
Source: http://examine.com/supplements/Melatonin/#summary15-1
Thanks for linking that. I researched melatonin previously and found these same studies.
It appears that there's not much of a tolerance effect when taking melatonin. This is unusual, our experience tells us that most drugs have a tolerance effect. Extended use of caffeine causes the body to make more adenosine receptors, meaning that it takes a higher dose to have the same effect.
This does not appear to happen with melatonin. Less science and more anecdote from a lot of users: melatonin also has an amount where it is less effective. You'll find several reports of people that see no effect at the higher doses (10mg), yet a lower dose (3mg) has a good effect.
This is all moot if you're in the UK or Australia, since melatonin is a prescription drug.
Re:Nootropics
by AstralStorm on Wednesday September 21, 2016 @01:04PM
(#12550070)
Chiefly because it is a hormone with relatively short lifetime (I'm not sure but about 2h) not taken constantly throughout the day.
Do you have a cite for that? I use melatonin regularly and when I skip, I don't really have that many problems (I will stay up an hour or so more).
I tried melatonin and this was my experience. It also started giving me a headache if I forgot to take it or ran out, which is annoying.
It's fascinating how, in the US, Melatonin is sold in stores like a vitamin, whereas in Germany, they look at you strange if you ask for it in a pharmacy.
Re:Nootropics
by chillingeffect on Wednesday September 21, 2016 @08:26AM
(#12547525)
And autism is treated with nootropics in the Ukraine, but no the u.s. And phenibut is in Russian first aid kits and there's no codeine in American OTC painkillers. And magic mushrooms were only recently banned in Japan. And cannabis is legal in North Korea.