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Can You Overdose On Melatonin- Know Everything From Their Dosage To Side Effects
What is melatonin and can you overdose on melatonin? Melatonin is a very popular type of supplement that people have started using to get a good sleep throughout the night. There are different ways in which it can affect people. Some people tend to take less melatonin while others take more quantity.
This might cause certain side effects that are not desired of them. How much melatonin you should take and can you overdose on melatonin are important things to know to prevent any side-effects associated with it.
When melatonin supplements are taken in excess amounts, they can cause certain irritating side effects that are totally unwanted. It is highly crucial for a person consuming melatonin to know can you overdose on melatonin and how much is required as per your needs. You have to remain mindful of all the side effects and always start with the lowest possible dose once you are on your journey.
This article will let you know all the details if you can overdose on melatonin and related information, so keep reading.
What Is Melatonin?
Before proceeding with can you overdose on melatonin it is important that we gather and learn all the information on what melatonin is.
You might have heard it somewhere if you belong to the science stream. Melatonin is a hormone in our body that occurs naturally. It helps in regulating our sleep cycle. It is produced by the pineal gland of our body.
The levels of melatonin in our body keep decreasing and increasing throughout our day. In general, the levels of melatonin in our body rise through the evening time and then stay elevated throughout the night. This enables an individual to sleep peacefully.
When we proceed toward the morning, the levels again lower in our body due to which we are able to wake up and remain active without being sleepy. Although melatonin is naturally occurring in our body, you can also acquire it from certain food items as well. There are some vegetables and fruits that have a minimal amount of melatonin content inside of them.
Not only in fruits and veggies, but you can also receive melatonin from supplements. Taking melatonin through food or supplements will alleviate sleep-related issues and conditions like insomnia. Some people also like to consume melatonin supplements when they are traveling in order to reduce jet lag.
Shift workers that work at night also consume melatonin supplements at times during the day to remain awake at irregular hours. Due to associated side effects, it is very important and essential that you should be aware of what could happen to your body if you overdose on melatonin. You also have to contact a healthcare expert to see can you overdose on melatonin or not.
Symptoms Of Overdose Of Melatonin
Let’s examine what are the possible symptoms and side effects that you may notice if you have started taking access supplements of melatonin. You should know that all the symptoms which we are about to mention might not be common in your body because these symptoms differ from person to person.
Some people have also found out that taking access supplements has caused them to be more awake than earlier, which makes it the opposite of its actual usage.
Other people have found out that taking more amount of melatonin through supplements has caused them to feel sleepy throughout the day even during the unintended times also. People have also faced some intense nightmares and dreams once they were on melatonin supplements to improve their sleep quality or tried to sleep peacefully.
Due to all these side effects, it has become highly important for anyone that has decided to go on melatonin supplements to consult a doctor and seek information about the dosage too.
Some additional symptoms that you can face once you have started taking an overdose of melatonin supplements include:
- Headaches
- Crankiness
- Dizziness
- Upset stomach
- Anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Joint pain
All those having low blood pressure or high blood pressure should always consult a doctor and speak to them before using melatonin because it can cause serious side effects when taken with medications that are used to lower the blood pressure.
Taking medicines for blood pressure might decrease the natural production of melatonin in a person’s body. This will increase the chances of a person going for melatonin supplements in order to maintain balance. However, taking supplements of melatonin can cause changes in blood pressure which includes unexpected and unsafe spikes in blood pressure levels.
After knowing all the related symptoms it is important that we learn can you overdose on melatonin and the right dosage required by a person.
Right Dosage Of Melatonin
You are totally aware of about overdose of melatonin and whether it is right for you or not. In general, a melatonin dosage should be anywhere between 1 mg to 5 mg for a person. The adults are suggested to start with a lower dosage first. If you are able to tolerate it nicely but it has not worked very effectively for you, you can slowly and gradually increase the dosage. Keep doing this until you notice that the changes are suiting your body and you have received the desired results.
Taking the same dosage can cause some side effects in some people while not making any noticeable changes or differences in another person. There are some factors that determine you can overdose on melatonin or not, these include your age, weight, and sensitivity to these supplements.
Children are not supposed to consume melatonin supplements until they are asked by doctors. This usually happens when the child develops a neurodevelopmental disorder. Such disorders make it difficult for a child to sleep at night. However, if your child is advised to take melatonin, make sure you are taking care of the right dosage as prescribed by the doctor.
Taking even a small amount of melatonin in excess amount can cause serious health predicaments like seizures and some other very serious side effects.
The United States FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) does not regulate the usage of melatonin. The supplements given to you might vary in overall strength between the suppliers, so you need to check for all the consumer reviews and reports before choosing the right brand that is suitable for you. Remember that what suits your friend might not be the best one for you.
Medications Interacting With Melatonin
Melatonin can cause direct effects on the sleep cycle of a person because it is intended to do so. You should avoid consuming melatonin supplements if you are consuming some other products like alcohol and caffeine. Both these things can affect your ability to have a good and uninterrupted sleep.
Anyone taking some other medications of any type related to any disease should consult a doctor and discuss the potential side effects they can get while taking both the medication or supplements together.
There are few medications like birth control, that can cause the body to produce even more melatonin. Taking this supplement along with melatonin can increase the levels of melatonin too much in your body and produce unwanted side effects too.
Some immune suppressors or blood thinners may also react with hormones like melatonin in your body. For example, taking melatonin may intensify the effects of few blood thinners and in turn, cause a risk of excessive bleeding in the body.
When You Need To Visit A Doctor
By now you have understood can you overdose on melatonin or not. Now the question arises, when do we need to visit a doctor? If you have trouble sleeping for many days, you must visit a doctor and take advice from them if you should consider melatonin supplements or not. The doctors will question you and prepare a list of other medications you are taking in order to provide you the correct dosage of melatonin supplements.
If you have already started melatonin and you feel you are facing certain unwanted side effects or symptoms, you should immediately report to the doctor. If you are facing some immediate side effects that are serious to your health like sudden pain in your chest, shortness of breath, or extremely high blood pressure after melatonin, you may call the emergency number of your area.
How To Treat Overdose
After learning can you overdose on melatonin or not if you have consumed melatonin in the excess amount a few days back, you need to notice the symptoms and list them down to tell a doctor. Treatment of an overdose of melatonin depends upon many factors like the type of symptoms and severity of those symptoms in the body.
In case there is an emergency you need to visit a doctor as they will focus and pay immediate attention to normalize your condition. If the symptoms are very severe like chest pain or trouble in breathing, immediate attention is required in such cases.
The best treatment as advised by the doctor in most cases is to reduce or limit the amount of melatonin intake. There are no researches that indicate that taking melatonin is unsafe or studies that show that it is unsafe to stop using melatonin supplements suddenly.
If a person stops taking melatonin supplements suddenly due to various side effects it is causing, a sleep specialist or doctor may be able to advise or recommend some other methods that could help the person fall asleep nicely.
The Bottom Line
You have understood very well can you overdose on melatonin or not by now. Some people find it easier to fall asleep by taking melatonin supplements as it works amazing for them while some people cannot even tolerate the smallest doses of melatonin too and might experience side effects even by taking 1 mg of melatonin.
Other people may not experience any changes in their routine and sleep even after taking excess melatonin. The results and effects of taking melatonin depend upon the person’s age and many other factors. If you have trouble sleeping, you may be advised to reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol by the doctors or experts.
It is not likely that any adults who take melatonin will experience certain emergencies all of a sudden but in the case of children, excess melatonin can cause severe problems and needs immediate attention.
Anyone who wishes to take melatonin to improve the quality of their sleep, it is highly advised and recommended to start by taking the smallest dosage possible. This will help you know if it suits your body and works well for improving your sleep. If it does, you can gradually increase the dosage, if it doesn’t you may try other things out by talking to a sleep care expert.
Hope you have understood can you overdose on melatonin and what are the possible side effects. Nowadays many other great methods are developing to improve sleep quality, one such thing is a weighted blanket. It was designed for kids having autism, but it has helped people reduce anxiety and improve the quality of their sleep. Check out all the details on weighted blankets and their usage.
