Potential Side Effects Of Melatonin

There are enough potential melatonin side effects that you might wonder if this hormone supplement should ever be taken. It’s true that melatonin is the hormone secreted from the body’s pineal gland in order to regulate and maintain sleeping patterns. But trying to take over from that gland and handle this regulation yourself, guessing the right dosages and taking melatonin as a supplement, might be more complicated than you think. And it can produce some unpleasant results too.

For example, some side effects of melatonin relate to the worsening of conditions people already have. Melatonin can affect the autoimmune system as it goes to work, either improving an existing autoimmune condition, or making it worse. The problem is that exactly what results will occur just can’t be accurately predicted. So even if it seems logical that the hormone that regulates your sleep ought to be used to help your sleep issues, the melatonin solution may still not be advisable if you’ve got an autoimmune disorder.

The www.mayoclinic.com website lists several other melatonin side effects that sound relatively minor on paper, but which could end up being almost as uncomfortable as being exhausted from lack of sleep. Headaches, dizziness and abdominal discomfort are sometimes as difficult to live with as insomnia. But take a physiological effect like a headache, and add other effects like being confused or suffering from sleepwalking when you do sleep, and suddenly the effects of this miracle sleep supplement might seem less than benign, not to mention alarming.

None of this is to say that you should never use this hormone because you risk too many melatonin side effects. But you need to be aware that melatonin could cause such problems. Indeed, you should get as much medical information as you can about melatonin, from your doctor and other reliable sources, before deciding to take it. And if you do finally decide to do so, then be on the lookout for adverse effects, in case you need to try a different sleep remedy instead. Melatonin may be your body’s natural sleep regulator, but there are other medications that can do a good job for you if you need them.