jimmy comments on Case study: Melatonin - Less Wrong

21 Post author: gwern 07 January 2010 06:24PM

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Comment author: jimmy 07 January 2010 07:20:04PM 1 point [-]

I take it occasionally (mainly when I need to shift my sleep schedule back a few hours very quickly), but have kept from taking it nightly due to worries of tolerance and such.

Have you noticed any tolerance or know of any studies that cover this?

The metastudy I saw mentioned many studies finding no effect due to large doses causing tolerance effects (and recomended doses of no more than 1mg, IIRC).

I also never heard of the 'subtract an hour' part, nor have I noticed it on my own (though I use it in times when it'd be harder to notice). Has anyone else noticed this effect or are there studies talking about it?

I mainly take it sublingually (0.75mg), which kicks in much more quickly than orally which helps if you can't plan a half hour in advance. I sometimes notice the effects in two minutes this way.

Comment author: gwern 09 January 2010 04:12:27PM 2 points [-]

Have you noticed any tolerance or know of any studies that cover this?

I've seen neither. I take pretty much the same dose I did way back in my early teens when I started. But I'll admit, I haven't looked very hard for the latter.

A quick Google Scholar search only turns up a few hits for 'melatonin tolerance' which cover tolerance of melatonin itself; one says

Sleep maintenance and initiation were further improved following the 2-month 1-mg sustained-release melatonin treatment, indicating that tolerance had not developed. After cessation of treatment, sleep quality deteriorated. Our findings suggest that for melatonin-deficient elderly insomniacs, melatonin replacement therapy may be beneficial in the initiation and maintenance of sleep. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8552931

Or in one primate study:

Daily administration of a 5-μg/kg dose for 4 weeks or gradually escalating melatonin doses (5-320 μg/kg over a 3-week period) did not result in the development of tolerance or sensitization to the effect of melatonin on sleep initiation or sleep period. http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13688537

And here's some Times coverage:

On the other hand, says Wyatt, people don't seem to build up a tolerance to melatonin, and even small amounts, like the 0.3-mg dose used in the study, are effective. Studies show also that melatonin is safe for adults, at least in the short term, with few side effects. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191851,00.html

But on the other hand, a regular Google search will turn up several people complaining of tolerance. (Whether you believe any of them or write them off as freaks, exaggerators, victims of fake melatonin, or whatever, is up to you.)

Comment author: jimmy 09 January 2010 07:39:59PM 0 points [-]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't mean to make you do the leg work for me.

But on the other hand, a regular Google search will turn up several people complaining of tolerance. (Whether you believe any of them or write them off as freaks, exaggerators, victims of fake melatonin, or whatever, is up to you.)

I think I'll believe them, but think they're taking too much. The metastudy I read a while ago (couldn't find it in a couple minutes, but I'll look harder if you want to see it) said that people were taking too much (>1mg) because there was a patent or something on using it at <1mg doses where it worked best. This led to people developing tolerances and the studies reflecting this. All the studies you listed were with lower doses of melatonin, so it makes sense that they didn't.

I guess I'll try taking it regularly now.

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