MELATONIN

[G.Khan]

Just wondering, when Melatonin first came on the market it was claimed, among other things, to help sleep, prelong life(!), prevent cancer, improve libido etc. etc. I believe the UK CAA wrote a cautionary note to pilots, possibly the FAA did too? Don't know if you can even buy it here in Australia but as one who still suffers a bad sleep pattern from long-haul flying after six months on the ground I was wondering if it was now approved by aviation medics and at what dose?
Any references very welcome. Cheers.

[Flintstone]

I bought some over the counter in the US while there on a training course. I was having real trouble sleeping (except in the classroom and sim) so in desperation decided to give it a try.

Recommended dose was "..one to three tablets.." which wasn't very helpful. I started with one then upped the dose the next night to two. Not sure if it made any difference. I still couldn't sleep and not knowing exactly what it was doing to me I threw the bottle away.

If your long haul flights take you that way you could just buy some.

[willoman]

I think melatonin is a banned substance within CAA rules whilst on operational duties . Be careful or perhaps find yourself without any licence !

[Nearly Man]

The only reason that it has any flag against it is that there was a batch of contaminated Melatonin from Japan in the 80's -90's.
The BA medicos advised against it for this reason....please correct me if I'm wrong

[rowand]

It's used to supplement the natural melatonin levels in the body to induce sleep. If you're having troubles sleeping maybe your natural levels are suppressed. Get in touch with your Doc or the Centre for Sleep Research in Adl for advice. Like the man said, watch it or you may not end up with a licence.

[G.Khan]

Thanks all - licence not a problem as I am now retired, but I would like to get back to a normal sleeping pattern so was wondering what the known side effects, if any, were and are they acceptable etc.

[polzin]

GKhan....: Im retired too unless I get another job. Dont use it now but when i was doing flying that took me across 5 time Zones often at night and i felt my lack of good sleep was starting to affect my safety of flying, i decide to try it. Wish i had had it for the last 30 years. Only one brand of tablet works for me. It is from GNC. You put it under your tongue. OOps just in case they arent in Europe, GNC is a vitamin store in the USA. I have given it to other crew members with the promise that they had to tell me if they didnt like it for any reason. Never had a complaint. Now I know I will get a reply from someone who thinks I encourging drugs. I AM NOT A DRUGGIE. NEVER HAVE BEEN ONE AND NEVER WILL.. Is Guiness an exception ? I like Melatonin because it doesnt always work. To me that means it is weak. It is natural. Babies sleep a lot because they produce a lot of Melatonin. The older you get , the less is produced. My dad's doctor has prescribed it to him. It does NOT knock you out. I had to take the warm bath , relax, calm down, get things quite, and then maybe it helped me to go to sleep. It was that 10% extra that helped me get to sleep. And it did make me a safer pilot.

[alosaurus]

Recent CAA AIC said do not use this 12 hours before a duty period-can buy in the UK.

[G.Khan]

Thanks again - useful info. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[mach78]

Willoman
-there is absolutely no way you would be tested for a natural hormone like melatonin-your brain secretes this stuff at night when you close your eyes to sleep.Thus there is no danger of loss of licence as you suggest.
All you have to do is use it sensibly-don't take one just before reporting for a flight!
Additionally, the stuff is a very powerful antioxidant-ie its good for you!

[Bird Strike]

G. Kahn,

FYI, in Australia, the only form of Melatonin available is homoeopathic (well it was that way a couple of months ago and I believe it is still the case). I'm sure you can get the 'normal' melatonin over the Internet from the US though.

I personally don't like melatonin because I feel so grumpy the next day (or, shall I say my hubby doesn't like it!!).

Another alternative is Valerian, a herbal preparation.

Good luck with your sleeping problem. Let me know if you need any further information.

[G.Khan]

Thanks again, will be in touch if I need assistance. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[redsnail]

Read the Ops manual or the CAR's. Both have never failed to put me to sleep <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[Ella]

I have used Melatonin for a year or so on long haul and have found it to be very good. As above I buy it in the health food shops in florida and only ever buy the 1mg size tablets.

It doesn't knock you out but if you plan to sleep before a very anti social duty, then plan a tablet about two hours before requiring sleep and you should find that whatever sleep you would have got will be enhanced.

I find any muzziness goes within an hour of wakeup and recently did a night flight eastbound across the pond feeling very awake and alert. Seemed to wear off at top of descent however which was some 14 hours after wake up so I guess we can't expect too much.

I used the 'CAA advise' ten to twelve years ago when they said that Temazepam and Triazolam were approved for use. I spent the summer seasons of 88 to 90 like a zombie. And we all know how the Halcyon based drugs are viewed now!

Melatonin taken sensibly works well for me and I concur that used more than 12 hours before a flight is safe. However do not go out and buy the 3mg tablets to start with. I had a First Officer who did, and despite my warnings reported for duty looking like a heroin addict in meltdown!

[stevemd11]

Re Melatonin, have used both melatonin and Valerian Root for years. Both with great success. It appears that we all have different reaction times.. In my case I need to be laying down forty minutes after I take a Valerian Root. Yet I can wake up twenty minutes later, and feel like I just had a relaxing twenty-minute nap. No drug side effects. I have found that if I’m really wired and take two doses, sometimes I just can’t sleep. Yet I still don’t feel any drug side effects, as I have with Excedrin PM, or something like that.

During a beer break at the ‘Barge Inn’,(NRT) (legal disclaimer ;-*) )heard a long haul driver say he had used Valerian Root when taking his ‘official’ in the back, rest break, on long haul flights. First he experimented with both at home. Would take the pill and set an alarm for, say an hour later; wake up and see how he felt. Said he felt fine. In one case he was drug tested after a twelve-hour flight in which he used Valerian Root on his rest break, nothing showed on the test.

[Bird Strike]

If you can only buy 3 mg tablets for instance, you can always get a pill cutter and cut them into whatever size you like (it's more accurate to use a pill cutter than forcefully breaking them).

[vmo]

Having done (too) many studies on sleeping problems/disorders, this is what I understand about the subject. Please forgive the un-organised setup, off the top of my head....
Melatonin was initially marketed in the Netherlands as a food supplement, but then it was found to work too well and had to be registered as a substance for which you need a prescription. (ie-see a dr. first.) Still available over the counter, but now with a max. of 0.1 mg per pill.
It is a hormone related chemical, which your body starts producing when it gets dark, with a max. just past midnight.
In testing it was found that subjects taking o.1-1mg took shorter to fall asleep.
Some tests show that healthy individuals may/will suffer from an irregular day/night pattern as a consequence.
Dosage: up to 700 mg/day has been tested on cancer patients which seemed to prolongue life.
Some studies say that long term usage will cause your body to start producing less melatonin, which will stay less even after stop of taking it.ie irreversable damage.
usually taken 2 hrs.b4 sleep.
Seems to help people with delayed sleep phase syndrome. (fall asleep in early morning and sleep till late morning-early afternoon)
Normally start taking it 3 days b4 taking long trip or ico. airline crews, the day of your trip.

35% of the people in the western world suffer from sleep irregularities/problems. That % is probably quite a bit higher in our profession.
If you suffer from-have been for more than 6 mths.-sleeping probs.: see your dr.
There are too many syndromes, disorders, probs, etc.There are also many solutions. Pills usually isn't one of them. Sleeping pills shouldn't be taken for more than 2 weeks.
Studies on melatonin aren't conclusive yet, so moderation is def. advisable.
If you are starting to get messed up because of a lack of sleep or can't sleep anymore:
Spend lot's of time outside in the sun (OK, maybe move to the caribbean) biking-walking- like a mini light therapy
Set your alarm clock to go off 7 1/2 hrs. after you hit the sack-(preferably the same time each night) should produce results after a week
Use your bed only for sleep or...., but not to watch tv, etc.
Cut out alcohol, no coffee in the PM, no thee or chocolate at night. no nicotine.
Don't eat too late, nor too fat or too sweet.
Some more things you can do, but most of them impossible when flying irregular scheds. or through timezones.
OK, put in a bit too much and off subject, but it is such a prob. in our line of work.
Sleep well, you need it.

PS For delayed sleep syndrome chronotherapy is also used. Go to bed at 2 am, next night 5 am, next 8am, etc. When 11 pm is reached after 6 days, keep going to bed at 11pm. for a few more nights and everything should be back to normal.

[ 19 January 2002: Message edited by: vmo ]</p>

[ScoobySnacks]

Here's a link...
<a href="http://wwwsam.brooks.af.mil/web/ram/melatonin.htm" target="_blank">http://wwwsam.brooks.af.mil/web/ram/melatonin.htm</a>
This article was intended for USAF aircrews.

I suffered insomnia for about a year and half. I'm talking 1 or 2 hours of sleep per night!!! I'm not kidding! I was angry and pissed-off all the time. I initially tried melatonin in the 3mg dose that didn't work. I went to the doctor and he prescribed Ambien, that didn't work either. The I came across a study of meltonin done by Harvard or John Hopkins. I tried to find it again to post here, no luck. Anyways, they showed the effective dose of melatonin to be more like 1 to 3 mcg (micrograms). 100th of the dose 3 milligram dose I was taking!

Anyways, that night I nibbled a bit on my 3mg dose and boom! Out cold in short order. It's been working for me ever since. However, I still generally wake about about 3 times during the night. After I wake up, I take another little nibble, and boom....out again. As for side-effects....NIGHTMARES and wierd dreams. But for me that's a positive because I love them. At the end of my 3rd cycle of sleep, I wake with a little grogginess and stiff hard-on just like the old days. A strong cup of coffee takes care of both. I feel this small dosage is effective because it gets absored sublingualy, under the tounge. The dosage is too small to swallow.

Sweet Dreams... Scooby

[G.Khan]

Thanks again everybody, plenty of food for thought!