Hello,
I’m a 20 year old male and I wanted to share my negative experience with chronic melatonin use. I’ve had sleep issues since i was a child (sleep paralysis). At the age of 15, i got prescribed melatonin to use every night in doses of 2-6 mg, which i took every night.
This was probably a mistake and i quit months ago. It may not be that well known, but I’ve read that the levels of melatonin drop naturally during puberty when sexual organs develop.
Upon further research i found that melatonin had been under development as a contraceptive and studies seem to suggest it may actually be anti-androgenic:
Melatonin - Scientific Review on Usage, Dosage, Side Effects (four studies, 201-204)
Melatonin (low melatonin linked to larger genital size)
This all makes sense since after i started taking it i experiencing weaker erections (no problems before). My penis is still smaller during an erection and i’m worried that it’s permanent. My potential growth during puberty may also have been stunted and i feel really bad about it.
To make matters worse i’ve been dealing with chronic nausea (before melatonin), lethargy, depression and strong anxiety which has gotten more during the years. I suspect it’s from elevated CRH/CRF in the hypothalamus.
Melatonin increases CRH which leads to downregulation of StAR, 3β-HSD, 17β-HSD and probably 5-alpha reductase II enzymes. The cascade of hormones after CRH release may also be the cause of my chronic nausea and other symptoms (stress and bowel issues trigger it aswell).
Hormone checks revealed SHBG and prolactin over reference (68 nmol/L and 381 mU/L respectively). DHEA and LH was at bottom of the range and cortisol was high.
I want more people to know this side effect (especially younger males). Maybe someone can give advice on how to reverse it and recover?
I’m a 20 year old male and I wanted to share my negative experience with chronic melatonin use. I’ve had sleep issues since i was a child (sleep paralysis). At the age of 15, i got prescribed melatonin to use every night in doses of 2-6 mg, which i took every night.
This was probably a mistake and i quit months ago. It may not be that well known, but I’ve read that the levels of melatonin drop naturally during puberty when sexual organs develop.
Upon further research i found that melatonin had been under development as a contraceptive and studies seem to suggest it may actually be anti-androgenic:
Melatonin - Scientific Review on Usage, Dosage, Side Effects (four studies, 201-204)
Melatonin (low melatonin linked to larger genital size)
This all makes sense since after i started taking it i experiencing weaker erections (no problems before). My penis is still smaller during an erection and i’m worried that it’s permanent. My potential growth during puberty may also have been stunted and i feel really bad about it.
To make matters worse i’ve been dealing with chronic nausea (before melatonin), lethargy, depression and strong anxiety which has gotten more during the years. I suspect it’s from elevated CRH/CRF in the hypothalamus.
Melatonin increases CRH which leads to downregulation of StAR, 3β-HSD, 17β-HSD and probably 5-alpha reductase II enzymes. The cascade of hormones after CRH release may also be the cause of my chronic nausea and other symptoms (stress and bowel issues trigger it aswell).
Hormone checks revealed SHBG and prolactin over reference (68 nmol/L and 381 mU/L respectively). DHEA and LH was at bottom of the range and cortisol was high.
I want more people to know this side effect (especially younger males). Maybe someone can give advice on how to reverse it and recover?
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