Melatonin

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Melatonin
The skeletal formula of melatonin
Chemical Nomenclature
Common names	Melatonin
Substitutive name	N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine
Systematic name	N-[2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]acetamide
Class Membership
Psychoactive class	Sedative, Oneirogen
Chemical class	Tryptamine
Routes of Administration
Oral Dosage WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section. DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy. Threshold 0.25 - 1 mg Light 1 - 3 mg Common 3 - 5 mg Strong 5 - 6 mg Heavy 6 mg + Duration Total 6 - 8 hours Onset 30 - 90 minutes

Melatonin, chemically N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine,^[1] is a substance found in animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. In animals, it is a hormone that anticipates the daily onset of darkness;^[2] however in other organisms, it may have different functions. Likewise, the synthesis of melatonin in animals differs from that in other organisms.

Melatonin also functions as a psychoactive drug with effects that cause drowsiness and dream potentiation. It is used as a medication for insomnia, however, scientific evidence is insufficient for a benefit in this area.^[3] It is sold over-the-counter in most pharmacies within the United States and Canada. In other countries, it may require a prescription or it may be unavailable.

It should be noted that when purchasing melatonin, dosages may range from 3-9mg. While not dangerous, this dosage range is well beyond the effective dose of .3mg, and may increase instances of drowsiness the next day.^[4]

Melatonin is comprised of a monoamine chain attached to an indole ring at the third carbon. A monoamine chain is made up of an amine group attached to an ethane chain. This monoamine chain can be found in many neurotransmitters, including histamine, dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. It's also found in many drugs such as tryptamines and phenethylamines.

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, but heavier dosages will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects.

Physical effects

• Muscle relaxation^[5][6] - In comparison to other compounds such as benzodiazepines, this effect is very mild and only present at heavy dosages.
• Headaches - A small subset of people may experience headaches the day after ingesting melatonin.^[7]

Cognitive effects

• Sleepiness - In terms of its effects on the user's physical energy levels, melatonin is commonly considered to be extremely tiring. It is often used and sold as a sleep aid, and mimics one's natural circadian cycle.
• Dream potentiation - This compound is extremely effective at increasing the duration, occurrence and vividness of dreams. It is very common for people to note that their dreams had noticeably increased the morning after ingesting melatonin as a sleep aid.^[8]
• Depersonalization - This effect can present itself upon the come-up and persist well into the next day if the user has ingested an extremely heavy dose.

Melatonin is non-addictive, is not known to cause brain damage, and has an extremely low toxicity relative to dose. Similar to other tryptamine drugs, there are relatively few physical side effects associated with acute melatonin exposure. Various studies have shown that in reasonable doses in a careful context, it presents no negative cognitive, psychiatric or toxic physical consequences of any sort.

Melatonin appears to cause very few side effects as tested in the short term, up to three months, at low doses. Two systematic reviews found no adverse effects of melatonin usage in several clinical trials and comparative trials found the adverse effects headaches, dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness were reported about equally for both melatonin and placebo.^[9][10] Prolonged-release melatonin is safe with long-term use of up to 12 months.^[11]

Lethal dosage

The median lethal dose or dosage at which 50% of participants die (LD50) of melatonin for human beings has never been reached in any setting.

Tolerance and addiction potential

Melatonin is not habit-forming. It is possible however to develop a mild physical dependency if this compound is used on a nightly basis for a prolonged period of time. This simply means that if one suddenly stops their usage of the drug without tapering, they may have trouble sleeping for up to a couple of days afterwards.

Tolerance to the effects of melatonin are slowly built after prolonged and repeated usage. After that, it takes about 7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 14 days to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). Melatonin presents cross-tolerance with no other known compounds, meaning that after the consumption of melatonin other psychoactive compounds will not have a reduced effect.

• Responsible use
• Neurotransmitter
• Hormone

1. ↑ Melatonin | http://www.sleepdex.org/melatonin.htm
2. ↑ Melatonin. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16219483
3. ↑ Management of Insomnia Disorder [Internet]. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26844312
4. ↑ Phase-dependent treatment of delayed sleep phase syndrome with melatonin.| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16295212
5. ↑ Melatonin, a potential therapeutic agent for smooth muscle-related pathological conditions and aging (PubMed.gov / NCBI) | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20939818
6. ↑ Melatonin mediates two distinct responses in vascular smooth muscle (PubMed.gov / NCBI) | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20939818
7. ↑ Melatonin Side Effects (EverydayHealth) | http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/melatonin
8. ↑ Is There Really A Connection Between Melatonin And Crazy Dreams? | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/crazy-melatonin-dreams_us_56fd59e6e4b0a06d58051de8
9. ↑ The Efficacy and Safety of Exogenous Melatonin for Primary Sleep Disorders | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1490287/
10. ↑ Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: meta-analysis | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1370968/
11. ↑ Melatonin prolonged release: in the treatment of insomnia in patients aged ≥55 years. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23044640