Beta Blockers, Melatonin, and Sleep

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I discovered after doing a search here that this has been discussed before and I missed it. Just wanted to bring it up again in case it might help someone.

Due to one of Pugsy's helpful suggestions, I decided to take a look at my medications again. I knew beta blockers (metoprolol ER for me) can cause tiredness, but somewhere along the line I missed where it can mess with melatonin production at night. So I guess now's the time to try out the OTC medication my sleep doc recommended since it has melatonin in it. Duh.

As an addendum, we should all pull up the side effects list for every drug we take, periodically.
We should also check for inter-reactions.
This information can change at any time, and pharmacies may not always update us when needed.
Also, they like to bury the important stuff in a pile of boring shit.

WearyOne wrote:.
I discovered after doing a search here that this has been discussed before and I missed it. Just wanted to bring it up again in case it might help someone.

Due to one of Pugsy's helpful suggestions, I decided to take a look at my medications again. I knew beta blockers (metoprolol ER for me) can cause tiredness, but somewhere along the line I missed where it can mess with melatonin production at night. So I guess now's the time to try out the OTC medication my sleep doc recommended since it has melatonin in it. Duh.

I have been taking Metoprolol and Melatonin for several years.....I fall asleep quickly, but cannot sleep more that 5-6 hours without waking up. My last 1-2 hours are SAJ.

LSAT wrote:

WearyOne wrote:.
I discovered after doing a search here that this has been discussed before and I missed it. Just wanted to bring it up again in case it might help someone.

Due to one of Pugsy's helpful suggestions, I decided to take a look at my medications again. I knew beta blockers (metoprolol ER for me) can cause tiredness, but somewhere along the line I missed where it can mess with melatonin production at night. So I guess now's the time to try out the OTC medication my sleep doc recommended since it has melatonin in it. Duh.

I have been taking Metoprolol and Melatonin for several years.....I fall asleep quickly, but cannot sleep more that 5-6 hours without waking up. My last 1-2 hours are SAJ.

I wish I could get 5-6 hours without waking up! The longest I sleep straight is about three hours, occasionally four. I go right back to sleep, but then wake in another 2 to 3 hours. And like you, I don't have any trouble going sleep. I think it's definitely time for me to try out the melatonin!

chunkyfrog wrote:As an addendum, we should all pull up the side effects list for every drug we take, periodically.
We should also check for inter-reactions.
This information can change at any time, and pharmacies may not always update us when needed.
Also, they like to bury the important stuff in a pile of boring shit.

Totally agree. I've been on this for about 11 years. Last time I checked the side effects was two or three years ago. Didn't see anything related to insomnia then. So either it's been added or, like you said, buried. And checking for interactions is another great point. This is something I actually do on a regular basis.

WearyOne wrote:I wish I could get 5-6 hours without waking up! The longest I sleep straight is about three hours, occasionally four. I go right back to sleep, but then wake in another 2 to 3 hours. And like you, I don't have any trouble going sleep. I think it's definitely time for me to try out the melatonin!

It's quite normal to wake up between sleep cycles, people that say they sleep all night just don't quite wake up enough to remember that they were in that very very light/awakened state.

melatonin

Isn't the tide of medical research turning against melatonin supplements?

Also, I believe someone posted a study here showing the dosages in melatonin supplements varies widely from brand to brand and even lot to lot in the same brand. You never know what you are taking - the dosage rarely is equal to what is in the bottle.

Different doses for different problems..... From Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplem ... b-20059770

I take half of a 3mg tablet. Hard to find low dose tablets in the pharmacy.

I had been taking 0.5 to 1.0 mg. of Xanax almost every night just like a vitamin pill prior to starting cpap. Once I got use to the mask, I began resting so well that I told my doctor I was going to ween myself from the vitamin X and start taking melatonin. He agreed, and about a month ago I cut my X down to 0.25 mg. and began taking 5 mg. of liquid melatonin right out of a graduated eye dropper. It's worked so well that I think I can get off the X completely as a sleep aid and just rely on the melatonin.

Melatonin isn't totally side effect free...read up on the known side effects.
There's nothing out there that is totally side effect free for everyone.

I can't take melatonin even in the tiniest of dose. Tried it and within about 30 minutes I got extreme case of vertigo...horrible vertigo and it lasted through part of the morning the next day.
Dizziness is a known side effect.

I know it works well for a number of people and I am always for anything that works for a person but if someone hasn't ever taken it....just be careful and read up on the potential side effects.

I've taken melatonin before, but it was a long time ago, even before CPAP. I will start with a low dose, though, as I know from experience with other meds that just because it didn't bother me before doesn't mean it won't now. Sleep doc suggested it, so I'm going to give it a try.

LSAT wrote:Different doses for different problems..... From Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplem ... b-20059770

I take half of a 3mg tablet. Hard to find low dose tablets in the pharmacy.

Great site, LSAT. Sleep doc told me to take 6 mg, but I'm sure not starting out that high!

I get .3mg (300mcg) melatonin tablets off of Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G ... UTF8&psc=1

That's the recommended "starting" dose that I see on the internet (so it must be true *smile*), and it seems to help me go back to sleep when I wake up after that first block of sleep, 5-6 hours. No problems after about 5 years, but I'm always looking out for issues.

To sleep I sometimes take a 25mg Benadryl. I used to always take 50mg as suggested on the box, but I recently realized that 25 works the same and the grogginess is less severe and shorter in duration. I have also read that tart cherry juice can help. I got some at TraderJoes and it worked a little, but the taste was nasty.

fredster wrote:To sleep I sometimes take a 25mg Benadryl. I used to always take 50mg as suggested on the box, but I recently realized that 25 works the same and the grogginess is less severe and shorter in duration. I have also read that tart cherry juice can help. I got some at TraderJoes and it worked a little, but the taste was nasty.

I've heard bad things about Benadryl related to dementia. But I believe that was based on daily usage. Something to look into, though, I suppose. The active ingredient of Benadryl relative to sleep (diphenhydramine) is also in the "PM" drugs, like Tylenol PM, etc.