Melatonin causing depression

[WackoSirJacko]

Hi, first post,

Been on a proper 3 month cycle of difficulty sleeping after I had a nervous breakdown in November. I've always had anxiety and been on 20mg paroxetine since I was 18. I'm 40 now. Im on 40mg now due to this apart from a couple of weeks mid Jan when I thought is was getting better and going down to 35mg stupidly.

I hate zopiclone and only ever took as little as possible and only at rediculous times like 3am if I hadn't fallen asleep. Evil things and they never gave me restful sleep anyway.

Anyway, two weeks ago my Doc prescribed me 2mg Circadin (melatonin slow release) off label. Amazingly gave me a very tired but relaxing drift into some good sleep. i noticed I was a little down though a few mornings. I don't normally get depressed, it's normally just anxiety. A week after I started taking it I had panics at work (been off work and in sporadically) now I'm really depressed at the start of the day getting incrementally better around 7pm. It feels like you do before paroxetine kicks in, but then I'm far calmer at night. Last 2 nights I've taken half a tablet which arguably has improved my mood a little.

I've seen mixed reports of melatonin causing short term depression. Docs say there's no reaction but this is a big coincidence. There is notes of possible reactions with antidpressents but none specifically for paroxetine.Has anyone else had similar problems with melatonin or Circadin?

[Girl18]

I've been taking 3mg melatonin every night for the past year and I've never experienced a mood drop or depression. I do notice I get very vivid dreams though! Without melatonin I toss and turn for an hour and sometimes even more.

[WackoSirJacko]

Thanks for the response. Are you on any anti depressants as well? I'm thinking of the reaction.

[Bigboyuk]

Are you taking any natural remedies to help you to sleep at night? Think they may well help you As there is nothing like a good nights sleep to help the brain recover Sorry to hear about your nervous break down I nearly had one my self but sort help through a organisation called Changes feel a lot better now even though I had to miss a few meetings due to having 2 colds, the first one being the worst ever cold I have had As for reducing or increasing any meds you take its always best to seek advice from your Gp in some case it will be fine depending each persons problems and conditions etc
The only way is up from now in your recovery I wish you well on that road and welcome to NMP!!

[WoodChucker]

I've been taking 3mg melatonin every night for the past year and I've never experienced a mood drop or depression. I do notice I get very vivid dreams though! Without melatonin I toss and turn for an hour and sometimes even more.

Most docs say you shouldn't take it for more than 3 weeks bc it can mess with your hormonal system.

[WackoSirJacko]

Thanks Bigboy and Woodchucker.

Melatonin definitely affected my mood. I can't try many supplements because of my paroxetine. Not tried magnesium yet, anybody used it?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Not tried magnesium yet, anybody used it?

Magnesium supplementation has some grey areas we all need to understand otherwise we may dismiss it as useless without realising we are even dosing it properly. I've put some info in this thread:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthr...ight=magnesium

There is more info if you follow my links in that thread and from the thread that takes you to into some useful info from other forums.

I think the thread it takes you to (Duloxetine board) has some links to other threads that were useful for me to understand some of it from those on here who had used it.