Hashimoto's and Melatonin?

[Locarb4me]

Hi Pam,
I saw your comment in another thread that Hashi's patients should not take melatonin, but I can't find any corroboration on the net for that.

Reminders: I am post menopausal, taking BHRT, and 120 mg of Armour's a day split. I also have been taking 5 mg of melatonin for the past 6 months (upped it from 3mg about 2 months ago) because I have problems staying asleep. I also take 100 mg 5-HTP along with the melatonin at bedtime.

Am I causing myself some problems? TIA

[nonstickpam107]

For those whose Hashimoto's disease is presenting with antibody attacks, melatonin can really up the attacks. For those whose Hashimoto's has destroyed the thyroid gland itself (mine on ultrasound looks like a little shriveled up walnut) already, it may be ok. It tends to aggravate the antibody reactions in early stages.

Pam

[Iffy336]

ooooh good to know - I'm not sure where my thyroid is at size wise but I'm glad I didn't buy the melatonin. I really don't need it to get destroyed any faster than it is at the moment.

[mattie jo]

this is what I found on it:

Melatonin Article|Melatonin Information

All women, in particular those who had shown individual low night levels of melatonin in their saliva, had a very remarkable improvement of latent and unsuspected conditions of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism). In-fact, we observed a significant increase of the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronin (T3) in all women independently from their night levels of melatonin and to a minor extent of its precursor thyroxin (T4) only in women with medium and low endogenous levels of melatonin (Table 4). The effect of melatonin does not depend on pituitary TSH (thyrotropin stimulating hormone) but on the direct effect of melatonin on the thyroid gland (conversion of T4 into T3, the active hormone).

In the course of six months, evening administration of 3mg melatonin produced a clear-cut decrement in blood of the pituitary hormone LH (which increases progressively in the course of aging). This was most noticeable in the younger women (43 to 49 years of age). Therefore, the recovery of pituitary function to a more juvenile pattern of regulation is more pronounced and rapid in younger women (Figure 4a and 4b). This equaled to an arrest and even a reversal of brain aging and restoration of reproductive functions in the women taking evening melatonin

As a confirmation of a restoration of thyroid and sexual functions consequent to the evening use of melatonin, seven women, at 2 and more years after onset of menopause (complete interruption of the menstrual cycle), have now reacquired a normal and physiological menstrual cyclici

[CherryCola]

Nooo!!! Melatonin has been the only thing (besides prescription meds) that help me sleep!

Is there an alternative? I've read good things about GABA - and interestingly one of the GABA supps I almost bought included L-Tyrosine but I also get conflicting info on Tyrosine and thyroid anyway.

[Locarb4me]

Wow, that's good news and bad.

Melatonin has helped me sleep for a while too. Bad news is, I was making myself worse and had no clue.

Now I know. Thank you!!!!

[mattie jo]

did anyone read my post on how good melatonin is for hashimotos?

[nonstickpam107]

Well, as long as you have clinical proof that it doesn't raise antibody reaction (I've not ever seen any clinical proof..except that it DOES raise TPO antibodies) then we'd all love to see it. Many thyroid doctors won't allow a Hashimoto's patient with high antibodies to use melatonin until the antibodies go 'down' when the thyroid is completely 'dead' from antibody attack.

Pam

[Iffy336]

Does anyone know of a safe alternative to melatonin for those with Hashimoto's?

[nonstickpam107]

Iffy, is your Hashimoto's a new case with high TPO antibodies? Actually, the reason I started lifting weights (beyond building muscle and looking leaner, heh heh) was to be able to sleep well. And it works like a charm.

And your sex hormones have a lot to do with how you sleep/feel too, they must be in balance with your thyroid.

I say if, as an individual, the melatonin isn't increasing your antibody attacks (TPO's ), and you feel ok with it, than so be it. We're all individuals, and I only 'warn' about melatonin because I've had over 50 endo's, NP's and DO's have patients that reacted to it (who have Hashi's). And lots of email from patients who had less than good results with it. I don't ever recommend anything for 'everyone'. We're all individuals.

Pam

[Locarb4me]

Originally Posted by mattie jo

did anyone read my post on how good melatonin is for hashimotos?

Please do post a link! I would like to see it.

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

<snipped>
I say if, as an individual, the melatonin isn't increasing your antibody attacks (TPO's ), and you feel ok with it, than so be it. We're all individuals, and I only 'warn' about melatonin because I've had over 50 endo's, NP's and DO's have patients that reacted to it (who have Hashi's). And lots of email from patients who had less than good results with it. I don't ever recommend anything for 'everyone'. We're all individuals.

Pam

Pam, how do you know the melatonin is increasing your antibody attacks? Is this something you can tell symptom-wise or only by labs?

[Iffy336]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

Iffy, is your Hashimoto's a new case with high TPO antibodies? Actually, the reason I started lifting weights (beyond building muscle and looking leaner, heh heh) was to be able to sleep well. And it works like a charm.

And your sex hormones have a lot to do with how you sleep/feel too, they must be in balance with your thyroid.

I say if, as an individual, the melatonin isn't increasing your antibody attacks (TPO's ), and you feel ok with it, than so be it. We're all individuals, and I only 'warn' about melatonin because I've had over 50 endo's, NP's and DO's have patients that reacted to it (who have Hashi's). And lots of email from patients who had less than good results with it. I don't ever recommend anything for 'everyone'. We're all individuals.

Pam

I was dx with Hashi's in 2002 and had extremely high antibodies back then both in the 1000's or 2000's - there were the 2 antibodies that I took and I don't have the lab results in front of me so I don't remember exact numbers.

I will have to get a better weight lifting routine and see if that helps with the sleep too and the leaner look and building muscles

I'm not sure if my sex hormones are out of whack or not. They were tested a couple of years ago but nothing was out of the norm but if there is something that I should look for please let me know and I will dig them out and look at them and or also have my GP do lab work on that when I go next month.

[nonstickpam107]

Originally Posted by Locarb4me

Please do post a link! I would like to see it.



Pam, how do you know the melatonin is increasing your antibody attacks? Is this something you can tell symptom-wise or only by labs?

I've been a 'test subject/clinical trial subject' for a number of years...and yes, it used specific labs to track it. But many patients have responded by becoming much more hypo and having symptoms of antibody attacks using melatonin while in the process of high TPO antibodies.

Pam

[nonstickpam107]

Originally Posted by Iffy336

I was dx with Hashi's in 2002 and had extremely high antibodies back then both in the 1000's or 2000's - there were the 2 antibodies that I took and I don't have the lab results in front of me so I don't remember exact numbers.

I will have to get a better weight lifting routine and see if that helps with the sleep too and the leaner look and building muscles

I'm not sure if my sex hormones are out of whack or not. They were tested a couple of years ago but nothing was out of the norm but if there is something that I should look for please let me know and I will dig them out and look at them and or also have my GP do lab work on that when I go next month.

Tests done two years ago won't help. Low progesterone and estradiol unbalanced will really interfere with thyroid. Low progesterone in hypothyroid females is a leading cause of not being able to sleep. Lots of thyroid docs do BHRT too...replacing unbalanced/low sex hormones works well for many.

Pam

[Iffy336]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

Tests done two years ago won't help. Low progesterone and estradiol unbalanced will really interfere with thyroid. Low progesterone in hypothyroid females is a leading cause of not being able to sleep. Lots of thyroid docs do BHRT too...replacing unbalanced/low sex hormones works well for many.

Pam

Okay - thanks! I will make a note to take to dr to request this when I go to see her. Thanks again!