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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Chronic CH & Melatonin
        
(Message started by: dougW on Feb 14^th, 2002, 10:59am)

Title: Chronic CH & Melatonin
Post by dougW on Feb 14^th, 2002, 10:59am

As reported on Medscape today. There is a lot of info out there on Melatoin, I'm in the process of compiling a list.

Doug Wright

Chronic Cluster Headache May Resolve With Melatonin Treatment

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Preventive treatment with melatonin provided complete relief in two patients with long-standing chronic cluster headache, clinicians at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia report.
Drs. Mario F. P. Peres and Todd D. Rozen describe the cases in the December issue of Cephalalgia. Both patients experienced daily and nightly headache that began within 40 minutes to an hour after falling asleep.

The first patient, a 38-year-old man with a 20-year history of headaches, had been experiencing approximately six headaches per day for at least 10 months a year. As the authors discuss, remission had never lasted longer than 14 days.

After the patient had tried steroid tapers, valproic acid, verapamil and lithium, the authors started him on a dose of melatonin 9 mg daily at bed time. After 2 days, the headaches disappeared for the duration of the 6 months' follow-up.

The second patient was 40 years old with an 8-year history of excruciating headaches 3 times a day. Like the first patient, he had experienced no headache-free periods lasting longer than 2 weeks. The authors documented that the 9-mg daily dose of melatonin resulted in remission for 8 months.

Drs. Peres and Rozen note that this is the first report of chronic cluster headache responding to melatonin, and that both nocturnal and daytime cluster attacks were prevented.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Rozen, who is currently affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, claimed that "melatonin is completely underused."

"The average dose of verapamil required is above 700 mg, more than the PDR recommends," he said. "With Depakote, we often need 2000 mg. So if we can use an agent like melatonin that is so benign, that is a real plus."

While the two patients described here continued using the preventive agent they were previous prescribed, "I've found patients who respond to melatonin alone," Dr. Rozen noted. In other patients, the dosage of the prophylactic agent could be cut in half.

He advises that melatonin be the first line of treatment for cluster headaches, both episodic and chronic. He has also found success in using melatonin to treat some migrainous headaches, hypnic headache, delayed sleep phase headache and seasonal hemicrania continua.

Cephalgia 2001;21:993-995.

Title: Re: Chronic CH & Melatonin
Post by Shelley on Feb 14^th, 2002, 9:48pm

Just like so many things....some have reported results like the article. Around here, it went into the dust bin with so many other things.

Title: Re: Chronic CH & Melatonin
Post by HowardS on Feb 15^th, 2002, 5:51pm

I am convinced that Melatonin triggered my CHs. Of course, I was abusing Melatonin, taking it for about 3 months....

The moment I stopped taking Melatonin the cluster headache cycle ended!!!

Title: Similarities between melatonin and psilocin
Post by pinksharkmark on Feb 15^th, 2002, 7:06pm

Interesting to read that study. Pretty small sample size, though... just two patients. Still, it makes sense to me that melatonin could work -- the chemical formula of melatonin is C₁₃H₁₆N₂O₂, while the formula for psilocin is C₁₂H₁₆N₂0.

Their 3-dimensional structure is strikingly similar as well. See:

http://www.erowid.org/cgi-bin/chem_compare/chem_compare.cgi?LM=_pl_mushrooms_ia_psilocin_3d_mid.jpg&RM=_sm_melatonin_ia_melatonin_2d.gif

Thanks for the link.

pinky

Title: Re: Chronic CH & Melatonin
Post by Margi on Feb 15^th, 2002, 7:13pm

Wow!! Very cool! Trust Professor Pinky to find this commonality.

The one and only time Mike took melatonin (which is illegal in Canada, go figure), he had an attack within 20 minutes. But I think it might be worth trying again - maybe that attack was going to happen anyways.

Hmmm....it actually makes a lot of sense that they are similar in chemical structure. I wonder why one promotes sleep, though, and the other one almost prevents it (for awhile, anyways).

Title: Re: Chronic CH & Melatonin
Post by MOB on Feb 19^th, 2002, 2:23am

Thanks once again DougW :)

It's nice to know you are still out there looking out for us :D

Hope you are well ?

Best Wishes,

Michael (MOB) 8)