Melatonin as a way to prevent seizures in your sleep

[forward2007]

Has anyone noticed Melatonin reducing their number of seizures in their sleep? I read in a book and online it can reduce the number of seizures someone has. I noticed once I started taking Melatonin, GABA, and Taurine right before bed the seizures I was having in my sleep completely stopped.

 

[epileric]

I just posted in another thread how melatonin had greatly increased the frequency of my seizures but they were much less intense but also much longer.

Did you start taking the melatonin, GABA and Taurine all at the same time? If so it might be just one or a combination of 2 of those supplements helping your seizures.

 

[forward2007]

I'd read online some claims of Melatonin increasing seizures but most info said it reduced the number of seizures. Taurine and GABA and Melatonin are listed in a book on partial seizures as having "anti-seizure properties".

 

[Chel]

I was going to pursue this with my doctor on Monday, as my nocturnal seizures have started again, so will be interested in the responses to this thread.

 

[epileric]

Taurine and GABA and Melatonin are listed in a book on partial seizures as having "anti-seizure properties".

Do you mind if I ask who the author is?

 

[Endless]

I don't have a personal opinion. But here's some info from the web.

One study showed that melatonin may reduce seizures in some children, while another found that the risk of seizures increased measurably with melatonin.

NIH

MELATONIN *
Case reports of seizures made worse

University of Washington Regional Epilepsy Center

That last one is a good place to check out any alternative medicine for epilepsy.

Epilepsy. There is some evidence that melatonin at bedtime may reduce the number and length of seizures in children with epilepsy. But melatonin should be used cautiously, because melatonin may increase the number of seizures in some people.

Medline

In a small study of children with severe neurological disorders, melatonin was associated with increased and/or new onset of seizures. One patient experienced an increase in seizure activity within 13 days of melatonin initiation. Three other patients experienced new onset or increased seizure frequency. Once melatonin was discontinued, seizure activity returned to baseline levels. Upon rechallenging with low-dose melatonin, seizures reappeared with a subsequent disappearance upon discontinuation. 108 Thus, cautious use is warranted in children with severe neurological disorders.

Drugs.com

It has been suggested that melatonin may lower seizure threshold and increase the risk of seizure, particularly in children with severe neurologic disorders. However, multiple other studies actually report reduced incidence of seizure with regular melatonin use. This remains an area of controversy. Patients with seizure disorder taking melatonin should be monitored closely by a healthcare professional.

Mayo Clinic

Sounds like the jury is still out on Melatonin. So who knows if it will help you or not? One thing I would do is call your neuro and tell him you are going to start taking it. Then carefully log everything in your seizure journal. If you have even one more seizure than usual quit the melatonin.

 

[forward2007]

Do you mind if I ask who the author is?

Hi. The book is Partial Seizure Disprders by Mitzi Waltz. It talks about Melatonin as a sleep aid and says certain AED's reduce someone's amount of naturally produced Melatonin. It says Taurine and GABA can supress seizures. As Endless said some studies have said Melatonin can reduce the # of seizures and others have said it can increase them. I have NEVER had more seizures because of taking melatonin.

 

[RobinN]

Another conversation on the subject here:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/melatonin-11352/

 

[Meetz1064]

I am

one of those taking melatonin--but as a sleep aid because I have a cyst in the pineal gland. That's the gland that makes melatonin in the first place.

The reason I'm an insomniac is because of the lack of melatonin, due to the cyst. And what do we E patients need??

SLEEP!!!!!!:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: