Is There Any Downside To Taking Melatonin? I Take 10

Posted on Thu, 15 Nov 2018

Question: Is there any downside to taking Melatonin? I take 10 mg every night. It helps me go to sleep and go back to sleep when I am awakened by a bathroom urge, sometimes twice a night. I have read where since melatonin is a natural substance there is no worry. But I have also read where 1 mg is recommended.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Safe long term dose of melatonin is 1-5 mg.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Ask a doctor forum.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, you are right.
Since melatonin is natural substance, it is safe when taken for long term.
But safe dose is 1-5 mg per day.
So try to reduce the dose of melatonin to 5 mg.
Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (21 hours later)

You say it is safe for long term use but recommend a dosage of 1-5 mg. That seems slightly contradictive. That is, why the lower dose if it is safe.? And what happens with the 10 mg dosage? Is it more apt to be addictive or will it harm something or perhaps it is not known yet what may be the consequences and a lower dose is always a good practice.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (22 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, you are right. It is safe for long term use in dosage between 1-5 mg.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Ask a doctor forum.
I can understand your concern.
Melatonin is safe for long term use in dosage between 1-5 mg.
So if you take 5 mg for longer duration, it won't harm you.
But if you take 10 "mg for longer period, it can cause drug dependence (habit forming).
Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad