Problems in assessment of acute melatonin overdose
- PMID: 9114843
- DOI: 10.1097/00007611-199704000-00020
Problems in assessment of acute melatonin overdose
Abstract
Melatonin is sold in the United States as a dietary supplement and is promoted primarily as an aid for insomnia, stress, jet lag, and aging. Cases of acute poisoning have not been reported, partially because of problems in assessment of toxicity. We report the case of a 66-year-old man who became lethargic and disoriented after taking 24 mg melatonin to aid relaxation and sleep the evening before prostate surgery. He recovered uneventfully, and after the scheduled surgery he resumed his regular practice of taking 6 mg melatonin with prescription sedative drugs. Although melatonin is not regulated as a drug, it may interact with benzodiazepines, be antagonized by naloxone and flumazenil, and interact with melatonin receptors in the central nervous system and elsewhere in the body. Melatonin appears to be pharmacologically active and should not be considered a benign agent on overdose.
Similar articles
-
Pediatric zolpidem ingestion demonstrating zero-order kinetics treated with flumazenil.Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013 Nov;29(11):1204-6. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e3182aa139c. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013. PMID: 24196090
-
Jet lag: therapeutic use of melatonin and possible application of melatonin analogs.Travel Med Infect Dis. 2008 Jan-Mar;6(1-2):17-28. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2007.12.002. Epub 2008 Jan 28. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2008. PMID: 18342269 Review.
-
Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001520. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001520. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002. PMID: 12076414 Review.
-
Melatonin: interesting, but not miraculous.Prescrire Int. 1998 Dec;7(38):180-7. Prescrire Int. 1998. PMID: 10848053 Review.
-
Melatonin: therapeutic use in sleep disorders.Ann Pharmacother. 1997 Oct;31(10):1218-26. doi: 10.1177/106002809703101015. Ann Pharmacother. 1997. PMID: 9337448 Review.
Cited by
-
Case Report of Lethal Concentrations of the Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids Diphenhydramine and Melatonin.Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2023 May 16;44(3):227-30. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000833. Online ahead of print. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2023. PMID: 37195072 Free PMC article.
-
Exogenous Melatonin Directly and Indirectly Influences Sheep Oocytes.Front Vet Sci. 2022 May 26;9:903195. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.903195. eCollection 2022. Front Vet Sci. 2022. PMID: 35720845 Free PMC article.
-
Dietary Sources and Bioactivities of Melatonin.Nutrients. 2017 Apr 7;9(4):367. doi: 10.3390/nu9040367. Nutrients. 2017. PMID: 28387721 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Melatonin Natural Health Products and Supplements: Presence of Serotonin and Significant Variability of Melatonin Content.J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Feb 15;13(2):275-281. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.6462. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017. PMID: 27855744 Free PMC article.
-
Insomnia associated with valerian and melatonin usage in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey.Sleep. 2007 Jul;30(7):881-4. doi: 10.1093/sleep/30.7.881. Sleep. 2007. PMID: 17682659 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources