When you think of melatonin, you probably think of it as an all-natural sleep miracle.
But the same hormone that helps your body cycle down at night has another hidden benefit.
It’s also a potent pain reliever…
Especially if you suffer from the debilitating agony of migraine headaches.
Now if you’ve ever had a migraine, you know along with the crushing pain, there’s also intense nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to sound and light, mood swings, brain fog and trouble sleeping.
And you’re not alone.
Almost every year, more than 65 million Americans are brought to their knees by some form of migraine pain. Many of these throbbing headaches can last 10 days, a month or more.
Most doctors tell migraine patients to lie down in a dark room and take the prescription drug Imitrex. But this drug has terrible side effects including high blood pressure, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, mood changes and slurred speech.
This Big Pharma pill can even cause the very thing it was designed to treat — headaches!
But researchers recently discovered that same supplement you take to get a good night’s sleep can also stop the paralyzing pain of a migraine in its tracks.
A recent study published in the journal Headache reported that adults with chronic migraines have dramatically lower melatonin levels on the days they have a headache compared to the days they don’t.1
This supports earlier research that linked low levels of melatonin to migraines. That’s where supplements can help…
A breakthrough study published in the journal Neurology found that just 3 mg of melatonin slashed the number of migraine attacks by 50% in more than three quarters of patients.2
Researchers probed deeper and learned that melatonin acts on the pain-relieving opioid receptors in the brain. This initiates a decrease in pain sensations when
melatonin levels are high.But the hormone works in another way as well…
Melatonin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects that are similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen.3
Both NSAIDs and melatonin work by blocking the COX-2 enzyme that produces inflammatory chemicals in the body. But unlike these drugs, melatonin has no side effects because it doesn’t inhibit the COX-1 enzyme that protects your stomach lining.
But eliminating headache pain isn’t all this wonder hormone can do… Researchers have found that in addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, melatonin can:4,5,6,7,8
|
• Lower blood pressure |
• Treat brain injury following stroke |
|
• Speed up wound healing |
• Alleviate heartburn and stomach ulcers |
|
• Boost your immune system |
• Ease depression |
Prevent the Debilitating Pain of Migraines
I feel lucky that I’ve never experienced the severe pain of a migraine. But when patients come to me looking for relief, here’s what I recommend:
- Don’t lose out on the benefits by taking too much. When it comes to taking melatonin, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. Sometimes, my patients who have been taking melatonin for years will tell me it suddenly stopped working. The problem isn’t the supplement. It’s that they’re taking too much.
In fact, most melatonin supplements contain 10 mg of the hormone. At that dosage, it raises your blood level of melatonin to nearly 500 times what it should be. At the level, it either stops working — or even leads to insomnia. - Get the best kind of melatonin for better, faster results. I suggest using a liquid or spray melatonin. They’re faster-acting than the pills because they hit your bloodstream more quickly. I recommend taking no more than 0.3 mg (300 mcg) about a half hour before bedtime.
- Get an extra boost to eliminate migraines with magnesium. Scientists have linked certain types of migraines to problems with blood flow and pressure in the vessels. One of magnesium’s main jobs is to relax the blood vessels.
Studies have shown that 600 mg a day reduces migraines by up to 41%.9 I recommend taking between 600 mg and 1,000 mg of magnesium per day. Look for the glycinate or taurinate forms.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Gelfand AA and Goadsby PJ. “The role of melatonin in the treatment of primary headache disorders.” Headache. 2016;56(8):1257-1266.
2. Peres MF, et al. “Melatonin, 3 mg, is effective for migraine prevention.” Neurology. 2004;63(4):757.
3. Cuzzocrea S, et al. “Regulation of prostaglandin production in carrageenan-induced pleurisy by melatonin.” J Pineal Res. 1999;27(1):9-14.
4. Prado NJ, et al. “Anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin in obesity and hypertension.” Curr Hypertens Rep. 2018;20(5):45.
5. Pugazhenthi K, et al. “Melatonin accelerates the process of wound repair in full-thickness incisional wounds.” J Pineal Res. 2008;44(4):387-396.
6. Kilic E, et al. “Delayed melatonin administration promotes neuronal survival, neurogenesis and motor recovery, and attenuates hyperactivity and anxiety after mild focal cerebral ischemia in mice.” J Pineal Res. 2008;45(2):142-148.
7. Bandyopadhyay D, et al. “Melatonin protects against gastric ulceration and increases the efficacy of ranitidine and omeprazole in reducing gastric damage.” J Pineal Res. 2002;33(1):1-7.
8. Rosenthal NE, et al. “Melatonin in seasonal affective disorder and phototherapy.” J Neural Transm Suppl. 1986;21:257-267.
9. Peikert A, et al. “Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: Results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study.” Cephalalgia 1996;16(4):257-263.