MELATONIN
Place in Therapy
Place in therapy
Although melatonin has been used and validated for a variety of other uses, there is only preliminary evidence for its use in smoking cessation. Early research has shown that a low dose melatonin taken 3.5 hours after smoking cessation can reduce withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, impatience, feeling angry, and craving for cigarettes. The beneficial effect shown is only short-term and the long-term impact of melatonin on the success of smoking cessation is unknown. The use of melatonin in the daytime is also limited by the potential side effects such as drowsiness / hypnotic effect and the potential to shift the circadian rhythm. There may be role of using melatonin for insomnia associated with nicotine withdrawal as it would be a safer alternative to other hypnotic medications such as benzodiazepines. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using melatonin in smoking cessation.
References
1. Melatonin. WebMD. Last Updated July 7, 2012. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-940-melatonin.aspx?activeIngredientId=940&activeIngredientName=melatonin&source=1
2. MedlinePlusMelatonin. MedlinePlus. Bethesda (MD). Last Updated June 7, 2012. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/940.html#References.
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Although melatonin has been used and validated for a variety of other uses, there is only preliminary evidence for its use in smoking cessation. Early research has shown that a low dose melatonin taken 3.5 hours after smoking cessation can reduce withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, impatience, feeling angry, and craving for cigarettes. The beneficial effect shown is only short-term and the long-term impact of melatonin on the success of smoking cessation is unknown. The use of melatonin in the daytime is also limited by the potential side effects such as drowsiness / hypnotic effect and the potential to shift the circadian rhythm. There may be role of using melatonin for insomnia associated with nicotine withdrawal as it would be a safer alternative to other hypnotic medications such as benzodiazepines. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using melatonin in smoking cessation.
References
1. Melatonin. WebMD. Last Updated July 7, 2012. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-940-melatonin.aspx?activeIngredientId=940&activeIngredientName=melatonin&source=1
2. MedlinePlusMelatonin. MedlinePlus. Bethesda (MD). Last Updated June 7, 2012. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/940.html#References.
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