So taking melatonin almost every night....

[a kennedy]

am wondering, does it have an effect when mixed with alcohol??? I have a few drinks a couple before dinner and one after dinner then take a melatonin pill to sleep. Wondering if my liver is having a problem with this drug???

[PJMcK]

1. Try this Wikipedia link

It's very detailed and informative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

In brief, melatonin is considered a supplement (as opposed to a drug) and it is sold over-the-counter in the U.S. It's efficacy is questionable but it has few side-effects, non of which appear to be serious. The article doesn't address any liver related issues so you shouldn't have a problem taking melatonin. (If you're concerned about your liver, think about your alcohol use.)

I've used melatonin with wildly mixed results. Sometimes it's a magic bullet and other times not so much.

[a kennedy]

2. Thanks......

[Laffy Kat]

6. I've also experienced mixed results.

It seems to work best when I am already very tired. I'm been trying to take melatonin instead of my usual Xanax dose before bed because it seems healthier. The fact that I am typing this at almost 2:00 a.m. tells you how well it's working, LOL.

[BillE]

3. It's never good to mix

alcohol with other drugs including melatonin. Alcohol reduces the effectiveness (either weakens or strengthens the affect). I checked google and it basically said the same thing.

[Rollo]

4. Melatonin has variable results...

Older people need higher dosages than youngsters. And according to the label on my bottle, it should be taken about 20 minutes before retiring.

I haven't needed to take any for a while, maybe because I tend to stay up at the computer until I get very sleepy. Then, to bed. But for a while I found it useful. Also, I'm a light drinker. One glass of wine max, usually with dinner.

[stevil]

5. I'm not an insomniac but I have trouble getting myself to sleep.

Since my childhood. Not a light sleeper at all, a tosser and turner. Lifelong. I take 3 mg overnight for a few weeks and take a break. It helps me get to sleep but what I do during the day defines the quality of the rest. A few drinks before dinner occasionally shouldn't really hurt. But I'm not a doctor.

[mnhtnbb]

7. My husband was prescribed melatonin

for sleep by a neurologist when he was given a possible diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia. Getting good sleep was considered the best way to extend the early stages of the disease.

He was also advised to limit his alcohol intake because alcohol interferes with sleep and particularly to refrain from alcohol after dinner.

Plus you need to consider what time you are having dinner in relation to the time you are going to bed. In other words, in order to minimize disruption of sleep, the last alcohol consumption should be at least several hours before bedtime.