Melatonin Dosage Calculator

Are you in need of a simple tool that can display the correct recommended doses of melatonin for a wide range of indications? If so, you’ll find our Melatonin Dosage Calculator very useful. It is a very simple and easy to use. Try it by following the simple steps outlined below.

About Our Melatonin Dosage Calculator.

BigPharmOnline’s Melatonin Dosage Calculator is a simple and very user-friendly tool programmed to display the recommended doses for certain conditions.

The dosages displayed by the tool are in line with those recommended and used by a good number of physicians [1]. 

To see these doses, all you need to do is select a specific indication from the dropdown on the calculator, click the calculate dose button, and watch the magic happen. 

The dosages used by our calculator were sourced from Medscape, a renowned drug and health information resource for health professionals, and are as follows:

1. Benzodiazepine Withdrawal in Elderly with Insomnia: 2 mg controlled-release melatonin pill to be taken by mouth every night at bedtime for up to 6 months. The doses are to be tapered over 6 weeks.
2. Cancer, Adjunctive Therapy: 10-50 mg of melatonin pill to be taken by mouth in a day.
3. Cluster Headache, Prevention: Take 10 mg of melatonin to be taken by mouth every night at bedtime.
4. Migraine Headache: 3 mg of melatonin to be taken by mouth every night at bedtime.
5. Insomnia (Difficulty falling asleep): 5 mg of melatonin to be taken orally at least 3 to 4 hours before sleep period for 4 weeks.
6. Insomnia (Difficulty maintaining sleep): 5 mg controlled-release melatonin pill to be taken orally at least 3 to 4 hours before sleep period for 4 weeks.
7. Thrombocytopenia, Chemo-related: 20 mg of melatonin to be taken by mouth every night at bedtime.
8. Jet Lag (Eastbound): 0.5 – 5mg taken orally for 2 days before the flight, and then continued for 4 days after arrival, at bedtime.
9. Jet Lag (Westbound): 0.5 – 5mg taken orally for 4 days after arrival, at bedtime.
10. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: 5 mg of melatonin to be taken by mouth every night at bedtime.
11. Nicotine Withdrawal: 0.3 mg of melatonin to be taken orally three and a half hours after stopping smoking.
12. Winter Depression: 0.125 mg taken orally two times a day.
13. Tardive Dyskinesia: 10 mg controlled-release melatonin tablets to be taken orally each day.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the pineal gland of the body. It is the hormone responsible for regulating what is described as your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm if we must sound a bit more technical.

The body’s internal clock is what determines when to sleep and when to wake up. This action is believed to be controlled by melatonin. The level of melatonin increases as the day moves towards dark hours and reaches its peak at night. This is what signals to the body that it is time to go to sleep.

Similarly, as we move towards the bright hours of the day, the level of melatonin in the body starts to decrease and is diminished in the morning hours. This tells the body that it is time to wake up from sleep. 

So in essence, melatonin level increases in the dark but decreases under the light. The body makes an average amount of 0.1 to 0.9 milligrams (mg) of melatonin a day [2]. This quantity is usually sufficient to regulate sleep. 

When it falls below this level, sleep disorders can set in. To fix that and restore normal sleeping patterns, melatonin has to be introduced into the body to augment the insufficient amount made by the body.

Melatonins are marketed as supplements and as such are not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means it is available over-the-counter and can be ordered online or from a pharmacy. 

Melatonin can be made from animals, microorganisms, or synthetically in the lab. Most of the commercially available melatonin is synthetic.

Reasons for Taking Melatonin

Melatonin though popular for its use in the treatment of sleepless has other use cases. These use cases include:

1. Alzheimer’s disease – Neurodegenerative disorder causing dementia. Melatonin has been found to slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease [3].
2. Benzodiazepine or nicotine withdrawal – Withdrawal symptoms when stopping certain medications or substances.
3. Headache & Migraines – Preventing recurring chronic headaches or migraines
4. Insomnia – Chronic inability to fall or stay asleep [4].
5. Jet lag – Disruption of circadian rhythms caused by rapid travel across time zones
6. Shift-work disorder – Disturbance of normal sleep pattern due to working shifts or unusual hours.
7. Sleep disorders – Conditions disrupting the ability to properly sleep [4].
8. Cancer (adjunctive treatment) – Supplemental treatment in combination with other cancer therapies [5].
9. Thrombocytopenia (chemo-induced) – Low blood platelet count due to chemotherapy.
10. Winter depression – Depression triggered by changing seasons typically causing oversleeping and overeating.
11. Tardive dyskinesia – Disorder causing involuntary body movements due to long-term use of certain medications.

Side Effects of Melatonin

Melatonin is usually well tolerated when used as recommended. When it does cause side effects, they are usually mild and often on short-term use. Some of these mild side effects include:

• Drowsiness
• Increased bedwetting 
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Agitation

Side effects owing to long-term use of melatonin are not known [6]. Talk to your doctor if you intend to use melatonin for a long period. 

Combining melatonin with good habits like turning off the light, avoiding phone use close to bedtime, and avoiding watching TV around bedtime can also foster good sleep.

References

1. Medscape: Melatonin (Herb/Suppl). Retrieved 13th December, 2023.
2. Minich DM, Henning M, Darley C, Fahoum M, Schuler CB, Frame J. Is melatonin the “next vitamin D”? : a review of emerging science, clinical uses, safety, and dietary supplements. Nutrients. 2022;14(19):3934. doi:10.3390/nu14193934
3. Lin L, Huang Q-X, Yang S-S, Chu J, Wang J-Z, Tian Q. Melatonin in Alzheimer’s Disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2013; 14(7):14575-14593. Doi: 10.3390/ijms140714575
4. Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH (2013) Meta-Analysis: Melatonin for the Treatment of Primary Sleep Disorders. PLOS ONE 8(5): e63773. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063773
5. Reiter RJ, Rosales-Corral SA, Tan DX, Acuna-Castroviejo D, Qin L, Yang SF, Xu K. Melatonin, a Full Service Anti-Cancer Agent: Inhibition of Initiation, Progression and Metastasis. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Apr 17;18(4):843. doi: 10.3390/ijms18040843. PMID: 28420185; PMCID: PMC5412427.
6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Melatonin: What You Need To Know. Retrieved 2023 Dec 13.