The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7169 p506-509
13 October 2001

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Letters to the Editor

Nutraceuticals

New melatonin information

From Dr G. B. Lockwood, MRPharmS, and Ms L. Rapport, MRPharmS

With reference to our paper (PDF* 65K) entitled “Nutraceuticals: (8) Melatonin” (PJ, 30 June, p898), we would like to draw readers’ attention to recently published data1 unavailable when this article was written. A recent Cochrane review assessed nine trials comparing melatonin with placebo and one which compared it with the hypnotic zolpidem.

In nine out of the 10 trials, melatonin decreased jet lag, resulting from crossing five or more time zones, when taken close to the desired bedtime at the destination (10pm to midnight). A dose of 0.5mg was comparable to 5mg in effect, but sleep was of faster onset and better quality with the 5mg dose. A dose of 2mg S/R melatonin was less effective than the simple formulation giving a short-lived higher peak concentration of melatonin. The time of dosing was important since, if taken at the wrong time, melatonin can cause a delay in adaptation to local time.

The safety profile was high in these trials and the authors concluded that melatonin can safely be recommended for adults travelling across five or more time zones, particularly for those who have previously experienced jet lag, but not for children because neither beneficial effects nor safety have been investigated in them.

G. B. Lockwood
L. Rapport
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
University of Manchester

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