You are here: Q&A->
Page 42->Melatonin restrictions
Melatonin restrictions
I often use melatonin to help ease jet lag when I travel through different time zones and it really does work so can you please tell me why I have to get my supplies from America, where it is readily available in any drug store, and why I cannot buy it over-the-counter here?
Melatonin is the hormone that controls the sleep cycle and the fact that this is a hormone is the reason you cannot buy it over the counter in the UK, where the Medicine & Herbs Regulatory Authority (MHRA) – formerly the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) - does not approve the sale of any hormonal supplements.
The regulations governing the sale of supplements in America are controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not the same as here or other parts of Europe which, of course, only adds to the confusion for consumers of what is safe and what is not. You can ask your doctor for a prescription - but any health store that supplied it here would be breaking the law.
Hormones are, in effect, the body’s chemical messengers and thus, are highly sensitive which means even small changes in hormone levels can have a dramatic impact on the body. This is why, if you do use melatonin for jet lag or sleep problems, you need only a small dose of 2mg. You must not take melatonin with other prescription medicines and if you do take it, you should not drive or use machinery for at least five hours after your dose.
For those who cannot source this supplement from America, I recommend taking a step back in the biochemistry of the brain and using another supplement, 5-hydroxytryptophan or 5-HTP which will act as a precursor for the manufacture of another hormone, serotonin, that the body then uses to make melatonin which is released from the pineal gland in the brain. Higher Nature’s Serotone 5-HTP supplement costs £8.10 for 30 capsules. Mail order on 0845-330012.