Melatonin and Diabetes and Sleep...
 

There has just been a paper published showing melatonin receptors on the pancreas.

Please read this article~~ we will be seeing research now heating up in this area:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132138.php

Mrs. D.

Can you please translate this for me (in english). I tried to understand it all, but some of it, well, it's over my head.

I have type 2, my family descends from Italy & Spain (way back), and I've NEVER BEEN A GOOD SLEEPER. never.

Never slept through the night until one doctor gave me Ambien. Then I thought it was a gift.

None of my friends sleep through the night either. They are various ages, (all italian heritage), and many of them are on either pills or ativan and they STILL DON'T SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT.

some are type 2.

I have a good friend who is 77, very robust, but suffers from many anxieties. She is over 300 lbs and is NOT a diabetic.

She takes paxil, and antivan and DOES NOT SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. She gets up and tosses and turns.

I wonder why some of us (like Alan used to be BEFORE the PN). I wonder why some of us can put our heads on the pillow and zonk out. I have never been able to do this in my entire life.

Alan would often tell me "I think I'll take a ten minute nap".

He would sleep for ten minutes.

Then at night he could go to bed and sleep through the night.

then he got the PN, and now he takes Alprazolam which calms his peripheral nerves. He sleeps like a baby.

He is also weaning himself off (very slowly).

he now says he doesn't want to be on Alprazolam for the rest of his life. He knows to do this very carefully, bit by bit.

So far, he's doing good. He is now taking 1 mg at night (along with some melatonin).

I just wonder why some people don't need to take anything to sleep. Must be marvelous.

I guess they don't have much stress in their lives??

mel

Oh, by the way, did you get my PM asking about Neuragen?

Oh, I missed it...sorry...
 

The Neurogen has geranium oil in it. A specific type. We discussed this on the PN forum at length with Marlene too.

I don't think the St.John's wort is necessary.

On that thread, you can search for it...I put up the
iherb oil that I thought might work.

The essence of the melatonin article is that somehow
the receptor for melatonin on the pancreas keeps the blood sugar normal. They are suggesting future trials with it and we shall see. This is genetically driven, and also depends on B12 for synthesis. People with low B12 won't be making much melatonin.

It's been a life saver for me.

I would sleep maybe 2 or 3 hours of restless sleep. Rarely more than that. For years.

If my eyes would even slightly open when I rolled over and caught a sliver of light. I would be wide awake.

I take a very low dose. Fall asleep within 30 minutes. Sometimes I wish it was longer....I love to read before falling asleep. :p I can even get up and go to the bathroom and fall right back asleep.

I could never tolerate RX or even OTC sleep meds.

Well, since my last B-12 level was 2000, one would think I'd BE MAKING LOTS OF MELATONIN, right?

lol

I take two melatonins at night. Thank god for that.

Melody

When I take melatonin my eyes are puffy in the morning. Anyone else?

No, not me. Never had a problem.

thank goodness.
Mel

Dorrie:

Have you told your doctor about this.?

Melody

Well here's hoping you will be in dreamland soon!!!

Take care,

Melody

So.. for us insomniac feebleminds, is melatonin good for sleep?

Sleep is always a problem for me, I normally cant fall asleep until well passed midnight, then I wake several times before getting up at 6.

Before Diabetes I slept like the dead, in college I regularly slept through fire alarms in my dorm.

Now, I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I thought maybe because I had my blood sugars under control and had lost weight that I just had excess energy, but I also have PN and pain sometimes keeps me up.

Are you taking metformin for the diabetes?
Metformin depletes B12 and folic acid.

Are you a Type II diabetic? If so what drugs do you take?
Or are you Type I and use insulin?

B12 and some other supplements have been shown very helpful in diabetics of both types with neuropathy.

MethylB12 (the active form) is a cofactor in the enzyme that
makes melatonin from serotonin in the brain. So if B12 is low, you get little or any melatonin to help you sleep and regulate your circadian hormone cycles daily.
SSRI antidepressants, beta blockers for blood pressure and NSAIDs also affect melatonin status.

So while the basic answer is yes to your question, a better answer to is find out what is going on with you and fix THAT as well.

I am type II, I could not tolerate the Metformin because of Gastroparesis issues, so I manage with Insulin (Lantus 20u a day) Diet and excercise are the other thing I manage it with - I was getting to the gym 3 - 5 times a week before Motor Neuropathy made working out, hell just standing, to painful. I am getting an AFO soon to help with that and hopefully will be back in the gym or in a pool.

Aside from the Insulin, I take a daily multivitamin, B12, B6, ALA, Gabapentin 3600mg/day, and Cymbalta 90 mg/day, also a small aspirin. Occasionally Ibuprophen if muscle pain from strained muscles is to much to deal with.
I take Omerazole and Domperidone for the Gastroparesis.

It was funny, I was sitting with the older folks at a church potluck and they were all comparing how many pills they take a day, the most they could come up with was 17. I probably take double that amount.

For all the listed side effects of "May cause drowsiness" it never seems to happen at night when I want it too. Maybe I should try some melatonin.

I wonder if you were on antibiotics before this motor neuropathy manifested? Cipro or Levaquin, or Avelox?

I think you might benefit from acetyl carnitine. It works with ALA and improves mitochondria functions.
There is an improved version of ALA now called r-lipoic acid.
It is much more potent, in a lower dosage. Typically 100mg a day is enough. ALA itself requires high doses to work because some of it is inactive.

Another useful supplement is benfotiamine which is a version of thiamine.
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

I hope your dose of B12 is adequate..at least 1000mcg/day and preferably the methyl version.
There is an RX version of methyl B12/ activated B6 and activated folate called Metanx made for neuropathy. This may be very helpful for you.

Many regular vitamins are not in the active state when put into supplements. Some people lack the biological ability to convert them, so they suffer deficiency in the face of plenty.
Metanx is designed to help those. Your young age and progression suggest a unique problem you may have.
Genetic polymorphisms in methylation chemistry are inherited and can be treated more effectively by choosing ACTIVATED forms for the vitamins involved.

More here:
http://www.metanx.com/

Thanks for more detail on the vitamins and suppliments, I need to print out your reply next time I go to the store.

Wasnt on antibiotics, did have cortizone injections in my spine for back issues during lead up to finding out I was diabetic, I have wondered if those may have elevated my Blood sugars to a point where triggered stuff.