melatonin as an antifibrotic

[merryBe]

I don't know when I first read of Melatonin's benefits to the liver.
It was about when HR was explaining liver funtions that I went reading and discovered that the reason HCV people didn't sleep well was due to not enough HGH from the pituitary and not enough melatonin from the liver whih leads to poor sleep, tongue swelling and sleep apneas.
Anyway I was already on HGH and added melatonin to my regime.

However, here' another study suggesting that melatonin is an antioxidant and reduced fibrosis and several key oxidative markers in rats. Ergo it should help us as well.....with more than just sleep.

apologies if someone already posted this study, I've not been around much lately.

http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/15/1452.asp

[franke566]

I just got off the phone with my hep-doc after reading the post about Melatonin yesterday
and he agrees it helps w sleep and can elevate platelets-in fact people who are on high levels of radiation and Chemo are benefitting . UT MD Anderson-one of the leading Cancer institutes in the nation is starting a study and he is a fellow there and asked me if I would like to talk to him about starting a low dose when I see him on the 21st because my platelets are low.  I just love this Forum!  Before I found it I was just spinning in the dark!

[newleaf09]

I like it.  And better sleep too?  I'm headed to the drugstore.

[JennyPenny]

I wasn't aware of all the other benefits.  
............................................
Just because it seemed to have a benefit in rats, that does not translate to a benefit in people. You must be very careful with those assumptions. They can be dangerous, especially to liver or kidney patients.

[merryBe]

wow, thanks for that info...that's really a benefit to be sure!

So glad you two are hanging in there.

I'm not sure I'd worry about Joe not making his own. Taking breaks would make sense, if a persons liver were normal, but Joes liver is far from normal and so we know he will not be making enough on his own. So I'd suggest he stay on it...the platlet level alone should be making that very clear.

I think it would vary from person to person how much to take. For me, I get headaches when I take too much. Even when on no other sleep aides and way before diagnosis I had this problem with Melatonin, but that doesn't mean everyone will.

I wish HR were around to expound on this subject.

Maybe I can find out how much melatonin a normal liver makes eah day...then we can all adjust our by a formula based on our lower outputs depending on our stage...joke..
...like that'll ever happen....just me fantasizing about an ideal world giggle...

I'm really humbled by how wondefully you've been caring for Joe all these years,
you really are an inspiration, not to mention knowledgable

[Lynno711]

Thanks for the info.  Have used Melatonin for sleep since I started tx. 10mg.

I wasn't aware of all the other benefits.  

Thanks again - Lynne

[evangelin]

I have a bit to add to this topic.  I started giving Joe high doses of melatonin a year or so ago to help his low platelets.  I knew his platelets in the 40's were too low to to retreat and I had read on Life extension Foundation's website that some Doctors were using it in high doses to keep up platlets in their cancer patients.  I started giving him 10 mg. with no obvious ill effects and his platlets did seem to rise a little.  They were 63 when he started treating a year and 1 month ago and they remained in good shape until a couple of months after I had stopped giving him melatonin.  His platlets didn't plunge, they just slowly sunk .At the end of May they were at 48 so I decided to get melatonin going again.  It comes in 10 mg. tablets and this time I gave him 2 every night.  He is exhausted and sleeps alot from the the tx drugs but didn't seem any worse after starting this regime.  His platlets came back today at 83!  This is the best Joe has had in a very long time.  I can't remember exactly why I stopped giving them to him when I did.  20 mg. caused a bigger and faster rise than the 10 but 10 was probably enough so at some point here I will  back him  down to 10mg. and stay there until he stops treating.  I think I read somewhere that it is a good idea to take breaks from using it so your body doesn't stop producing its own.  I don't know if this is a valid concern or not.
Ev