Pain
★★★★★
Hi Jr,
Thank you very much for coming back to give feedback on how melatonin lotion(ML) helped relieve your pain after knee replacement surgery, when other pain relievers caused you tolerance problems and anxiety. Feedback is very helpful and appreciated! I'm glad you were able to get good results with ML and you are correct, better late than never!
Art
(America)
01/14/2025
Art, I am curious why you would rub the melatonin on the stomach area if it was for the knee pain? Thanks!
Hi Hollyhock,
Given how melatonin lotion is probably released after application, somewhat similarly to a patch after accumulating in the layers of the stratum corneum, it will eventually go to the blood and be dispersed over a period of 24 hours +/-. Given the heightened sensitivity they were experiencing from NSAIDS, I hoped it would deliver just enough melatonin to be of use. I have also gotten feedback that melatonin rubbed on the stomach can help soothe gastro discomfort and apparently the NSAIDS might have been causing such discomfort.
Art
Psoriasis and Hyperpigmentation
★★★★★
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/srt.13689
Here is a relevant study quote :
' Also a significant decrease of 35% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.74 (1.12)) and 51% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.31 (1.13)) in PASI score, and 40% (mean (SD) of 5.00 (1.58) to 3.00 (1.76))and 61% (mean (SD) of 5.00 (1.58) to 1.92 (1.71)) in DSS score on days 30 and 60 with melatonin cream, 5% w/w (P < 0.001) compared with baseline were observed, respectively. In each of the melatonin or rosuvastatin groups, DLQI improved significantly on days 30 (P < 0.0001) and 60 (P < 0.001) while the changes in the control group were not significant. '
I had already reported that it was synergistic with certain psoriasis medications in the list of 40 items (#34) and helped eczema of the scalp (#6) while other studies suggest it can be useful for atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions, as discussed here :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9967801/
Here is a relevant quote :
' It has cytoprotective, immunomodulatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Melatonin is also one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, directly acting on free radicals and the intracellular antioxidant enzyme system. Furthermore, it participates in antitumor activity, hypopigmentation processes in hyperpigmentary disorders, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating activity in inflammatory dermatoses, maintaining the integrity of the epidermal barrier and thermoregulation of the body. Due predominantly to its positive influence on sleep, melatonin can be used in the treatment of sleep disturbances for those with chronic allergic diseases accompanied by intensive itching (such as atopic dermatitis and chronic spontaneous urticaria). According to the literature data, there are also many proven uses for melatonin in photoprotection and skin aging (due to melatonin's antioxidant effects and role in preventing damage due to DNA repair mechanisms), hyperpigmentary disorders (e.g., melasma) and scalp diseases (such as androgenic alopecia and telogen effluvium). '
It seems that we are just scratching the surface of what melatonin lotion can do!
Art
Q&A
due to RA I go tru a litle bottle in no time, I want to make a big batch If I multiply the ingrediens by10 and use immersion stick mixer will that work?
I have A-FIB 24/7 and declined the meds. as I think the body is self regulating.
Have used a maintenace dose of nattokinase for decades and kept the arteries clean, have since changed to 5 caps of 100mg and added 2 caps o 120000 SU d.r. sarrapeptase usully during the nite.
also had in jan. 2018 an BOVINE CATHATER HEART VALVE INSTALLED.
beenfollowing EC posts daily for decates when TED was giving most of the advice.
Too bad that never the blood type is mentioned.
take care
Gerrit at 95
Hi Gerrit,
Thank you for answering the question of, "does melatonin lotion (ML) help rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain" as I wasn't positive whether it did or not as I have never had someone test it for that purpose until now! It worked for OA and PA, but I wasn't sure about RA. Can you tell me how you use it for RA and how it helps in your experience?
To answer your question, yes it will work, but always remember that you have to dissolve the melatonin powder in the gin, before adding the lotion or the finished product will be weak or not effective enough!
I don't mean to try and talk you out of using ML for your RA, but a potentially more effective and less expensive remedy for various forms of arthritis, in my experience, is borax, which has kept my psoriatic arthritis in remission for over 16 years and is a very inexpensive remedy that also offers potential to fend off osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Here is a link to the Earth Clinic (EC) Borax page :
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax.html
The above EC link gives information on multiple uses for borax as well as dosing information for arthritis and much more!
Until you have completed a test of borax, you can use the ML simultaneously. Studies suggest that melatonin can help arthritis and even offer some joint protective effects, but for me borax was life changing keeping my joints pain free for all of these years. It doesn't work for everyone, but seems to work for the greater majority of people who test it. I gave it the full 3 to 4 months as suggested by Dr. Rex Newnham who originally discovered the use of boron or borax for various forms of arthritis back in the 1960s/1970s. My PA was severe and it took about three months for me to become pain free, but I already felt benefit within the first month.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do and thank you again for the feedback on ML for RA pain relief!
Art
(ABBOTSFORD, BC, CANADA)
11/06/2024
Yes
Thanks ART for anwsering my question. I did try borax in a 2/3 liter of leguet 1/4 tsp and filling the cup during the day .My best response is if I can keep the urine PH over 7 measured with a PH meter and keep on a alkaline diet I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing the gluten free diet and baking my own bread and being an asperger to boot witch is I believe 1 1/2 % of the population, very sensetive people VERY sensative to EMF. the main reason I like to go with TM the effect of sleeping better. Even with 150mg oral melatonen it did not help much, many times the orral MT would cramp my fingers espescially if it the surroundings are cool.and that would happen with a lower dose also.
Hi again, Gerrit, Interestingly melatonin is useful for some with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to help with sleep, but as discussed in the following link may also offer further benefit for other ASD symptoms, but I would expect those benefits would likely be most likely with extended use of both oral melatonin and ML together over an extended period of time :
Here is a relevant quote from the link:
' Melatonin is used to treat sleep difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are growing evidence that melatonin could have an effect on other symptoms than sleep, such as anxiety, depression, pain, and gastrointestinal dysfunctions. '
I do not understand the word you used, "league, "so I wasn't quite sure what you meant with that sentence. I have found that 360 mg of oral melatonin could not come close to the pain relieving effect of melatonin lotion (ML).
Art
(Abbotsford BC Canada)
11/07/2024
yes
Re:leguet
I was searching for the word liqaid as not solid. Been poor in splelling all my life in Holland, emigrated when I was 19.and here in Canada same thing.
By the way my son retired platoon chief at the fire dept. asked me if I ever looked up the word Asperger nice guy. I know I was different.
Thanks ART
Gerrit
Q&A
★★★★★
Hi Lola,
Another poster reported that she was able to use capsules that are equivalent to 750 mg to make the lotion to ameliorate her fibromyalgia pain. Not the best way to do it, but she said it worked for her.
Art
Q&A
After I used high dose of melatonin for sleep problem for a while, I got joint pain on knees. I thought melatonin supposed to make pain better not cause pain. Then I searched internet, people review said melatonin cause them big deal of pain. website address is "https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/10/melantonin-and-hidden-complexity/" people were talking about serious joint pain all over their body caused by melatonin.
My question is if oral melatonin taking make my joint pain, what about melatonin lotion? can I still use melatonin lotion even I cannot take melatonin orally.
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
In my experience, people have reported on the internet that melatonin can worsen joint pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but on the other hand, I have gotten reports that it helped. As with most medications and supplements for specific health issues, it usually comes down to trial and error. For RA, studies seem to reflect this conundrum also, when it comes to RA and melatonin.
As far as oral melatonin, in my testing, I have not gotten any reports of pain relief of any significance, whereas, melatonin lotion (ML) has resulted in pain relief from many various pain issues as discussed here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/topical-melatonin-advantages-pain-management-guide.html
I would also add that that list of 40 has grown to 43.
ML is relatively inexpensive to make and test and doesn't seem to have many of the severe side effects that pain relieving NSAIDS can have as discussed here :
Here is a very relevant quote from the above link :
' Each year, the side effects of long-term NSAID use cause nearly 103, 000 hospitalizations and 16, 500 deaths. More people die each year from NSAIDs-related complications than from AIDS and cervical cancer in the United States.'
Keep in mind that is just for the USA and does not include the rest of the world! By comparison, see how many deaths you can find caused by melatonin each year and I can promise you that the two are not even comparable!
I'm not saying that ML can alleviate every kind of pain, it can't, but it certainly seems worth testing considering its known safety profile, at least for most people. As with anything else used to relieve pain, it will not be agreeable with everyone, but if it is, it offers many other potential health benefits whereas NSAIDS which are also used for pain relief, mainly only help for pain management and not much else.
If you prefer NSAIDS which are readily available and also relatively inexpensive, you might keep the following in mind. Acetaminophen, an NSAID, also known as Tylenol, among other names, is often used for pain reduction and is the number one cause of liver transplants in the USA and the number two cause of liver transplants in the world as discussed here :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441917/
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' Acetaminophen toxicity is the second most common cause of liver transplantation worldwide and the most common cause of liver transplantation in the US. It is responsible for 56, 000 emergency department visits, 2, 600 hospitalizations, and 500 deaths per year in the United States. Fifty percent of these are unintentional overdoses. More than 60 million Americans consume acetaminophen on a weekly basis, and many are unaware that it is contained in combined products. '
If melatonin did the same as the above quote about Acetaminophen, it would be banned by the FDA immediately!
To answer your question, ' if oral melatonin taking make my join pain, what about melatonin lotion? can I still use melatonin lotion even I cannot take melatonin orally. '
I would say if oral melatonin causes you pain, then you might not want to consider ML among your pain relieving options.
Art
Hi Art,
Thank you answered my question. I am just wondering that you use high dose of melatonin for a while, did you ever have jointing pain after you take melatonin? I am ask this because I am still think maybe my joint pain caused not by melatonin, because before I do not have any problem for any my joints, after I changed melatonin pills to melatonin gummies. is something in gummies made my joint pain? I stoped melatonin gummies from Saturday night, today is Tuesday noon, I feel a little bit better on my knee pain. I hope after 2 weeks I will be normal.
Hi Lynn,
Yes, I have used higher dose melatonin for many years. I have not experienced joint pain from taking melatonin, but I have seen reports on the internet that some people with rheumatoid arthritis have. On the other hand, I have seen reports that melatonin does not increase joint pain for people with RA, so that is a bit puzzling to me. I've gone as high as 180 mg, but I am now very likely higher than that amount because I take melatonin orally and topically everyday.
Art
Q&A
Regarding the melatonin recipe you gave - would using a coconut oil be an alternative to the lotion? Thank you!
Hi Julie C,
I never tested coconut oil for melatonin lotion because some people don't like the smell, but if you try it, please let us know how it works for you as people who like coconut oil will definitely want to know how it works.
Art
(Philippines)
07/19/2024
Hi Julie C,
Apparently larger amounts of melatonin can be dissolved in fatty acids with shorter length carbon chains. This also means that more melatonin will dissolve in short and medium chain fatty acids such as virgin coconut oil than in long chain fatty acid oils like vegetable oil, olive oil, tallow and lard:
"In order to identify suitable oils for the development of melatonin-NE, melatonin solubility in seven oils was determined. Triglycerides with the shortest fatty acid chains (C4) were better solvents for melatonin, with solubility of approximately 4.5 mg melatonin/g of oil. Triglycerides with the longest fatty acid chains, C18, had the lowest melatonin solubility; 0.23 mg melatonin/g of oil. All other oils displayed a melatonin solubility between those values"
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939641120301259
I've also found from the research that you can dissolve much larger amounts of melatonin in DMSO(Dimethylsulfoxide) than you can using water, alcohol or oil. In fact, DMSO is perhaps the perfect vehicle to directly transport any orgainic chemical compound(with a molecular mass of less than 1000) through the skin into the blood.
I've recently been using various individual organic and inorganic chemicals on myself such as sodium thiosulfate, magnesium chloride, methylene blue and borax -- as well as using a drop of essential oil per dose like Thieves oil, Peppermint oil -- dissolved in a teaspoon of DMSO + water for various skin or blood problems. This was a very useful exercise. I had a hard growth or bump under my skin at the back of my neck that I could not dissolve or remove -- it's been there for over 20 years. So every two days I would mix 5 drops of 99% DMSO + 5 drops of water + 3 drops of 1% Methylene Blue(MB) and just dab it profusely around the small hard bump on my neck. Eventually, after about a month or so, the bump reduced in size, went flat and then completely disappeared. Interestingly, the blue stain on the back of my neck from the DMSO + MB always disappeared within about 30 mins.
Q&A
Hi My first ever post. Yay! Art gave a fantastic post on making melatonin topical pain recipe. I only have a bottle of melatonin capsules 10mg. How many capsules would = 1 gram? I am horrible with maths, so I tried but couldn't figure it out myself. Thanks very much earthclinic community for all your advice. 🥰
Hi Tim,
In that article I describe how my friends made their melatonin lotion using melatonin in bulk powder form which is supposed to have no fillers. Your capsules have a lot of fillers and it will take 100 capsules to get to 1 gram or 1000 mg. Try and picture how much powder a 100 capsules will generate.
On ebay Canada they sell this bulk melatonin powder product, which looks like what they used :
Art
Q&A
What do you mean by a "quarter measuring teaspoon" of melatonin powder? Do you mean a measuring spoon which is a teaspoon measure?
Hi EB,
What I am referring to is a measuring teaspoon that is one fourth of a level full teaspoon that is part of a set that bakers use in baking as illustrated below. They are available at such places as Target, Walmart, markets etc. in the baking section. More specifically, look at the one marked 1/4 tsp (1/4 teaspoon). This is the size I use, filled level full with melatonin powder to make a 3 ounce bottle of melatonin lotion. The directions for making it are in the original article here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/topical-melatonin-pain-relief-success-stories.html
Art
(Okanagan)
07/06/2024
Hi Art -
I just want to thank you for always going the extra mile to make it easier for people to understand the information (links, pictures, etc.).
I've learned so much over the years from you and others like you (e.g., Mama to Many) who not only write an informative post, but are considerate while doing so.
Cheers!
Q&A
★★★★★
Is it possible to make this with rubbing alcohol or vodka? I ask because I am an alcoholic and the only gin I can get is in a larger bottle and I don't want the temptation of the remainder and I am not sure I would pour out what I don't need. I can get a 50ml bottle of vodka tho and rubbing alcohol is something I have on hand. Thanks for any help!
Hi Helen,
Yes, vodka can work, but in my experience it requires more vodka than gin to fully dissolve the melatonin powder, resulting in a more watery lotion. I don't recommend using rubbing alcohol. If you want to use gin, perhaps you can leave your large bottle with a trusted friend to hold for you until needed again and only take enough to make one bottle of lotion at a time.
Art
(British Columbia, Canada)
06/24/2024
Hi Helen,
I believe that based on a human fibromyalgia study utilizing melatonin, that the melatonin lotion(ML) should be useful for fibromyalgia pain.
In addition, also based on a human study, I believe that magnesium chloride spray, generally referred to as "mag oil" may be additive to the ML.
Here is a typical mag oil product on Amazon :
It may be worth trying both individually and together to see which is the best option for you.
Please come back and let us know what your testing results determine.
Art
(British Columbia, Canada)
06/25/2024
Thanks for all your help so far Art!
I have an additional question about the melatonin recipe. It calls for 1 gram of melatonin powder. I have purchased a bottle of 90 capsules of 10mg strength melatonin which if I understand correctly is 900mg, 10 capsules short of 1 gram. Am I correct in my math and will it still be strong enough for the pain relief benefits?
(I found a store with 50 ml bottles of gin!! :o) )
Thank you so so much for all the help you have given me!
Helen
Hi Helen,
In the original article I wrote about melatonin lotion, I described how my friends made their melatonin lotion using the bulk powder form of melatonin which has no fillers or additives. On the other hand, capsules and pills have multiple fillers which will not work very well for making the lotion because the fillers are a significant amount of extra powder. You might try following the original recipe which calls for using bulk powder such as this, which appears to be available on ebay Canada :
Art
(British Columbia, Canada)
06/26/2024
Thanks for the link Art! And all your help :o)
(British Columbia, Canada)
07/15/2024
So I tried the link you shared and they said that Melatonin powder is not allowed to be shipped to Canada plus many other countries. So I went ahead and used the capsules I had purchased. The additional ingredients in these capsules are gelatin, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin and microcrystaline cellulose. When I googled these ingredients I saw that they are also in skin care products so I decided to go ahead and make the melatonin lotion recipe with the capsules, to be clear the capsules have the powder in them. There were 90 capsules in the bottle which equaled 900mg of melatonin.
This is the recipe that I used which I adjusted down to work with 900mg of melatonin:
900mg melatonin (90-10mg capsules)
1.35 oz (40ml) gin
2.25 oz (66.5ml) lotion
I added the gin to the powder and it did not dissolve completely but it may have if I added more, I just assumed that the other ingredients perhaps did not dissolve in the gin. I then added the lotion and mixed it well. It is a bit grainy in texture but goes on smooth and absorbs great.
Now the good news, it works!!! I have fibromyalgia and I am always getting new pains and some go after a while and some stick around and are so bad I can't sleep. My newest pains were in my neck, shoulder, arm and hand and it was bad. I applied the lotion to my shoulder, neck and arm and when I woke up the next morning after sleeping the whole night! The pain was greatly reduced I couldn't believe it!
I am continuing to use it every night and just a touch during the day if I feel the need but my shoulder is 80% better, my arm and neck are being a bit more stubborn but at least 50% better and my hand is also 80% better. I have applied it to a sore bunion and that is pain free now!
I had started to use the magnesium oil in a spray bottle a while back with minimal help with pain but I continue to use it because I know it's good for me.
I also want to mention that I have tried all the prescriptions for Fibromyalgia non of which worked or worked enough to justify the side effects.
I do also take PEA400 (Palmitoylethanolamide) which has also helped me a fair amount and I would recommend to other Fibromyalgia sufferers.
The excellent results from using the melatonin lotion make me a little emotional because being in constant pain is hard on your spirit and I have finally found some relief and I can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge with everyone! Thank you Art!
Hi Helen B,
Thank you very much for your important feedback on melatonin lotion and fibromyalgia! Many people suffer with this disease and your feedback will let many of them know that they have a viable way to get relief! I am very happy that it worked so well for you, Helen!
I'm sorry you can't get the bulk melatonin powder in Canada and have to use 90 capsules just to make one batch! These type of government restrictions are incredible for something that has a better safety profile than almost any prescription medication!
Please keep in mind that many people who have tested melatonin lotion have mentioned that the benefit seemed to modestly increase for the first two or three weeks before leveling off by the third week.
Art
(Georgia)
09/02/2024
Sir: I am very melatonin tolerant. I want to use 100mg strength to mix with gin and lotion. I have a bag of Melatonin from Bulk Supplements. The bag says 100g (3.5 oz). That's just the weight. The strength is only 3mg. How many teaspoons or tablespoons would I need to get 100 milligrams to mix in the 1.5 oz of gin, please? Thank you, Sir! Colleen
Hi Cfitz.
The amount of melatonin to dissolve in 1.5 oz of gin is a one quarter measuring teaspoon that is level full.
Art
Hi again, Cfitz,
I misunderstood your question. The only way I know of to get an accurate measure of 100 mg of melatonin powder is to use a digital milligram scale. The quarter teaspoon that I mentioned in my previous reply will be approximately 750 milligrams so you would need about one eight of that 1/4 teaspoon to get in the area of 100 mg.
I don't think 100 mg of melatonin in the 3 oz. bottle of melatonin lotion would have much effect as it will be a very weak mix.
Art
Q&A
Q&A
So the one quarter teaspoon is all melatonin and it equals approximately 750 mg of melatonin. You have to consider that melatonin capsules contain a significant amount of fillers so it will take much more than a 1/4 teaspoon of these capsules to get to 750 mg of actual melatonin. It will take the amount of capsules that it takes to equal 750 mg of melatonin. So if you have 10 mg capsules, it will take approximately 75 of these 10 mg capsules to get to that 750 mg area and you can see that 75 capsules is going to be way more than a quarter teaspoon.
There will also be a problem with the solubility of the fillers which may not dissolve in gin and will make the lotion feel gritty. Another potential problem is that some of the fillers may dissolve in the gin, but that may preclude the melatonin from fully dissolving in the gin in which case you will essentially have a diluted mix which may not be effective at all.
I recommended melatonin powder because that is what my friends used and found effective. Since those first three friends reported their results, many other friends and acquaintances have also reported significant benefits from using that same mix.
I highly recommend following what they did in order to make an effective melatonin lotion.
A few friends have reported that mixing all three ingredients together at once by mistake, produced a lotion that gave little to no pain relief. You have to thoroughly dissolve the melatonin in the gin first and then add the lotion to that mix, otherwise the lotion will offer little to no benefit.
Art
Q&A
★★★★★
Thanks,
Dawna
Hi Dawna,
I just used Cetaphil because it has been around for a long time and is readily available, but I think most lotions will work. Be sure to completely dissolve the melatonin in the gin before adding the lotion to the bottle.
Art
(America)
03/30/2024
I've been using the clear aloe vera gel available in stores. It works nicely. :)
Hi Hollyhock,
Thank you for the feedback on using Aloe Vera Gel as a substitute for Cetaphil lotion to make melatonin lotion. I make the same aloe/melatonin mix because I can apply it to my face without irritating my eyes. Melatonin is considered beneficial for the skin among its many attributes and aloe gel has shown the ability to act as a transdermal penetration enhancer while also being beneficial for the skin, so the two together seems like they should be more beneficial for the skin than either one alone. I am satisfied with the aloe/melatonin combo for my face but I haven't written about it previously on EC.
I still use the Cetaphil mix also because it can be more moisturizing in areas of application over dry skin.
I remember you saying you were going to make the lotion about four months ago, but I never saw your feedback. Did it help your hip and back pains and have you found any other uses for it?
Thank you again for the feedback!
Art
(America)
03/31/2024
Thanks Art! I would say it only has helped a little, but it does have a relaxing effect (I only use it at night before bed). I also apply some on my neck, which gives me trouble, and it relaxes that area. I will continue using it for such benefit! I never thought about applying to my face, I will give that a try as well! Thank you for the idea and the recipe!
Hi Hollyhock,
Thank you for the feedback!
When applying to the neck, testers have reported best effects by applying all the way up to the top of the neck, above the hairline to the base of the skull.
I tried applying the lotion to my face, but it really irritated my eyes. The aloe/melatonin mix did not irritate my eyes at all when applying to the face area around the eyes.
Art
Q&A
Hi whitebeach,
My friends used the term sparingly when describing how they were applying it. It will depend on the area you are applying it to, but as a basic example, when applying to the neck, just slightly larger than a pea size daube of the lotion covers the back of the neck. Once you apply that amount to the neck, you get a feel for just how much lotion is needed for just about any area of the body you will be covering. It is just enough to rub around the area and it is quickly dry. By the way, because the lotion is liquid and tends to flow, a pea size, if left to sit for a moment is the approximate diameter of a dime once it has finished flowing.
This same amount will also cover the back of the hand including the back of the fingers. Start with one application per day and then add a second application only if needed.
The aim is to use the least amount as possible and spread it around the selected area before it dries. I hope this answers your question.
Art
(Chicago)
02/26/2024
Art, I have user generous portion for neck and. back pain. Is there problem use generous portion?
Hi Peter,
Two reasons why applying sparingly is a good idea is that applying sparingly will be effective and some people are very sensitive to melatonin and applying generously can cause varying degrees of tiredness during the day in those who are sensitive. Applying sparingly helps avoid this issue and also makes your bottle of lotion last much longer.
I am not particularly sensitive to melatonin and can apply the lotion heavily without problem, but to me that is just wasteful unless you are trying to fight something systemically such as cancer because topically applied melatonin can definitely go systemic.
If the generous application you are using does not cause you to feel tired during the day, that is a very good indication for you for the future should you ever need to reach high systemic levels of melatonin for another reason not related to pain, but in the meantime, probably a little wasteful.
Peter, I have a few questions for you as your feedback is very helpful.
1. How effective are you finding melatonin lotion as a pain reliever?
2. What areas of your body have you used it on so far?
3. Is your wife also using it and what is she using it for?
The reason for question number 3 is since topically applied melatonin goes systemic in a way that oral melatonin can not, it can help protect the kidneys from multiple insults as discussed here :
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' The process of kidney degeneration is often an implication of the frequent prevalence of arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and obesity. Melatonin has been proven to have beneficial effects in all of these complications. Melatonin also plays a direct renoprotective role. Moreover, it can be helpful in almost every type of kidney injury because inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress occur without regard to the mechanism. Melatonin regulates mitochondrial metabolism and ATP production and protects mitochondria. It inactivates free radicals by attaching one or more electrons and thus reduces oxidative stress. Due to these mechanisms, melatonin enables normal mitochondrial functions and protects patients from subsequent apoptotic implications and the death of kidney cells. '
In addition melatonin has also shown the ability to protect pancreatic beta cells which is important in diabetes as discussed here :
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' Melatonin acted as an anti-inflammatory agent that reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-12) and oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA). Melatonin succeeded in protecting β cells under severe inflammatory situations, which was apparent by the regeneration of islets of Langerhans in treated diabetic rats. Moreover, these results can open a gate for diabetes management and treatment.'
Diabetes is well known to increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and melatonin works to help reduce this risk as discussed here :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8929360/
Here is a relevant quote :
' Diabetic cardiovascular complications and impaired cardiac function are considered to be the main causes of death in diabetic patients worldwide, especially patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An increasing number of studies have shown that melatonin, as the main product secreted by the pineal gland, plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of diabetes. Melatonin improves myocardial cell metabolism, reduces vascular endothelial cell death, reverses microcirculation disorders, reduces myocardial fibrosis, reduces oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, regulates cell autophagy and apoptosis, and improves mitochondrial function, all of which are the characteristics of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). This review focuses on the role of melatonin in DCM. We also discuss new molecular findings that might facilitate a better understanding of the underlying mechanism.'
Art
Scalp Eczema
★★★★★
' Hi Art,
My scalp eczema usually flares up in January and February. I put the melatonin lotion on it...guess what? All gone and no roughness or itchiness...yay! '
This is a new indication for me as I have not heard from anyone else that it has helped their scalp eczema before this.
Art
Skin Cancer
I wonder, if the melatonin, applied locally to the skin could help for skin cancer also. Thank you for your insights.
Hi Koys,
I don't think there is currently enough human data to draw a definitive conclusion for your question, but this 2023 review article gives some very good clues and when you take into consideration the known anticarcinogenic effects of melatonin as well as its very good safety profile, it definitely should be a molecule of interest when it comes to skin cancer / melanoma :
Here are a couple of relevant quotes from the review :
' In skin tumors, melatonin has inhibitory effects on melanoma in vitro and in vivo. Fischer et al. found that the oncostatic effect of melatonin was related to its concentration and co-culture duration with melanoma cells, but was also relevant to the specific melatonin receptors expressed on the membranes and nuclei of cells. Cells expressing nuclear receptors exhibited stronger growth inhibition, whereas cells expressing MT2 receptors on cell membranes were more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of melatonin [49]. Reiter and colleagues found that mice with knockout of NQO2 (which encodes melatonin-binding sites in the cytoplasm) increased their susceptibility to carcinogens and were more likely to develop skin tumors [27]. Lv et al. analyzed RNA-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. They found the melatonin system in the tumor microenvironment to have predictive value for the prognosis of skin melanoma. Patients with a high melatonin synthesis/metabolic index had a better prognosis and fewer patients were at an advanced stage of disease, whereas patients with a low melatonin synthesis/metabolic index had higher immunogenicity, which suggested a stronger response to immunotherapy. In the group with a low melatonin synthesis/metabolism index, the enrichment of genes related to hypoxia, inflammation, proliferation, metastasis, and DNA damage implied that melatonin could inhibit tumors through these processes, but the detailed mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Lv et al. demonstrated that the melatonin synthesis/metabolism index was an independent predictor after including disease stage for adjustment in multivariable models, which suggested that melatonin might affect the prognosis through biological mechanisms other than inhibiting carcinogenesis and proliferation [50]. Melatonin also modulates melanin synthesis. Alvarez-Artime et al. found that in a murine melanoma cell line (B16–F10), melatonin could alter the cytoskeleton, reduce the level of cyclin-dependent kinase-1, and slow-down mitosis to leave tumor cells in the G2/M cycle for a long time, thereby inhibiting proliferation of B16–F10 cells [51]. Studies have demonstrated that in melanoma, melatonin can reduce production of the antioxidant enzyme SOD in tumors [52]. Those reports suggest that melatonin may be a candidate drug to treat skin cancer by producing ROS. However, Ozben and colleagues stated that melatonin also produced ROS and caused tumorigenesis [53]. Therefore, the anti-tumor properties of melatonin through the production of free radicals need to be studied further. Bonmati-Carrion et al. showed that melatonin induced the apoptosis of melanoma cells [54]. In that study, melatonin (millimolar range) reduced the viability of melanoma cells significantly. This effect was shown to be related to activation of an apoptotic pathway triggered by an increased level of ROS, but the mechanism was not clarified. Perdomo et al. found that melatonin could regulate the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and activate the microphthalmia transcription factor, which regulated melatonin synthesis. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β could increase ROS and melanin by itself or by inhibiting the Nrf2 signaling pathway [55]. However, contrary evidence suggests that melatonin can reduce melanin production [56], which suggests that melatonin exerts anti-tumor effects by influencing melanin production. '
' Accumulating evidence has shown that melatonin has anti-tumoral properties, but also exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidation effects by controlling tumor augmentation. In melanoma, melatonin can induce apoptosis through several pro-apoptotic proteins, such as HSP70 and Nrf2. Furthermore, it exerts anti-inflammatory effects through the NF-κB pathway and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, which could be sites for therapeutic intervention [72]. The anti-cancer property of melatonin makes it a promising candidate for adjuvant therapy in melanoma. Also, compared with other chemical products, the natural metabolism of melatonin in human cells has lower toxicity. Hao et al. demonstrated melatonin synergistically strengthened vemurafenib-induced inhibition of proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, and “stemness” weakening in melanoma cells. Melatonin inhibited nuclear translocation of NF-κB p50/p65 and their binding to iNOS and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoters, thereby suppressing expression of iNOS and hTERT [73]. Scholars have elucidated that melatonin can inhibit angiogenesis in tumor tissues by complex mechanisms, thereby restraining growth and migration of tumorous gastric, breast, and ovarian cells [74]. In melanoma, angiogenesis is an important indicator of tumor aggressiveness and poor clinical outcome, but studies investigating this role of melatonin in melanoma are lacking. '
So the above quotes give known methods of action by which melatonin should offer anti skin cancer / anti melanoma effects, but actual human studies are lacking, which is hard to understand why they are lacking given the very good safety profile of melatonin in humans.
I am of the opinion that lotion may not be the most optimal delivery agent for this purpose.
Art
