NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Throughout the pandemic, tens of millions of individuals have resorted to an over-the-counter treatment to assist them get to sleep, however as CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez explains, the melatonin you may be taking may very well be dangerous.
Insomniacs have much more firm than they used to, judging from what Mount Sinai sleep specialist Dr. Neomi Shah is seeing.
READ MORE: 10 Hurt In Bronx Apartment Fire, 100 Firefighters Respond
“We’re seeing much more sufferers coming by for sleep-related care, primarily for insomnia,” she stated.
Shah attributes quite a lot of this to pandemic-related stress and nervousness, and most of her sufferers have sought assist from over-the-counter melatonin.
“About 95% of the occasions, sufferers who report having insomnia have tried melatonin over-the-counter sooner or later, and in a majority of them, it has not been efficient,” she stated.
READ MORE: NYPD: Suspects Rammed Van Into ATM, Stole $6,300 At Brooklyn Gas Station
Ineffective as a result of melatonin solely works for short-term therapy of what’s referred to as circadian rhythm misalignment, like jet lag.
Worse, a brand new research within the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation finds that some melatonin customers are taking dangerously excessive quantities for prolonged durations, which might result in issues starting from headache and dizziness to confusion, irritability and melancholy.
As a result of the Meals and Drug Administration is prohibited from regulating dietary supplements like melatonin, these tablets could not comprise what the label says.
“Many of the proof exhibits that it ranges anyplace from having none to about 400% of what’s listed on the label,” Shah stated.
MORE NEWS: Queens Holds First In-Person Lunar New Year Parade In 2 Years
Melatonin just isn’t an herb or vitamin. It’s a psychoactive hormone that shouldn’t be taken and not using a physician’s steering.
