A major problem I see with oral melatonin is the very poor bioavailability of oral melatonin, thought to be around 3% in humans as discussed here :
bmcpharmacoltoxicol.biomedc....
Here is a relevant study quote :
' The bioavailability of oral melatonin was only 3%, but a considerable variability between the volunteers was noticed. '
The other problem with oral melatonin is that the effects are short lived, lasting only about five hours.
On the other hand, topically applied melatonin lotion accumulates in the many layers of the stratum corneum and is more slowly released into the circulation over a period of approximately 24 hours as discussed here :
researchgate.net/publicatio...
Here is a relevant study quote :
' In a clinical study, the skin penetration properties of melatonin 0.01% in a cream and 0.01 and 0.03% in a solution were investigated by evaluation of the serum melatonin levels over a 24-hour time course in 15 healthy volunteers. Blood samples for melatonin measurements were taken at 9.00 a.m. before applying the test preparations and 1, 4, 8 and 24 h after application. The measurements were carried out by radioimmunoassay for melatonin. In 15 volunteers, the serum levels of melatonin before application of the topical preparations were between 0.6 and 15.9 pg/ml. After application of the 0.01% melatonin cream, there was a steady increase starting from 9.00 a.m. up to a mean serum value of 9.0 pg/ml at 9.00 a.m. the next day. The solution of 0.01% melatonin also showed an increase, starting from 5.00 p.m., up to a mean melatonin level of 12.7 pg/ml 24 h after application. The solution containing 0.03% melatonin resulted in elevated melatonin levels 1 and 8 h after application. The values were 18.1 and 19.0 pg/ml. The cumulative melatonin values for each preparation were 7.1, 8.6 and 15.7 pg/ml, respectively. This study shows that the strongly lipophilic substance melatonin is able to penetrate through the skin and leads to dose- and galenic-dependent melatonin levels in the blood. '
Given the above data, I have been testing topical melatonin lotion (ML) for the past year and a half in myself, family, friends and acquaintances. The results seem to show that ML improves the length of time ML is active in the body, but it also had an effect that I suspected it would, but was not sure that it would. That effect, was pain relief.
In one friend with collorectal cancer that had metastasized to the liver that was testing very high dose oral melatonin at 360 mg/day, melatonin lotion could offer pain relief in the area of the liver that 360 mg of oral melatonin could not.
It is worth mentioning that , in studies, melatonin has shown the ability to help multiple spinal issues which I have not previously discussed on this forum.
WHAT TYPE OF PAIN RELIEF DID MELATONIN LOTION OFFER
The following list of 40 items is what was reported to me by everyone that tested ML.
1. Neck pain from multiple causes.
2. Lower back pain.
3. Shoulder pain.
4. Migraine headache relief.
5. Head and neck pain relief from a neck injury after falling backward onto the rim of a plastic bucket.
6. Eczema of the scalp.
7. Scalp pain.
8. Completely relieved jaw pain from two jaw fractures and helped to get to sleep. Based on studies may also help the fractures to heal faster.
9. Synergy pain relief with the Hyaluronic Acid / Stopain remedy for degenerative disc disease (DDD) which I have not discussed on this forum.
10. Headache relief
11. Muscle pain
12. Eliminated nerve tingling in feet caused by stage IV cancer with Lepto Menengeal.
13. Ankle pain
14. Knee pain
15. Swelling of the neck caused by injury
16. Calf pain of unknown cause
17. Nerve pain
18. Hand and finger pain
19. Back pain that required a cane to walk was relieved enough that no cane was needed after regular twice daily applications.
20. Relieved sciatic nerve pain
21. Relieved thyroiditis and swelling with pain + sore throat pain that made even swallowing saliva very painful and of unknown origin and eliminated it in about a week eliminating the need for further application of melatonin lotion to the area. My friend thought it might have been caused by a recent endoscopy.
22. Relieved hip pain
23. Relieved bulging disc pain
24. Relieved Atopic Dermatitis
25. Stomach discomfort relief after applying to the surface of the stomach.
26 Relieved thumb joint pain
27. Helped a person to alleviate pain and muscle tension prior to her chiropractic appointment allowing her chiropractor to make what they both described as very good adjustments to her spine, which he had previously been unable to do because of muscle stiffness caused by the pain.
28. Helped two people with arthritic hand pain, one that was unresponsive to Borax and one that was only minimally responsive to Borax.
29. Helped a person with pain from liver cancer in the area of the liver to temporarily effectively relieve the recurring pain.
30. Helped a friend to sleep well when applied in the early evening.
31. Relieved pain in sore toes
32. Stiffness and discomfort of the hands without pain present was eliminated.
33. Improves wound healing.
34. Adds to the effectiveness of certain topical psoriasis medications.
35. Relieved toe cramps.
36. Alleviates spinal stenosis pain.
37. Much more effective pain relief than 360 mg of oral melatonin per day.
38. The very significant pain relief in multiple areas of the body caused high blood pressure to decrease, allowing for a halving of the hypertension medication dose by one friend.
39. Reduced the swelling of swollen arthritic finger joints.
40. Healed trigger finger in four days for one tester.
It is worth mentioning that the people who tested ML generally felt that ML had a cumulative effect for the first 2 to 3 weeks. In other words, pain relief seemed to increase for the first 2 to 3 weeks of regular use. At 2 to 3 weeks, the benefit was generally more than it was on the first 3 days of regular use.
WHAT IS MISSING
Only one person with PD tested the lotion, but they weren't testing it for the type of pain often seen in PD, so I have no idea if it will help with that type of pain, but I am doubtful if it would because that type of pain seems to be tied to the various medications used to treat PD.
HOW I MAKE MELATONIN LOTION
Gather The Ingredients
1. Melatonin bulk powder - 1/4 level full measuring spoon (This is roughly 750 mg)
2. Cetaphil Lotion - 1.5 ounces
3. Gin - 1.5 ounces
4. Three ounce bottle
I Add the melatonin powder to the bottle and then I add the 1.5 ounces of gin to the bottle. Replace the cap and shake the bottle until the melatonin powder is fully dissolved in the gin. It is important to dissolve the melatonin in the gin before adding the lotion in order to fully dissolve the melatonin. Now top the 3 ounce bottle off with Cetaphil lotion and shake very well. I often use this mix right after making it. I apply this lotion SPARINGLY up to twice a day.
SIDE EFFECTS
A couple of people who tested this lotion said that if they applied too much lotion or too often, it could make them feel tired, but if they applied in the later afternoon and before bed it wasn't bad. As with oral melatonin, some people are more sensitive to feeling tired and it seems that ML may have similar effects. Applying sparingly also helped prevent tiredness.
WARNING
Please get your doctor's approval and supervision before testing this lotion and to make sure it will be compatible with all medications you are taking, as melatonin has shown not to be compatible with certain medications.
WHAT I USED
Melatonin bulk powder :
amazon.com/BulkSupplements-...
Gin - Small bottle
I used a large bottle (750 ml) because I was doing a lot of testing.
Cetaphil Lotion :
amazon.com/Cetaphil-16oz-Cr...
I tried a couple of other lotions and they worked fine. Vodka did not seem to be as good as gin for dissolving the melatonin.
Art
