Am J Psychiatry 133 (10): 1181-1186 (Oct 1976)

Negative effects of melatonin on depression.

Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, Goodwin FK

In order to test the efficacy of the pineal neurohumor melatonin on depression, the hormone was administered in varying doses to six moderately to severely depressed patients and two patients with Huntington's chorea in double-blind crossover study. Melatonin exacerbated symptoms of dysphoria in these patients, as well as causing a loss of sleep and weight and a drop in oral temperature. Melatonin increased cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and calcium in three of four patients studied. The authors discuss the implications of this finding.

MeSH Terms:

• Adult
• Anger
• Anxiety/chemically induced
• Body Temperature/drug effects
• Body Weight/drug effects
• Calcium/cerebrospinal fluid
• Clinical Trials
• Depression/drug therapy*
• Depression/chemically induced
• Drug Evaluation
• Emotions/drug effects
• Female
• Human
• Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid/cerebrospinal fluid
• Male
• Melatonin/therapeutic use*
• Middle Age
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Sleep Disorders/chemically induced

PMID: 788529, MUID: 77019596