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Benign Tumors Of The Cervix
Endocervical polyps Endocervical polyps are the most common benign neoplasms of the cervix. Please note that the word neoplasm refers to a cancerous growth. They are focal hyperplastic (abnormal cell growth) protrusions of the endocervical folds,...
Double Whammy: Prevent Cancer and Lose Weight in One Fell Swoop!
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Nonsurgical Options for Prostate Cancer
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The Long Way
Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 4, 2004
I wrote you about four years ago, when my eight year marriage was ending in divorce. At that time you gave me some great advice about beginning again. After reading the recent letter...
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Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD
Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD
by Anthony Kane, MD
Attention Publishers:
This article is available for your website or ezine.
For an ezine, send an email to: melatonin@addadhdadvances.com.
For a website send an email to: melatoninhtml@addadhdadvances.com
Overview
Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that controls when we fall asleep and when we wake up.
Melatonin is also a very powerful antioxidant. In one study, melatonin was 60 times more effective than Vitamin C or water-soluble Vitamin E in protecting DNA from damage. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system.
There are numerous claims and theories concerning all the things that melatonin may do and as a result it has become one of the popular life extension and life enhancing supplements that are currently available on the market today.
Uses
The most accepted function of Melatonin is it role in sleep regulation. Melatonin supplements help induce sleep in people with disrupted circadian rhythms. Melatonin is significantly more effective in decreasing the amount of time required to fall asleep, increasing the number of sleeping hours, and boosting daytime alertness.
Melatonin is purported to be one of those miracle substances that has a hand in everything. This may be due to the fact that during the height of the antioxidant craze, Melatonin was found to be a more powerful and more universal antioxidant than both vitamin C and vitamin E. Whatever the reason, Melatonin ostensibly plays a role in numerous health conditions.
Here is a partial list:
Insomnia
Osteoporosis
Menopause
Depression
Eating Disorders
Breast Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Cancer-related Weight Loss
Sarcoidosis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Epilepsy
Sunburn
Viral Encephalitis
Heart Disease
Since a lot of evidence for many of these claims is rather light and since I am not trying to sell you melatonin supplements, I am going to focus only on its role in sleep enhancement.
Insomnia
As many parents realize, drugs like Ritalin are not without side effects. One of the major complaints that parents have is that their children who take Ritalin can't fall asleep at night. Many parents report that their children, who may be only five or six years old, are wide awake until 11 pm or later.
Melatonin may be able to help these children. Since it is the primary chemical in the body that helps to induce sleep, children who suffer from insomnia often find that Melatonin restores their normal sleep cycle and helps them to be more awake and alert during the day.
How to Take It
There are currently no guidelines as to how to take Melatonin. Sensitivity to Melatonin is an individual thing and doses that are ineffective in one person may be too much for someone else.
The best approach for any condition is to begin with very low doses and slowly add more until you get the effect that you are seeking.
In
children, it is best to start with a dose of about 0.3 mg/day or less. Although current research suggests that even doses as high as 10 mg are perfectly safe, it is best to proceed with caution.
In adults, 3 mg is usually a safe starting dose and you can increase it or decrease it as you see fit.
Availability
Melatonin is readily available in most health food stores in the United States and it is very cheap. In Europe it is a controlled substance. Most Europeans who wish to use Melatonin find it cheaper and easier to have it shipped from the US.
Adverse Effects
Melatonin is one of the least toxic substances known. In one extensive clinical trial, a high dose of 75 milligrams of melatonin per day was given to 1400 women in the Netherlands for up to four years with no ill effects.
The only consistent side effect of high doses has been drowsiness and a slower reaction time.
Other common complaints include:
Vivid dreams or nightmares
Stomach cramps
Dizziness
Headache
Irritability
Decreased libido
Breast enlargement in men
Decreased sperm count.
These side effects were in healthy people. We also don't know how melatonin may affect people suffering from disease.
Possible Drug Interactions
Melatonin may interact or interfere with other drugs.
These include:
Antidepressant Medications
Antipsychotic Medications: many of these medications are now being used in treating children with ADHD and Bipolar disorder
Benzodiazepines
Blood Pressure Medications
Blood-thinning Medications, Anticoagulants
Interleukin-2
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Steroids and Immunosuppressant Medications
Tamoxifen
If your child is taking any of these things, you should consult with his doctor before giving Melatonin.
Also, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol can all diminish levels of melatonin in the body while cocaine and amphetamines may increase melatonin production.
Conclusion
Often children with ADHD have a great deal of difficulty falling asleep. This can be due to the medications that they are taking or just be one component in the spectrum of their problems. When used properly, melatonin may be a safe and effective way to handle sleep problems in ADHD children.
Anthony Kane, MD
ADD ADHD Advances
http://addadhdadvances.com
Anthony Kane, MD is a physician and international lecturer. Get
help for your ADHD child, including
(http://addadhdadvances.com/child-behavior.html) child
behavior advice, information on the latest
(http://addadhdadvances.com/childyoulove.html) ADHD
treatment, and help with
(http://addadhdadvances.com/betterbehavior.html)Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Share your views at the (http://adhd-add.blogspot.com) ADD ADHD Blog.
Sign up for the free ADD ADHD Advances online journal. Send an email to:
subscribe@addadhdadvances.com?subject=subsart.
About the Author
Anthony Kane, MD is a physician and international lecturer. To get step-by-step help with your ADHD/ODD child, including behavior and treatment advice, come to http://addadhdadvances.com. There you will find help, information, and lots of resources.
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| BreastCancer.org - Breast Cancer Treatment Information and Pictures |
| Breast Cancer Information from a Nonprofit Organization. |
| www.breastcancer.org |
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| The Breast Cancer Site |
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| www.thebreastcancersite.com |
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| Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation |
| The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is dedicated to education and research on breast cancer causes, treatment and the search for a cure. |
| www.komen.org |
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| Breast Cancer Information from National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc |
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| BreastCancer.Net: http://www.breastcancer.net |
| A clearinghouse for the latest news and information on the prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer. |
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| Educational resources on using Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat and prevent breast cancer. |
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| Breast Cancer Care is the UK's leading provider of information, practical assistance and emotional support for anyone affected by breast cancer or breast ... |
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| Breakthrough Breast Cancer |
| Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the UKs leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research and education. |
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| MedlinePlus: Breast Cancer |
| Search MEDLINE/PubMed for recent research articles on Breast Cancer: • Breast Cancer ... Select services and providers for Breast Cancer in your area. ... |
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| Breast Cancer Research | |
| Online and print journal covering topics of basic and clinical research relevant to breast cancer. Research articles are free to all users. |
| breast-cancer-research.com |
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| National Breast Cancer Centre - Evidence based information for ... |
| The National Breast Cancer Centre of Australia providing information about breast cancer for consumers and health professionals. |
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| Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation: Run for the Cure: Select Language |
| Charitable organization which raises money to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment. |
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| Breast cancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| That is why you will see breast cancer patients wearing braces, ... [5] Men can also develop breast cancer, but their risk is less than one in 1000 (see sex ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| End Breast Cancer from Care2.com and TBCF! |
| Help stop Breast Cancer by clicking daily - free! Supports efforts by The Breast Cancer Fund. |
| breastcancer.care2.com |
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| National Breast Cancer Foundation |
| The ultimate goal of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is to raise enough money to fund a cure for breast cancer. As Australia’s leading national ... |
| www.nbcf.org.au |
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| Support and information about the condition from this non-profit entity. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. |
| www.y-me.org |
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| Breast Cancer Home Page - National Cancer Institute |
| Information about breast cancer treatment, prevention, genetics, causes, screening, clinical trials, research and statistics from the National Cancer ... |
| www.cancer.gov |
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| What You Need To Know About™ Breast Cancer - National Cancer Institute |
| Information about detection, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. NIH Publication No. 05-1556. |
| www.cancer.gov |
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| Breast Cancer Campaign - Researching the cure |
| Breast Cancer Campaign is the only charity that specialises in funding independent breast cancer research throughout the UK. |
| www.breastcancercampaign.org |
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| NBCC - NBCC - National Breast Cancer Coalition |
| The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund is a grassroots organization dedicated to ending breast cancer through the power of action and advocacy. |
| www.natlbcc.org |
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