# Melatonin users, what happens when you suddenly stop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236 "2004-12-22T22:43:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/1 "2004-12-22T22:43:26Z")
I’ve been taking one melatonin tablet a night for the past 60 nights (exactly) I’ve ran out. I ordered some more days ago but the delivery is not forthcoming. I expect It will not have more than a psychological effect (The knowledge of not having taken one might indirectly keep me awake) but I thought I’d ask anyway, as I know a few dopers use it or have used it in the past. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/2 "2004-12-22T23:08:42Z")
Any reason for ordering it rather than buying it in your local pharmacy? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/3 "2004-12-22T23:11:49Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Any reason for ordering it rather than buying it in your local pharmacy? A friend at work led me to believe it wasn’t available in the UK. He gave me the first 60. When I knew I was about to run out I went on the internet. Turns out there are uk _based_ sites. To be honest I didn’t think of going to a pharmacy. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/4 "2004-12-22T23:16:34Z")
I don’t know about the UK, but in California it’s available in every drugstore. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/5 "2004-12-22T23:21:45Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > The knowledge of not having taken one might indirectly keep me awake… Wouldn’t that be directly, rather than indirectly? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/6 "2004-12-23T01:16:28Z")
I had no problems when I went off of it. I suspect that it will take a while to fully deplete the reseves. But I am not an expert on such things, that is only an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/7 "2004-12-23T03:54:46Z")
I’ve never heard of anyone having problems going off melatonin, and I’ve always been fine without it. Now, ZMA is a different thing altogether… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/8 "2004-12-23T05:43:03Z")
Personally, I go back to being an insomniac. Otherwise no effects. And the insomnia is an immediate effect; it happens any night I don’t take it unless I’m really dead tired. As far as I know, the body doesn’t store melatonin. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/9 "2004-12-23T07:05:40Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Personally, I go back to being an insomniac. Otherwise no effects. And the insomnia is an immediate effect; it happens any night I don’t take it unless I’m really dead tired. As far as I know, the body doesn’t store melatonin. Same with me. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melatonin-users-what-happens-when-you-suddenly-stop/281236/10 "2004-12-23T12:07:27Z")
I was taking melatonin regularly for years, but stopped recently when I thought I was developing a tolerance for it: it would help me go to sleep, but then I’d wake up in the middle of the night and toss restlessly for 2-3 hours. Since I’ve stopped taking it, I don’t fall asleep as quickly–I might be up an or so hour later than I used to–but the long periods of wakefulness in the night don’t occur as often.