Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking melatonin as follows:
- Melatonin must be cautiously used in individuals with history of diabetes and poorly controlled blood sugars. Melatonin intake can compromise the therapeutic effect of medications taken for blood sugar control and carries risk of poor blood sugar control in diabetics. Individuals can present with signs and symptoms of poor blood sugar control, such as, dry mouth, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, dry skin, and blurred vision. Closely follow for these signs, any consistently elevated blood sugar readings, and report them to your physician for any appropriate changes to be made in your plan of care.
- Melatonin must be cautiously used in individuals with history of seizure disorder, as melatonin intake carries the risk of lowering the threshold for seizures, thereby, resulting in seizure activity. Report to your physician regarding any episodes of seizures, during melatonin intake, for an appropriate change in your plan of care to be considered.
- Your physician could change the dose of melatonin, based on the relief obtained or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to update on the relief from symptoms. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, if need be, until you show an optimum response.
