COVID-19, also known as the SARS-2 virus, has changed lives worldwide. To counter the effects of this virus, various drugs have been studied. These drugs also include melatonin which has been noted to slow down the progress of the coronavirus and inhibit its impact on overall health.
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Does Melatonin Help Post-COVID Infection?
COVID may end up being a prolonged and serious infection. Patients have faced multiple health issues post-COVID; some of these problems can be treated by supplementing melatonin.
Melatonin can be used for treating Long COVID infections and symptoms. Melatonin is a cryoprotective hormone with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory properties. Melatonin plays its role in activating glutathione-synthesizing enzymes necessary for body functions. [1]
How Is Melatonin Used In COVID-19?
Like any other supplement people consume, melatonin can be used daily during COVID-19. Depending on the dose the doctor prescribes, you can consume the supplement accordingly.
In regular cases where users want to improve sleep quality, melatonin is taken 30 minutes before going to bed. If you want to use melatonin to aid insomnia, taking it 3 to 4 hours before sleeping will be helpful.
Melatonin doesn’t directly kill the virus but impacts its after-effects. Long COVID has one main prolonging issue that is concerned with sleeping.
Statistics reveal that 1 in 4 people that have been hospitalized ended up with sleep disturbance for over six months. For this, people can use melatonin after discussing it with their doctor. [2]
Apart from helping with sleep, melatonin also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It calms down the cytokine buildup that may occur in severe cases of COVID-19. Moreover, melatonin helps the heart and lungs recover from the after-effects of the infection due to its antioxidant properties.
Studies also suggest that patients who are given melatonin supplements during COVID have better chances of recovering quickly, have fewer blood clots, and have a greater chance of surviving than those taking the standard treatment. [3] [4]
While numerous studies show that melatonin is sufficient to help COVID-19 patients recover smoothly, further research is still required. Furthermore, it is better to consult a doctor if you need to begin melatonin treatment for the COVID infection.
How Much Melatonin Should One Intake For COVID?
As per research, 3mg, 6mg, and 10mg of melatonin daily had no adverse effects on the human body. In certain cases, even a dose of 1g daily for one month showed no side effects. However, remember that melatonin has not been approved by the FDA.
This means that the melatonin supplements you purchase may contain a higher drug concentration than what the label says. [5] [6]
Before starting melatonin supplements, start with a lower dose and gradually increase it. However, if the COVID infection is quite serious, you should consume the dosage suggested by the doctor. Even if it is a little heavy, it will have no serious side effects.
Is Melatonin Good For COVID Cough?
Melatonin has proven to positively impact COVID-19 infection in patients, especially for those who end up with Long COVID symptoms. Research shows that melatonin was used to treat 24 patients with the infection. These patients showed a significant impact on clinical symptoms, including cough, fatigue, and dyspnea, as well as other pulmonary issues. [7]
Based on this study, it is safe to suggest that melatonin can alleviate COVID cough. However, further research is required to see if melatonin alone can treat this cough.
Is Melatonin Good For COVID Pneumonia?
Apart from COVID pneumonia, a study shows that melatonin positively impacts the lungs. During COVID-19 infection, the supplement inhibits the production of angiotensin II, protecting the lungs from collapsing under COVID pneumonia. Moreover, melatonin also reduces oxidative stress and removes reactive nitrogen species. [8]
Bottomline
Melatonin is mostly used to treat sleep disorders like insomnia. However, recently different studies have shown that melatonin can treat symptoms and side effects of COVID-19. While it isn’t fully reliable as a treatment, you can use it alongside standard treatment procedures to help patients recover quickly.
Furthermore, melatonin supplements as COVID-19 treatment still need to be explored and researched. Up till now, specific studies show that it is beneficial. However, if you need to begin melatonin supplements for treating or helping with COVID infection, consult a doctor to avoid interaction with other medications.
FAQs
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional.
Editorial References And Fact-Checking
- Cardinali, D. P., Brown, G. M., & Pandi-Perumal, S. R. (2022). Possible Application of Melatonin in Long COVID. Biomolecules, 12(11), 1646. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12111646
- Chippa V, Aleem A, Anjum F. Post Acute Coronavirus (COVID-19) Syndrome. [Updated 2023 Feb 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570608/
- Su, W. L., Wu, C. C., Wu, S. V., Lee, M. C., Liao, M. T., Lu, K. C., & Lu, C. L. (2022). A Review of the Potential Effects of Melatonin in Compromised Mitochondrial Redox Activities in Elderly Patients With COVID-19. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 865321. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.865321
- Hasan, Z. T., Atrakji, D. M. Q. Y. M. A. A., & Mehuaiden, D. A. K. (2022). The Effect of Melatonin on Thrombosis, Sepsis and Mortality Rate in COVID-19 Patients. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 114, 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.012
- Zhang, R., Wang, X., Ni, L., Di, X., Ma, B., Niu, S., Liu, C., & Reiter, R. J. (2020). COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment. Life sciences, 250, 117583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117583
- Savage RA, Zafar N, Yohannan S, et al. Melatonin. [Updated 2022 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534823/
- Brown, G. M., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Pupko, H., Kennedy, J. L., & Cardinali, D. P. (2021). Melatonin as an Add-On Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: Current Status. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases9030064
- Li, L., Gang, X., Wang, J., & Gong, X. (2022). Role of melatonin in respiratory diseases (Review). Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 23(4), 271. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2022.11197
