Will taking melatonin pills affect my birth control when taken together?

Question

Will taking melatonin pills affect my birth control when taken together?

Answer 1

There are no known restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while taking melatonin, unless otherwise directed by your health care provider.

The use of melatonin derived from animal pineal tissue may carry the risk of contamination or the means of transmitting viral material. The synthetic form of melatonin does not carry this risk.

Melatonin has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of melatonin may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Talk to your doctor before taking melatonin if you have any other medical conditions, allergies, or if you take other medicines or herbal/health supplements. Melatonin may not be recommended in some situations.

Do not take melatonin without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. It is not known whether melatonin will harm an unborn baby. Do not take melatonin without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. It is also not known whether melatonin will harm a nursing infant. There is no information available regarding the use of melatonin by children. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.