Message Number: YG1216 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-03-13 16:32:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Adrenal/Melatonin query

>Because a 4 month depot Lupron shot has had no effect in slowing
>down Chuki's >adrenal activity, I'm looking at Melatonin (always the
>eternal search for >"something to help"). But melatonin comes with
>the following warning:

>"Warning: Use only at bedtime. For adult use only. Not for use
>by children, >teenagers, or pregnant or breastfeeding women. If you
>are under medical >supervision, or have and autoimmune disease,
>diabetes, a depressive disorder, a >thyroid condition, epilepsy,
>leukemia, or a lymphoproliferative disorder, or >are taking MAO
>inhibitor drugs or corticosteroids such as cortisone or >prednisone,
>consult with your physician before taking this product."

>Chuki's on Pediapred, Digoxin and Enalapril. Would I be adding to
>the problem, >or possibly helping it?

>Anyone?

Well, Glenn, I'm not a vet but I am an "anyone". <G> I see that you
are giving heart medications. Are you dealing with cardiomyopathy?
Cardiomyopathy and some other heart conditions already slow down a
ferret. Melatonin can cause sleepiness which is why it carries so
many of those warnings. Would it be in Chuki's best interest to slow
him down further? I think that is something which you need to
discuss with your vet who knows Chuki's specifics.

There is an easy, fix, though -- really easy and it would prevent
over-dosing. Mammals will produce their own melatonin in their own
bodies just by having enough darkness. It is the darkness itself
which triggers the production. Do you have dark sleeping places for
Chuki? You can make or buy lined sleep sacks that work well in
conjunction with sleeping boxes or in a covered cage.

I don't yet have a copy of the _PDR for Nutritional Supplements_ or
I'd look in there, too, but your physician or your pharmacist might
have a copy of this or an equivalent which gives both the good and
bad aspects for you to look through.

We have been trying darkness-produced melatonin for a while now. We
have not seen a decrease in benign adrenal growths personally ***but
our sample is too small to be reliable*** and some others say that
they seem to have seen a difference, so darkness may be useful for
these lovies with crepuscular burrow-dwelling ancestors, or it might
not. Who knows? (You know the drill: qualifiers like "might",
"seem", "perhaps", "hypothetically", "at certain levels", "if such
and such is present", etc. all mean to use that grain of salt when
reading and interpreting. BTW, Steve and I have not seen any adrenal
malignancies in our crew during this time frame when darkness was
increased, though we did have one old-age strongly-suspected lymphoma
that could not be fully diagnosed since the spinal cord did not all
go for pathology and Meeteetse's problem was based there.