Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Incident:**
A 14-year-old boy (HB) ate 180 gummy melatonins, which his mother (Karen) had secretly given to him, thinking it would calm him down due to her frustration with his loud behavior.
**Consequences:**
HB became disoriented, dizzy, and somnolent, leading to an emergency room visit. Tests revealed "hypermelatoninemia" (high melatonin levels in the blood). Despite the massive overdose, HB was lucky to have no underlying medical conditions that could have interacted with melatonin.
**Medical Insights:**
* Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone regulating sleep-wake cycles.
* Massive ingestions (like HB's case) are becoming more common, with over 250,000 pediatric melatonin ingestion cases reported in the US between 2012-2021.
* While melatonin is generally non-toxic, excessive intake can disrupt the body's natural balance, potentially leading to long-term effects (though unknown in HB's case).
**Outcome:**
Doctors warned of potential short-term disruptions to HB's sleep schedule, but he made a full recovery without further hospital visits. The incident served as a lesson for Karen regarding her approach to managing her son's behavior.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, excluding opinions, with each fact numbered and presented in short sentences:
1. **Patient Profile**: HB is a 14-year-old boy who presented to the emergency room disoriented.
2. **Incident Details**: HB ate 180 gummy melatonins, which he thought were candy, for lunch.
3. **Symptoms**: After consumption, HB felt dizzy, lightheaded, somnolent, and was confused.
4. **Medical Response**: HB was brought to the emergency room by his mother, Karen, after she found him knocked out on the floor.
5. **Diagnosis**: HB was diagnosed with hypermelatoninemia, indicating high levels of melatonin in his blood.
6. **Melatonin Function**: Melatonin is a hormone released in response to an absence of light, regulating the body's circadian rhythm.
7. **Production**: Melatonin is naturally produced in the body, with its production increasing in the absence of light.
8. **Pineal Gland Role**: The pineal gland, located in the brain, synthesizes and secretes melatonin.
9. **Effect of Mega Dose**: Consuming a mega dose of melatonin, like HB did, sends a strong sleep signal to the brain.
10. **Statistics on Melatonin Ingestion**:
* Over a quarter of a million pediatric melatonin ingestions were logged by US poison centers between 2012 and 2021.
* The number of such cases has increased dramatically each year.
11. **Severity of Cases**: At least 2 children have died in hospitals in the last 10 years after melatonin megadose ingestions, though direct causality may be unclear.
12. **Melatonin Metabolism**: Melatonin is metabolized by the liver, which can lead to interactions if taken with other liver-metabolized medications.
13. **Individual Reactions**: People react differently to melatonin, with varying sensitivities to its effects.
14. **Medical Concerns**: Exogenous melatonin administration can disrupt the body's hormonal balance, potentially leading to long-term issues if used inconsistently or in large doses.
15. **Outcome for HB**: HB was counseled on potential future sleep schedule disturbances but did not return to the hospital, implying a full recovery.