Has anyone ever used the supplement SAM-e?

Question

I read online that it is supposed to help with your moods.

Answer 1

I used it (2 tablets a day) to get through a moderately upsetting situation when I couldn't seem to shake the blues.

Worked perfectly. Within 30 days my depression had cleared and I felt I was able to resolve the situation calmly and without emotional upset.

Answer 2

I haven't but my husband has and he says it helps for him to have more energy to do things and more motivation. I do know that some doctors actually treat patients sometimes with this in conjunction with or instead of antidepressants and other similar medications in some cases. There are two radio health shows and I cannot remember which one this was mentioned on (one was Dr. Ronald Hoffman's) radio health show, and the other was called Duke and the Doctor. I do not feel that it helps all people and that some people do need to take regular medication if it is resistant to other therapies. But, they also mentioned that some patients who did not do any better on antidepressants sometimes were treated with the SAM-E with positive results.

They were saying to get a really good benefit sometimes the treatment protocol had to be higher than the actual dose on the package and that it could be expensive, but it was beneficial. I would discuss this with your doctor or health professional to see what is safe. If someone is on an antidepressant and certain other medications, one has to be careful of how much is taken because of seretonin syndrome. I have also seen people mention 5 HTP on here. Also, there has been some research that has shown magnesium to be helpful in some people with mood changes especially with women who have pms and migraines. I take magnesium for mine and for a deficiency. You cannot take too much because it can be toxic or it can have a laxative effect. Perhaps you could look into the different things that everyone has tried, and find out what works best for you. A physician or pharmacist should be able to tell you what products are good and what is safe too. Peace

Answer 3

I've not personally used it but I have one patient with severe depression who took it.  It is expensive and hard to find in some cities.  I wasn't impressed with the results.  The patient also tried St John's Wort with limited success.  They then responded dramatically to an SSRI antidepressant after resisting for years because of a bad previous experience.

This is just one anecdote...as Alties seem to prefer anecdotes over evidence. However, the evidence shows that SAMe and SJW do work in mild depression, but have a limited role in major severe depression.

I never advise antidepressants for people with mild depression anyway. Cognitive therapy works as well or better.

Answer 4

I took it for six weeks and it helped but it is costly......

Evening primrose oil works a bit slower but is less expensive.

Saint John's wort is also good and will save you some money.

In fact you could use both of these for about the same cost as SAM-E..