# SAM-e



## mayliner (Feb 11, 2006)

After about 2-3 months of using SAM-e my mind and thoughts have become increasingly clear and I've been feeling much less distraught.

My theory is that it's bringing a natural balance of seratonin back into my brain which SSRIs and MAOIs can't do.

If anyone else has had success with SAM-e, let us know.


----------



## Lupus (Oct 29, 2005)

> But the problem is threefold: first of all, the possible benefits and risks of SAM-e remain unclear. In Europe it is sold as a prescription drug for arthritis, depression, and liver disease. At least that means a doctor is overseeing the treatment. Here, where SAM-e can be bought as easily as a multivitamin, people can simply dose themselves-which may be unwise when so much remains to be discovered.
> 
> Secondly, its promoters, particularly Richard Brown, the author of Stop Depression Now, say SAM-e has no side effects, but anything that works like a drug has side effects of some kind, and may interact with medications or foods.
> 
> ...


S-adenosyl methionine has been around since the 50s but as pointed out above it hasnt been studied very well beyond simple blind clinical tests.


----------



## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

mayliner said:


> My theory is that it's bringing a natural balance of seratonin back into my brain which SSRIs and MAOIs can't do.


That's an intriguing theory. Can you elaborate on what the natural balance of serotonin is, and how it would come from SAM-e but not from SRIs or MAOIs?


----------



## mayliner (Feb 11, 2006)

Caedmon said:


> mayliner said:
> 
> 
> > My theory is that it's bringing a natural balance of seratonin back into my brain which SSRIs and MAOIs can't do.
> ...


My natural feeling is that you're being a little bit condescending, but maybe not.

In any case:

SSRIs and MAOIs work on inhibiting the ebb and flow of certain neurotransmitters, whereas SAM-e helps to replenish the receptor molecules that seratonin and dopamine bind to.

That's what I meant.


----------



## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Lupus, I didn't know that SAM-e converted into homocysteine. That would make me nervous. I tried SAM-e in low doses (up to 800mg) but not a higher amount. I wonder if it could be safer to take B-vitamins to encourage remethylation. B-12 and folate are often helpful for mood disorders, I am less sure about anxiety.

mayliner sorry if you got the impression I was being condescending, I wasn't. I am just trying to understand.

Here is something I found about the chemical:



> SAMe (known formally as S-adenosylmethionine) is not an herb or a hormone. It's a molecule that all living cells, including our own, produce constantly. To appreciate its importance, you need to understand a process called methylation (chart). It's a simple transaction in which one molecule donates a four-atom appendage-a so-called methyl group-to a neighboring molecule. Both the donor and the recipient change shape in the process, and the transformations can have far-reaching effects. Methylation occurs a billion times a second throughout the body, affecting everything from fetal development to brain function. It regulates the expression of genes. It preserves the fatty membranes that insulate our cells. And it helps regulate the action of various hormones and neurotransmitters, including serotonin, melatonin, dopamine and adrenaline. As biochemist Craig Cooney observes in his new book, "Methyl Magic," "Without methylation there could be no life as we know it."
> 
> And without SAMe, there could be no methylation as we know it. Though various molecules can pass methyl groups to their neighbors, SAMe is the most active of all methyl donors. Our bodies make SAMe from methionine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods, then continually recycle it. Once a SAMe molecule loses its methyl group, it breaks down to form homocysteine. Homocysteine is extremely toxic if it builds up within cells. But with the help of several B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid), our bodies convert homocysteine into glutathione, a valuable antioxidant, or "remethylate" it back into methionine.
> 
> ...


- http://www.biopsychiatry.com/sameart.html

I wonder - which receptors? That would be nice to know. SSRIs and MAOIs also change receptors - they decrease 5HT2 receptors. Are all receptors beneficial? If there are _more_ SE or DA receptors, does this mean that the neurotransmitters have _increased_ uptake? Or, if it is a change in phospholipid composition, what does that do to receptors? Does it have any downstream chemical effects inside nerve cells? I ask a lot of questions! :lol


----------



## funkypresident (Sep 17, 2005)

Ooooh another SAMe thread. And to think i was just going to make another one asking questions with any experiences :lol



mayliner said:


> My theory is that it's bringing a natural balance of seratonin back into my brain which SSRIs and MAOIs can't do.
> 
> If anyone else has had success with SAM-e, let us know.


What dose have you been taking? 
My GP told me purchase the 400mg. And take _one_ daily a after meal in the morning.

In addition, another person on this board took it for awhile, and they said that it reduced anxiety in them in previously anxious situations. Have you experinced a similar feeling aswell?


----------



## mayliner (Feb 11, 2006)

400mg daily before taking any food onboard as the directions recommend. I usually drink it with a cup of juice to get some carbs in my system and wait at least a half an hour before eating.

It's taken a while but I've noticed a major change in the way I feel.


----------



## funkypresident (Sep 17, 2005)

mayliner said:


> 400mg daily before taking any food onboard as the directions recommend. I usually drink it with a cup of juice to get some carbs in my system and wait at least a half an hour before eating.
> 
> It's taken a while but I've noticed a major change in the way I feel.


Thats good to know  If you could elaborate a little bit more.

Before you starting taking it did were you depressed? - Has it helped in easing depression?

What about anxious thoughts before certain situations? - Has it calmed you down and made you relaxed a little bit?


----------



## GaryUranga (Apr 22, 2006)

whats SAM-e to start with


----------



## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

working out whether any med actually helps SA is hindered by a placebo effect of about 30% to 50%
an internet psych, dr skipko became very entjusiastic about sam e for anxiety and panic attacks and did a trial on some patients, but has never given the results of it, I wonder why??


----------



## funkypresident (Sep 17, 2005)

arthur56 said:


> working out whether any med actually helps SA is hindered by a placebo effect of about 30% to 50%
> an internet psych, dr skipko became very entjusiastic about sam e for anxiety and panic attacks and did a trial on some patients, but has never given the results of it, I wonder why??


I read that too. The article states why, i can't find it currently tho. Keep looking. 8)


----------



## mayliner (Feb 11, 2006)

funkypresident said:


> mayliner said:
> 
> 
> > 400mg daily before taking any food onboard as the directions recommend. I usually drink it with a cup of juice to get some carbs in my system and wait at least a half an hour before eating.
> ...


Yeah I had pretty bad depression, I think.

And anxiety.

It's helped both.


----------

