A naturally occurring molecule found throughout the body with high concentrations in the adrenal glands, liver, and brain, SAMe has been extensively studied as an antidepressant and treatment for the pain of osteoarthritis. Although the study populations have been small, results have generally been positive, showing SAMe to be more effective than a placebo. In recent research (reported in August 2010 in the American Journal of Psychiatry), investigators from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital gave SAMe or a placebo to seventy-three depressed adults who had not responded to prescribed antidepressant drugs; all continued to take the drugs. After six weeks of treatment, 36 percent of the subjects taking SAMe showed improvement, compared with just 18 percent of the placebo group. Moreover, 26 percent of those in the SAMe group had complete remission of symptoms, compared with just 12 percent in the placebo group.
Carol, sixty-one, of Tucson, Arizona, works for a church. For both her and her husband, the mood lift provided by SAMe was an unexpected side benefit:
I went through an initial and follow-up visit to our integrative Medicine Clinic in February 2007, looking for help with osteoarthritis that seemed to be progressing and a number of other challenges. One of the recommendations I received was to take 200 milligrams of SAMe three times a day… I tried it, and my husband joined me. We began with the recommended dose, and within one day of taking it, we both noticed a huge feeling of well-being. While I can’t remember if physical we hurt less, we most definitely saw a difference in our attitudes and felt a feeling of… well, being able to do more.
Janette, fourty-eight, from Paradise, California, abused alcohol from her teenage years onward to cope with depression she had felt for “almost my entire life.” The prescription anti-depressant Trazodone had not worked for her; neither had St. John’s wort:
Through further research, including Dr. Weil’s books, I learned about SAMe. I started talking about it five years ago and it has really helped me tremendously. When I first started taking it, I used about 800 milligrams a day and now I use 400. I take it when I feel I need it but can go months without it. I like how it only takes a few days to work. It stabilizes my mood, and I don’t feel the severe lows I used to feel. That being said, I also continue to work on myself and grow, and that process coupled with the SAMe has really helped me. In fact, I no longer drink any alcohol because I don’t need it anymore, and my drinking was ultimately self-destructive. I have been sober for two and a half years.
We don’t know how SAMe works; it may affect levels of neurotransmitters or their brain receptors. An advantage of SAMe over prescription antidepressants and St. John’s wort is that it works quickly, often lifting mood within days rather than weeks. It is also quite safe, although, because it has been reported to worsen manic symptoms, those with bipolar disorder should avoid it. The only side effect, which is uncommon, is gastrointestinal upset. If you want to try SAMe, look for products that provide the butanedisulfonate form in enteric-coated tablets. The usual dosage is 400 to 1,600 milligrams a day, taken on an empty stomach. Take lower doses (under 800 milligrams) once a day, a half hour before the morning meal; split higher doses, taking the second dose a half hour before lunch. You can use SAMe with prescribed antidepressants (and other medications.) It may be especially useful who suffer from pain as well as depression.
Excerpted from Dr. Sam Weil’s book Spontaneous Happiness
Recommendation: Take a B vitamin supplement while taking SAM-e. Please consult your primary care physician to insure proper administering of this supplement. Also, it is not recommended that you take SAM-e while breastfeeding.