Posted by Ron Hill on April 18, 2002, at 18:06:54
In reply to Re: SAM-e update to Ron, posted by lizzyg on April 18, 2002, at 9:53:27
> I'm glad I kept on with the SAM-e trial as it's now going well. My depression is firmly under control and I have plenty of energy during the day and good concentration at work. The only downside is I'm still getting a small amount of breakthrough anxiety (my thyroid test was fine and I'm trying to ignore the skipping heartbeats).
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Lizzy G,You sound good. I'm happy to hear that you are doing well, by and large. The breakthrough anxiety is a tough one. I am having some similar symptoms and I wonder if I am taking too much SAM-e. My "anxiety" presents differently than yours, based on what you have posted in the past. Mine is an irritability that can escalate quickly into a rage. The best medicine I have found for my "anxiety" is good hard exercise. I plan to reduce my SAM-e dose from 200 to 100 mg/day for a trial after I use up my supply of 200 mg tablets. I don't know if this breakthrough "anxiety" is a GABA thing, a norephrinpine issue, a serotonin receptor problem, or maybe too much dopamine relative to the other neurotransmitters. Please don't misunderstand me; SAM-e pulled me out of the SSRI induced anergy and anhedonia, and I will forever be thankful. This breakthrough "anxiety" is a small inconvenience compared to where I was six months ago (i.e. before SAM-e).
> I'm still wondering whether to add some 5-HTP at bedtime for anxiety and sleep, but there doesn't seem to be much about it on this board, and a lot of the other web stuff is overtly promotional. I can't find anything about combining SAM-e and 5-HTP.
I know nothing about 5-HTP (other than it is expensive and a serotonin precursor).
>Or what about GABA supplements: are they any use?
From what I've read, GABA does not readily cross the blood brain barrier, but I could be wrong. I have an almost full bottle of GABA along with the rest of the many supplements I tried prior to finding SAM-e. It's been awhile, but as I recall the GABA supplements didn't do much. But that's just me.
-- Ron
poster:Ron Hill
thread:103333
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103453.html