Posted by bleauberry on February 24, 2010, at 19:58:43
In reply to Anyone out there currently using Sam-e, posted by tonyz on February 20, 2010, at 15:11:23
I've been following SAMe for a long time and have used it myself several times. The basic message is this. It definitely can work on major depression and fast. It can do so in a dose range of as little as 50mg to 1600mg. Most of the clinical studies were in the 800mg to 1600mg range. Take that much on your first day, and you'll see how potent SAMe is.
Just to clarify. Tabs are enteric coated to prevent destruction in the stomach. So if you split the smallest dose, 200mg, to get a 50mg dose, then that 50mg won't work. It will be destroyed in the stomach, right? Wrong. In theory, yes. In realtime, no. Even if the enteric coating is compromised, a feelable amount of SAMe will make it to the intestines for absorption. I've tried this several times and felt it for sure.
It pretty much knocked out my depression in two days, and does so anytime I try it.
Here is the problem though. I have not seen a single case where it continued to work past three months. Poopout, adaptation, whatever you want to call it, seems to happen within the 3 week to 3 month range.
A hospital in Boston added 1600mg SAMe to ongoing Lexapro with a group of treatment resistant patients. I don't recall the exact stats, but most of them improved significantly in a short time. Unfortuneatly, no long term followup was provided. I think it was a 6 week study.
For major depression I feel SAMe has a major role in saving lives, and lifting people from the depths very quickly. I think it is more of a short term stepping stone rather than a longterm answer. But still, for anyone feeling lost in the dark, a short term stepping stone that works fast is a welcome miracle.
I think pretty much all meds, especially the ssris, work much better with at least some SAMe onboard.
poster:bleauberry
thread:937471
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20091202/msgs/937828.html