Depression Blog.com

Haven't seen anything on internet related to my SAM-e problem...headaches. I started a low grade headache as soon as I started taking SAM-e. If I consume any alcohol, the headache is a lot worse. I stopped taking SAM-e & the headaches went away. After a couple of weeks I decided to start taking it again. Within 10 minutes I had a low grade headache again which stayed with me throughout the night. Has anyone else experience headaches while taking SAM-e?

My neighbor is taking sam-E for mild depression and thinks it's great. I don't have depression but have very low blood-levels of serotonin; also extreme, uncontrollable irritability and occasional confused speech (both of which I never had before I got chronic fatigue/yeast syndrome a few years ago, but that's another story...). Zoloft did a great job for all of this — the irritability disappeared and I had no more brain fog — but it made me fat, so I went off it and tried the sam-E. Since then, not only have the irritability and speaking difficulty returned (the other day I broke the turn signal off my car — just got pissed off and tore it off the steering column — a $500 part, never mind the labor...), but also I've had dizziness and stomach-aches for the two weeks I've been on the sam-E. Today's the last day of my experiment!

I have heard very positive comments about Sam-e from people that came off antidepressants and went on Sam-e. The friends I know that are taking it start on 200 mg twice and day and increase it according to their needs up to 800 mg a day. I do not know what the ISO stands for on the label but the representative for this product told all those at the conference we were at to make sure that it says ISO right under where it says Sam-e. I have been on Prozac but stopped it due to side-affects 3 weeks ago and will try Sam-e only because I have not heard of any negative side effects from many I know taking it. Does any one know how long one should be off prescription antidepressants before starting Sam-e? Thanks,

started taking SAM-e about a week ago and have noticed an significant uptike in my anxiety level if this continues Ill have to back off taking 800 mgs

I noticed the effects the first day. Taking 200 mg of SAM-e, within 20 minutes I felt exremely sleepy, unable to focus along with a sudden but brief swell of anxiety. The sense of "well being" is there but not worth the side effects I mention.

Yes, I had headaches too. And I found myself to be VERY irritable and impatient. Won;t take it again.

I've noticed an extreme tightening in my chest since I started 400.mg SAM-e a week ago. It's strange..almost like a feeling of doom. I keep thinking if I take this medication long enough this side effect will go away. I think I'll give it another week but I can't stand longer than that. Has anybody kept taking it with this feeling and the bad side effect finally diminished?

I began taking Sam-e for A.D.D. and depression.
When I started taking it my thoughts and emotions were so out of control, I wasn't productive in the least. Now, I have been taking them for 2-3 month's and I feel somewhat "emotionally constipated" almost as if I were on a chemical anti-depressant. I can feel emotions inside, but I can not convey them in any logical manner, also my memory has been totally non-existent. "Fleeting emotions"

Started sam-E 100mg two days ago, have had a low-grade headache the whole time, and now today a few gas pains. No idea if these symptoms will go away as time progresses - still searching the Internet for answers.

My doctor suggested trying Sam e for chronic leg
ache. After one week of taking 200mg a.m. and
p.m. I felt vey depressed. After ten days I
experinced irrational behavior, extreme mood
swings and felt like I was losing my mind. The
only change I'd made in my routine was taking
Sam e. When I checked the side effects I learned
it was also used and an antidepressant. It had
the opposite effect for me!

since i have been taking sam e i have had several headaches .

I have been taking Same e for over month now. It has given me a ton of energy and more excitment about live. I don't just sit around dreading everything anymore. I feel happier and more content. sorry to hear some of you have not had the same fortune as I. I SWEAR by it!

I really wanted SAM-e to work and so far am very disappointed.
I've been taking it for two weeks and have had a noticable rise in anxiety and a complete inability ot concentrate. In addition - I've had nightmares almost every night.
I had high hopes because I'm tired of turning to prescription drugs (have used celexa, zoloft, effexor, luvox, wellbutrin).

I started taking Sam-e along with 5HTP and do not see any difference in how I feel. Still very depressed and high anxiety. I'll give it some more time before seeking other treatments. What are your experiences?

I found this site while doing a search on SAM-e and side effects. I started taking SAM-e today in the hopes that it would help with a painful, problem joint. After about an hour, I felt slightly dizzy and extremely anxious. It is now 5+ hours later, and I still feel anxious, a little dizzy and sort of disoriented. I'm happy for everyone that finds relief with SAM-E, and I am dissappointed that it is apparently not for me...

Hello All,

I've been taking SAM-e for about 4 days now. I went to the gym and did cardio yesterday and noticed that I cannot seem to catch my breath fully and there is sort of a tightness in my chest. At first I thought it might have just been from overexertion, but I've never had this before and I workout all the time. It seems a little dangerous. I'll stay on it for another day and then I'm done if I still feel this way. I know some other people have had tightness in the chest, but has anyone had trouble with their breathing too?

I started using SAM-e, because I suffer from depression and panic disorder. I was hopeful after talking with my therapist that SAME-e would be a natural alternative to an SSRI, but SAM-e has made me more anxious than usual. When I am on it, I feel like I am crawling out of my skin. My chest also feels tight. I read that in Europe it is a prescription drug, and I think that it shoud be classified as one here as well.

My wife took Sam-e for almost two months, going from 200 to 1600 mg/day. She started getting incredible painful stomach cramps, even went to the ER once. She was seen and treated for various GI disorders, but what eventually made her pain go away was when she stopped taking Sam-e. She's been off it for a month and her stomach pains have not returned (and she's not taking any other medicines, either)

I have also experienced headaches, almost like a migraine, with Sam-e. Has anyone found that they disappear after a while or with lower dosage, (I'm taking 400)? I like the other effects.

Hello! ....I have recently had a BAD experience with SAM-E... having insomnia, anxiety, fear, shakiness, and restlessness (especially restless thoughts). This stuff kicked in super-fast for me.

I'm a young woman wanting to brighten my energy, motivation, and mood; I have a slender build. I was actually angry because the box of the JARROW brand I bought suggested 200 -OR- 400 mg; so I did 200 mg and EVEN on 200 mg once a day... five days passed, and then the anxiety kicked in. This brand markets themselves as the strongest molecular composition, and I believe them! Worries and insecurities became magnified so much! Scary! Of course, I hadn't been taking very good care of myself/my body at all.

Anyhow, I stopped taking the Sam-e about 7 days ago now, and am just now starting to feel some relief, only after great focus....

**I feel some discomfort on one side my neck, like there's something going on with my swallowing, but that started a little before SAM-E, I think. Anyway, was planning to ask my doctor about it. It *feels* related to breathing, but not so sure because I have the tightness and oversensitivity to how well I'm breathing. (Could be psychosomatic)

****Does anyone have info on how long it took you to feel "back to normal" again??? If it had to be a choice, I feel I would rather have my low, slightly depressive state, than the anxiety!!!

***Please go into this carefully - I suggest starting at 50mg, seriously!

Best and Blessings to all of you... N.

P.S. Very interested in hearing others feedback, keep it coming!

Have been taking sam-e for about 3 months now. Feel "happier" and less intense at work but have other side effects that seem to have increased. I have tendency to have irregular benign heart beats, these have increased in last 3 months. I continue to have sleepless ness. Wake up in the middle of the night and think and worry about trivial things. This has increased since I took sam-e. I love the mood improvement but these side effects that seem to be attributable to SAM-e have convinced me to cut back and maybe eliminate using it.

Well,sorry to say " i'm having the same sucky
types of experiences as most of you!"Sucky!
I've only begun taking it 4 days ago and for the past 11 mo. I have been breast feeding.This is what I blame my anxiety and panic attacks on.
Hormones.Any now,To add to my anxiety,I now have
had to fight to get what seems like two hours of sleep and quit dreaming.I usualy dream all night every night.Though I'm not ready to quit trying,I am tierd and moody.
I am not a quiter!"Yet!"And i'll check in next week.

Wow! Glad I found this site. I have been taking SAM e for about l0 days, and have experienced the chest tightness,can't fully catch my breath (feels like I'm revved up physically, but my blood pressure is normal), and have a stomach ache every day so far. Benefits are good mentally, and I plan to cut my dosage to l00 mg daily and hope side effects subside. I feel more like my old self before depression, and interests are starting to come back, along with mental energy. At least I know where the stomach ache and chest tightness are coming from (along with what feels like swollen glands and a soreness when swallowing sometimes).

Wow! Glad I found this site. I have been taking SAM e for about l0 days, and have experienced the chest tightness,can't fully catch my breath (feels like I'm revved up physically, but my blood pressure is normal), and have a stomach ache every day so far. Benefits are good mentally, and I plan to cut my dosage to l00 mg daily and hope side effects subside. I feel more like my old self before depression, and interests are starting to come back, along with mental energy. At least I know where the stomach ache and chest tightness are coming from (along with what feels like swollen glands and a soreness when swallowing sometimes).

Wow! Glad I found this site. I have been taking SAM e for about l0 days, and have experienced the chest tightness,can't fully catch my breath (feels like I'm revved up physically, but my blood pressure is normal), and have a stomach ache every day so far. Benefits are good mentally, and I plan to cut my dosage to l00 mg daily and hope side effects subside. I feel more like my old self before depression, and interests are starting to come back, along with mental energy. At least I know where the stomach ache and chest tightness are coming from (along with what feels like swollen glands and a soreness when swallowing sometimes).

I have been reading the comments here... and see a very close similarity with wellbutrin side effects. This may show that these symptoms rise when the dopamin action is intensified. However with wellbutrin these extreme experiences : anxiety , hard breathing, chest tightness...tend to slowly tapper off within 2-4 weeks. I wonder if it is the same with Sam-e. I am taking 200 mg a day now ,hoping it will eventually replace my wellbutrin. I will update everyone in about 2 weeks.

a.

I have read your comments to date with interest. (I apologize for any spelling errors in advance.) I am being treated for major depression, and am taking an SSRI (Cymbalta 60 mg) and a crossover drug (Trazadone 50 mg). When I first saw my doctor, my complaint was lack of sleep over worry, to the point of total exhaustion. He prescribed Trazadone, that was increased by 50 mg every few weeks, until reaching 200 mg., taken before bed. That worked, but the mental fog set in. As my situation became worse, he put me on the SSRI as well, to be taken in the morning. This worked pretty well, and I slowly reduced the trazadone down to 50 mg. before bed. However, the SSRI had me still in a fog, and I was sleeping 10 hrs. a night, and I felt very lethargic. I started studying about this stuff a bit, and read some research that indicated that when seratonin is increased, dopamine can naturally decrease. This study also cited several cases where adolescents had actually exhibited a psudo "frontal lobe syndrome" from SSRI's. Another study that I saw corrolated frontal lobe activity to dopamine levels. As I understand it, frontal lobe activity is realted to the ability to plan, to memory, the ability to relate outcome of events to actions, a segemnt of emotion processing, rem sleep, and other critical mental process. Based on what I had read, my symptoms seemed to suggest that I might be suffering from lowered dopamine levels. What prompted me to write this, was the previous entry on Wellbutrin. From what I have read, Wellbutrin does indeed raise dopamine levels. However, my doctor has had mixed results prescribing it because of the side effects, mostly related to elevated dopamine levels. I had considered Wellbutrin to raise dopamine levels, but I believe that it also affects other neurohormone levels, and changes with neurohormone levels can result, under some circumstances with other drugs, in life-threatening hyper- or hypotensive episodes, or seratonin syndrome, so I was severely limited in the drugs that can be taken with SSRI's. I wanted to test my theory that I was suffering from low dopamine, and wanted something to raise my dopamine, without significantly affecting norepinephrine or seratonin. Also, I figured that if I was low on dopamine, then I wouldn't get the side effects of elevated dopamine if I could restore dopamine to normal levels while still taking the other drugs. My Internet searches were slim. SAM-e was one of the few seemingly relatively benign drugs that I might try. So, I did, and to my amazement, it worked! The fog cleared within three days, I had plenty of energy, my sleep went to 8 hrs., my appitite backed off of simple carbohydrates (which had increased on SSRI's) and my mental clarity was better than it had been since before becoming depressed. I actually got up to 1600 mg/day with amazing results. However, it wasn't long before I started experiencing severe and crippling stomach pain. As this is not generally known to be a side effect of SAM-e, when I went to my doctor, he did not want to disclude a possible ulcer. However, I suspected SAM-e, and started reducing the dosage. I also switched brands to Jarrow, and am now at 800 mg/day. At this dosage, the positive effects are not as strong, but still very much present, and the stomach pains have subsided. I have found almost no research om using SAM-e to counter bad SSRI side effects, but did see a study from a hospital in MA where SAM-e was shown to have significant effect in individuals not responding to SSRI's. In any case, this has been a near miracle in my life, and suggest that if you are on SSRI's with side effects similar to mine, that you discuss SAM-e with your doctor. (SAM-e did NOT overcome the bad sexual side effects of SSRI's, but did overcome just about everything else.)

Currently I'm taking 1200 mg/day of Sam-e.
I started with 800 mg, and at first I had some stomach heartburn, and some of the shortness of breath. But after about 3 weeks now, both of these problems seem to be lessening. I take it on an empty stomach to get more of an effect.
At this dose, I'm noticing it is keeping depression at bay, and I'm quite alert. So far, so good. I'll see what happens after taking this for another week or two. (Beware of some irritability).

I'm reading through the comments here and they almost sound fake, haven't heard so many negative comments about Sam-E on any other site. I have been taking it for a week and went from crying every day, sleeping until 2pm and not being able to do simple things like clean my house or pay the bills to being almost completely focused and on top of things. Yes, I have a couple of side effects similar to conventional antidepressents (stomach upset, insomnia). The chest pains you are having are probably just anxiety from the increasing levels of neurotransmitters, and will go away. This has worked quicker than any other antidepressent!

Just to provide my feedback too. I've suffered from depression for years and tried multiple prescription antidepressants (Effexor and Lexapro). But always with he hopes to get off them.

Sam-e seemed like it has proven to do the trick for many. I started with a low dose; 100mg twice a day for a week, then up to 200mg twice a day for about two weeks. I understood that it was strong stuff and thought it would be best to start slow and work my way to what would hopefully be a proper level. Right away I found that I began having more dreams (good and bad ones) and that I seemed to wake earlier and was a bit restless. I did not really feel the extra positive energy that I hear about, yet I did experience a bit of tightness in the chest. I figured that I would then try and go to the 800 mg a day and see how that did. I've been doing this for just over two weeks now and have more tightness in the check and what I think is serious anxiety as well. I think I am going to stop, because the results I am experiencing are not positive...very disappointing for me.

I have been freaking out with many family and job issues right now, and I really don’t think this sam-e is helping.

Can anyone advise about getting off of it? Should I taper down, if so how slowly? Or can I just stop it? Thanks.

This stuff makes me feel better than I have in a LONG time. I am perimenopausal, and had been suffering from extremely high levels of anxiety and hormonal sadness before I tried this product. I started out taking 1200 mg a day (at three intervals) but have since backed dowm to 2 400mg tabs per day. I have a high threshold for physical pain, so I am rarely troubled by headaches, stomachaches, etc. (having the "ignore them and they'll go away" philosophy, so I don't have any painful maladies to report...just a better sense of emotional well-being than I've had in a very long time, which I'd trade a tummy ache for ANY day, if that were even a factor for me).

I just started taking SAM-e today, so I'll have to wait to see what happens. However, no one here has mentioned taking vitamin B complex along with the SAM-e. It is supposed to help metabolize the chemicals correctly. I am taking both, and will try to write back in a week or so....

I have been taking SAM-E 400 mg for about 3 weeks.
I have been taking 1 cap a day.
I started taking it as a liver supplement.
Nothing felt for about 1 week but following 3 weeks were nightmare even last 10 days I stopped taking it. I had severe dizziness that was caused by high blood pressure. I have perfect blood pressure 80 x 120 but these days it was about 90 x 150. It started to vanish after I stopped taking it but not before 1 week or so. Any way should be taking very carefully.

BEWARE AWFULL SIDE EFFECTS WITH ONLY 70 MG
First I had headaches, then stomach pain, than my headaches turned to migraines, not even my migraine prescription helped, and I had terrible stomach pain and nausea with vomiting! Also had shakiness, fast heartbeat, bad dreams, was snappy and had pain while swallowing! I only took less than 100 mg/day for 5 days and day after day I felt sicker and sicker like I am taking poison! And this is the only site with negative comments about sam e. I dumped the whole bottle, it is worse than antidepressants! I will try 5 htp next.

Its hard to believe all of the negative things I'm reading here about sam-e. It makes me think that drug companies are frightened about the positive effects of an over-the-counter drug and got a bunch of people together to write negative things about sam-e because it really does work just as well as the prescription stuff without all of the side effects. I started using it in January of 2006 for depression. I could not afford to see a doctor and definitely couldn't afford any type of medication so I turned to this alternative. Within 4 days I was feeling better and within two weeks I felt alive again. The ONLY side effect I had from it was diarrhea and that was because I was started at 800mg a day when I should have started at only 200-400mg a day. I was on Prozac 12 years ago and it worked beautifully for me except it gave me nightmares and I couldn't have an orgasm on it so I stopped after 10 months. I have been on Paxil (it didn't work), celexa (made my joints hurt) and Wellbutrin (wasn't on it long enough to notice any effect). Sam-e worked very well for me. It didn't change my ENTIRE personality like prozac did but it kept me out of a depressed state and I felt normal.

I've been taking SAM-e for a month.

I also haven't seen as many negative comments on SAM-E as I have here. It would not surprise me at all if the MULTI-BILLION dollar pharmaceutical industry hires people to give bad press to supplements that hurt their business. Don't forget that the amino acid L-Tryptophan was almost completely banned and had its reputation permanently scarred because of a tainted batch from Asia that caused some deaths. Prior to its ban many people used it for depression with much success. This was right before SSRI's skyrocketed in popularity. It is now available again. With all the prescription and OTC drugs constantly causing deaths I wonder why this amino acid was made completely unavailable. I guess when you have billions you have a lot of influence.

Beware of where you get your information. The internet, especially blogs are quite suspect.

By the way, I've been taking SAM-E 200mgs and haven't noticed much of anything, good or bad. I just upped my dosage to see if that changes things.

I found sam e to cause further depression rather than remove it. One of the comments posted here says it has the opposite effect of what it should. I concur and am grateful to find out others experience the sam thing.

I find this to be true with other natural alternatives and wonder if this is indicative of odd brain chemistry.

I went off of Zoloft about 3 weeks ago, which i've been taking since 1992 for severe depression,at which time i started taking Sam E. I have tried every kind of antidepressant with miserable side effects and Zoloft was actually making me feel more depressed. I had tried to quit taking Zoloft several years ago and my hot flashes (hysterectomy) came back 10 fold and I was so depressed, I went back on it. I started taking Sam E the day I quit my Zoloft and right now I feel better than I have in 15 years! I have had some side effects including anxiety, restlessness, nauseau and extreme dreams, HOWEVER, they seem to be lessening with time except for the dreams. I never dreamed when on Zoloft and feel like i'm catching up!!! The heavy depressive mood that has been hanging over me is gone - Zoloft never got rid of it and it had gotten much worse in the last 4 years as a result of 2 bad auto accidents which left me in severe ongoing pain. In any event, I think Sam E is like any type of medication or supplement in that it can cause unwanted side effects but really help a portion of people. I can't believe I have been so fortunate to find something that helps me. Of course, I don't like the side effects mentioned above, but everything is relative and compared to how i was feeling on the Zoloft, i feel like i may just have a chance to move on with my life. I have several other friends Sam E has helped immensely....

Started SAM-e about a month ago. I started with just 200 mg Jarrow brand SAM-e per day. I increased to 400 mg (200 in the AM and 200 in the PM) but quickly reduced back to 200.

SAM-e has definitely helped pull me from a deep, deep despair. I skipped it for two days because I ran out and didn't get to the store, and I fell very quickly back into a deep, dark depression. Once back on it, my mood is quite good.

The side effects I have noticed are feeling a little shakey in the first hour or two after taking it, restlessness evidenced in leg bouncing, and, ironically, a little sleepiness (all in the same hour or two period after taking it), and some funny sleep related things...When it is time to sleep, it seems I drop almost instantly into a dream state. I do wake up early with anxious thoughts, though that was a feature of my depression without the SAM-e. I think it has also suppressed my appetite, because I don't seem to be able to eat nearly as much as I did before. I will have to make sure I don't lose too much weight. Right now, it is helping me feel functional, and that is worth the minor side effects.

its great I beat my depression and anxiety within 2 days

Would like to know if anyone has success with taking sam-e?

i think it's funny that some of you believe the negative experiences some people have been having are actually pharmaceutical companies spreading lies :)

my experience with Sam-e was wonderful at first - from the very first day i felt less stressed... little things stopped bothering me- i was very weary about prescription drugs so i was thrilled with my results from a natural drug. I was taking a brand known as ''source naturals'' 400 mg a day. About a week after i started i had such an intense stomach ache i thought i needed an ambulance ...

this was the worst pain i can ever remember experiencing ... it lasted almost 15 minutes ... however i didn't want to stop sam-e since i was feeling so i continued for another week - and had the same stomach ache ... but this time i was vomiting -

i've decided to stop Sam-e for at least a week and see if my stomach improves ... i've done a bit of research and found that 400mg seems to be much too large of a dose for most people - most sites feel that 50-100 a day is enough ... so if my stomach aches do subside and resume Sam-e my daily dosage will be greatly reduced.

from looking at other sites it seems that intense stomach pain and other various GI problems are a reoccurring side effect of Sam-e

My husband just started takeing SAM-e along with St. John's wort. This combo seeme to do the trick!

I was taking SAM-e for 1 1/2 months and LOVED it!!! It kept me on an even steady keel. NO moodiness or bursts of viciousness like normal for me. BUT... I noticed it dried me up, no tearing or watery eyes... BUT they got so RED people who know me well, were asking me if I was High!(NOT my Style). Visine didn't even help to clear it! and I've also noticed the lack moistue in my nostrils! Has anyone else experienced this???

One more thing...I didn't look up side effects for this drug until after I started experiencing the effects. I actually googled the key words " sam-e, waking up, and anxiety." That is how I found this site. ---just in case you were wondering. Just be careful!

CHEST PAIN
i know the feeling of doom. my chest is tight and i cant breath and i become light headed. keeps me awake @ night. anxiety is up almost to the point where it may be unsafe to drive and i am "out of it" or in a daze and this scares me.
not to mention my IBS does not seem to appreciate sam-e too much.
the Dr. warning on a releted sight states that if one is to experience chest pain to discontinue and consult a Dr. but i hav yet to complete the 2 weeks trial suggested on the instruction that came with the sam-e. this is my 2nd time around. the first time i could bot bear the symptoms and discontinued after about a week and a half.
i hav always been terrifed of SSRI. i am 17 yrs old and need to get this depression and anxiety under control before i leave for college.
please feel free to email me with any advise on what i should do about this.

mirandalovve@yahoo.com

thank you so much,
Miranda

i am considering to ray same instead of ssri that i'vebeen taken for aperiod of 5 month.
suggestion. please.

I found this site by putting in Sam-e and stomach pain!! It worked great for me for about a month or so, then the stomach pains kicked in, and I never even tied the horrible headaches I have been getting to it!! Plus, the crazy throat and chest tightness!! I blamed it all on something else!! I am stopping this stuff right now, and no, I am not from a bigpharma!! I love natural stuff! Now I am depressed that it doesn't work!!!! I guess it is back to just tyrosine, and see how that works!

I have low seratonin levels and a bad liver. Am I better off taking wellbutrin or celexa? I aso suffer from depression

Tried Jarrow SAM-e 400. Made me tired and gave me night sweats like I was going thru menopause all over again. Calls to JF went un-answered. I am not at all happy with their products or their (apparent non-existent) customer service. Stay away from Jarrod Formula products.

I did a google search for sam-e side effects, headaches, and was brought to this blog. I honestly have never had a headache in my life, and it took me a while to realize that this pain in my head was, in fact a low grade headache.

My mom sent me some Sam-e from Costco to help me get back on my feet after a series of life events had me spinning out of control. And I do think it helped me tremendously - it wasn't that I was happier so much as I was able to get out of bed, and focus, and taking the next step to didn't seem so overwhelming anymore.

But my head hurt almost all the time. Not overwhelming, just a dull pain in the background. I didn't put the two together, but recently I moved and was unable to find my Sam-e, and stopped taking it for a few weeks. I just found it again a few days ago, and my headache came right back.

I don't take much. Just a 200mg pill this morning and the thud showed up a half hour later.

I don't know if it's worth it. But at least now I know it's related, and I can end the headache by ending the Sam-e. It's funny to me that it's not a listed side effect. Anyway, just wanted to share in case anyone's experiencing the same thing. It's not dosage. It's just a bad reaction to the Sam-e itself. Bummer.

I started taking Sam-e after seeing those ads on tv running about it. I jump and started at the 400 mg they sold at my local drug store .. they also sold the 200mg too. For right now I have stopped taking it due to such horrible stomach pain my Dr thought my gallbladder was acting up. Almost went to the ER the pain became so bad and lets talk about the gas it was the foulest I ever had with the strangest odor. But I am not about to give up on Sam-e yet because the positive affect it had on my mood and such and my pain level.
I was told sometime if you change brands your system will tolerate it better. So that is the route I am planning on trying at least one more time because mood wise the benefits where wonderful

Hi there
I took SAMe (400mgs) whilst suffering from major depression with psychotic symptoms and then stopped after 5 days due to the incredible changes I had experienced.

I did feel some irritability and at times could not sleep due to euphoria, but to be honest these were minor in comparison with the hell I had been through. One thing I would say is that SAMe is STRONG! I would treat it with the utmost respect and expect some pretty major effects.

About a month after taking SAMe, I had completely turned my life around (this felt easy due to the amazing mental energy I had on tap) and was involved in an internship with a company in London. Things started to get a little out of hand (in terms of high energy/over enthusiasm) and I was told that I was experiencing a manic episode. (Manic episodes are a symptom of Bi-polar, a condition which often appears after major depression with psychotic symptoms)

Eventually things calmed down and life got back to normal.

All in all I would have to say that SAMe should be taken with care, but that if you are in a bad way with depression, then a few side effects (for the few DAYS you should take the supplement) are worth it.

Love to all.

Hi, i,ve been taking SAM-e since two months, it has helped me a lot with depression but i noticed hair loss since taking it. Anyone has experienced hair loss as a side effect of SAM-e? Thanks

I am usually just a reader non poster but I had to comment. I have been using SAM-e for about a month. 400mg in the morning daily. I began taking it fot joint health & arthritis symptoms. What I noticed as a negative is stomache aches. Random stomache pain. Today was the worst one yet. I am far from being a sissy about stuff but todays stomache ache has made me look into SAM-e side effects. I'm not sure if it has helped the arthritis but it hasn't produced any major changes other than the stomache thing. Going to go off it and see what happens.

I prefer not to take medications so was trying SAM-e for arthritis. It did seem to be effective in the short time I took it. But, I developed a stomach problem and thought I had the flu. I stopped taking SAM-e and other vitamins.
When the 'flu' abated, I started the SAM-e again but made sure I took it with food (after 1/2 half hour on empty stomach). Oh, the migraines and stomach problems (burning sensation) started up again and I believe I have dark blood in my stools. I will not take it again. If it works for you, then go ahead, but be aware of the side affects. We are all different and it may benefit some people. I am not associated with any pharmaceutical corporation.

I am absolutely shocked to read all of these negatives effects. I have been on 800-1600mg Sam-e for years. It has been wonderful, just take it with b- vitamins and on an empty stomach and make sure its from a good manufacturer. I have never heard such negative things about it. I think everyone is very anxious and sensitive because of depression and overreacting. Give it a few weeks and make sure you take it consistently. If you take it with other drugs or alcohol you will probably have issues so dont do it.

Btw, my history is diagnosed with manic dep. in teens, was on lithium and wellbutrin, was on prozac when I was only 13, was on zoloft, lexapro, wellbutrin, and celexa at other times in my life. Sam-e has been pretty consistent and healthy for me.
Turns out I have been smart to have been taking it so many years, because I was also just diagnosed with Hep C.

i was living with a man for 28 years who suddenly decided he liked men better than women. I became so depressed that my sister told me about sam-e. I tried it, within 2 hours i was having such severe stomach pains i couldn't believe it. I only took it 2 days havn't taken it for 2 days and my stomach is still just as painful as it was.

Taking SamE for 6 weeks now. I take 2000mg's a day. It has changed my life. My mood is FAR brighter, concentration and focus is better and my arthritic knees don't hurt as much. And I eat 1/2 of what I used to. Fantastic. No side effects so far! Love it!!

Same saved me! Made me happier, healthier with no side effects like other antidepressants usually have. I take 200mg a day with St John Worth and felt 'normal' again after a week... I suggest you try a reliable brand. That makes difference too. Good luck!

I took sam e for two weeks and i felt like i was on speed. I started getting very shaky and bad tempered and had insomnia so i stopped taking it.
I had withdrawel symptoms for ten days afterwards.
The first day was the worst with shortness of breath, panic attack and headache. I also had sore jaws. I am still not back to normal. I regret the day i took sam e and would never in my life take it again. It should not be sold without a prescription.I read where it takes two weeks to get out of the system. I have four days to go.I still have a dry mouth, foggy head and asthma.

I am a 35 year old woman who has been suffering from intermittent bouts of depression for at least a decade.
I have used SAMe off and on through the last 8 years. Comparatively speaking, I have had the best experience with SAMe.
I have used Effexor. The positive effects wore off after a few months, it increased my blood pressure, caused strange electric shock feelings to shoot through my extremities (esp when I turned my eyes laterally).
I have tried 5 h-tp, which seemed to flood my brain with seratonin, leaving me sluggish and foggy.
I did go off the SAMe a few months ago, just because I was attempting to cut some of the cost in my budget. It is rather expensive, and of course not covered by insurance.
I just came off a 4 month stint of Paxil.. which seemed to be a miracle at first. I felt great. It was cheap...but.
But my blood pressure suddenly increased to 160/110. My doc didn't believe it was the paxil. She put me on 3 different BP meds until I said I was coming off of it.
My BP immediately went down. I threw the BP meds away.. And getting ready to foot the bill for the SAMe again.
Yes, it is expensive to those of us in the working class. It is worth it though. No side effects (except for insomnia at first). Just be sure to take a good time release B complex and your 2000mg plus fish oil every day.
This product will help you gain the energy to become physically active as well... Which also helps depression..

I went to see a Certified Natural Health Professional because I was having tough PMS and periods. I am 47 years old. She gave me a combination of herbs and supplements, looked into my eyes, and pronounced that I was bi-polar due to the fact that one of my pupils was larger than the other.

I told her I was not, what I have is called Adie's disease, and it is a simple eye issue, nothing neurological. However, I did inform her that I had been diagnosed with anxiety, for which I take a western med, Kolonopin. It works just fine.

She included SAM-e in the hundreds of dollars of herbs and supplements she prescribed, and told me to make an appointment to see her in one month, and to call her if I had any questions. She told me to be patient, it took awhile for the herbs to work on the PMS issue.

I got two periods in one month, February, and the second one was a total nightmare, my mood was crazy before it showed up, I was exhausted to the point of not being able to get out of bed, and when I went back to see this woman one month later, I told her everything. She simply doubled up my dosage of everything, and kept me on the SAM-e, and the dose she started me out on was 600mgs. a day. The only thing she said was to take it in the morning. That is when everything started to really go to hell.

I finally researched every single supplement I was taking, and the big one that stood out as the one causing all of my problems was the SAM-e.

Heightened anxiety, which I had to take MORE than my usual dose of Kolonopin to even out, headaches, exhaustion, anger, uncontrollable sobbing, suicidal thoughts, horrible, painful stomach bloating and constant gas. Iwould eat a piece of toast and five minutes later I looked 4 months pregnant and was groaning from stomachache.

I freaked out when I read that SAM-e should not be prescribed to people with anxiety, and even though I am not Bi-polar, this "professional" said I was, then gave me SAM-e, not telling me what it was or what to look out for, what side effects to expect, nothing.

I am very angry, and am wondering how to get all of my money back from a person who took advantage of me when I was in a fragile state, who snuck me an anti-depressant without telling me, who prescribed an anti-depressant when I was asking for advice and help for hormonal issues.

She had me sign a bunch of papers, of which I am going to go get copies of on Saturday, and then I am going to confront her with her malpractice, but I am afraid I do not have much recourse, as nobody really deals with incorrect prescribing of "Alternative Medicine", plus, I have no idea what I was signing, as she rushed me through the paperwork when I was in a hormonally challenged state.

If anybody has any suggestions, please write - and I could kick myself for not researching the SAM-e before I took it - I usually look everything up, so please don't call me an idiot just because I trusted someone. She presented herself as very caring and trustworthy and I fell for it.

PLEASE everyone out there - if you are prescribed SAM-e, be very very careful with it. My brain is still so foggy and I can still barely get out of bed, and I was only on it for 6 weeks and have been off of it for 4 days.

The only upside is the minute I stopped taking SAM-e, my stomach has retuned to normal, and I can eat without pain.

For the few posters who think that Big Pharma is paying me to write this - ah, I wish! I despise most Western Medications, and avoid them at all costs - that is why I was at a naturopath. The only money I am trying to get is the hundreds of dollars I have spent on this "Professional" who should be having her ass sued off.

Do research before you start taking SAM-e. Some of the doses I see you people taking are crazy. Side effects of SAM-e in HIGH doses are bad anxiety and GI problems. Start with no more than 100mg and as it builds in your body you may even get same results with lower doses. If you have depression with anxiety 5 HTP is a better choice.
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: SAM-e should be taken with a good B Complex as it helps SAM-e work, but more so prevents it from building up in your cells and converting to a bad chemical that may cause heart disease. So key points here are low dose, gradually work up to higher dose if need be, and use only with B complex. SO much info out there on this stuff. Do your homework!

Why are some companies using Manitol? This is a laxitive. No wounder why your guts hurt.

I started taking Sam-e about 2 weeks ago. I noticed my mood was SOO much better! Downside - horrible headaches ever since I started taking it. I tried just one a day both on an empty stomach(like the package says) and with food. Either way I got these awful nauseating headaches about 30 minutes after I took it. I am prone to migraines, so maybe thats why it affects me like that...but it sucks cause it definitely improves my mood, but I dunno that the headaches are worth it because I just have to lie down when they happen, so I am not getting anything productive done...

Remember, you should take Sam E with a Super B Complex vitamin. I love Sam E for my PMDD symptoms. I did an experiement and went off of Sam E this week. I was MISERABLE> I will resume and continue my 400 mg a day. I love them and would and have recommended them to all. No side effects for me. Everyone is different.

Worked great for the depression: I felt better, was happier, not in a fog, could get out of bed, and didn't feel like the world was about to end. The only side effects were 1) intense nightmares every night, and 2) 2-3 hours of nausea 4-5 days per week, including violent vomiting most days. Couldn't take the violent stomach problems, so went off. Now I'm so depressed I'm wondering if I can put up with it. 400 mg/day.

I am stunned and incredulous after reading the mostly pejorative comments about SAM-E; I, before commencing intake of SAM-E was the poster child for depression; Suicidal impulses, Apathy, little or no appetite, attenuated sexual desire, and a torpid, sluggish mood where if I was able to brush my teeth on any given day it was a small miracle; LISTEN to me; I have tried almost every super hyped SSRI with little or no benefit and horrific side effects; After just three days of 400 milligram doses once per diem in the morning, the change has been nothing short of miraculous; Sex drive and appetite are off the charts; I feel calm, collected, albeit sometimes giddy which might suggest some hypomania at doses higher than 400 milligrams; I am mentally keen and sharp; Memory and recall are dramatically faster and I feel motivated and hopeful; you OWE it to yourself to at least try this amazing substance; It appears to me that the chemical composition of this natural remedy tightens neuro-transmission and via the blood brain barrier increases dopamine, serotonin, and nor-epinephrine to a level where these chemicals seem to obfuscate or block the feeling of dread while promoting a much happier affect. It really seems to be quite effective, as it has been readily used with rave reviews in Europe for years now.

I've been taking 200mg per day for just under two weeks. Within hours of the first dose my brain felt bathed in pleasure neurotransmitters. It was akin to a low level MDMA dose. On the first day this was accompanied by some anxiety. On the first three I suffered some stomach cramps. After that the side effects diminished, but so did the feeling of being high all the time.

Sam-e continues to support my mood, just not as dramatically. I get pretty cranky if I am late taking it in the morning.

I have been off and on antidepressants for about 14 years now. Have tried Zoloft, Prozac, celexa, amongst other anti anxiety meds. I have Borderline Personality Disorder and chemical sensitivity. Last March I tried to go off Celexa and tried Sam-e, after being off celexa for about 4 weeks.
I have never felt so awful in my whole life, I was so anxious I was pulling my hair out and I had no control over my temper and I cried daily for no reason and hated everyone and everything. I also had bad stomach cramps.
It scared the life out of me. I eventually went back on the celexa. A month ago I went off the celexa again and I have been feeling great, even though there is ALOT of stress in my life right now, I can handle it. I also take Diphenhydramine made especially for me, preservative free, and also Progesterone,also made natural for me. I am in menopause.
I do not know if this good feeling will last, but so far I am feeling better than I ever have in the last 14 years.
I am keeping my fingers crossed, I, like many others here had high hopes for the Sam-e.
Good luck to you all.

I have researched SAM-E extensively and have never come across a website with anything negative about it. I have been taking it for a few months now. IT IS WONDERFUL!!
A. No more flashes (woo hoo)!! Yes, I'm menopausal.
B. I'm also ADD and have much better focus now!!
C. I don't need to take Glucosamine as SAM-E offers
reasonably good joint protection.
D. BEST OF ALL - lack of sunlight no longer depresses me (never thought I'd see that happen)!!!! I live in one of the cloudiest, darkest areas of the country near Seattle.

I take 400 mg of a pharmaceutical grade of SAM-E once a day (I weigh 130 lbs). Instructions say to take on an empty stomach if possible, but it caused cramping. If eaten with some food, it's no longer an issue. A very high fiber diet has become necessary due to constipation issues from it. It is worth it. It also forces me to eat a healthier diet to get the fiber. Kind of a pain, but is a good thing.

I hope more people have my mostly positive experience. You'd have to pry the stuff out of my dying hand before I'd give it up.

Several sites I have been on that are just medical in nature and not anecdotal say that headache is a side effect - along with other side effects. I had a terrible migraine the first two days I took it. PLEASE - did anyone have this subside or does it just continue?

First of all, most of you are not taking the correct dose of sam-e for depression. This is almost certainly the reason you are not achieving results. In fact, if you stopped an SSRI suddently and then took too low a dose of Sam-e, all of your depressive symptoms would return with a vengenge due to the sudden withdrawal of the SSRI.

the sam-e dose should be 1200 to 1600 mg a day. (That's 3 or 4 400mg tabs a day) Secondly, I believe all of the gastrointestinal issues are due to the fact that most sam-e also contains mannitol. mannitol causes severe gas, stomach cramps/pain, and diarrhea in many people, especially at the recommended sam-e dose. I used to put up with the GI side effects in order to get the awesome relief from depression (without wt. gain or sexual disfunction, which SSRI do have as side effects). Once I figured out it was not the sam-e but the mannitol that gave me the gas, etc, I searched hard for a brand without mannitol. found it! Try GNC brand sam-e. no mannitol. other than that, GNC is no different than other brands.

I started SAMe and with in an hour began to feel stomach discomfort. This discomfort turned to pain and I decided I needed to stop using it. I had only been on it for 3 days. The first two days I took 400 mg and the last day I took 800 mg. I wasn't careful to not take it with food so that might have been the problem. I've been off SAMe for over 24 hours now and I still have stomach cramps. I hope I haven't cause damage to the stomach. The cramps are strong enough to wake me in the night.

I just took my first dose of Sam-E (200mg) and instantly I got a mild headache, mild hot flashes, and mild anxiety.
My depression is also mild, but I feel it holds me back. Not worth the side effects, or worth the risk of side effects, in my opinion.
I really hoped this would work, however, as I don't take antidepressants.

Ive tried taking Sam-E twice now and both times I feel like I have PMS. I cry over everything, get mad fast but I have more energy. Strange combo.

Yes i am experiencing it myself going to stop taking it

hai i have depression for about 5 years i was on trazodone but have to quit for priapism issue
now i am taking st john wort but does not help
can i take SAM-e for clinical depression and i have stomach ulcer so for 6 months so does sam-e cause mucous damage please reply

I took my first dose of Sam E 400mg this morning and my stomach is hurting really bad!! I don't know if I should just throw this stuff away or lower the dose???

If you're taking SAM-e and have negative effects, chances are the dose you're taking is too high for you. 400 mgs of SAM-e made me extremely irritable and impatient.. I dropped to 200 mgs and have had no negative effects. I've read comments by people where even as little as 50-100 mgs was sufficient for them.

Just use common sense. If you continue to have negative effects, it just isn't for you.

i've heard that the active ingredients vary between brands concerning the active ingredients in sam-e for which i take to help my battle with depression.i often buy the generic or cheaper brands to try to save$ cause it is a costly supplement.how can you tell what is the ACTUAL AMOUNT of the active ingredient of any given brand?Has there been any scientific tests or studies to shed light on this issue?
Also,shoud'nt/is'nt it fraud or illegal to say it has a certain amount(i.e.200 mg)if it only ha 100 mg of any said ingredient?
Thanks,Vic

I started taking 400mg a week ago and I too have a mild headache..other then that I am off the couch and more productive and just happier..but I am not sure if I can handle the headaches..I might try cutting down to 200mg and see hwat happens

Sam e has worked wonders for me! I can't say enough about it! Antidepressants make me very tired and I do't feel like mayself, plus they are very hard to come off of. I started on 100mg of Sam e for about 2 weeks (on an empty stomach, 1st thing in the morning) then I went to 200mg. I live in a place where we do not get sun, so it's very depressing. Sam e makes me feel great again! I ran out of it for a week (my on-line order was late) and my depression was starting to return, I didn't even want to go to work, so I'm back on and also take TMG with it. I highly recommend it, sorry to read the bad reviews, in Europe they use Sam e in rehabs to help people get through.

Hi all - I started taking sam-e 8 days ago and have had a constant headache for the past 4 days, which extends down my neck. It's a shame as I feel my mood has lifted and I'm calmer and brighter - but the headache is a problem.

I had the same reaction to St John's wort - instant migraine.

I'm fine when I just take 5HTP on it's own, but it doesn't have quite a strong enough effect to lift my mood completely - particularly as I suffer from severe PMS (or PMDD as it's now recognised)

So many negative comments about Sam-E, which is unfortunate. Myself and 2 very good friends all take Sam-E and think it's the best! The one thing I can say is that I don't think Sam-E is intended to help with anxiety, but DOES help with depression/lethargy. So it revs you up a bit, which is only going to make any anxiety worse I would think. There is a product out there called Seredyn or something like that I got online that helped with anxiety at one point. I would recommend that for anxiety!

I started taking SAM-e on 15 Nov 2011, 200mg. The first day I felt a little energy afterwards things started to go down hill. It is now 18 Nov 2011 and I am experiencing mild headaches more like eye pressure, and diareaha (hope I spelled it right.) These are side effects that I expected and I will probably be experiencing them for another week. I am not going to give up on it or increase the dosage. I will wait until the side affects go away hopefully in 10 more days before I really start to give up on it. I stopped taking my antidepressants or I weaned myself off of them so I am thinking that I am having some withdrawls from them along with the side effects of the SAME-e. I just pray everyday and keep fighting a good fight. I will see in 10 days if I feel any positive effects.

I read many, many positive reviews for SAM-e, so I tried taking it to help with depression, anxiety, fatigue, inability to concentrate, etc. and I was praying it would work as well for me as it seems to do for so many other people. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

I have never experienced any significant side effects from taking any medication, supplement, food, or anything, but the side effects from just taking a single 400mg dose of SAM-e kept me in bed for two straight days. I had pretty severe stomach pains almost instantly after I took it and lingering stomach issues since, a very persistent headache that I still haven't been able to get rid of after two days, dizziness/lightheadedness, and nausea to the point where I can't eat much at all.

On the plus side, I did feel strangely alert after taking it, and there were absolutely no feelings of anxiety or depression on day 1 (which, considering how terrible I felt, is saying something). However, I haven't felt this miserable in a long, long time, and I can safely say that I will never try taking SAM-e again. I only hope the headache and nausea will go away tomorrow, because these last two days have been far too long and far too unpleasant.

I'm sure that SAM-e works for some people, but be careful if you're trying it for the first time... Start off with a very low dose to see how it affects you and definitely don't take it on an important day or at a time when you can't afford to deal with possible side effects that may result from taking it. I wish somebody had warned me.

I've been on Sam-e for years not for depression but for CFS/Fibromyalgia. Probably on and off since 2001. It helps every aspect of my condition - brain fog, cognitive function, fatigue, muscle pain, etc. It has so many effects in the body it just helps everything.

However I also get side effects at the 'normal' doses. Huge headaches are the worst. I can't take it every day. Most of the side effects will occur at high or even normal doses. Many people like myself, need to use a pill cutter and cut it RIGHT down to tiny amounts.

I probably only take 12.5-25mg every second day! thats like 1/8th of a 200mg tablet. It still gives great effects, without the nasty side effects. Try it out before dismissing it! Amazing stuff & has got me through the worst parts of my illness so far.

I have been taking SAMe for a week and it feels like my poor starved brain is getting something it really needs. It is so good that I am happy to overlook the side effect of stomach cramps.

I just started taking SAMe over a week ago for mild depression and lethargy with hopes that it might also gelp with some joint issues and to help me feel more alert in the morning. Since taking it, all of these symptoms have gotten worse! I stopped two days ago, and this is the first morning that I am able to function. I also noticed some gastro intestinal issues, but didn't connect it until reading the other comments here. I was taking 400mg in the morning. I'm dissapointed, and after reading the comments here, I definitely will switch back to St. John's Wort, which has worked really well for me but did also cause sun damage to my skin as the only side effect.

I've had a headache for three weeks and I just now realized after reading this blog that it started shortly after starting Sam-e. My headaches range for low grade background to full-blown migraines that don't respond to my migraine medication. I'm disappointed because this worked great on my Fibromyalgia pain and arthritis. I do have a history of migraines and that may make me more susceptible to the headache side effect. I've also felt a bit out of it and possibly a bit irritable.

I was taking St. Johns for improving my mood, I have a tendency to be high strung and anxious, I'm not on any meds, tried xanax and had a massively horrible reaction to it, started the St. Johns and developed hives, switched to Sam-e and have been utterly exhausted all week, shaky and have the tight chest feeling. Looks like I'm SOL on this one.

I started taking 200 mg once a day three weeks ago and am having the jitters at night to where it is hard to sleep and my irritability is increasing the last couple of days. I am going to come down off it and do what another person said here and cut the pills down to 25mg size every other day. They have some benefit but are way too strong!

After suffering from a major depressive illness for 32 years, SAM-E saved my life. I'm considered to be a non-responder to all antidepressant drugs. Also in 1983, i took E.S.T. with no apparent results other than memory loss. I take 1,600 mgs a day, in 2 doses, once in the morning, the other around noon to prevent stomach upset. Do i have excessive energy? At times, yes. After being sluggish for so many years it's a great experience for me!

I took one 400mg tablet, four hrs later I had like an attack in what felt like my colon(lower)
it felt like I was stabbed pain was intense. I asked my daughter to dial 911 if I past out. I will try it again but w/o Mannitol, this is an. additive that maybe responsible for the pain.

Will also add a complex vitamin B. as researched.

I stopped taking sam-e 3 days ago, but had taken it for 11 days hoping side effects would lessen but gave up. I am not making up negative side effects, I really had high hopes for sam-e because researching it it looked like a wonder drug. My stomach has had intense cramping and nausea terrible, still after 3 days of stopping! No other pains at all. This is with 400mg once a day. I took pill first thing, around 7am on empty stomach, and even at 11, 12 at night, still severe nausea and cramping terribly!

I've been taking Sam-e for a few months now and haven't had any side affects at all. I actually have had some good results. I am currently taking 400mgs daily in the morning, but looking to bump up to possibly 800mg if these holiday blue moods don't pass.

I am surprised at all the negative comments. I'm in my 70's and have been taking Sam-e for at least three months. The brand that has worked best for me is Jarrow. When I skip SAM-e I notice I have much less energy. When I take it (200-400mg/day) on an empty stomach and with vitamin B supplement, I have a lot of energy, a more upbeat mood, and ease with talking with people. I think I may be a little more irritable, or at least outspoken about it. No real problems with sleep. Much less obsessive than previously.

I have been taking sam-e for five days now. I have been on everything for depression and tolerate nothing and nothing helps. I feel so much less depressed and have no anxiety. I feel for the first time that I am alive and functioning. However I do have the gas, stomach pain, headache, but still feel compelled to stay with the good mental feeling and living. But I don't know how much worse it will get or if I will tolerate side effects! I feel so tight & bloated in my stomach.
I have tryed to find it without the mannadol in it
because I feel its causing most of these side effects. It can be used as a laxative, causing gas
and stomach pain and bloating. One women said she did find it without that ingredient and had no further problems. Did not state where she got it, as I have been every where trying. I would hate to have to drop it and go downhill again!!!!
My waist and stomach feel like a ton laying on me.
The people who make it should come forward and speak up!!!! I am going to continue to try to find it without the mannadol! Try also for yourself! Don't know how this will end up!!!
Praying for all of you! Do any of you have severe back pain???? Take Care!!!
Pat

I take 400mg in the morning.
It is great. I feel more energy and confidence, no anxiety (which was a big issue before) - I feel much younger.
I tried Pregnenolone, 20mg/day, it helps somewhat (more energy, better concentration), Piracetam, gives me better focus and concentration, 5-HTP was not much noticeable, St. John's Wort gave me itchings without much mood improvements.

I know this sight is for depression but it has been helpful in knowing the side effects of taking same e. It has given me the the worst stomach pain of my life. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I started taking it for my osteoarthrits but this pain is not worth the effert

I have been taking SAM-e for a 5 days now and It actually helps my mood out tremendously as in keeping me calm and relaxed. I been taking 50mg just to c how it works on my body. I had normal side effects as in dry mouth, stomach aches and nausea. The abnormal effects that the nerve in my body were kinda numb. As in me pinching my self anywhere on my body where not as sensitive. Also I had mild headaches, very tired, heart racing uneasy breathing. It kept me pretty calm and mellow.but I'm an OCD I have unwanted thoughts which is chemicals in the brain that are unbalanced. Called serotonin. Have been struggling with unwanted thoughts for about 9months now and I can't control the my own thoughts. I used to take zoloft and resperidol for my condition. But that didn't work all like that. I don't want to continue to take medication cuz I don't like to take it because I think doctors just try to make money off of the medication instead of trying to help me. Well they try but its so many different problems with the brain that's its hard for them contradict what's really going on.since they can't c the problem. Since serotonin is the problem that causes a lot of problems in the mood as in agitation, anger, unwanted thoughts, mood swings and many more problems.

How long does it take Sam-e to get out of your system after taking 400mg daily for about 1 year?

My husband started on a "spring valley" brand over a month ago and had very good results and when he ran out he bought "nature made" brand two days ago and has had severe vomiting and chills sans nausea... it went away yesterday but then came back immediately when taken this morning.... he took it because he just assumed it was something else causing it.. cant find anything regarding this severe reaction.. he wants to go to the ER.. Anyone else know of any severe vomiting reaction? He does not have medical benefits

Started taking SAMe 400mg yesterday. And today I have a ripping huge headache, with increased anxiety.. Not taking this stuff ever again.

I read that SAMe needs to be taken with folic acid and b vitamins or the chemical remains can't be processed correctly. That's how I'm taking it and I haven't had anxiety or much of the other side effects I've read. I taka magnesium taurate which can account for the sleepiness after waking. Only side effect I've experienced is a mild headache. I took it for a case of the blues. I also deleted my facebook with the intentions of having real relationships with people that actually matter instead of 380 people who's name I recognize from Jr high and high school ore a few times years ago. My goal is to get back to expressing myself through various mediums and reconnecting with family and friends like I did before 1999.

Sam-e has hurt me. Thank god for your comments. I Google this stuff and wham...you all helped me. I have had headaches for 2 weeks. I have tried lavendar, massage, swimming, water, vitamins, etc. I have been rather short when I did not want to be. I have not been sleeping well. I have a cascade of horrible symptoms. As a Healthcare provider, this was not the sam-e I remember using. I began 2 weeks ago for possible help with pain. Ugh...please continue to help others with your reviews. You all have helped me. I am off it as of today. My stomach thanks you as well. Elizabeth

Quick comment on the stomach pains many experience: Mannitol, a non-calorie sweetener/sugar alcohol, is in the Nature Made brand and also in many other brands. Mannitol's known side effects include stomach pain and "the runs" in many people, including myself. I love SAM-E, it's been amazing for my aching joints and irritability. The benefits have been great, just switched to a brand without Mannitol. It's more expensive than the Nature Made I was buying at Costco, but no more stomach pain. If the only side effect you have is stomach pain, switch to a brand without Mannitol/sugar alcohol (Sorbitol etc). Also make SURE the brand you buy is enteric coated, always take on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, and do NOT eat anything for an hour. The supplement only works if it gets into your intestinal tract and isn't digested in your stomach :)

I'm also surprised to read all of these negative experiences with Sam- e. I've taken between 100- 300 mg daily for almost a year, and I can vouch that it has the capacity to increase anxiety and cause headaches, but it DOES help with mood, energy, and gives a feeling of clarity. As someone with major depression, I know no antidepressant is going to have no side effects, and consider it worth the negatives (even if I have to take some advil) to even temporarily get out of the suicidal, sitting in my room for days. If you have major depression or a low tolerance for a little discomfort, you can't expect any supplement or medication to make you feel wonderful. This stuff has its redeeming qualities. Just like coffee- coffee can give me a headache, anxiety, or shakes SOMETIMES. Other times it makes me feel really great- either way it helps. The GI pain is most likely caused by the fillers and binders.

Hello,
I've had the strangest run in with sam-e. What initially began as a great experience (first 2 months ) coupled with my ssri , turned into a nightmare with in days.
Chest pains, anxious thoughts, headaches, extreme irritability, and speech problems. I had to question the sam-e so I let it go and followEd everyone's b12 recommendation
However, my chest pains have gotten worse and so have the anxious thoughts. Bear in mind this 2 weeKS of the meds.
I'm worried its now a heart issue and I have no where to turn. A doctor ? I'm not too fond of additional drug regimens on top my ssri.
Comforting to know im not alone. Be well my friends. ANY advice would really help :)

Sam-e supplements are a double-edged sword: they offer promise for many people with methylation issues, but the risk of creating an imbalance in our methylation cycle is high on the 400mg doses that are popularly dispensed.
The acute gastrointestinal cramping, bloating, gas, pain and nausea is related directly to the over-stimulation of the cysteine pathways - a well-documented phenomenon.
And these symptoms can be severe.
While sam-e can be miraculous for some people as a mood lifter, it can also cause mania, anxiety and headaches.
A better way to treat methylation imbalances is to start with the methylated form of B12, adding methyl-folate and progressing to a supplement like Methyl-Guard-Plus by Thorne, which includes a range of the key co-factors required for healthy methylation, which can bring about significant improvements in mood, energy levels and general wellbeing.
The risk of unwanted side-effects is high with sam-e intake.
If you do take sam-e, start low and monitor. Good luck.

I've been taking Sam-e 800 MG for 2 months. I started to have trouble concentrating and blurred vision. I've lowered the dose over 2 weeks from 800 to 200mg. I have been very dizzy and off balance and shaky at times since lowering the dose. I've had blood work and a CT of my brain and all came back ok. I am convinced it is Sam-e withdrawal. Very similar to what I've experienced withdrawling from Prozac and lexapro. Brain shivers and all.

I have been having unusual headaches for about 2 months that are different from ones I have had over the years. Then I realized I had also started taking Sam-E for my joints about the same time. I only take 1/2 pill once a day but am now taking them less frequently and hoping the headaches will stop.

I have been taking SAMe for about 8 weeks and although I have noticed my mood and general outlook on life being better I have been shedding a lot of hair. It has to be the SAMe, I've not made any other changes in my diet, shampoo or supplement intake and it would have to be a big coincidence for the two not to be related since the shedding did not start until about 2 weeks after starting the SAMe, which is typically when it starts to take effect.

Took SAM-e for the first timethis morning, and now, about 4 hours later, I have crippling stomach aches and shortness of breath. A bit worried!

Hello everyone, i have depression and add , and i am bipolar. I noticed 400mg of sam-e worked instantly for me ,after years i saw the old me again.Week 2, i began to feel anxiety and severe depressiom, before giving up I did more research . You have to make sure to be comsuming or supplenting B12 and folic acid. Its nice to imagine a world where 1 pill will change everything , no please make sure to take B12 and folic acid . Sam-e has done wonders for me , I am happier , I think before I get angry and it has saved my relationship and friendships.

I've taken SAM-E for a month now and today I decided to look up the side effects of this stuff because I have a very tight chest, chest pains, very nerves, panic attacks, almost divorced my husband, Suicidal Thoughts, dizziness, can't catch my breath, any activity I feel like I'm going to pass out! Omg it's the SAM-e! I so happy to find out why I'm acting like I'm losing my mind! I will never take this stuff again! I'd rather be depressed! Thank God I found out what was wrong with me. Hurricane Hermine just came through our little town and I have had series chest pain and nervousness. The SAM-e has increased every bad emotion and feeling I was trying to get rid of. Glad it works for some. I need this pain in my chest to GO AWAY!

Do any one know any brands of Sam e that don't have mannitol in them

I have been taking SAMe for fibromyalgia. The firth dose gave me great energy and enthusiasm and I was so positive. The next day I had excruciating stomach pain with vomiting and a sensation of diarrhoea. This was the same for the 3rd day. I decided to stop and try a few days later which I did today. Back came the stomach pains, cold sweats, shaking and vomiting. It would seem that this is not for me but I wish those who have found some positive use from it continued success

I'm glad I found this website. I started taking Sam-E (200mg/day) for my (currently) moderate depression and found that it seemed to help immensely (although with all chemical cures, it's sometimes hard to tell what is a placebo effect) but found after about a week that I was getting horrible stomach cramps, which I finally realized was the Sam-e. I take Nature's Own brand (because, well, it's the cheapest -- and as I'm finding out, maybe this is for a reason). I would rather not discontinue this since it seems to help (or at least not hurt) the symptoms of depression but these stomach pains have gotten so unbearable to the point that I'm going to have to discontinue the medication. I've found that taking a double dose of Gas-X [simethicone] seems to help, although I've only tried that a couple of times so I'm not sure if that's just a coincidence or not. Eating this on a full stomach also seems to really help but to be honest, the pain/cramping is so bad as to leave me nearly incapacitated. And, I'm not a weakling when it comes to side effects either, but note that I do have a sensitive stomach (e.g., I can't take aspirin). The stomachache feels very similar to taking a large dose of aspirin to me by the way, so anyone with that particular problem might want to steer clear of this medicine. Too bad, as it really does seem to help but I'm going to be vastly reducing my dose &/or only taking after a very large meal from here on out.