SAM-e

Negative side effects of SAM-e

In a review of 22,000 patients with osteoarthritis who received SAM-e, it was concluded that it has optimal tolerability. This means it was found generally very safe in a large group of people.

There appears to be a low risk for psychological side effects when taking SAM-e. In one systematic review data from 441 participants who took SAM-e was analyzed. Two out of these 441 people reportedly experienced mania and hypomania. [5] It appears very unlikely that this negative side effect would occur for you, but if it does happen, make sure to lower your SAM-e intake.

How does SAM-e work to enhance mood and cognition?

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of SAM-e have not yet been fully discovered by researchers.

Here are some of the mechanisms which researchers have explored and found involved in the effects of SAM-e on mood and cognition:

• Increases serotonin (in several brain areas of rats, including the hippocampus and frontal cortex) [9]
• Decreases serotonin metabolites (in olfactory bulbs of rats) [10]
• Increases noradrenaline in the hippocampus and frontal cortex (in rats) [11]
• Increases prolactin and thyrotropin-releasing-hormone, and possibly dopamine (in depressed men, but not depressed women) [12]

How much and how often should you dose SAM-e?

SAM-e has been extensively studied and found safe for most people in the dose-range of 200–1600 mg daily. [2]

How does it feel when you take SAM-e?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking SAM-e is like.

Anecdotal SAM-e experience reports and reviews from Reddit

One redditor reported the following from the use of SAM-e:

"I love sam-e. Ive noticed it increases my energy and overall general mood when i take 400mgs per day. I feel slightly more depressed when I dont take it. Curious what your dosage is at?" [14]

Several people reported improved mood and motivation from SAM-e use, and one person reported they "didn't enjoy it at all". [15][16]

Another user reported initial benefits with negative effects upon cessation of use:

"At first it gave me a little mood lift, my joints didn't ache and I just felt good with lots of energy. Over time those things all went away and it felt like the stuff was just bogging me down, and when I wouldn't take it I'd feel like hell." [17]

Such withdrawal effects were experienced by another person who used it for 6 years. [18]

One person reported several side effects including anxiety and insomnia, while another person reported it had no side effects for them. [19]

Several people reported positive effects and several people reported negative effects in another Reddit post. [20]

Another redditor reported impaired math skills after use of SAM-e. [21]

Finally, one person reported it helped improve their mood during the dark months of the year:

"I used it for seasonal depression all winter, and it made a life-changing amount of difference. I stopped taking it this week, as I'm starting to feel more "normal" with the longer days.

All winter long though, there was no doubt in my mind that SAMe had a massive positive effect. There is a bit of a delay with it. I noticed that if I skipped a day, or failed to take a b-complex, that the depression would come back heavily and last a few days. I'd have to take it regularly again that whole time and eventually I would pull back out of the depression. I feel like I owe my life - or at least the half the happens in the winter - to SAMe." [22]