SAMe and a Little 'Bout Me

S-Adenosyl Methionine....

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SAMe and a Little 'Bout Me

Here is a post I made on Deer Tales quite a while ago. Since it's still relevant, I thought I'd re-share.

March 5, 2014

I'd like to share a little with you. I have been fighting depression since I was 15; On & off. I have done the psychiatrist, psychologist, and therapy thing. Eventually I was informed that it's a chemical imbalance in my brain, and not an emotional depression. I have tried just about every drug & combination drug out there, except those for manic. I tried St. John's Wort & Bee Pollen. Bee Pollen makes me giggle. Very few medicines worked, and those that did either gave me hives, or the side effects were so bad it wasn't worth it. Seriously, losing my hair by the brush-full was making me MORE depressed!

I decided enough was enough. I didn't want to go through the roller coaster of trying this med & that med, and blah anymore. The best thing to get my Dopamine & Serotonin levels up is by exercise...at least for me. But, it's a catch-22. When you're depressed, you just CANT exercise, and if I don't exercise, depression gets worse. It's not one of those, "Just do it" things. You physically cannot get up. It's like someone is pushing down on your shoulders. Add that to the fact that my 14 year-old back injury has gotten so progressively worse that just moving is painful.

Well, a couple weeks ago I decided to try SAMe. SAMe is a synthetic version of a chemical compound found in the human body and produced by the liver. I was doing pretty good with my depression, but I needed a little help. I hadn't tried it yet, so I thought I would just to see.

I've been taking it for a week and a half. Although I do not see any improvement in my mood (though it's early), I have surprisingly seen a VAST improvement in my back. When I researched the product, I had read that trial studies since 1952, not only dealt with depression (as an SSRI), but also osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, liver disorders, and migraines (among a few others). I dismissed these as it's not what my goal was. It was for moderate depression. I have arthritis & stenosis in my back from my injury. The lack of fluid has caused two of my discs to fuse over the years. It's very painful. However, for the last week, I've been able to turn over while sleeping, and stand from a sitting position without holding back a cry of pain. The pain has essentially gone from a 9 to a 3-4. It's AMAZING! I've been taking NSAIDs for years, and I hate taking them, so I rarely do unless I become incapacitated. I didn't expect back pain relief from this supplement!

The only problem is the SAMe is giving me gastrointestinal distress (a common side-effect). I'm currently working on seeing if I can lessen that by when & how I take the dosage. It's quite painful, and since I don't know if the SAMe will work as an anti-depressant, I'm not sure if the good out-ways the bad. I'm going to see if I can work with the upper abdominal pain, and I haven't tried taking simithicone yet. I have a hard time taking any medicines or supplements. My system unfortunately, is very sensitive.

Why I am writing this, is if you suffer from osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia, and haven't tried SAMe yet.... do it!! In clinical trials it's approximately 62% effective. SAMe is produced naturally by the body, and is related to methionine, an amino acid plentiful in many protein-rich foods, so if you purchase a reputable brand, it really cannot hurt. Obviously since it ups your brain's chemical production of serotonin & dopamine, you shouldn't take it if you currently are taking an SSRI, or MAOIs, or if you are bipolar. Folic acid and vitamin B12 are necessary for the synthesis of SAMe, so they recommend taking a multi-vitamin & sub-lingual B-complex at least an hour before taking the SAMe. Do your own research and see if it might help you. It wont work for everyone, but it just might work for you!

I had stopped taking the supplement for a while.  I really noticed a difference.  I have recently gone back to taking it, and I am happy I have.  I am able to get out of bed without wincing in the morning.  Less pain is such a wonderful feeling.

A friend of mine had read my post back then and swears by SAMe. Again, not for depression, but for muscular-skeletal issues.