S-adenosylmethionine and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Mic...
• August 8, 2020

For Depression "I'm a 50-year-old male who has suffered with depression and anxiety all my adult life. I have probably tried most of the prescription medication available. My experience has found that all the prescription medications, the side effects in the end outweigh the benefits. I have experimented with many non-prescription drugs and finally found, for myself anyway, these combinations to work better than prescription medications. My personal research has taken a decade. 1. SAM-e has elevated my moods, energy, and rid me of anxiety. No other drug has managed to do this. 2. Lithium Orotate 5mg. 3. 5-HTP, 400mg taken in the evenings along with 4. Melatonin 0.3mg as I have always had issues with sleep. This combination will take at least 6 weeks as I did need to titrate the SAM-e as a high dose too soon will cause some anxiety and a feeling of the jitters. It has been three months and I feel like I did when I was a child with no issues, depression, or anxiety. This has changed my life."

• Idd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2020

For Depression "I really wanted SAM-e to work for me as I've been struggling with severe anxiety and mild depression for years. Taking it, however, made me feel like I was going crazy. I felt like I was rapidly circling through manic and depressed episodes throughout the day, going from extremely happy and energetic, have thoughts rush through my head to feeling super bad and extremely anxious. I didn't know what to do. I've actually impulsively gotten on a plane to Scotland. Honestly, it was such a weird experience. Maybe the extreme effect came from an underlying mood disorder, who knows, but I'm never taking SAM-e again, and I just thought I should share my experience."

• Blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2018

For Depression "At the recommendation of my doctor, I started taking SAM-e for depression. She recommended 400 mg, 2x a day without food. I had to immediately stop the PM or before-bed dose as it was too activating for me. I have sleep issues as well and noticed that after taking it, I was waking up several times a night and staying awake. I stayed on the AM dose for about three weeks and eventually had to stop that dose as well due to increased anxiety, panic, and agitation. It sounds from the other reviews like this is a great supplement for those who do not have co-occurring anxiety."

• Lyd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 9, 2020

For Depression "Having suffered from anxiety and depression for almost two decades, I have been through a number of treatments. I had SAMe given to me by my naturopath to treat the severe anxiety. My dose is only 200g, and I always take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to avoid GI and sleep issues. I was instructed to take this for a few weeks every day until I felt my anxiety was gone, meaning my levels were up, and then to stop taking it until I thought my symptoms were starting to return. For me, that means one or two days in a row taking it, once or twice a month. It’s an expensive medication, so this works well for me. I have felt something akin to anxiety while taking it, like my mind moving faster than I could keep up with, but this is rare and generally a sign for me I’ve got enough in my system. Additionally, I take zinc and magnesium daily, and this combination has returned my quality of life, and I’m no longer on prescription medications."

• Chr...
• March 20, 2021

S-adenosylmethionine for Herbal Supplementation "I increased my dose over the course of a month, under the direction of a psychiatric nurse practitioner, to 1600 mg. Initially, I had nausea, headaches, and anxiety. These symptoms have lessened. The nausea and anxiety make my disordered eating habits (mild anorexia) difficult to manage. I have tracked my depression in a chart daily, and my depression has steadily worsened. Last week (during my PMS week), I felt suicidal and afraid of my impulsivity. I have been mostly in bed for two to three weeks, partially due to weather and not having a cozier place to do my schoolwork. Lifestyle changes have given me more hope, like changes to my environment and deciding to get a part-time job (I am an online student) to provide more structure and purpose. I am still struggling, however. Weaning myself off SAMe week by week. I don't think that medication is the answer for me and will focus on making practical changes in my life."

• Ken...
• July 28, 2020

For Depression "Took s-adenosylmethionine, and it makes me feel okay for around an hour, then the rest of the day is filled with heightened anxiety. Have tried it several times, and the effect is always the same. Not for me."

• Car...
• March 13, 2021

For Depression "Best supplement ever for my type of depression (dysthymia/anxiety/ADD; the type where you have no motivation, can sleep all day instead of insomnia, etc.). I also have mild/moderate CFS. It's like I'm missing this in my body. Works in 1 week for me, but I am very sensitive. 200 doesn't do a lot, 1000 made me very anxious, 400-600 seems to be the sweet spot. HOWEVER :-( : After 6 weeks or so, the antidepressant effect goes away. Also, after a few months of use, I started to feel nauseous (I take it in the morning before food, and for the first 2 hours my stomach is a bit upset). When I stopped once, I felt awful, btw. I would highly recommend tapering off. Nevertheless, I can't live without this anymore. It still works amazingly for my ADD/concentration, and I am less lethargic, need less sleep. My next step is trying to add saffron to the mix. I think it works best for people who need both serotonin and dopamine/norepinephrine. I take Now Foods brand."

• jc1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2021

S-adenosylmethionine for Herbal Supplementation "I have moderate depression, mostly seasonal (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but also bouts outside of winter. I also have moderate GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I'm a research 'o'holic and tried many supplements for various conditions. I started enteric-coated SAMe 400mg total at 200mg twice a day (once in the morning, once at lunch) for a week. Didn't notice much. I started low to ensure no stomach issues. I read research that the 800mg-1,600mg was most common in studies, so I upped the dose to 400mg twice a day = 800mg. That made the difference. More energy, elevated mood, more motivation, but after about a week on 800mg a day, I started to notice I was feeling TOO 'up' and started to have moderate anxious feelings, borderline full-blown anxiety, all day. Also had consistent negative (aka 'bad') dreams. So thanks, but no thanks, SAMe. Going to switch to Acetyl L-Carnitine (the concerns about TMAO and heart disease have since been debunked in other studies) and see how that goes."