Does SAM-e work?

Has anyone tryed SAM-e? And, has it worked for any of you suffering from mild depression and or anxiety? Please let me know. Thanks!

I used SAMe starting in May and was taking 400mg a day.(200mg 2x a day) I found that it took the edge off and that I was less "bleak" about everything. I didn't take it for a week while I went away and when I got back (5 days without) I had the worst episode of my life. I went back on and upped my dose to 800mg. I got leg tingles and stomach issues and was just not the same as before. I couldn't pull myself out of the pit or see anything positive. I've backed myself back down to 200mg a day and my friend told me to add St. John's Wort to the SAMe to help stabilize my moods.

So - yes it worked for me but not enough. Make sure you buy a good brand and that it's "enteric-coated". SAMe is VERY unstable and the quality will vary from brand to brand.

I looked into SJW but it seems like there's a laundry list of side effects for that as well. So I've been prescribed Efexor - and it's been sitting in the cupboard while I read all these horrible things. I just wonder that maybe it might be better to feel like myself than to worry about coming off it right now.

Thank you for your information.....I think after reading your input I will try another route my self. So far I'm just taking the fish oil/omega 3 and I'm doing very good. Supposidly, the fish oil/omega 3 aids your body in creating its own natural (uppers) in your brain, with out replacing it or creating it with chemicals. I read that studies were done in regions all over the world and it was found that.....where fish was consumed on a regular basis, depression in that region was very low. Regions where fish was not readdly available or consumed, depression was at a high persentage. I NEVER EAT FISH OR HAVE any form of OMEGA 3 in my diet so I'm starting at square one and adding omega 3 to my diet everyday and seeing if I feel better and will be able to go at it alone without anti's. Also, I think that the best form of omege 3 and the highest available mgs. is in fish oil. I'm hearing RAVES about it all over the internet. Omega 3 is not in many foods so I'm taking a fish oil supplement that I purchased at a health food store.

I am taking Sam-E.. have been for a few weeks now and don't notice a big difference, but I definitely haven't been crying or worrying as much as I normally do. Now to talk about Effexor, I took that and it was THE scariest thing I have ever done in my life. I felt like a zombie, I couldn't feel anything... happiness or sadness.. my pupils were so huge and my eyes hurt while I was on it. I had a major anxiety attack while I was on it and haven't taken it since. I do know some people who it has worked for, but I read a lot of other horror stories online besides my own!

Like any other product, there are probably good brands of SAM-e and not-so-good brands. My ND doctor recommended the SAM-e +CoFactors by Metabolic Maintenance and I have had fantastic luck with it.

I've been taking two a day (Morning and afternoon) for just about a year now and since I started weaning myself off it due to the back order issue, and was surprised that I was doing reasonably okay. So when I get my next supply I'll probably cut back to just one a day.

I'm actually looking for a referral to a back-up brand as Metabolic Maintenance is occasionally on back-order.

When I had my first episode, my MD doctor put me on some usual mainstream product and it was horrible. I hated it, after just 2 days. Then my ND doctor recommended the SAM-e.

I'll take my ND doctor over the MD doctor, anyday.