Depression: Does SAM-e Work?

You may have seen commercials for SAM-e or visited the SAM-e website. SAM-e is a supplement that is supposed to promote a positive mood.

Having dealt with mild depression off and on for most of my life, I wanted to try something other than medications. When I heard about SAM-e, I wondered if it works for depression. I decided to give it a try and see if it would help.

Does SAM-e work for depression? My experience

According to the SAM-e website, when describing the benefits of SAM-e it says, "SAM-e might help you regain control of your good mood, helping you have brighter days and a restore a healthy balance in as few as 7 - 14 days."

Luckily when I decided to find out if SAM-e works for depression my local Walgreens was doing a buy one get one free sale, so I was able to buy a supply of SAM-e that lasted me a couple months. I figured this would be more than enough time to tell if SAM-e works for depression.

I began taking the recommended dose of 400 mg a day, which is two SAM-e tablets. I'd take the tablets about thirty minutes before eating. During the first week I didn't notice a difference from taking the SAM-e. But I stuck with the dosage and continued with my experiment.

About 2 ½ to 3 weeks after beginning to take SAM-e I began to experience what I can only describe as a background sense of calm and contentment. I would still get upset, sad, and frustrated, but I didn't seem to get lost in those emotions. My negative emotions also seemed to last for shorter periods of time, and I was able to bounce back quicker.

I continued taking the SAM-e tablets at the same time everyday and continued to experience the same effects. I wasn't sure if it was actually the SAM-e that was making me feel better, but that certainly seemed to be the case.

Does SAM-e work for depression? My Final Conclusion

To confirm for myself that my improved mood was a result of the SAM-e I decided to quit taking it after my supply ran out. Within a week of discontinuing the SAM-e I realized that background sense of calm and contentment was dissipating.

Now I am convinced SAM-e works for depression. Although I cannot claim that it will work for everyone, and I'm not sure how effective it would be for severe cases. In my own experience however, SAM-e worked for my mild depression.

If you suffer from mild depression and are looking for alternatives to anti depressants, I would encourage you to get as much information about SAM-e as you can, and discuss taking SAM-e with your doctor. It might just be the solution you're looking for.

Sources:

What Are The Benefits of SAM-e? sam-e.com