Does anyone here take the SAMe supplement? I bought some tonight but then I read on a web page that you should not take it with anti-depressants. So now I am worried about taking it since I am on Cymbalta and Nortriptyline. Does anyone take it with these medications?
Okay. Now I am reading on other web sites that there are no drug interactions. How frustrating. I just want to know if I take this supplement will I end up drooling in a corner? 
Yes I take it and what you read is wrong. You can take it with anti-depressants and can even use it if you are trying to get off another anti-depressant. This article is written by the doctor who pretty much pioneered getting Sam-e into N. America without a prescription. www.raysahelian.com/sam-e.html and he says you can take it and should take it with others if you are not getting relief from them.. It balances 14 different brain and body chemicals and it works in 3 days, not 6 weeks, and you don't go through withdrawal if you decide to skip a day or go off. It brought me out of a 10 year DEEP depression, then for years I just had to take it for bad days. Since heart attack a few weeks ago, I need it again, and I thank God for it, since I reacted badly to every prescription anti-depressant. No, you won't end up drooling in a corner. I took it with my Paxil, and no problems at all, and I react to everything! Then I went off Paxil and used this as the substitute. I know I'm supposed to say "check with your Dr." for legal reasons, but honestly, your medical Dr. won't have a clue about Sam-e or most other natural treatments.They were trained for big pharma sales.
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Thank you Sheila! Your response was very informative and helpful. I would prefer to be on as few medications as possible and I stopped my pain meds this summer because I was doing really well. This last month has been hell so I am hoping for something else that might help. I am really hoping SAMe is the thing!
I hope it will help too! Give it 3 days and you'll know if it helps or not. Adding you as a friend so you can ask me anything privately if you want later on.
Blessings, Sheila
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you might want to read what it says on WebMD here is link http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-786-SAMe.aspx?activeIngredientId=786&activeIngredientName=SAMe&source=2.
it does say to not take it with certain antidepressants...just another source...than you can decide if you like to keep using it or not.
Personally, cymbalta never did anything for my pain or my minor depression...but again not all pills work same on all of us. I also hated getting off of it since you can get these brain freezes..like minor seizure in your brain as you cut down the dosage.
again...this is just how it affected me, you might find it works great for you and you will not have any issues getting off it.
I just thought you might want to read why Web Md says about it.
Anne, I still would suggest running it by your doctor. If nothing else, he/she should know you're on it and notate it in your chart, and you should have it notated (along with your other meds) in your wallet in case of an emergency.
The WebMD site is the one I saw that said not to take it with antidepressants. I talked to my doctor about it on Monday when I was there and she said it would be okay to take. She also gave me samples of Savella since I mentioned that I have been having extreme night sweats and I know Cymbalta is causing it. She told me a very common side effect with Savella is sweating so I may not have any help from that. So I have been dragging my feet about changing to Savella or adding the SAMe. She told me to wait on one or the other so if I have a reaction to one we will know which one.
I don't take anything new without running it by my doc first. He knows what meds and supplements I take, and what I've had allergic reactions to. Better safe than sorry. :)
I always ask my pharmacist before taking anything, they know more about drug inter-actions than docs do. Good luck, Charlie :)
Hi Sheila -
I’ve got SAMe now since my progress with the amino acids is plateauing/stagnating a bit.
I’ve started today with 1x100mg of SAM-e - a small amount, as Sahelian suggests.
Not sure what to expect… On my blog I’ve put it under ‘being more awake’. GABA is already increasing my serotonin and when I overdosed it I may have had a serotonin syndrome, so keeping the dose down first is sensible (as always in my case).
Dunno if it’s an initial paradox response to taking it this morning, but after feeling OK-ish despite work, I started feeling a depressed while resting, even crying. Praps an interaction with the GABA. I’m thinking of taking 1x100mg the next 2 days, like you recommended.
Have you any update on your experience with it? Are you still taking it?
(Or anyone else, of course…)
Edit 2021-09-29: This website seems to be only in German, but the shop operates from Malta and has astronomic prices, which I don’t trust. It claims SAMe needs to be taken 400mg/d for FM, and >800 in most cases, and for a long time…
However it mentions GI problems & also nausea like I’ve had today, Sep 29th… altho I’ve taken a much lower dose than they recommend starting with… I have been taking it every day since Friday, but usually directly with meals, not like I’m sposed to 30-60’ before…
Edit 2021-10-03: To not forget it at daytime I’ve worked out that it’s best for me to take SAMe along with zinc picolinate and serrapeptase at 5:00, before getting up (usually 7:00-8:00), so I can eat immediately later. Needs to be taken on an empty stomach. No sfx: no depressiveness, GI, nausea.
(No, I don’t have to set an alarm 
, I’m still up at least 4x a night, despite the supps… and it’s automatic for me to look what supp’s up next, no problem; it’s getting them ordered that still is…)
Edit 2021-10-08: Forgot to note this overview here, incl. sfx.
Edit 2021-10-09: 12:00 High urinating urge, causing pain. Maybe taking it at 5:00 is waking me up too quick. Seizures yesterday can only have been melatonin or SAMe, leaving melatonin but still feeling funny seems like a serotonin overdose, as I am already taking a lot of GABA at the moment. Dry mouth was worst in the mornings in the last week too - maybe after taking it? Maybe my stiffness is better tho. I’m now trying glutamine to get dopamine up and serotonin down and praps keep down stiffness at the same time… That worked to get the seizureishness down.
2021-10-10: Dry mouth better too. Can’t find it for the mo, so am leaving it. Have to remember empty stomach, so if not before getting up, then 2h after first meal.
2021-10-24: Long stopped SAM-e, but the dry mouth is still there, esp. from about 5:00, while the other problems, seizures and bladder I’ve realized due to a GABA overdose are GABA problems, so were probably from that and neither melatonin nor SAM-e, which I’ve both stopped. Melatonin definitely zombifies me, even at 0.1mg, but SAM-e is then something I’ll be revisiting… - soon, knowing me.
2021-11-15: Trying SAM-e again for about 10-14 days now hasn’t cause any sfx. I’m taking it away from meals, best for that with is in the sleep break around 5:00 (together with quercetin for lipids and sleep, resveratrol for lipids & serrapeptase for FM & CVD).
Still trigger hunting for the dry mouth, but it’s OK, dry mouth gel helps if nothing else does.