Sam-e vs st johns wort reddit

Q: Is SAMe the SAMe as St Johns wort?

That said, some supplements -- such as St. Johns wort and SAMe (pronounced sammy) -- have been tested fairly extensively and may improve your symptoms if you experience mild depression or related conditions such as seasonal affective disorder.

Q: Does St Johns Wort increase estrogen?

Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs) St. Johns wort might increase the breakdown of estrogen. Taking St. Johns wort along with birth control pills might decrease the effects of birth control pills.

Presents information on the therapeutic use of Saint John's Wort and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e). Amount of Saint John's Wort taken three times a day reported to relieve depressive symptoms; Neurotransmitters enhanced by Saint John's Wort; Correlation between depression and SAM-e levels in the body.

By PT Staff published March 1, 2000 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016

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Presents information on the therapeutic use of Saint John's Wort and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e). Amount of Saint John's Wort taken three times a day reported to relieve depressive symptoms; Neurotransmitters enhanced by Saint John's Wort; Correlation between depression and SAM-e levels in the body.
Is SAMe the SAMe as St John's wort?
Can SAMe and St John's wort be taken together?
Can I take St Johns Wort indefinitely?
Does St John's Wort increase estrogen?

Sometimes, you can't sleep, and others, you can't drag yourself out
of bed.Life seems pointless and empty; your emotions are erratic and
uncontrollable. That's the way more than 19 million Americans will feel
this year when they experience a depressive disorder, according to the
National Institute of Mental Health. So it's no wonder that many people
are seeking out dietary supplements used to treat mild to moderate
depression--especially St. John's Wort and SAM-e.

Just this winter, a German study of 268 people reported the
groundbreaking news that St. John's Wort, or Hypericum perforatum, is at
least as effective as imipramine (trade name Tofranil), a prescription
antidepressant, at relieving moderate depression. In the study, published
in the British Medical Journal, subjects given 350 mg of hypericum
extract three times a day reported relief of depressive symptoms and
experienced fewer side effects than subjects taking the prescription
drug.

Scientists still aren't sure how the plant works, but they think
that it may elevate mood by altering brain levels of feel-good
neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. Ray
Sahelian, M.D., a nutritionist in Marina Del Ray, California, suggests
that people with low mood start with one pill of St. John's Wort per day
and then decide if they need more, since larger amounts may cause
insomnia or sun sensitivity.

A newer, highly touted natural antidepressant is SAM-e, or
S-adenosyl-L-methionine. Our body synthesizes the substance from
methionine, an amino acid, and adenosine triphosphate, a molecular energy
source, but our normal stores of the substance seem to dissipate when our
mood suffers.

"There's a correlation between low levels of SAM-e and depression,"
says Richard Brown, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia
University and co-author of Stop Depression Now (G.P. Putnam and Sons,
1999). SAM-e, which has only been available on drugstore shelves for a
year, seems to relieve depression by boosting brain levels of serotonin
and dopamine. A 1994 Italian survey of research on the supplement
suggested that it worked as well as standard prescription antidepressants
and had few side effects, and a 1992 Mexican study concluded that SAM-e
enhanced the blues-lifting effect of a prescription antidepressant on
patients.

SAM-e may also be an important supplement for the elderly, even
those with high spirits. The supplement can repair tissue throughout the
body, especially in the liver and around the damaged joints that cause
arthritis, relieving both pain and inflammation.

A caveat: When thinking about using SAM-e or St. John's Wort for
low mood, don't forget that depression can be a very serious illness. "If
one has a mild case, then self-therapy is fine," says Sahelian, author of
The New Memory Boosters (St. Martin's Press, 2000). "But anything more
serious should be evaluated by a professional."

PHOTO (COLOR): SAM-e can beat the blues and relieve the pain
associated with arthritis.

I have what I would consider mild to moderate depression and anxiety. I have tried buspirone and St. John's Wort. I also tried 5-htp for a short bit. Most recently I have switched to SAM-e instead of SJW and 5-htp. This came about after I told my GP I was ready to progress beyond just "being alive" and actually start "living.". She prescribed sertriline. I have very mixed emotions about taking Rx meds. I know that there are many people who need them. But I was very worried about the potential side effects. I did more research, and decided to give SAM-e a try before resorting to Rx. I already have a weight issue from depression, and I didn't want to make it worse. I put the sertriline in a drawer and never opened it.

I started SAM-e at 400 mg in the mornings, and discovered that initial dose made me agitated. So I backed off to 200 mg for a few days, and then worked back up to 400 mg. I notice a pretty big difference. It actually gives me the motivation to get out of my chair and do something. Prior to this, I was content to sit in my chair literally all day...only getting up when I felt I absolutely HAD to. I have started going to the doctor to get to the bottom of some medical issues, I have restarted a power yoga program, and I have actually gone out and socialized several times in the past couple of months. I hadn't seen some of my friends for several years because I had been isolating myself.

Anybody else have any experiences with SAM-e you'd like to share?

Is SAMe the SAMe as St John's wort?

That said, some supplements -- such as St. John's wort and SAMe (pronounced "sammy") -- have been tested fairly extensively and may improve your symptoms if you experience mild depression or related conditions such as seasonal affective disorder.

Can SAMe and St John's wort be taken together?

SAM-e could be dangerous when combined with antidepressants or supplements that treat depression, like St. John's wort.

Can I take St Johns Wort indefinitely?

When taken orally for up to 12 weeks in appropriate doses, St. John's wort is generally considered safe. However, it may cause: Agitation and anxiety.

Does St John's Wort increase estrogen?

Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs) St. John's wort might increase the breakdown of estrogen. Taking St. John's wort along with birth control pills might decrease the effects of birth control pills.