Sam-e supplement...patient taking..not sure its ok..

I can't find much about the supplement Sam-e. I looked for old threads here but nothing really.. A patient is taking this (low dose) in addition to 2 other antidepressants..I am concerned this is too much...I don't know anything about this supplement..if it actually works..all I can seem to find is it can help with depression, joint pain but not anxiety and yet she swears it helps with anxiety. Her primary doctor does not know she is taking it and has been for about 6 weeks..I told her I would need to call him in the a.m. to let him know..she said she is not going to stop taking it..so..anyone have any professional or personal experience w/this supplement? I am not seeking medical advice..just opinions
Quote from Lucky724I can't find much about the supplement Sam-e. I looked for old threads here but nothing really.. A patient is taking this (low dose) in addition to 2 other antidepressants..I am concerned this is too much...I don't know anything about this supplement..if it actually works..all I can seem to find is it can help with depression, joint pain but not anxiety and yet she swears it helps with anxiety. Her primary doctor does not know she is taking it and has been for about 6 weeks..I told her I would need to call him in the a.m. to let him know..she said she is not going to stop taking it..so..anyone have any professional or personal experience w/this supplement? I am not seeking medical advice..just opinions

Most drug guides include a chapter on common OTC supplements with potential contraindications and interactions.

I have read the drug book and looked online and I was familiar with the supplement but not as this patient is using it...I am concerned about too much Serotonin..this supplement plus 2 other SSRI's seems like a lot to me though I realize people metabolize substances differently based on chemical make up, age, sex, etc.. There are some studies that support using this in addition to one AD but not two..I was looking for opinions/experience from others who may have encountered this therapy..that was all.

This information needs to be communicated to the doctor.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15537554http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/495861Here are two studies . We are not able to provide advice and my opinion is that any drug taken to excess is detrimental to one's system. I would think toxic symptoms would be the same as SSRI's. I'd notify the MD and allow him to advise the patient.

I have personal experience with an MD who is the head of the integrative medicine department at a large teaching hospital. She prescribes SAM-e quite frequently and her patients find it effective. But I can't speak to the precise issue of how it interacts with SSRIs. You'll have to find a pharmacist or MD who has in-depth knowledge about it - that can be challenging with some of the non-traditional supplements.

SAM-e is an SSRI. Taking it with other medications that raise levels of serotonin can lead to more of the side effects serotonin causes, as well as raising the likelihood of serotonin syndrome, which isn't pleasant. The patient's doctor needs to know she's taking it.

This is asking for medical advice as we can't provide interactions or know what other meds this pt is taking - need to talk with the provider.