s/o stress induced anxiety - Talk to me about SAM-E

[LG Gone Wild]

So I am on it by recommendation from the physician assistant. I could google it but what fun would that be?

 

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Has it helped? Do you get a black hairy tongue?

 

Fill me in.

[amy g.]

I like it. I take 400 mg before I eat anything in the morning.

[Denisemomof4]

I did get the black hairy tongue, and I also sprouted a second nose in the middle of my forehead. Dh still thinks I'm pretty anyway.:tongue_smilie:

 

Dh and I both tried this (he is NOT a pill taker!) because we were stressed out, burnt, out, and kind of depressed after caring for three people in their final months. The SAM-e both made us have outbursts of anger so we stopped it. That wasn't usual for us. On the bright side, it was WONDERFUL at helping us feel well and have good energy.

 

I switched to L-theanine. It did wonders for my anxiety! I was on a medication while caring for my mother in the home while she was on Hospice. I tried to get off it twice but had HORRIFIC anxiety attacks. I tried l-theanine and that's when I could finally drop the prescribed medicine.

 

I shave my tongue now but am not happy about two noses. It's awful when I get a cold.:lol::lol::lol:

[LG Gone Wild]

I did get the black hairy tongue, and I also sprouted a second nose in the middle of my forehead. Dh still thinks I'm pretty anyway.:tongue_smilie:

 

Dh and I both tried this (he is NOT a pill taker!) because we were stressed out, burnt, out, and kind of depressed after caring for three people in their final months. The SAM-e both made us have outbursts of anger so we stopped it. That wasn't usual for us. On the bright side, it was WONDERFUL at helping us feel well and have good energy.

 

I switched to L-theanine. It did wonders for my anxiety! I was on a medication while caring for my mother in the home while she was on Hospice. I tried to get off it twice but had HORRIFIC anxiety attacks. I tried l-theanine and that's when I could finally drop the prescribed medicine.

 

I shave my tongue now but am not happy about two noses. It's awful when I get a cold.:lol::lol::lol:

 

 

Outbursts? How weird. I feel a little chilled out, I think. Almost a little loopy but not quite. I took it before I worked out and had a very goofy session. OTH, I was able to sit and read a book.

 

I am hoping it unclenches me long enough to grow my hair back.

 

What is L-theanine?

[Denisemomof4]

Outbursts? How weird. I feel a little chilled out, I think. Almost a little loopy but not quite. I took it before I worked out and had a very goofy session. OTH, I was able to sit and read a book.

 

I am hoping it unclenches me long enough to grow my hair back.

 

What is L-theanine?

 

I know, it was really weird for dh and I both to experience the same. It was like we totally became intolerant people. Other than that, we both felt fantastic on it, tons of energy, mentally sharp, etc.

 

L-theanine actually comes from green tea. I definitely noticed a difference when taking it. I don't take that either now, but I'm thankful it allowed me to get off the ........ was it ativan? Some anxiety med....

[Mommyfaithe]

How does one take SAMe? Dosage? Time of day? Etc.

Faithe

[UmMusa]

My GYN recommended it for me, but she also said I could try 5-htp which I'm trying now. It curbs my "yell at the kids for no good reason" type outbursts and keeps me feeling level headed...and that is a great thing.

 

I forgot what the Sam-e is about. I think it was a lot more expensive.

[LG Gone Wild]

How does one take SAMe? Dosage? Time of day? Etc.

Faithe

 

My bottle says to take 1-2 twice a day.

[anewday]

I've taken Sam-e. This is the brand I used: http://www.vitacost.com/Vitacost-SAM-e-200-mg-per-tablet-60-Enteric-Coated-Tabs

 

I took it 3 times a day per the recommendation in the Mood Cure book. I did find that it helped me a lot when I was consistent with it. It pulled me out of my depression/anxiety cycle to the point that I not only had more energy but actual MOTIVATION to do things. I need to start taking it again...

[Negin]

This is the only info I have. HTH. No mention of black hairy tongues :lol:.

 

800-1600 mg Sam-e daily – always take on empty stomach (take with large doses of B Vitamins). I read that a 1200 mg daily dose of this amino acid controls pain and improves function as effectively as Celebrex.

Good for arthritis

 

If you’re depressed AND suffer from chronic pain from conditions like arthritis, take SAM-E. This eases depression and acts as an anti-inflammatory to relieve aches. Avoid SAM-E if you have bipolar disease. Start with 1600 mg a day, then cut back.

[Trresh]

So I am on it by recommendation from the physician assistant. I could google it but what fun would that be?

 

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Has it helped? Do you get a black hairy tongue?

 

Fill me in.

 

How's it going? I'm thinking about trying it. I have mild chronic depression but really go down hill this time of year.

[gardenmom5]

What is L-theanine?

 

L-theanine stimulate production of a neurotransmitter. My son's DAN!naturopath prescribed it for his anxiety disorder. it helps. He hadn't been taking it for a week because I hadn't picked up a new bottle, and I was wondering why he was being so anxious. when I realized we were out, I went and got more and it definitely helps him.

 

Maybe I'll try that for dh before going for the Sam-e. hmm.

 

much can also depend upon exactly what brain chemical imbalance is needing to be corrected for what will work with what side-effects, if any.

[LG Gone Wild]

How's it going? I'm thinking about trying it. I have mild chronic depression but really go down hill this time of year.

 

 

You know it was weird at first. I think I felt a little loopy. It does help me chill a little. I am taking some other "thing" that is supposed to help me sleep at night. The killer is sleeping. I toss and turn relentlessly, not able to stop my mind from worrying and fretting. I would also break out in a sweat. Now that I think back, no wonder homeschooling has felt like such a failure. I was never sleeping and never starting on time and in a panic because the day had run out the children running wild without strict adherence to a schedule.

 

Melatonin doesn't work for me, BTW.

[Denisemomof4]

L-theanine stimulate production of a neurotransmitter. My son's DAN!naturopath prescribed it for his anxiety disorder. it helps. He hadn't been taking it for a week because I hadn't picked up a new bottle, and I was wondering why he was being so anxious. when I realized we were out, I went and got more and it definitely helps him.

 

Maybe I'll try that for dh before going for the Sam-e. hmm.

 

much can also depend upon exactly what brain chemical imbalance is needing to be corrected for what will work with what side-effects, if any.

 

would you mind telling me how many mg you give your son, and how much he weighs? I'd really like to give my dd8 some. She's about 80 lbs.

[Denisemomof4]

You know it was weird at first. I think I felt a little loopy. It does help me chill a little. I am taking some other "thing" that is supposed to help me sleep at night. The killer is sleeping. I toss and turn relentlessly, not able to stop my mind from worrying and fretting. I would also break out in a sweat. Now that I think back, no wonder homeschooling has felt like such a failure. I was never sleeping and never starting on time and in a panic because the day had run out the children running wild without strict adherence to a schedule.

 

Melatonin doesn't work for me, BTW.

 

years ago I was watching Chronicle, a show that covers local stories and businesses. There was an interview with an OB/GYN who was speaking about treating women naturally. She was speaking of insomnia, something I had suffered from for around 30 years. Chronic, severe insomnia, and it ran on both sides of my family. The dr. recommended taking 5-HTP, valerian with bee balm, and passion flower (quiets the mind) together at night before bed. I think I took this for around 6 months, and it cured my insomnia completely. I went a year and a half taking nothing, and then severe stress entered my life again and the insomnia came back. I took the same again for around three months. The 5-htp builds up the serotonin levels. serotonin is depleted from stress. You take the 5-htp for a set amount of time, then your levels are built up again.

 

Now, years later, I take calcium/magnesium at night and usually will take one valerian. I really need to stop the valerian as I think I'll be fine off it. If I have tremendous stress again, I'll take the 5-htp for a period of time again.

 

it may be worth considering for you.

[littleWMN]

DD6 and I both take a supplement (travacor and travacor jr) that has both l-theanine and 5htp in it, and a few other things).

 

It helps us both with sleep and anxiety and also helps me with energy and her to calm down (ADHD).

[Crazyderiver]

I suffer from severe PMDD and have had depressive symptoms during my cycle for 15 years. I tried Sam-e and for the first time ever had full blown panic attacks. It increases your serotonin and most serotonin is in the intestines so it is common to experience stomach upset. I felt like I had a slight flu bug for almost two weeks before I could get the Sam-e out of my system. Everybody is different! But I did not respond well to increased serotonin. The effects can also be cummulative. I tried 5HTP, which is also a serotonin type supplement. But because the body becomes sensitive to any seritonin supplement, I was in a panic attack within 20 minutes of trying the 5HTP. I currently use a variety of vitamins, but it takes a ton of pills and only offers inconsistent results.

 

 

Just my 2c.

 

And a suggestion: start low, half a dose or 50mg and work your way up.

[Denisemomof4]

DD6 and I both take a supplement (travacor and travacor jr) that has both l-theanine and 5htp in it, and a few other things).

 

It helps us both with sleep and anxiety and also helps me with energy and her to calm down (ADHD).

 

is there a dosage for kids on it? Or did you have a dr. tell you which dosage to give her?

[kewb]

My dh takes Sam-e, 5htp, and St. Johns Wort. I can always tell when he has not taken them.

[gardenmom5]

would you mind telling me how many mg you give your son, and how much he weighs? I'd really like to give my dd8 some. She's about 80 lbs.

 

He's a skinnyish almost seven, and he get's 200mg. I would start with a smaller dose, and see how it goes as you can add more if needed.

 

Not sure how much he weighs, as only recentlly has he gained enough that he's in regular jeans instead of having skinny jeans fall off him last spring.