Posted by Ron Hill on March 24, 2002, at 1:15:29
In reply to Zoloft gave me mania, so SAM-E could also?, posted by 3 Beer Effect on March 23, 2002, at 23:45:41
3BE,
When my pdoc suggested a SAM-e trial, I was skeptical about the likelihood of an OTC being an answer for me. My skepticism is gone and I have my life back! Same testimony from others on this board.
I started to become hypomanic when I tried to increase from 200 to 400 mg/day. Went back to 200 mg/day and hypomania went away. SAM-e may induce hypomania in you, but maybe you need to increase the amount of moodstabilizer. Since you're bipolar, why are you on such a low dose of mood stabilizer?
Please read these articles:
http://www.immunesupport.com/news/SAMe2txt.htm
http://www.iherb.com/same2.html
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/sameart.html
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.es/workshop-methionina/anglesa/cap26.htm
-- Ron
----------------------------> I have only gotten mania from one med Zoloft 100 mg- which is the only anti-depressant that has ever worked for me but caused horrible insomnia, but the happiness, optimism, & high energy from the zoloft eventually ended up turning into pretty self-destructive behavior (drinking, cocaine etc) & culminated in a DUI & also getting knocked unconscious (& sent to the hospital) by a big redneck in a fight near the sixth street entertainment/bar district in Austin, TX.
>
> I never have mania when not on medication, but i've heard SAM-E is prone to causing mania so bipolar people shouldn't take it. (But I am taking Lamictal 100 mg as a mood stablizer, which seems like a placebo pill but might offset any mania that SAM-E could cause). But Sam-e seems hideously expensive (even at Costco/Sam's Club)- especially since I have health insurance so most of my prescription meds only cost $15-35 a month for brand names. I'm not sure what dose you have to take for a good AD effect, i've heard anywhere from 200 to 1,600 mg. 1,600 mg would be very (hideously) expensive since even a 30 day supply of 200 mg/day probably costs more than generic prozac.
>
> Also, it seems as though SAM-E works in people whose methyl donor system (don't know much about what SAM-E does obviously) has aged or isn't functioning properly. If you are in your early twenties doesn't that mean SAM-E is less likely to work than if you are middle aged & your methyl donor thing isn't as efficient?
poster:Ron Hill
thread:99751
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99783.html