Same

• What other names is SAMe known by?
• What is SAMe?
• Is SAMe effective?
• How does SAMe work?
• Are there safety concerns?
• Are there any interactions with medications?
• Dosing considerations for SAMe.

What other names is SAMe known by?

Ademetionine, Adenosylmethionine, Adénosylméthionine, S-Adenosyl Methionine, S-Adénosyl Méthionine, S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine, S-Adénosyl-L-Méthionine, S-Adenosylmethionine, S-Adénosylméthionine, S-Adenosylmethionine Butanedisulfonate, S-Adenosylmethionine Tosylate, S-Adenosylmethionine Tosylate Disulfate, SAM, SAM-e, Sammy.

What is SAMe?

SAMe is a chemical that is found naturally in the body. It can also be made in the laboratory.

Is SAMe effective?

SAMe can relieve pain and some of the other symptoms of osteoarthritis about as well as aspirin and similar drugs, but it may take twice as long to work. Most people with arthritis need to take SAMe for about a month before they feel better.

There is also scientific evidence that SAMe can relieve depression and some fibromyalgia symptoms.

SAMe also seems to help protect the liver. People with liver disease in the early stages sometimes do better when they take SAMe and might even be able to delay the need for a liver transplant. But people with advanced liver disease are not as likely to be helped by taking SAMe.

There isn't enough information to know if SAMe is effective for the other conditions that people use it for, including: heart disease, bursitis, tendonitis, chronic low back pain, improving intelligence, staying young, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, seizures, migraine headache, and others.

Likely Effective for...

• Osteoarthritis. It works about as well as aspirin and similar drugs, but it can take twice as long to start working. Most people with arthritis need to take SAMe for about a month before they feel better.
• Depression.

Possibly Effective for...

• Fibromyalgia when taken as a pill.
• Some symptoms of AIDS-related nerve problems.
• Decreased bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Heart disease, anxiety, bursitis, tendonitis, chronic low back pain, improving intelligence, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), alcohol-related liver disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, seizures, migraine headache, and other conditions.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).