Sam-e
 

What do you know about it? Do you use it?

I've used SAMe since 1999.
 

I don't think it has a huge place for PN, but it is very useful for depression and arthritis issues/healing. It is also very good for the liver.

Some threads here to read:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=28420

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=5846

SAMe is not inexpensive. You can manipulate the system, and buy it
buy one get one free and get the price down.

I only use the original brand...Naturemade.

RiteAid and Walgreen's and sometimes Kroger's have periodic sales.
That is when I stock up and save $$ . Costco sells NatureMade also at a savings.

Maybe this why my PN has never gotten worse, or maybe not. Can't say for sure. But the arthritis inflammatory improvements, have allowed me to rebuild my knee and avoid a knee replacement.

It makes some people very irritable however, so read up on it before trying.
If you have any mood disorder with mania in your past, you should probably pass on this.

I've taken it since June to help with my LFT's which were off I think due to drug toxicity--I think Stattera which I took to help with my functioning was the culprit.

I heard that you had to be up at a 1200 mg a day to have the equivalent pain relief of a celebrex for musculoskeletal symptoms. ----and it takes about a month to start getting relief.

I did get significant pain relief and my liver function tests dramatically improved. I really can't tell how much, if at all it affected my neurapathic issues.

Unfortunately, at that dose I also developed severe insomnia and urinary frequency. I also became so anxious that I was bouncing off the walls.
As a result I discontinued it. I may try again at 200mg.

I have never gone that high...
 

I started at 200mg a day for a month. After about a month, the gains I was having lessened, so I upped to 400mg/day, and was good for about another month... then I had to go to 600. There I stayed. It seems this is a good dose for me.

I've tried to go back to 400mg/day, but then my knee pain comes back.
So I didn't push it..I don't want that all over again, so I've gone back to 600/day. I use one double strength 400, + one MoodPlus glucosamine 200mg
combo.

It you take it all at once in the morning, it is pretty worn off by nighttime.
Otherwise you may have some insomnia.

Some people do really well on it like me...others not so. You just have to try it to see. But I would start slowly. My husband couldn't even tolerate 200mg/day, so he reacted quickly.

I was able to be mostly caffeine free also. I don't do coffee much anymore.
I haven't had strong tea or coffee for months. Occasionally in the winter I do have tea (more often), but not in the summer.

Guess I just can't tolerate The Sam-e. I took 200mg
yesterday morning. In spite of taking Nortryptaline,
Melatonin and a sleep aid containing Valarian I was still up
all night. I give up. :(

I take 400 mg of SAM-e daily. Typically before I go to bed on a nearly empty stomach.

I had a torn ACL 3 years ago. Had surgery, but arthritis crept in. Also, developed a very small tear in the meniscus on the same knee.

The SAM-e has really helped take away the pain and stiffness. I take anti-inflammatories as well ( green tea extract and curcumin) which might be also helping, but that was well after the improvement in my knee from SAM-e.

I had discontinued SAMe a year ago, when I started using other more expensive supplements for something else.

It is just over a year later, and my right knee is starting back up with the pain. So I am going to go back on it this week.

It was really helpful for my arthritis, and I guess I just cannot live without it.:rolleyes: