Hi,

I took 200mg per day of SAM-e for a week and then stopped because I wasn't noticing much of a change. However, over the next few days I began to wake frequently throughout the night. This then progressed to a worsening insomnia, heart palpitations, and anxiety. It has been a little over a month since stopping the SAM-e and I'm still dealing with these symptoms. I just can't seem to relax or sleep like I used to. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I feel that the SAM-e messed something up in me and I'm hoping with time I can get back to my old self.

A week for a natural supplement is not very long. SAM exists in your body naturally.

In fact, SAMe has the opposite problem often connected to it, that it is too energizing and causes insomnia, anxiety and hyper behavior. This can be seen in younger people who use it.
Older people have some deterioration in metabolism and therefore often like SAMe because is sort of "restores" them.

SAMe works with other vitamins, to complete its tasks.

The Pfeiffer Institute has specific opinions on methylation chemistry, and mood. I think you should read their point of view:

http://www.alternativementalhealth.c...s/pfeiffer.htm

SAMe is a methyl donor to 3 basic systems in the body:
Liver (for metabolism of toxins and drugs)
Joints (for collagen and cartilage repair)
Mood (formation of neurotransmitters).

I don't think SAMe could change much in a week. At that dose, many don't see anything positive yet, besides being more active and alert.

Thanks for the reply,

I'm only 33 so I guess Im one of the young ones who reacts badly to it. Prior to taking the SAM-e for a week I could easily take a nap during the day and would sleep like a baby at night. Now a month after stopping there is no way I could take a nap and trying to get to sleep at night is chore to say the least. Would it be possible for my body to be in some sort of "withdrawal" after only using it a for a week? Doubtful, but you never know.

I just hope the SAM-e didn't trigger some sort of neurotransmitter change in me that will persist. Or maybe it tipped some metabolic system out of balance. I just wish I would have never tried the stuff. I was bit fatigued and tired before, but I would take that any day over the nervous energy I have now.

I'm also wondering if taking B-vitamins will help get things back in order, or possibly make it worse? I'm real hesitant to take any supplement now.

SAMe would have just be kicking in when you stopped it. You might be a bit energized for a few days, but it should go back to what you were.

B vits also are energizing, because SAMe works with them too.
B6 and folic acid and B12 work to make SAM. So when you take the Bcomplex you are in effect ramping up your own SAM production to some extent.

I found Benadryl helpful at night when I was taking 600mg a day of SAMe. You might try some. (I took SAMe for 10 yrs)

Things that are calming:
Inositol
l-tryptophan
Theanine
magnesium

Thanks for the help!

I can understand things calming down after a few days to a week, but 1 month later......

If anyone else has had a bad experience with SAM-e, please chime in, I would like to hear how things resolved for you.

My husband and son cannot tolerate SAMe... they stopped after a month or so. (more than once).

Everyone has different genetics and methylation chemistry.
You will find people who love SAMe and find it useful. And those who cannot tolerate it.

It is not a drug. If you think of it as a drug, you will not find the answers you seek.

I suggest you Google methylation... and read up. Our DNA determines how we handle the methylation chemistries and some people have genetic errors in this. Others don't.

Good luck to you.