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Camilla, Apparently SAM-e had been looked at as a treatment for depression in the early 90's. There is 1 controlled study on 15 patients with oral SAM-e which looked promising. Also there was one study that seemed to be positive for fibromyalgia as well. Hardly a chorus in favor of the drug. In an uncontrolled situation one patient who had not ever been manic before became manic. In looking back on 10 years of research on the drug I am not impressed with its efficacy and have some slight reason to be leery against trial of the drug especially by someone as debilitated as Peter. There is some effect on dopamine which theoretically might be helpful in PD but I wouldn't risk it with Peter. Charlie "Charles T. Meyer, M.D." wrote: > Camilla, > > I have not heard of SAM-e. Dr. Brown certainly has good credentials (but > remember there is a member of the Harvard psychiatric faculty who believes in > alien abduction :-( so because a faculty member says something is true doesn't > mean thst it is. Did he site any double blind studies? I will check it out but > in the absence of double blind studies I would be quite cautious. > > Charlie > > Camilla Flintermann wrote: > > > Friends-- a neighbor gave me an article from a magazine called "American > > Health" (july-August '99) ca;;ed "Nature's Newest Anti-depressant", with > > emphasis on depression, but also claiming help for arthritis, fybromyalgia, > > and PD. It is from an interview with a psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Brown, > > Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia U. College of > > Physicians & Surgeons--sounds pretty reputable. SAM-e is the short name > > for S-adenosylmethionine, "a popular depression treatment in Europe, now on > > the shelves of your local drugstores". Dr. Brown uses it selectively with > > his patients and says it can be added to or substotuted for SSRI type > > antidepressants like Prozac, with fewer side effects, especially in mild > > depression, cautioning not to use it in bipolar type. > > SAM-e is said to be " a chemical in the body that's central to at least 35 > > essential metabolic reactions. It eases depression by RAISING THE BRAIN'S > > LEVEL OF SEROTONINS AND DOPAMINE...AND STABILIZING THE NOREPINEPHRINE > > TRANSMITTER SYSTEM so it can send chemical messages > > effectively." (emphasis mine ) > > > > Does this sound reasonable/correct to the experts onlist? Has anyone > > (hello, over in Europe?) used or heard of this ? I wonder if it is used, > > as St. John's Wort is, for relieving depression by some PWPs?I told my > > neighbor, who was just trying to be helpful, that I'd check it out---on the > > web I did an ALtaVista search and came up with LOTS of items, mostly re: > > depression, arthritis, and where to buy it at lowest price--nothing re: PD. > > (It is not cheap, of course!) Comments are welcome. > > > > Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter 81/70/55 > > Oxford, Ohio > > http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/camilla/one.htm > > <[log in to unmask]> > > > > "Ask me about the CARE list for > > Caregivers of Parkinsonians ! " > > -- > ****************************************************************************************** > > Charles T. Meyer, M.D. > Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin > [log in to unmask] > ****************************************************************************************** -- ****************************************************************************************** Charles T. Meyer, M.D. Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************************