SAMe Uses, Benefits & Side Effects - Drugs.com Herbal Database

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# SAMe

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 26, 2022.

## What are other common names?

- ADE-SD4
- Ademetionine
- Adenosylmethionine
- Adomet
- S-Adenosyl Methionine
- S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine
- S-Adenosylmethionine
- S-Adenosylmethionine Butanedisulfonate
- S-Adenosylmethionine Tosylate Disulfate
- S-Adénosylméthionine
- SAdenosylmethionine Tosylate
- SAM
- SAM-e
- Samesadenosylmethionine
- Sammy

## What is this product used for?

S-adenosyl-L-methionine is also known as SAMe. It may help with low mood and some forms of arthritis. SAMe may be used to help with itching in people with liver problems.

## What are the precautions when taking this product?

- Always check with your doctor before you use a natural product. Some products may not mix well with drugs or other natural products.

- Be sure to tell your doctor that you take this product if you are scheduled for surgery or tests.

- Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on getting pregnant, or are breastfeeding. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using this natural product.

- Do not take if you have bipolar depression.

- Do not take this product if you are taking the drug daptomycin or methylene blue. Side effects of this product may be increased.

- Take extra care if you are taking drugs that effect serotonin, such as some cough medicines, SSRIs, or MAO inhibitors. These are products like St John’s wort, dextromethorphan, fluoxetine, citalopram, isocarboxazid, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine.

- Take extra care if you are taking levodopa drugs for Parkinson disease.

- Take extra care and check with your doctor if you have:

  - Mental problems like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia

  - ADHD

  - Low mood

  - Parkinson disease

## Related/similar drugs

Ginkgo Biloba, turmeric, saw palmetto

## What should I watch for?

- Upset stomach

- Trouble sleeping

- Feeling dizzy

- Sweating

## When do I need to call the doctor?

- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.

- Symptoms of too much serotonin in your body. These include irritability, restlessness, confusion, fast heartbeat, twitching, very bad sweating, very high fever, seizures, or uneven heartbeat.

- Very bad throwing up

- Very bad loose or hard stools

## Where can I learn more?

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/mental-health

## Last Reviewed Date

2022-04-13

## Consumer information use

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## Copyright

Copyright © 2022 UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved.

## More about SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine)

- Reviews (13)
- Side effects
- Drug class: nutraceutical products

### Professional resources

- Advanced Reading

### Related treatment guides

- Herbal Supplementation

## Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer