About a year ago, our psychiatrist suggested that LuLu start taking SAM-e, a natural supplement that we buy inexpensively at Sam's Club (you can get it at any pharmacy, but the price at Sam's is reasonable.) It is often promoted for joint health. But it is even more than that. The Amen Clinic website recommends SAM-e for "limbic hyperactivity".

The limbic system is the emotional center of our brains. It lies behind the prefrontal cortex and underneath the frontal cortex. Overactive limbic systems manifest themselves as mild depression, OCD, negative thoughts, pervasive sadness.

SAM-e is involved with the production of neurotransmitters. Normally, the brain manufactures all the SAMe it needs from the amino acid methionine. But in a brain that has an impaired methylation system (topic for another blog), the amount of SAM-e can be impaired. Supplementing the diet with SAMe has been found to increase the neurotransmitters and improve cell membrane fluidity. SAMe a natural antidepressants, often working just as well as prescribed antidepressants. The Amen Clinics caution, though, the importance of not giving SAM-e (or any antidepressant) to people with bipolar disorder, because it could cause a manic or hypomanic episode.

The Amen site also notes an interesting correlation:

SAMe has also been found helpful for people who suffer from fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle pain disorder. Fibromyalgia and ADD run commonly together. I think the chronic stress associated with ADD is in part responsible for the muscle pain.

The bells and whistles in my brain go off at such a statement, knowing that many in the biomed world of autism treatments have related autoimmune disorders with autism and ADD. And fibromyalgia, along with chronic fatigue syndrome and allergies classify as auto-immune disorders. Hmmm...

Wanna know more about how SAM-e works? This article from Newsweek in 1999 does a great job of explaining how SAM-e just might work in relieving depression. Because no large-scale studies have been done, the FDA has not approved it. That doesn't mean it hasn't been studied though, and with some very positive effects. And more importantly, without some very serious side effects. Because SAM-e is a molecule produced by all living cells, it appears to be clearly less toxic than medications or other "natural supplements" marketed for depression.