SAM-E vs SSRI for mood
Short answer: For mood, more users report improvement with SAM-E — 92% of 114 reports, versus 50% of 34 for SSRI.
SAM-E has 3 meta-analyses and 1 randomized trials on PubMed; the other has not been graded.
Based on 284 reports about SAM-E and 85 about SSRI. Not medical advice.
| SAM-E Supplement | SSRI Medication | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 63%helped131 reports · high confidence | 14%helped54 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly negative |
| Research | BResearch: Moderate | Not graded |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 3 / 1 | — |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Mood % reporting improvement | 92% (114) | 50% (34) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 67% (21) | 73% (11) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 87% (23) | 25% (4) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 100% (13) | 50% (2) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | — | 0% (14) |
| Common side effects | insomnia, jitteriness, stomach issues, anxiety | anhedonia, brain fog, erectile dysfunction, emotional blunting |
| Typical dose reported | 200-400 mg / daily | Not listed |
SAM-EFull SAM-E profile →
Latest review conclusion
Our results showed that robotic surgery contributed positively to some perioperative outcomes but longer operative times remained a shortcoming. Better quality evidence is needed to guide surgical decision making regarding the precise clinical targets of this innovation in the next generation of its use.
Surg Endosc, 2016 ↗What a user said
“I also take SAM-e in the morning (200mg or 400mg per day depending on how I'm feeling) for my general depression/anxiety.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate