سیم ای · S-adenosyl methionine
Reasonable human evidence
One of the better-evidenced non-prescription options — and one of the riskiest to combine.
This is information, not medical advice. This page is information, not medical advice. Nothing here is a prescription, a diagnosis or a recommendation to take anything, and none of it replaces a doctor who knows your history. Supplements are not harmless because they are natural: they interact with prescription medicines, some are unsafe in pregnancy, and a few can cause real damage. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting anything here, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, have a liver, kidney or heart condition, or take any regular medication. Never stop a prescribed antidepressant to try a supplement instead.
A molecule your body makes from methionine, involved in producing neurotransmitters. Prescribed as a drug in some European countries.
Among the strongest evidence bases on this page. Trials have found it better than placebo for depression and, in some head-to-head studies, comparable to standard antidepressants. Also studied as an add-on for people who did not respond fully to an SSRI. The catch is cost, and the interaction risk below.
Trials commonly used 400 to 1,600 mg daily on an empty stomach, often building up gradually because starting high causes nausea and restlessness.
Recorded because a person who has decided to try something will find a number somewhere, and a forum's number is worse than a trial's. It is not a recommendation, and the right amount for you depends on things only a doctor who knows your history can weigh.
Can trigger mania in people with bipolar disorder - if there is any history of that, or of manic episodes in your family, do not take it without a psychiatrist. Taken with an antidepressant it can cause serotonin syndrome. Can cause insomnia if taken late. Not for pregnancy without advice.
Imported and expensive relative to most things here, and unstable in heat and humidity - buy blister-packed rather than loose, and check the expiry.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything else you take, prescription and herbal both. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or have a liver, kidney, heart or thyroid condition, ask first. And if what brought you here is that you have been feeling low or frightened for weeks, that deserves more than a supplement — ask us anything, anonymously, or talk to us on WhatsApp.