Omega 3 fatty acids and SAMe for depression

[Ms BW]

Does anyone have any experience with using Omega 3 fatty acids or SAMe for depression?  Do you have any stories of such you can relate including dosages taken, how long taken, success or lack of and personal opinions.  Thank you!

[chipper1379]

I was on Wellbutrin for 2 weeks and decide to try SAMe instead.  I only have been on 400mg for 2 days. I read that it can take up to two weeks for any signs of it working.  I read your post and was wondering if you kept on taking the SAMe (that is if you were taking it), and if so how it was working for you.  Alos what brand did you get.  I wasn't sure which would be the best.  Thanks for any help.

[Ms BW]

Thanks for the info.  I'm familiar with pharmaceutical grade versus regular, as well as standardized and not.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[chicagopsy]

I think Omega-3 acids are probably very good for you in the wholistic sense.  Eyes, muscles, joints, heart, and the nervous system to a lessor degree.

Unfortunately there is no scientific evidence that either Omega-3 or SAM-e is effective against major depression.  They are often described as "mood brighteners" and there may be something to that. Just the same way caffiene is a temporary mood brightener for those who can tolerate it.  

The one thing I can relate is an article which is not available online but is from the British Journal of Medicine which states some anecdotal evidence (note: anecdotal, meaning that the conclusions were drawn from observation and not scientific methodology) but it studied a small number of people who were on pharmaceutical grade omega-3 oil and tested them against the Hamilton Scale for Depression and it demonstrated some therapeutic value.  Pharmaceutical grade omega-3 is much more expensive but there again, from everything I have read, it is worth it if you believe that the pure product has value, becuase all the others, those that are not pharmaceutical grade are just fish oil and not very high in the essential omega-3 oils.    You need to be somewhat careful because comapanies that produce vitamins and mineral supplements are not regulated by the FDA - probably a good thing in some ways but that also means that without regulation they have no standards for accuracy which will be tested by a impartial body; for instance if you buy the cheapest vitamin C tablets you can find, if it has ANY vitamin C in it at all then they are fine, doesn't matter how much they claim is there as long as there is something besides a sugar pill.  They cannot lie outright but they have license to be deceptive so shop with a careful eye.  

Take good care, and report back with your experiences if you try the omega-3 or SAM-e route.

C-psy