Did you know that Levodopa depletes SAM-e?

[faridaro]

Here is the article:

acupuncturebrooklyn.com/alt...

[aspergerian13]

Faridaro,

Essay with cites looks like a good find.

"Methylation cycle" in PubMed will lead to related references but not only about PD.

[Hidden]

All is not as it seems. Be very careful if you start supplementing with SAMe and always consult your doctor before introducing new treatments into your regimen. Here is what a reputable drug site says about the interaction of SAMe and levodopa (at emedicinehealth.com/same-pa... )

“Levodopa

Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Talk with your health provider.

Levodopa is used for Parkinson's disease. SAMe can chemically change levodopa in the body and decrease the effectiveness of levodopa. Taking SAMe along with levodopa might make Parkinson's disease symptoms worse. Do not take SAMe if you are taking levodopa”

[aspergerian13 in reply to Hidden]

Osidge,

I have read similar observation elsewhere. Thanks for bringing the precaution into this thread.

[silvestrov]

Here is an article which you may find interesting.

Levodopa intake increases plasma levels of S-adenosylmethionine in treated patients with Parkinson disease.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/163...

Another article stating high levels of SAM-e may resemble PD symptoms.

Parkinson's disease-like effects of S-adenosyl-l-methionine: Effects of l-Dopa

"These results showed that excess SAM in the brain, probably due to its ability to increase methylation, can induce symptoms that resemble some of the changes that occur in PD."

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

There are two studies using SAM-e in PD depressed patients and the results were ambiguous. The first study was an open label study and SAM-e improved depression symptoms. The second was a double blind study which was a farce because many participants dropped out:

SAM-e Escitalopram Placebo Comparator

STARTED 12 11 6

COMPLETED 2 3 2

NOT COMPLETED 10 8 4

Adverse Event 10 8 4

On both SAM-e and Escitalopram, a SSRI, the amount of people with Adverse Event equaled the amount of people who dropped out. A whopping 2 people completed the trial who were on SAM-e and 3 people for Escitalopram.

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...

[faridaro in reply to silvestrov]

Very much appreciate your information!