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MSM

Health News Archive 38 - Depression
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• SAMe Improves Symptoms of Depression
• Vitamin B12 Helps Depression Treatments Work Better

SAMe Improves Symptoms of Depression

For patients who are not responding to antidepressant drugs, the addition of S-adenosy-L-methionine (SAMe) may be of benefit. SAMe is found in every cell in the body, and is available as a dietary supplement. The December 2004 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (www.psychopharmacology.com) published these findings of a pilot study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Thirty subjects who failed to respond after a month of treatment with Prozac, Paxil, Effexor or other standard antidepressant drugs received 400 milligrams SAMe twice per day for two weeks, followed by 800 milligrams twice per day for four weeks. Participants in the study were free to decrease the dose to 400 milligrams after consulting with their physician. At the study’s conclusion, half the patients were found to have experienced significant improvement in their depressive symptoms and 43 percent experienced a complete remission. No serious adverse events were reported.

Research team leader and associate director of the MGH Depression and Clinical Research Program, Jonathan Alpert, MD, stated, "One of the most common problems in treating depression is the number of people who are left with symptoms after initial treatment with a first-line antidepressant. Some previous trials have suggested that SAMe might have effects comparable to some antidepressants, but there has not been sufficient research on oral SAMe preparations or comparisons with available antidepressants. This is the first study to look at the safety and efficacy of combining SAMe with antidepressant treatment after antidepressants had proven insufficient on their own. Patients and physicians have been using these combinations without good supporting data, and these results are an initial step toward compiling the necessary scientific evidence."

The National Institutes of Health is sponsoring a current and future trial of SAMe in depressed patients.

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Vitamin B12 Helps Depression Treatments Work Better

A report published online in Biomedical Central Psychiatry in December 2003 found that individuals who have high serum levels of Vitamin B12 have a better response to treatment for depression. The research was conducted at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland, and involved 45 male and 70 female outpatients suffering from depression between the ages of 21 and 69 years.

The researchers measured the participants' serum folate and Vitamin B12 levels, in addition to rating their level of depression, at the study's onset and at six months. Patients were classified as not responding to treatment, partially responding or fully responding.

Researchers found that the participants who fully responded to treatment had the highest serum Vitamin B12 levels at the beginning and end of the study. When smoking, drinking habits, type of treatment, and family history were included in the analysis, the association between Vitamin B12 levels and treatment responsiveness was still significant.

The researchers noted that low Vitamin B12 levels may result in elevated levels of homocysteine, which may lead to exitotoxic reactions that enhance depression. Additionally, Vitamin B12 is necessary for the formation of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in the body, which has an antidepressant action.  Another possible reason for Vitamin B12's role in alleviating depression is its involvement in the synthesis of monoamines such as serotonin and dopamine. Several antidepressant drugs' mechanism of action is to keep monamines from breaking down.

Researchers stated that "As far as we know, there have been no previous studies that have suggested a positive relationship between vitamin B12 and the treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder who have normal or high vitamin B12 levels."  An earlier study found that older depressed individuals responded better to treatment when taking a supplement containing vitamins B1, B2 and B6.

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