NatureMade SAM-e Complete Review

I was pleased when Gather chose me to try and review NatureMade's SAM-e Complete supplement. You see, I've suffered from chronic clinical depression for many years, and for the last two years it has been untreated. As you can imagine, life can be pretty grim for me at times with this condition, so I was eager to try this stuff and see whether it helped me at all.

I've been hearing more and more about SAM-e from various sources, so I wondered whether this was just the most recent "super-supplement" that has caught the attention of the press or whether it might really be a valid, helpful treatment for depression.

When I received the package in the mail, the first thing I did was read the directions and product information on the box. As an inveterate direction-reader, I was hoping for an insert that included more complete information, but no such luck. I should have gone online and done additional research, but I'm lazy, so I didn't.

I took one tablet per day, half an hour or more before having breakfast. I like that you don't have to take it with food or after eating. I have a terrible time getting my regular morning meds done, because I have to eat before I take them and I just hatehatehate eating early in the morning. So, that was a definite plus in my book.

The ingredients are a list of more or less unpronounceable chemically-sounding things. That kind of thing always makes me just a little nervous. One ingredient that I did recognize was mannitol, a sugar alcohol often used as a sweetener in "sugar-free" products. That seemed unnecessary to me in a pill that you swallow whole. I learned just this morning that mannitol is also a mild diuretic and is sometimes used as a laxative for children. That would explain the sometimes unfortunate intestinal side effects. I found that the frequency of the diarrhea that I already have a mild problem with increased.

The good news is that after about a week and a half of taking SAM-e Complete, I found that my mood had improved considerably. I'm still not doing cartwheels (not that I ever could do cartwheels!), but I find that I can cope pretty well with everyday life. That's really saying something, especially when you consider that I'm dealing not only with my longstanding and severe depression, but also with breast cancer. I'm sure it's difficult to deal with cancer if you're not already depressed, but believe me, it's horrible when you already suffer from depression. Once upon a time, I was a sickeningly cheerful, optimistic, positively-oriented Pollyanna. That mythical creature is still nowhere to be found, but at least the woman I am now is not just lying around wishing she were dead. Instead, I'm actually getting (a few) things done around here, and I find my ability to deal well not only with those everyday stresses, but with more difficult things like Miss D.'s drama habit and my cancer treatment. That SAM-e actually helped so much was a very pleasant surprise!

I also found that the chronic arthritis pain in my hands has lessened by a minor, but noticeable, degree. As anyone knows who suffers from a chronic illness, especially something that involves pain, every little bit helps.

The only real downside I found to using SAM-e Complete was the cost of continuing to use it. At around $40 for a month's supply, it's beyond my means and I'm sure beyond the means of a great many other people. There are other sources for SAM-e that are less expensive. Puritan's Pride, an online and mail-order company that sells vitamins and supplements, typically offers deals on many of their products. Currently, their web site (http://www.puritan.com) offers two 30-day supplies of the 400 mg. SAM-e supplement for $38.99 or five for $77.98. That's still too rich for my blood, but I plan to look into it further and see if there's a way I can continue to take it. You should note that the brand sold by Puritan's Pride is not the NatureMade brand.

Overall, I give high marks to SAM-e Complete and if I can figure out how to afford it, I'll be continuing to use it.

If you're interested in trying a free sample and reviewing it here on Gather, join Stefanie Plum's chat on Monday, May 4 for your chance to win 250 Gather points and a month's supply of NatureMade SAM-e Complete.