Harvard Researchers Begin Trial Combining SAM-e and Rx Meds for Depression

BOSTON--Researchers from Harvard Medical School announced plans for a trial that will investigate the antidepressive effects of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e) in combination with prescription antidepressants. Some of the prescription medications planned for use in the trial include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft). The eight-week open trial, which will be conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, will involve 30 patients (men and women, aged 18 to 75 years) with major depressive disorders.

Because antidepressant medications often cause severe side effects, many patients are hesitant to begin prescription therapy. "[W]e know that 50 percent of patients will have a less than ideal response or experience intolerable side effects the first time they try a traditional agent, and many lose hope when prescribed one prescriptive treatment after another," said Jonathan Alpert, M.D., Ph.D., the study's principal investigator. "This has really motivated our interests to develop guidelines for better use of existing treatments while pursuing promising leads that may result in novel treatments for depression."

In pursuing new treatments for depression, Alpert and his colleagues are looking to SAM-e for adjuvant support for depressed patients on medication. "Since there are more than 40 clinical trials that suggest SAM-e's effectiveness for depression as a stand alone therapy, we are eager to study its effectiveness and safety as a possible alternative for use in combination with a prescription antidepressant," Alpert said.

Alpert also stressed, however, that combination therapy should only be tried under medical supervision, as more clinical research is needed in this area. In addition, he noted that antidepressants, including SAM-e, may exacerbate symptoms of bipolar disorder (manic-depression).