RAPIDITY OF ONSET OF THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECT OF PARENTERAL S-ADENOSYL-L-METHIONINE

A possible method of reducing the delay in antidepressant response is to use S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), a naturally occurring compound that appears to have a rapid onset of effect in the treatment of depre ssion. In this open, multicenter study, 195 patients were given 400 mg of SAMe, administered parenterally, for 15 days. Depressive symptoms remitted after both 7 and 15 days of treatment with SAMe, and no serio us adverse events were reported. Further studies with a double-blind d esign are needed to confirm this preliminary indication that SAMe is a relatively safe and fast-acting antidepressant.