| Lycaeum > Leda > Documents > MAOIs -- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors |
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The New |
Miscellaneous Snippets of Info MAOIs are antidepressants which are effictatious in the treatment of atypical depression (vegitative symptoms, anxiety, initial insomnia, etc), panic disorder, anxiety and (recently discovered) borderline personality disorder. MAO metabolizes serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. By inhibiting this, MAOIs increase levels of those neurotransmitters. Phenelzine (Nardil) and tranycypromine (Parnate) are the two popular MAOIs. moclobemide (Aurorex -- called something else in canada) is a recently introduced MAOI which is slightly different and apparently not as effictatious, although it eliminates the hazards associated with the earlier MAOIs. Tyramine is an amino acid which is normally metabolized by MAO in the gut. After taking tranylcypromine or phenelzine (but not, apparently, moclobemide) this MAO is inhibited and any dietary Tyramine will not be metabolized and will cause an increase in tyramine levels in blood. This is bad due to tyramine's effect on norepinephrine and leads to a hypertensive crisis. Blood pressure goes up to 180+ over something, heartbeat goes to well over 100 bpm, and people who suffer one of these typically report getting the most painful headache of their lives. Sometimes a Ca-blocker like nifedipine is prescribed for the user of the MAOI to take to combat this effect should it occur. Tyramine is in cheese, wines, and anything aged or fermented. Also, symptathomimetic drugs (MDMA, amphetamines, OTC cold meds like ephedrine, dextromethorphan, etc) can cause a hypertensive crisis. MDMDA, LSD, EtOH, chocolate, yohimbine, etc, etc, etc are *not* MAOIs. At least they are not MAOIs in any way which would be useful to discuss in this context without giving a thesis that i really don't feel like writing tonight... For the purposes of 99.9% of the people reading this message, and based on the description i've givin above of MAOIs, they are not MAOIs. These are the chemicals to avoid when you are on a MAOI. People have a tendency to confuse these two categories.
Just a note to add to the very clear explanation from Lamont Granquist. Some drugs such as the South American tribespeople's Ayahuasca or Yage contain a mixture of two plants, one containing DMT and the other the inhibitor which prevents the DMT from being metabolised. So, for the reasons given by Lamont, it could be dangerous to mix Ayahuasca with MDMA. And I have heard that seesions involving just that mixture have been on offer in California.
This is something I got from a nutritionist at the local student health center, which answers some of the questions one might have about MAO -inhibitors. Since I don't know the book this comes from, it's of course being presented without the author's permission. Sorry :-) --Chris (kupec@husc.harvard.edu) Low-Tyramine Diet Purpose: To prevent the onset of adverse reactions such as severe headaches, tachycardia, and hypertensive attacks by persons receiving monoamine oxidase (MAO) therapy and consuming foods high in tyramine content. Use: This diet is used to assist counseling of persons receiving monoamine oxidase (MAO)inhibitors for treatment of anxiety and depression. Foods containing small amounts of tyramine (<6 mg) can cause a mild crisis, while consumption of foods high in tyramine (10-25 mg) can produce severe headaches with intracranial hemorrhage and acute hypertensive attacks. The foods listed with moderate to low tyramine content should be used with caution in limited amounts that do not exceed 5 mg. Related Physiology: Tyramine is an amino acid that is formed by the decarboxylation of tyrosine, which occurs during the process of fermentation, aging, spoiling, or pickling of food. Under normal circumstances, the enzyme MAO (monoamine oxidase) inactivates tyramine,preventing the release of excess norepinephrine. In the presence of MAO inhibitors, tyramine is activated, causing norepinephrine to be released from nerve endings. Hypertensive reactions and other side effects may occur due to excess release of norepinephrine.
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