Posted by SLS on March 25, 2006, at 8:33:58
In reply to Re: Never thought I'd hear this..... » SLS, posted by corafree on March 24, 2006, at 22:55:17
> Scott:
>
> What are some of the drugs in the MAOI class?
>
> Tks,cf• Parnate (tranylcypromine)
• Nardil (phenelzine)
• Marplan (isocarboxazid)
• EmSam/Eldepryl (selegiline)All of these drugs work in basically the same way. They increase the amount kept in storage of the three major monoamine neurotransmitters: dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5-HT). These drugs accomplish this by inhibiting the enzyme, monoamine oxidase (MAO), that is used by the body to break down the three neurotransmitters. In other words, an MAOI destroys the factories that are responsible for disassembling excess neurotransmitter molecules. Without the enzyme, the levels of neurotranmitter inside the presynaptic neuron rise. It is thought that increasing the amount of one or more of the three neurotransmitters is responsible for the therapeutic antidepressant effect of the MAOIs.
The catch is, the MAO enzyme is responsible for breaking down other substances in the body. One of them is tyramine. Tyramine is found in some types of food and is derived from protein. If the body fails to disassemble this substance, it builds up and can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Therefore, one must adhere to a special diet and avoid the foods that contain tyramine. I never found the diet very restricting, though.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:620137
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060322/msgs/624437.html