Posted by Larry Hoover on March 30, 2008, at 13:55:29
In reply to Re: Parnate metabolites, posted by Britney27 on March 28, 2008, at 21:36:55
I am very uncomfortable with tone of this thread. This drug is nearly 50 years old, and was never rigorously tested, like all newer drugs are. Even the tyramine-induced adverse reaction connection was not so much as suggested until 10 years after the drug was made available. The literature is nearly devoid of reliable systematic investigation about this drug. I've spent some time researching it, and this is my best summary.
First off, true addiction to antidepressants is a rare phenomenon, but more than 75% of the literature cases reported are of tranylcypromine addiction. I fear that's what I'm looking at here. It is no mistake that the structure of tranylcypromine is similar to amphetamine. That was an intentional act. However, the stimulant activity should be considered to be distinct from the antidepressant activity, in that tolerance to the former quite quickly develops.
I find no evidence that tranylcypromine metabolizes to amphetamine, and most certainly does not metabolize to methamphetamine. Any autopsy findings which reveal the latter two substances must arise from coingestion. Toxic consequences most certainly might arise from foolhardy intake of bioactive amines while tranylcypromine is messing with your enzymes. Yes, tranylcypromine does more than just mess with MAO. Enzymes plural.
The high doses being discussed in this thread are, IMHO, foolhardy. Chasing the stimulant effect through dose increases inevitably endangers life, as the toxic effect threshold does not similarly increase. You'll just stumble across that intersection, and the only thing that might save you is intensive medical support.
Withdrawal from high dose tranylcypromine can produce haloperidol-resistant hallucinations. High dose tranycylpromine can produce thrombocytopenia (loss of blood clotting), and hyperpyrexia (temperature spike). I wouldn't risk those consequences for anything.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:819514
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20080204/msgs/820689.html