MAOI

MAOI & Low Tyramine Diet

I’m exhausted. I’m 60 and sick and tired of battling to stay alive to fight another day of this depression.

I’ve been on every anti-depressant, years of ECT in which I was one of the rare ones who had lost all of my memories, so many psychiatric hospital stays, suicide attempts and because nothing is left to try, now on an MAOI, parnate which is only given for treatment resistant depression.

My psychiatrist really wants me to try ketamine but it cost $5,380 here in British Columbia and only helps for a year.

My anxiety, agoraphobia and chronic pain which I’ve learned is neuroplastic are part of my life.

I use the apps Headspace for meditation, Curable for neuroplastic chronic pain and learning to retrain the brain there is nothing structurally wrong with my body, Eat Right Now for my binging and just yesterday was told about Most Days for helping to build routines with mental illness. My doctor, psychiatrist and dietician all wanted me to use these apps as they felt it would help. They are really good but do leave me feeling overwhelmed.

I’m also struggling with survivors guilt that I’m alive while my 5 yr old grandson was killed by a falling tree Aug 18, 2020. That day I was preparing to go into hospital as I was so suicidal. I promised myself I’d get better and healthy in his memory, but that hasn’t happened so now I carry guilt and shame that I couldn’t fight this depression even for my him.

Being on parnate, I have to eat a low tyramine diet which is so restrictive. Not knowing, my binging was out of control eating so much unhealthy food, the result being they were all high tyramine and broke down the enzymes of the parnate making it less effective.

No wonder I was still so depressed. Finally made sense as I’d been on the maximum dose of parnate for a couple weeks and was worsening.

I’m now with a dietician who is helping me eat “safe” foods. She’s really understanding of depression and my lack of energy so for now, my 3 meals are simple and quick to make.

There is so much conflicting information on the internet about low tyramine diets so it’s been very frustrating.

Is anyone here taking an MAOI and on a low tyramine diet? #Parnate #MAOI #lowtyraminediet Treatmentresistantdepression #TRD #ECT

Hello Everyone!

I am in a bit of a pickle and can't seem to find good information on the internet, no matter how hard I try to look. So I thought that this might be the place to help me find answers!

It's prudent to start by noting that I have bipolar 2, PTSD, general, panic, and social anxiety disorders (which are ruining my life). Especially, with the anxiety-causing never ending nausea that accompanies it, and that is the one side effect/or symptom I can't handle very well. (Even when I am just sick.)

(skip to the last paragraph for getting direct questions without background)

This summer has certainly been a whirlwind of one medical problem after another for me. From a seizure in July to just having gastrointestinal surgery at the end of last month. Unfortunately, this meant that my psychiatrist was not comfortable changing medications because he wanted to figure out these conditions first before moving forward. Even before the incidents, we were at a stalemate on how to move forward.

Then the last time I did have an appointment with him, he had asked if I had ever been put on an MAOI medication. I said no, my psychiatrist said they are good medications. It's just sometimes that some people can't tolerate them, the potential side effects, and the change in dietary habits necessary turn people off to them. Especially with SSRIs and such available on the market now. Unfortunately, none of these have helped me, after years of exhausting what feels like every other option.

My question is this: Has anyone ever had experiences with MAOIs before? What was it like? Did they work? What, if any, side effects did you have? (I am still doing research on the different medications that are MAOIs). I am just looking for any real information on how people do with these medications? As well as, any information that is prudent to know about them before going down this route.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Hope this finds you all well and in good spirits!

Sydney

I've tried nozinan as a last ditch effort and it sparked immediate episodes when I woke up. I'm on an #MAOI so my options are limited