Posted by Frankie on March 28, 2002, at 3:06:38
In reply to If both SSRI + MAOI were taken what would happen?, posted by Janelle on March 28, 2002, at 2:56:19
> Now that I've figured out from a thread on here what an MAOI inhibitor is, let me see if I get this straight - well, first, I'm always reading and hearing that people on SSRI's should NOT take MAOI's and vice versa, and if you're gonna switch from one to the other, you should wait at least 2 weeks for whichever one you're on to clear out of your system.
>
> Okay, now it seems to me that the reason you must NOT take an SSRI and MAOI together is that since they both act to keep Serotonin in the synapse longer than usual (SSRI with inhibiting the reuptake pump, MAOI with inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down serotonin), you could wind up with TOO MUCH serotonin and have some kind of terrible reaction, like mega-serotonin syndrome????
>
> Please let me know if I'm getting this right, and if not, please correct me! Thanks.
Janelle,You are partially right. The part you did not get is the blood pressure problems that will likely result. This could cause bleeding inside the skull! I don't want to take any chances and have this happen! But, in retrospect, the MAO-I's do inhibit the enzyme that breaks down all three neurotransmitters, in the order of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine. They are much more activating than the SSRI's, and most comparable in effectiveness to tricyclics. Most say that the MAO-I's are the best! I know that they are the best antidepressants for anxious depressants. But, they are dangerous with certain foods, as you know, and there are many serious, potentially fatal, drug interactions. This includes any other med that acts on any neurotransmitter system! This may be overblown, to an extent, but like I said, I would rather not take my chances. I am not a very lucky guy!
Frankie.
poster:Frankie
thread:100678
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100683.html