Posted by psychobot5000 on January 10, 2007, at 20:46:12
In reply to MAOIs vs SSRIs, posted by meAgain on January 8, 2007, at 13:52:29
> I have tried almost every SSRI AND SSRNI for the past 9 years and no luck with any of them.What does a MAOI and is it a smart choice to switch to one? I have depression, OCD, and battle eating disorder since I was 12- (Im 26).
___MAOIs are in a class different from most antodepressants. Mostly the idea is to increase levels of certain neurotransmitters, but the standard meds block the 'reuptake' of chemicals back into the nerve cells, after they're released to do signalling, meaning more of it is lying around outside the cells and active. MAOIs are different from others, in that they instead block the enzyme (MAO, or mono-amine-oxydase) that eats the neurotransmitters -inside- your cells. This way, there's a glut of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine waiting inside, and more gets released when the nerve decides to signal.
Also significant is that MAOis act on dopamine, rather than mostly just serotonin and noradrenaline, like most standatd antidepressants. They are somewhat more effective than other antidepressants, but can be dangerous of people take other drugs with them (like SSRIs or cough medicines). Also, you must scrupulously avoid certain foods while taking them--they too can be dangerous. Many doctors are uncomfortable with MAOis, and they have some serious dangers. However, if nothing else works, they can be a good bet.
They can be more effective for eversleeping, overeating depression, as Laima mentioned. I do agree that Parnate would be a good one to try, and also EMSAM, which has the unique advantage of allowing you to avoid dietary restrictions until you get to higher doses. They might be worth talking to your doc about. Have you tried tricyclics? If not, it might be good to try them first.
Best of luck.
poster:psychobot5000
thread:720475
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070107/msgs/721199.html