Posted by linkadge on March 2, 2010, at 16:22:35
In reply to Re: Quitting Smoking on MAOIs (Help Interpret Study) » JayBTV2, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2010, at 11:14:33
This study doesn't really specify whether MAOI's will improve or hinder smoking cessation efforts.
It basically says that an MAOI makes the effects of nicotine more pleasurable and that this effect can be blocked with an norepinephrine receptor antagonist.
This says to me that the effects of nicotine are not identical to those of smoking (as smoking contains MAOI compounds) which will enhance the pleasure of smoking. So nicotine + maoi is more pleasurable than nicotine alone.
This study might suggest that an MAOI administered with nicotine replacement might be more similar to smoking than nicotine alone - so this could enhance smoking cessation attempts.
On the other hand, the strategy might backfire. If the patient does happen to smoke while taking the MAOI they may find the cigarette more pleasurable and hence want to smoke more.
Substituting one drug for another can be tricky. Like substituing benzo's for alcohol. Somtiems its works well, sometimes the patient abuses both.
I think what it does say though, is that if the patient does infact fully refrain from smoking, the MAOI and nicotine will help replace the effect of smoking more completely than nicotine alone.
Linkadge
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100216/msgs/938370.html