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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by becksA on December 7, 2005, at 18:43:25
Anybody heard of this drug? I've heard it's only available in Canada...but I'm close to the border and we're looking into it.
Thanks
Posted by jclint on December 7, 2005, at 19:03:47
In reply to Moclobemide?, posted by becksA on December 7, 2005, at 18:43:25
Yes its available in Europe too. I have found it to be very weak. In my opinion, I would advise against it as I have not heard of any real successes on it. I've heard its somewhat better at higher doses (900mg+) but that is above the approved dosage. But yes, no side effects but no theraputic effects either.
What's your diagnosis?
Posted by becksA on December 7, 2005, at 19:28:55
In reply to Re: Moclobemide? » becksA, posted by jclint on December 7, 2005, at 19:03:47
social anxiety, cyclothemia
Posted by Tomatheus on December 7, 2005, at 21:06:45
In reply to Moclobemide?, posted by becksA on December 7, 2005, at 18:43:25
becksA,
I went through a full trial of moclobemide earlier this year (all the way up to 900mg/day), and I noticed very little antidepressant effect from it whatsoever. I did notice a slight improvement in mood for the first three to four days after I started taking it, but I basically felt just as depressed as I normally do for the rest of my moclobemide trial (I suffer from dysthymia and went through cycles of mild hypomania and severe depression while on Paxil and Prozac, but otherwise have not experienced any hypomanic symptoms -- not even from AD monotherapy on Wellbutrin, moclobemide, Parnate, and Nardil). Because moclobemide is not available in the United States, I ended up ordering it from an online pharmacy in Europe. It's actually available in more than 50 countries, including Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and most (if not all) of Europe; and it is the only reversible inhibitor of MAO-A (RIMA) available anywhere in the world.
Here's some more information on moclobemide from previous posts of mine:
From http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051119/msgs/581482.html:
"... moclobemide ... tend[s] to get 'bad reviews' from patients (moclobemide success stories on this board seem to be few and far between; it did absolutely nothing for me aside from mildly elevating my mood for the first three days of treatment), [but] most comparative research studies show it to be modestly effective. A meta-analysis (Lotufo-Neto et al., 1999) showed moclobemide to be 'at least as effective' as the SSRIs, about equally as effective as the TCAs, and somewhat less effective than the irreversible MAOIs (Nardil and Parnate)."From http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051112/msgs/580289.html:
"Based on the research studies I've read on moclobemide, there ... seems to be a consensus that moclobemide's inhibition of MAO-A is inconsistent over time because of the drug's short-acting nature. So, even if 300mg of moclobemide is capable of inhibiting MAO-A by 80 percent in a given individual (but not necessarily other individuals because MAO-A levels naturally vary) after 30 minutes, the level of MAO-inhibition would likely drop over a 12-hour period. As one meta-analysis of moclobemide and brofaromine (Lotufo-Neto et al., 1999) put it, it has been found that 92 percent of moclobemide is excreted from humans within 12 hours of ingestion. It is for this reason and because of moclobemide's reversibility that I think moclobemide tends to be less effective than irreversible MAOIs, such as Nardil and Parnate.Another selection from http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051119/msgs/581482.html:
"Even though moclobemide seems to be less effective in practice than the comparative research studies suggest, I still think it's worth trying, especially after first and second-line antidepressant treatment has failed. In my opinion, it's a shame that such a unique medication is not available in the United States ... Moclobemide is one of the safest and best-tolerated psychiatric medications around, and it doesn't carry those pesky dietary restrictions that Nardil and Parnate carry."Well, that's all the relevant moclobemide information that I can think of for now. I hope you find it helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
Tomatheus
==
REFERENCE
Lotufo-Neto, F., Trivedi, M., & Thase, M. E. (1999). Meta-analysis of the reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase type A moclobemide and brofaromine for the treatment of depression. Neuropsychopharmacology, 20, 226-47.
Posted by jclint on December 8, 2005, at 14:03:03
In reply to Re: Moclobemide?, posted by becksA on December 7, 2005, at 19:28:55
I took it for depression / social anxiety. I didn't find any decrease in either of them. There are some interesting studies about Moclobemide in SA, there was one from South Africa I believe which found it almost as good as Nardil for SA, wheras most other studies put it below SSRIs for efficacy. Its very odd.
This is the end of the thread.
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