![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by quiet_one on October 21, 2005, at 8:38:39
I have some nardil but I can't decide whether or not I should take it. I am mostly worried about possible food interactions, like for some things its pretty hard to tell if it would contain tyramine or not. For example, processed foods you buy in packets at the shops eg. noodles, pasta's etc. A lot of these things contain certain yeast, soy, and sometimes powdered cheese. How are you sposed to know if it contains a lot of tyramine? Are packaged processed foods usually safe?
Another thing is at restaurants and fast food outlets. How can you be sure that there isn't tyramine in certain foods? What if i'm out and accidently eat something containing tyramine and get a hypertensive crisis when i'm not at home?
It just all sounds too risky so i'm not sure if I should take it or not. I heard you can't even take panadeine because it contains codeine which interacts?
What if you were ever in an accident and required surgery? Would this mean you couldn't be operated on due to the narcotics involved with anesthetic?
Posted by med_empowered on October 21, 2005, at 9:32:14
In reply to Too scared to take nardil, posted by quiet_one on October 21, 2005, at 8:38:39
Whether or not you take Nardil or any other MAOI is entirely up to you. If you're in the US and can wait a little while, there's supposed to be an MAOI patch coming out soon..it won't cause nearly as many problems as they pill-based formulations. From what I understand, some docs give their patients some sort of "crisis" medication that can keep a hypertensive episode under control until you can get medical assistance. I've read some places that its a good idea to wear a med alert bracelet (kind of like they give to diabetics) stating that you're on an MAOI; that way, if you do end up in an emergency situation, those taking care of you will know what's up. But..I kind of think MAOIs are too much trouble; if you're outside the US, or your doc uses meds from overseas, you could try moclobemide (I think the brand name is Aurorix, but I don't know for sure). Its a reversible MAOI, so you'll get the benefits of an MAOI, only w/o so many problems. Dosing is tricky, though; some studies showed it didn't do much b/c they only used 400mgs/day or so...apparently, you're best served getting 900-1200mgs/day, sometimes more. Even though its safer than the old MAOIs, you'll still require more extensive monitoring than if you were taking, say, Prozac. Good luck!
Posted by Phillipa on October 21, 2005, at 18:44:31
In reply to Re: Too scared to take nardil, posted by med_empowered on October 21, 2005, at 9:32:14
Boy these MAOI's sure create a lot of problems. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by jerrympls on October 22, 2005, at 10:17:34
In reply to Too scared to take nardil, posted by quiet_one on October 21, 2005, at 8:38:39
> I have some nardil but I can't decide whether or not I should take it. I am mostly worried about possible food interactions, like for some things its pretty hard to tell if it would contain tyramine or not. For example, processed foods you buy in packets at the shops eg. noodles, pasta's etc. A lot of these things contain certain yeast, soy, and sometimes powdered cheese. How are you sposed to know if it contains a lot of tyramine? Are packaged processed foods usually safe?
>
> Another thing is at restaurants and fast food outlets. How can you be sure that there isn't tyramine in certain foods? What if i'm out and accidently eat something containing tyramine and get a hypertensive crisis when i'm not at home?
>
> It just all sounds too risky so i'm not sure if I should take it or not. I heard you can't even take panadeine because it contains codeine which interacts?
>
> What if you were ever in an accident and required surgery? Would this mean you couldn't be operated on due to the narcotics involved with anesthetic?
HI I was on Nardil and it's not as scary as you may think. The only meds you have to watchout for are OTC cold meds liek Sudafed. As far as opiates, DEMEROL + Nardil = very bad/death. However, ER docs know this (or should). You should wear an ID bracelet indicating that you are on an MAOI and cannot have DEMEROL. All other opiates are fine. I even had surgury while on Nardil. I didn't have to stop it or decrease my dosage. After th surgery they gave me the opiate Dilauded and as an outpatient I was on Vicodin for a while - all while on Nardil.Another OTC med to stay away from is dextromethorphan - which is a cough suppressant. Combine it with Nardil and you can easily get full blown serotonin syndrome.
So yes, there are some cautions, - but they aren't as bad as you'd think. And the food preccautions are really overrated. I ate pizza all the time while on Nardil. IN fact I never had any food reaction.
Hope this helps
Posted by Phillipa on October 22, 2005, at 17:50:14
In reply to Re: Too scared to take nardil » quiet_one, posted by jerrympls on October 22, 2005, at 10:17:34
Hi Jerry, just wanted to let you know they've been worried about you on social. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by CK1 on October 22, 2005, at 18:34:22
In reply to Too scared to take nardil, posted by quiet_one on October 21, 2005, at 8:38:39
Quiet One,
Get the food list and read it through once or twice. The food restrictions are sooo easy to follow. Packaged foods are normally safe. The only things I watch for is aged chesse (swiss and cheddar), tap beer, and red wine. It's very unlikely you'll have a hypertensive crisis and, if you do, it's extremely unlikely you'll die from it. I've heard they just hurt like hell!
I think you're overanalyzing everything! You must be taking Nardil for your anxiety? hehe JK
CK
Posted by jerrympls on October 23, 2005, at 14:39:48
In reply to Re: Too scared to take nardil » jerrympls, posted by Phillipa on October 22, 2005, at 17:50:14
> Hi Jerry, just wanted to let you know they've been worried about you on social. Fondly, Phillipa
Thanks.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.