Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) were the first type of antidepressant developed. They are effective, safer and cause fewer side effects. The use of MAOIs requires diet restrictions and avoiding certain other medications because MAOIs can cause dangerously high blood pressure when taken with certain foods or medications. In certain cases, these types of antidepressants relieve depression when other treatments have failed. Antidepressants such as MAOIs ease depression by affecting chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) used to communicate between brain cells. MAOIs work by ultimately effecting changes in the brain chemistry that are operational in depression.
An enzyme called monoamine oxidase is involved in removing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine from the brain. MAOIs makes more of these brain chemicals available to effect changes in both cells and circuits that have been impacted by depression. MAOIs also affect other neurotransmitters in the brain and digestive system, causing side effects. MAOIs are sometimes used to treat conditions other than depression, such as Parkinson’s disease.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved these MAOIs to treat depression include Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, Selegiline, and Tranylcypromine. Selegiline is available as a skin patch but may cause fewer side effects than MAOIs taken by mouth. The most common side effects of MAOIs include Dry mouth, Nausea, diarrhea or constipation, Headache, Drowsiness, Insomnia, Dizziness or lightheadedness, and Skin reaction at the patch site. Other possible side effects include Involuntary muscle jerks, Low blood pressure, Reduced sexual desire or difficulty reaching orgasm, Weight gain, Difficulty starting a urine flow, Muscle cramps, and Prickling.
Most antidepressants are generally safe, but the FDA requires that all antidepressants carry black box warnings, the strictest warnings for prescriptions. Children, teenagers and young adults under 25 may have an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants. MAOIs are generally not prescribed for children, but anyone taking an antidepressant should be watched closely for worsening depression or unusual behavior. MLA