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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Will_Hung on April 16, 2002, at 17:25:46
Evening all,
Could somebody please explain to me the situation reguarding alcohol with MAOIs? I'm currently on 600Mg/day of Moclobemide for social phobia and AvPD, but have found its effects to be rather...well...gentle. As the recommended maximum dosage in the UK is a 600mg/day (pathetic, seeing as some countries use up to 1600mg), upping the dosage is not an option. I am probably going to change to a proper MAOI soon.
Problem is, I am a little worried about the potential dietary restrictions. The makers of the drugs say that you should avoid ALL alcohol whilst taking an MAOI. However, a lot of sites seem to be advising people that clear alcohol such as gin, vodka are fine, whilst red wine and tap beer are no-nos. Thing is, I'm off to university in the autumn. I'm not a big drinker currently, but will need to become one if i'm going to have any kind of social life at uni (we're not very inventive here in the UK).
So, whats the deal? Is getting drunk dangerous in itself, or is it only risky if the drinks contain tyramine? Oh, and please DON'T just say '...is fine in moderation' as some people would call 10 pints of lager 'moderate'!
Oh the irony, giving a social phobic a drug that prevents him/her from partaking in the #1 British social activity...Many thanks in advance,
Will
Posted by Elizabeth on April 16, 2002, at 23:05:39
In reply to MAOIs and alcohol. Hmmmmmm..., posted by Will_Hung on April 16, 2002, at 17:25:46
Alcohol isn't a problem in itseelf for people taking MAOIs, although you should only use it in moderation (sorry, I had to say it :-) ). The only alcoholic drinks that have been shown to interact with MAOIs are certain beers. Tap/draft beer should probably be avoided altogether, and a couple of European bottled beers may cause hypertensive reactions as well.
BTW, I wasn't into drinking when I was a university student, and I still got by with a pretty decent social life. :-)
If you're planning on drinking large amounts, you may want to get a portable BP monitor so you can reassure yourself. I really doubt that you'll have a reaction, but it's always nice to be sure.
> So, whats the deal? Is getting drunk dangerous in itself, or is it only risky if the drinks contain tyramine?
The alcohol isn't the problem; the tyramine is. Alcohol may have increased effects in people taking antidepressants, but I think that's mainly with tricyclics, not MAOIs.
-elizabeth
Posted by SLS on April 23, 2002, at 18:47:31
In reply to Re: MAOIs and alcohol » Will_Hung, posted by Elizabeth on April 16, 2002, at 23:05:39
> Alcohol isn't a problem in itseelf for people taking MAOIs, although you should only use it in moderation (sorry, I had to say it :-) ).
Hi.
When I was taking Parnate 60mg (with desipramine 150mg), I found that alcohol was twice as potent. When I went out with the guys after work, I could get a good buzz with one drink. The cool thing was that the buzz would leave me very quickly, which allowed me to drive home sober. I guess the alcohol is eliminated at a normal rate.
I drink only rarely, but I don't think I ever noticed any difference in the way alcohol affects me when I take tricyclics alone. I could be wrong, though.
- Scott
Posted by Elizabeth on April 23, 2002, at 23:20:16
In reply to Re: MAOIs and alcohol, posted by SLS on April 23, 2002, at 18:47:31
> When I was taking Parnate 60mg (with desipramine 150mg), I found that alcohol was twice as potent.
This is a good point; a lot of people experience this kind of thing on antidepressants. Although my impression has been that the TCAs are the worst offenders, other ADs can cause it too.
(Personally, I found that alcohol didn't affect me at all when I was taking Nardil; didn't notice any difference with any other AD.)
-r
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