Elevate mood and reduce the symptoms of depression.Takes several weeks before benefits of medication seen.
Examples: MAOIs, Lithium (antidepressant/
antimanic) used to treat bipolar disorder. Nardil, TCAs, Tofranil
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI):
Examples: Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft
Does not cause the side effects seen in other antidepressants.
Takes several weeks to take effect.
MAOI: patients should avoid eating foods high in tyramines (red wine, liver, pickled herring, sauerkraut, overripe bannas, figs, avocados, chicken livers, aged cheeses, yeast extract and beer)
Note: cream cheese and cottage cheese have no detectable levels of tyramine.
MAOIs: (tricyclic antidepressant)
Tyramine (in the patient on MAOIs) causes hypertensive crisis: Prodromal (early symptoms) of hypertensive crisis: Severe occipital headache
Stiff neck, Sweating, Nausea, Vomiting
Sharply elevated blood pressure.
MAOIs: do not play well with others.
Increases the hypotensive effect of general anesthesia, diuretics and antihypertenive medications. (monitor B/P)
Increases the hypoglycemic effect of insulin and oral hypoglycemics (monitor accu-ck)
Demerol (meperidine) given to patient on MAOI causes hyperpyrexia, restlessness, hypertension, convulsions and coma