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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 Petrucci914 on March 9, 2010, at 19:44:35
Hello everyone,
I'm starting to slowly realize that my last option towards normalcy would be the oral MAOIs. I agree that, on paper, the food restrictions aren't that bad but also realize this widely depends on the lifestyle one is used to. The problem with me is that I'm a beer conoisseur - I drink and rate very rare and different beers. Most of these are high in alcohol, unfermented, aged, yeasty......etc. It has been an important part of my social lifestyle.....of which is already waning.
...getting to the point. Am I correct in stating that I would have to give all of this up? Is there any way around it? I know you have to look at quality of life as being of foremost importance, but then if you have to give up an important part of your lifestyle, what more are you gaining?
I'll shut up now.
Posted by willey on March 9, 2010, at 22:46:01
In reply to Facing an MAOI lifestyle...., posted by Petrucci914 on March 9, 2010, at 19:44:35
Well someone corrected me recently,appearently you can drink certain drinks,vodka one,now its not many and not in excess.
You might wanna do a simple google on,what acholol is allowed with parnate.
But no,if you are a various drinker,meaning enjoy trying different drinks,then my 5 year view of parnate is to tell you dont do it.
You ask what are you giving up,well if you are at the option of parnate i carefully assume youve been through the ringer,so if someone asked me if i were willing to give up some lifes enjoyment,for getting better,id answer before they could finish asking.
You loose one thing you enjoy,and to and extent,but you gain new things,new aspects of like to take part in,a whole new door to various things,you loose that horrid feeling of depression,and youre only giving up,as much as i know u enjoy it,a toxic habbit for it.
Things you can take ease in are,you can find the liqour i mentioned,you can take ease in knowing most stated no no`s on food seem to be more individual,so u might not have a problem there,and you look forward to augmentation of gaba meds to give u the pro social feeling liqour gave.
But if you will drink various forms of liqour,i recomend u dont test the drug,i posted my experiance of interaction,and you actualy feel a brain hemorage close to happening,it is horrid.
Personaly i think you should feel more confident in taking it,you sound very iffy which makes me believe,and just in general as i dont know u and can be totaly wrong,but makes me believe that you might still walk the thin line once starting parnate.If your depression is a 8 or above on a 1-10,recomdation that the benifit will be worth it.
BE careful,good luck!
Posted by evenintherain on March 10, 2010, at 0:22:09
In reply to Re: Facing an MAOI lifestyle...., posted by willey on March 9, 2010, at 22:46:01
i agree, it's a difficult decision.
you may be able to enjoy your hobby to a lesser extent if you stick to bottled beers (draft is a definite no-no) and you get lucky as to how your body metabolizes the thyramine. however, one babbler on here did have a reaction to a microbrew beer, and i believe it was bottled. so you would definitely have to tread carefully. (and keep an antidote on you like nifedipine).
on the plus side, if it really did help with your depression you would be able to find and appreciate many more things than you otherwise would...and fulfilling new hobbies are possible.
good luck with whatever you choose.
Posted by bleauberry on March 10, 2010, at 16:31:46
In reply to Facing an MAOI lifestyle...., posted by Petrucci914 on March 9, 2010, at 19:44:35
Treating any disease, whether it is depression or anything else, by definition means life will be different going forward than it was in the past.
To get well realistically requires a comprehensive approach with pills being only a part of that. Anyone who believes that simply taking a pill and changing nothing else in their life will bring about longlasting healthy remission I believe is bordering on delusional.
Once in a while someone gets unusual luck and the pills do it all. For a while anyway. I can't recall anyone saying they were still doing well on a med 10 years later or 20 years later except with either parnate or nardil. Those meds seem to have the potential for very longlasting results.
But for the less lucky majority, the ones that enjoy true longlasting healing are the ones that make major lifestyle changes, primarily in the choices of what they put in their mouths.
It's a trade off. You have to decide what you want more. Depression and beer, or no depression and no beer? You wouldn't be the first person ever to have to give up something they have passion for in order to live well and be happy.
But you would first have to find out if the MAOIs work real good for you. Stop beer while finding out. That doesn't mean forever. Just for a couple months. Then once you know, it will be easier to make a decision that sticks, one way or the other.
Posted by stargazer2 on March 13, 2010, at 0:01:12
In reply to Facing an MAOI lifestyle...., posted by Petrucci914 on March 9, 2010, at 19:44:35
Depends how severe your depression is. If it is severe like mine was, there was no normalcy left to life and there was no enjoyments of wine, beer, food so there really wasn't a trade-off for me. That you still enjoy your beer may show your depression might not be as severe as those that are willing to give up foods and drinks for a stab of getting a life back.
There will be a trade-off but in my opinion you will know it if you try the med and it works. YOu will gladly give up beer for a life returned, if it is a life not worth living anymore.
I miss some stuff but adapt and drink or eat plenty of things I do like. I don't have to eat everything but within very strict parameters, which luckily I can adhere to. An occasional lapse will teach you not to eat/drink something again, either from a visit to the ER or a severe headache that will blow your head off. The truth, no mincing words.
This is the end of the thread.
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