Before I was diagonosed with bipolar disorder I was told I had "atypical depression" (It was atypical because it was freaking bipolar disorder !). Anti depressants didn't work so finally my therapist, in desperation, put me on MAOI, can't remember which one.

I've had bipolar disorder since I was a kid and I started taking the MAOI when I was about 18 and stopped taking them when I was around 20 or 21 (sorry I can't remember exactly). I kept "cheating" on the dietary restrictions had a bad health scare.

That said, that time period was probably the stablest I had been. I wasn't 100% stable because looking back I still had some issues with hypomania but it helped the depression and I don't think it made me anymore hypomanic. I had the label "atypical depression" (and looking back on it a crappy T) and I was just "high spirited" or possible had ADD.

HOWEVER, they are not kidding about the dietary restrictions. I almost had to be hospitalized over a reaction from eating a couple of slices of pepperoni pizza and having a diet coke.

Besides the dietary restrictions there is a very long list of medications that you can't take either - like cold medications and allergy meds and other stuff.