[Phoebe2]

Parnate - hello I would like to know if anyone has tried Parnate. I have treatment resistant bipolar and have been feeling really awful for about a month. In Feb doc added Seroquel, to Lamictin and lithium after he took me off antidepressants. I wake up every morning with the worst negative thoughts. I am 47 and am in the worst state I've ever been. I have also been in menopause for 2 years. I was on Venlor and Prothiadin before the seroquel. I am actually scared of Parnate's hypertensive crisis.

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[healingme4me]

I don't have personal experience with it. I did see the DO NOT EAT list, from cheese to various meats, I mean No Ricotta ??? Foods with a high tyramine content pose a serious health risk.
Also, no allergy meds.

Hoping by bumping this up, might be seen by someone who has personal experience...

I tried it quite a few years ago when I was in my treatment-resistant depression phase. I only took it for about two months. I didn't have any problems with blood pressure, but I had other extremely unpleasant side effects. It did seem to help my mood, but more in the first month of taking it than in the second (yes, I know that's strange.)

If you're desperate for something different to try, I'd say go for it. When I tried it, I was in the process of developing autoimmune arthritis and lots of my Parnate side effects were tendon and soft-tissue related, so you might tolerate it fine. If you do try it, keep an eye out for GI side effects and headaches. I lost weight taking it, too.

[PinkFlamingo99]

I started it about 2.5 months ago, finally up to 60 mg and noticing it's helping with my mood finally, and NOTHING has helped with that. I am also on Seroquel (and have been for a long time). The low tyramine diet isn't as strict as they used to believe it had to be. The main ones are aged cheese and meats.

The main side effect for me, especially as we have been titrating up weekly, has been dizziness when I stand up, especially if I have been sitting for a long time. Also, at night if I get out of bed after taking my Seroquel I feel like I am going to pass out.

When I first started it, I felt pretty "high" (it felt like prescription crack for maybe 2 weeks) then that went away, and now I finally feel like maybe the real effects are kicking in. The surprising one for me has been that it has actually just started helping to lower my obsessive ruminating. I had given up hope anything would ever help with that.

I love it right now, and it gives me energy too. My pdoc has been monitoring my blood pressure, and it's okay. But the dizziness side effect and headache were pretty bad while increasing the dose, but I personally was desperate enough to tolerate them. I didn't think I would survive unless something helped, and I had tried a lot of meds.

You also have to be patient because it has to be increased fairly slowly and I believe the min therapeutic dose is 30mg. We increased by 10 each week.

[Donarrival]

I don't know if this post is completely dead or just resting. As someone who has taken Parnate for some years and found it beneficial, I thought I would reply.
Like any MAOI, you and your doctor need to be cautious with your diet and other medications. But it's not as bad as people make it sound. Everyone is a little different as to what they need to avoid. Often it is a matter of reducing quantities rather than eliminating. You need to be smart about it.
Also, you should know that the FDA guidelines on Parnate dosages is very conservative. There is strong evidence supporting increased efficacy at higher doses. I currently take 140mg Parnate in addition to other medications to potentiate the efficacy. It has worked better than any of the other dozens of medications I've trialed over the past 20+ years I've struggled with depression.
MAOIs can be extremely effective but many doctors hesitate to prescribe them because of perceived risks. An experienced and knowledgeable psychiatrist can work with you to try to find something that works for you.

I was able to work part time on it, which the diet associated. But I started blacking out at work on it.

I also had a gagging problem at night on it, like something was caught in my throat. I was on it a few months and this didnt let up.