Posted by Elizabeth on July 19, 1999, at 23:42:19
In reply to Marplan Dosaage, posted by MA on July 19, 1999, at 17:24:43
I think that the idea of a loading dose followed by a lower maintenance dose has been discredited. It used to be recommended that you decrease Nardil down to *15* mg (one pill) after it had started working, but then they found that keeping the higher dose prevented relapses better.
The more recent information suggests that doses of Marplan need to be higher than was previously thought. This might be why it was perceived by some as a weak antidepressant.
Seriously, I would go with the info that's on the web site, and not with a package insert that's based on studies from who knows how long ago.
About differences among the MAOIs: Nardil and Marplan are both derived from hydrazine, while Parnate is not. Parnate is similar to amphetamine. Nardil and Marplan, but not Parnate, decrease the metabolism of GABA as a result of their hydrazide groups (this can cause vitamin B6 depletion, though very rarely - you might ask your doctor about supplements).
Another hydrazide drug is isoniazid, which is a mainstay of TB treatment. I don't think it's psychoactive, though. (The first MAOI, Marsilid, was also a TB drug.)
poster:Elizabeth
thread:8673
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990628/msgs/8949.html