MAOIs · independent information · France · Belgium · Switzerland · Canada

Parnate, Nardil & Marplan: a cure-all?

Three older antidepressants — MAOIs, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors — are among the most effective treatments for depression and anxiety disorders that have resisted other treatments. Yet they are surrounded by fears and have become difficult to obtain. This site separates real risks from misconceptions, and explains how to access them in your country.

A French saying holds that “the best soups are made in old pots.” It applies to psychiatry too: placed back in their proper context, these older medicines can sometimes remain the best option — provided that their strengths, real dangers and the ways of obtaining them are properly understood.
01 · How it works
A mechanism of its own

Why MAOIs work differently from all other antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs and tricyclics) — and what that difference changes in practice.

Understand
02 · Misconceptions
Are the fears justified?

Fear of tyramine, the myth of “interactions with everything,” a reputation for danger… what is fact and what is misconception.

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03 · Tyramine diet
The green / amber / red guide

The one real dietary constraint, demystified: a clear, searchable list, plus the warning signs to know.

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04 · Interactions & safety
Medicines: avoid or allowed?

The drug-related counterpart to the tyramine diet: the short list to avoid, over-the-counter pitfalls, safety intervals and everything that remains compatible.

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05 · Access & availability
Where can they be found, and why is it so difficult?

Parnate, Nardil and Marplan: what is (or is not) marketed in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, and the actual steps in each country.

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06 · Talking to your doctor
How can you discuss them with your doctor?

It can be difficult to mention a class of medicines that your doctor may know only superficially. We can help.

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This website provides general information and cannot replace advice from a physician or pharmacist. Do not make any treatment decision without a healthcare professional. MAOIs involve real precautions — dietary and, above all, drug-interaction precautions — which are detailed on the relevant pages.