Tyramine Reaction (Parnate)
Question:
I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of a reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) he said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to take the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he was wrong. My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my life. I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. After about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it was more tolerable. The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own my own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. I guess my question is twofold: 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) Anyone out there had a MAOI diet attack? Thanks, Jessica
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does > one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of a > reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) he > said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to take > the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he > was wrong. > My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d > eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. > Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. > The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my life. > I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. After > about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe > headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it was > more tolerable. > The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own my > own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. > I guess my question is twofold: > 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction > 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I > know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) > Anyone out there had a MAOI diet attack? > Thanks, > Jessica
Hi Jessica: MAOIs are the only ADs I’m able to take. And, yes, I’ve done the MAOI mess up diet and have an interaction. It was just like you described. MASSIVE HEADACHE. Awful. I’m looking at the seafood soup you ate. Did you make it yourself or order it in a diner? Don’t trust soup unless you make it. Don’t eat canned or packaged soups. Bad stuff for MAOI users. Bouillon is bad. Oxo cubes – you know the stuff soup is made of. I make my soups from scratch. Just beef bones, LOTS. Then I do add some salt later to taste. Also watch how old that chicken was you ate. The MAOI diet plans say not to eat leftovers. Take care, Carrie 
Response:
Well, I figured it out. I ate smoked, canned, clams. Dumb, dumb, dumb. They were in the soup and I just didn’t even think about it. There must have been three or four of them. Boy – now I’m really paranoid about what I eat that may have tyramine. Before I wasn’t overly careful as far as letting myself eat a little bit of parmesan, or tasting a tiny bit of other foods, but now I don’t think I’ll even do that. Does your sensitivity change with each reaction? For example, I’ve been able to eat pizza (good quality with good cheese) with no problem at all, but now that I’ve reacted once will I be more sensitive to it? -Jessica
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does > one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of a > reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) he > said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to take > the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he > was wrong. > My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d > eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. > Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. > The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my life. > I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. After > about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe > headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it was > more tolerable. > The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own my > own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. > I guess my question is twofold: > 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction > 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I > know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) > Anyone out there had a MAOI diet attack? > Thanks, > Jessica
Response:
> Well, I figured it out. I ate smoked, canned, clams. Dumb, dumb, dumb. > They were in the soup and I just didn’t even think about it. There must > have been three or four of them. Boy – now I’m really paranoid about what I > eat that may have tyramine. Before I wasn’t overly careful as far as > letting myself eat a little bit of parmesan, or tasting a tiny bit of other > foods, but now I don’t think I’ll even do that.
Depending on the soup it could also have been something in the broth. Many commercially available soups — canned, powdered, bouillion cubes, whatever — contain yeast extracts in the broth that could be the culprit or a contributor in a reaction like this. You do need to be careful with MAOIs, but I found I was able to do it quite easily once I understand the principles of the thing. Being vegetarian may have helped with that though. > Does your sensitivity change with each reaction? For example, I’ve been > able to eat pizza (good quality with good cheese) with no problem at all, > but now that I’ve reacted once will I be more sensitive to it?
I have never heard about the sensitivity changing after a reaction, but it is certainly possible. On the other hand, you should not have any trouble with pizza because pizza is generally made with mozzarella cheese and that is perfectly fine with MAOIs. You only need to be wary of *aged* cheese, mozzarella is a fresh cheese so it is fine. And yes, I’ve tested this one on myself. — If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste the adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. – Anne Bradstreet, Meditations Divine and Moral, 1664
Response:
<snip> > I guess my question is twofold: > 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction > 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I > know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?)
I took Parnate for over a year, and did have one event where I spent some time in the emergency room. It turned out to not be too serious, but safe is probably better. At any rate, it might be a good idea for you to invest in a cheap blood pressure cuff so you can check it at home if you need to. I didn’t, but only because I only have to walk a couple of blocks to a pharmacy where they’ll do it for free. It sounds like you did have a mild reaction, much like the one I had. You really do need to be careful about these things, because it can have rather nasty effects. As for taking the chlorpromazine if you don’t need it, I don’t know what would happen but there are several good sites where you can get a full list of the effects and side effects of medications. For example, www.rxlist.com and www.mentalhelp.com Fiona — If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste the adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. – Anne Bradstreet, Meditations Divine and Moral, 1664
Response:
Yep, that sounds like a tyramine headache. See if your doctor will rx you an "emergency" drug… mine rx’ed nifedipine (calcium channel blocker?) to be taken in the event of a tyramine reaction. She also said, in no uncertain terms, to GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM regardless of relief from the nifedipine. Even mini-strokes can damage one seriously. Watch out for processed foods… they may have yeast or yeast products that may cause the tyramine reaction. Jim M.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does > one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of a > reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) he > said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to take > the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he > was wrong. > My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d > eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. > Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. > The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my life. > I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. After > about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe > headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it was > more tolerable. > The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own my > own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. > I guess my question is twofold: > 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction > 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I > know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) > Anyone out there had a MAOI diet attack? > Thanks, > Jessica
Response:
LOL Carrie
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Parnate is evil >Well, I figured it out. I ate smoked, canned, clams. Dumb, dumb, dumb. >They were in the soup and I just didn’t even think about it. There must >have been three or four of them. Boy – now I’m really paranoid about what I >eat that may have tyramine. Before I wasn’t overly careful as far as >letting myself eat a little bit of parmesan, or tasting a tiny bit of other >foods, but now I don’t think I’ll even do that. >Does your sensitivity change with each reaction? For example, I’ve been >able to eat pizza (good quality with good cheese) with no problem at all, >but now that I’ve reacted once will I be more sensitive to it? >-Jessica >> I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does >> one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of >a >> reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) >he >> said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to >take >> the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he >> was wrong. >> My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d >> eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. >> Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. >> The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my >life. >> I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. >After >> about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe >> headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it >was >> more tolerable. >> The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own >my >> own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. >> I guess my question is twofold: >> 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction >> 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I >> know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) >> Thanks, >> Jessica
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I take Parnate and I think I had a tyramine reaction yesterday. How does > one know? My doctor gave me Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to take in case of a > reaction, but when I called the doctor on call (my doctor is out of town) he >said it didn’t sound like a reaction to the Parnate and told me not to take > the Chlorpromazine. Today, now that I’m feeling a bit better, I think he > was wrong. > My symptoms: I ate lunch (but originally couldn’t think of anything I’d > eaten that was on the no-no list) – seafood soup and a chicken sandwich. > Less than an hour later my head started an immense throbbing on one side. > The pain was unbelievable – I’ve never had a headache like that in my life. > I felt nauseaus, but didn’t throw up. It hurt more when I lay down. After > about 45 minutes it slowly started subsiding. I still had a severe > headache, but not as pointed. I woke with a headache too, but again it was > more tolerable. >The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure, but of course I don’t own >my own cuff and wasn’t about to drive anywhere. > I guess my question is twofold: > 1) how do I know if I’m having a tyramine hypertensive reaction > 2) what happens if I take the chlorpromazine and don’t really need it (I > know my blood pressure will drop, but if I’m lying down, is that bad?) > Thanks, > Jessica
yup, tyramine reaction, classic symptoms. If you don’t have your own cuff, and can’t get to one (like going to your doctor’s office if open, borrowing neighbor’s, etc.), then immediately go to one of those first aid places (they aren’t attached to ER’s but are for people who can’t wait two weeks for a doctor’s appt. but aren’t serious enough for an ER – and by serious enough I people with sprained ankles and poison ivy and things like that) or to the ER. Tyramine Reactions can also lead to stroke, and the symptoms you had are also those of a stroke (you need not vomit to have a stroke). They can take your blood pressure, watch you and if necessary, treat you. Cathy Postcard Pals: http://www.geocities.com/mensan_Cathy Affective Friends: http://www.geocities.com/postcard_Cathy Kutsher’s Camp Anawana: http://www.geocities.com/kutsherscampanawana Hewlett High School: http://www.geocities.com/hewlettalumni
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