Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T21:47:31.811Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Tyramine and Irreversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in Clinical Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

A. J. Cooper*
Affiliation:
St Thomas Psychiatric Hospital, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada; Professor of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario

Abstract

The cheese reaction following use of the irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) began to be reported in the UK with increasing frequency from about 1961. By 1965, the underlying mechanism (tyramine-provoked hypertension) had been essentially elucidated. Thereafter, this potentially severe side-effect could have been largely avoided by the use of fairly simple dietary precautions. Unfortunately, suspicion and fear burgeoned, and both the seriousness and the frequency of risk were dramatically inflated. This was a major factor in the subsequent general disuse of the irreversible MAOIs. Second-generation MAOIs which are selective for monoamine oxidase-A and B are now being synthesised and may eliminate the eventuality of hypertension without special dietary precautions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blackwell, B. (1963) Hypertensive crisis due to monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Lancet, ii, 849851.Google Scholar
Blackwell, B. & Mabbitt, I.A. (1965) Tyramine in cheese related to hypertensive crisis after monoamine oxidase inhibition. Lancet, i, 938940.Google Scholar
Blackwell, B. & Marley, E. (1969) Monoamine oxidase inhibition and intolerance to foodstuffs. Bibl Nutritio et Dieta, 11, 96110.Google Scholar
Blashchko, H. (1952) Amine oxidase and amine metabolism. Pharmacological Reviews, 4, 415458.Google Scholar
Boulton, A.A., Cookson, B. & Paulton, R. (1970) Hypertensive crisis in a patient on MAOI antidepressants following a meal of beef liver. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 102, 13941395.Google Scholar
Brown, D.D. & Waldron, D.H. (1962) An unusual reaction to tranylcypromine. Practitioner, 189, 8386.Google ScholarPubMed
Clark, J.A. (1961) Side effects of tranylcypromine. Lancet, i, 618619.Google Scholar
Cooper, A.J. (1967) MAO inhibitors and headache. British Medical Journal, 2, 420.Google Scholar
Cooper, A.J. (1987) Guide to the long term drug treatment of major depression. Journal of New Developments in Clinical Medicine, 4, 1727.Google Scholar
Cooper, A.J., Magnus, R.V. & Rose, M.J. (1964) A hypertensive syndrome with tranylcypromine. Lancet, i, 527529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dally, P.J. (1962) Fatal reaction associated with tranylcypromine and methylamphetamine. Lancet, i, 12351236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dally, P.J. (1967) Chemotherapy of Psychiatric Disorders. New York: Plenum.Google Scholar
Da Prada, M., Zürcher, G., Wüthrich, I., et al (1988) On tyramine, food, beverages and the reversible MAO inhibitor moclobemide. Journal of Neural Transmission, 26 (Suppl.), 3156.Google ScholarPubMed
Davidson, J., Zung, W.K. & Ingram-Walker, J. (1984) Practical aspects of MAO inhibitor therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 45, 8184.Google ScholarPubMed
Ghose, K., Gifford, L.A., Turner, P. A., et al (1976) Studies of the interactions of desmethylimipramine with tyramine in man after a single oral dose, and its correlations with plasma concentrations. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 3, 334337.Google Scholar
Greenblatt, M., Grosser, G.H. & Wechsler, H. (1964) Differential response of hospitalised depressed patients to somatic therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 120, 935943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hare, M.L.C. (1928) CXXI. Tyramine oxidase, a new enzyme system in liver. Biochemical Journal, 22, 968979.Google Scholar
Horowitz, D., Lovenberg, W., Engelman, D., et al (1964) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tyramine, and cheese. Journal of the American Medical Association, 188, 11081110.Google Scholar
Kline, N.S., Cooper, T.B., Suckow, R.F., et al (1981) Protection of patients on MAOIs against hypertensive crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 1, 410411.Google Scholar
Kosikowsky, F.V. & Dahlberg, A.C. (1950) Adaptation of the tyramine method to routine cheese analysis. Journal of Dairy Science, 3, 438441.Google Scholar
Lees, F. & Burke, C.W. (1963) Tranylcypromine. Lancet, i, 1316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, R.J. & Sjoerdsma, A. (1962) A sensitive assay of monoamine oxidase activity in vitro: application to heart and sympathetic ganglia. Journal of Pharmacology, 135, 710.Google Scholar
Liebowitz, M.R., Quitkin, F.M., Stewart, J.W., et al (1984) Phenelzine versus imipramine in atypical depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 669677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lurie, M.L. & Salzer, H.M. (1961) Tranylcypromine (parnate) in the ambulatory treatment of depressed patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 152155.Google Scholar
Medical Research Council (1965) Report by the Clinical Psychiatry Committee: Clinical trial of the treatment of depressive illness. British Medical Journal, i, 881886.Google Scholar
Melnykowycz, J. & Johansson, K.R. (1955) Formation of amines by intestinal microorganisms and the influence of chlortetracycline. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 101, 507517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pare, C.M.B. (1985) The present status of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 576584.Google Scholar
Pare, C.M.B., Hallstrom, C., Kline, N., et al (1982) Will amitriptyline prevent the ‘cheese’ reaction of monoamine-oxidase inhibitors? Lancet, ii, 183186.Google Scholar
Pare, C.M.B., Mousawi, M.A., Sandler, M., et al (1985) Attempt to attenuate the ‘cheese effect': combined drug therapy in depressive illness. Journal of Affective Disorders, 9, 137141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quitkin, F., Rifkin, A. & Klein, D.F. (1979) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors: a review of antidepressant effectiveness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 749760.Google Scholar
Ravaris, C.L., Nies, A., Robinson, D.S., et al (1976) A multiple-dose controlled study of phenelzine in depression—anxiety states. Archives of General Psychiatry, 33, 347350.Google Scholar
Ravaris, C.L., Robinson, D.S., Ives, J.O., et al (1980) Phenelzine and amitriptyline in the treatment of depression: a comparison of present and past studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 10751080.Google Scholar
Rice, S., Eitenmiller, R.R. & Kochler, P.E. (1975) Histamine and tyramine content of meat products. Journal of Milk and Food Technology, 38, 256258.Google Scholar
Sen, N.P. (1969) Analysis and significance of tyramine in foods. Journal of Food Science, 34, 2226.Google Scholar
Simpson, G., White, K., Pi, E., et al (1983) Monoamine oxidase inhibition and tyramine sensitivity in l-deprenyl-treated subjects. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 19, 340342.Google Scholar
Sullivan, E. & Shulman, K.I. (1984) Diet and monoamine oxidase inhibitors: re-examination. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 707711.Google Scholar
Taylor, D.C. (1962) Alarming reaction to pethidine in patients on phenelzine. Lancet, ii, 401402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.