just about every drug advertized on tv nowadays, has some sort of adverse interaction with “M-A-O inhibitors”. my question is, what the hell is an MAO, and why would one want to inhibit it?
eggo
if you read the bottom of the screen, you will notice that it says “Not to be used by those opposed to Chinese communism.”
MAO (Monoamine Oxidase) is an enzyme in the central nervous system that effects mood. MAO inhibitors were once used much like Paxil or Xanax is used today. They effected the body so radically, that people taking MAO inhibitors even had to be careful of certain types of cheese…
To build on what Ozone already said, the MAO enzyme normally processes tyramine which can be found in cheese, wine and anything aged. When you take an MAO inhibitor, MAO is, well, inhibited and won’t break down tyramine.
Excess tyramine in the blood leads to really high blood pressure, high heart rates and massive headaches.