Parnate for Depression User Reviews

• HAP...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 24, 2025

"Parnate has given me a “life” for a long time! I have found over the years that the coating on the tablets can cause absorption problems. Splitting them open resolved the problem. Sometimes, 1/2 tablet more or less solves side effects and/or efficacy. For me, that is 25 mg-35 mg/day. Unfortunately, generic versions are not all equal, if possible, use Parnate Brand. I recently had to return to the Parnate Brand when the generic version did not work, and I ended up in physical withdrawal. (At twice my normal dose did not resolve withdrawal.) The dietary restrictions do matter for me-a reaction can be unpleasant or severe pain. It is just easier to stick with foods you know are safe choices. Again, I have a life, and Parnate made that possible."

• Fes...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 12, 2025

"Parnate worked when about a dozen SSRIs, etc., did not. I do have to take a much higher dose than typical for a good effect. 30, then 60 didn’t do much after the initial honeymoon. So I’m probably unusual in having a dose of 100 per day. Been on this dose for a long time. No ill effects. It’s very unusual, though. You’ll probably find a good effect at a lower dose. Avoid beer on tap, aged meats, and cheeses. The restrictions aren’t that big a deal. Parnate has been a positive experience for me."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 10, 2025

"I am cured thanks to this miracle drug! No more anxiety and depression! I had to ask the doctor for this because no one ever offered it to me as a treatment! I didn't even know it existed! I love Parnate."

• Yea...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 25, 2024

"It's the best drug. More effective than SSRIs, ketamine, or amphetamines."

• san...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 3, 2024

"After many years of taking various antidepressants which often made my chronic depression worse, I finally was prescribed Parnate. It saved my life and worked quickly. I finally felt like my normal self again after years of catatonic bipolar II depression."

• My ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 10, 2024

"I’ve been on Parnate for around five years now. Being that I’ve had three separate intense spells of treatment-resistant depression, the doctors have treated me with everything under the sun, including ECT. None of this worked. Finally, during my last spell, the hospital decided to consult with a retired specialist who prescribed me this medication. Three to four days in, and I began to want to live again after nine months of not wanting to. The turnaround was incredible. I pair mine with Ritalin LA to keep my mood stable as it can be 'over-activating' for me. I have had to have treatment for a heart arrhythmia that presented after I began this medication, however, wanting to be alive and watch my children grow up has been worth any side effect I’ve had to deal with, including this one. I do get dry, gritty eyes which I treat with drops and need to be aware of anything that triggers an elevation in my blood pressure. I’ve bought a monitor for this from the chemist for this purpose."

• Pds...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 11, 2024

"With severe depression and suicidal thoughts since I was 17, at 49, it has been a rough ride. I've tried all kinds of meds. Some worked a tiny bit (i.e., just wanting to be dead rather than actively trying to kill myself), but all had unmanageable side effects. 4-5 years ago, I took the genetic test that tells you what medications 'will' and won't work for your body (no guarantee how well it works or side effect strength). Years later, I've gone through the list one by one. I tried the new, fancy drugs first, but all were short-lived or impossible to live with. Parnate was second to last on the list, and all doctors and pharmacists said not to bother since it was 'ancient,' but less than 6 months later, it is BY FAR the best thing I've taken. I feel 'normal' for once in my life. Sleep can be weird, but 1 modafinil cancels any slight tiredness. I've done more with my life in the last 6 months than I have in the last 6 years. Old meds work, or they'd be gone."

• san...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 7, 2023

"It SAVED MY LIFE! Other medications made me suicidal... I feel doctors should be held accountable for prescribing all the other JUNK meds that made chronic depression worse to the point you can only think about suicide. PARNATE saved my life!... demand it!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 30, 2023

"Parnate saved my life. When nothing else would work, Parnate pulled me out of a deep abyss. I have been taking it for 33 years (I am now 61). My dose, 100 mg/day (all taken when I get up in the morning), is 40 mg above the PDR range of 10-60 mg/day, but some people respond to a mega dose. In 2001, I went off Parnate to try to find a safer drug (you must be cautious about diet and other medications--both prescription and over the counter) and returned to the abyss. This is when I was placed on the higher dose (and also needed to add Invega to make the Parnate (generic tranylcypramine) work. Also, since I started taking Parnate, I have suffered insomnia. I now also take Ambien, trazodone, and gabapentin to partially remediate this problem. Despite the side effects and food and medication contraindications (I have had two hypertensive crises), I feel nothing but gratitude for this life-saving drug and for the doctor who introduced me to it many years ago."

• Zeu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 6, 2023

"I live in Croatia, EU. Like most others, I had to go through a whole spectrum of drugs, about 20, before being offered an MAOI. My psychiatrist no longer knew what to do with me because I had atypical treatment-resistant depression, social anxiety (I didn't leave the house almost anywhere for 2 years). I was afraid of people, and I had no will, desire, or motivation to do anything but sleep. I have also been diagnosed with GAD, ADD, fibromyalgia, and worst of all, anhedonia. Anhedonia is a state when nothing makes you happy, you have no motivation, no desire to socialize, no energy, and the only thing you feel is anger. You start abusing various drugs. These drugs were mostly stimulants. Adderall, Modafinil, Dexedrine (he was the best for me). Then I realized that the hormone of happiness is not serotonin, but dopamine, and that the MAO inhibitor is what I need. I am now on 60 mg of Parnate, Xanax, 225 mg of Lyrica, and rotate between Modafinil and Dexedrine. Thanks to God, I feel 80% better."

• 321...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2023

"I have been on over 15 different medications for over 30 years, and nothing has helped my PTSD or depression. Parnate has made it worse. I am tired mentally and physically, and my suicidal thoughts are turning into an end-of-life plan! I have begged for a drug that's new and newly approved, which will help my medical pain and mental health, or at least in studies. This drug is being used under supervision, but I live alone. (There are places that will take me, but my psychiatrist I feel isn't hearing me or how serious I am.) I'm 64 years old and in ill health. I'm sincerely not living...I exist only with no family support. 30 years of different meds is enough, and hope is fading! Treatment-resistant depression is exactly that, and nothing helps me. Parnate is the worst I've been on, and I am now stuck because of side effects if I go straight off them...but then again, I guess nothing left to lose."

• Hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 3, 2023

"Drinking milk and other foods is not recommended. It made me so nauseous. Sadly I'd forget and then get sick."

• Ali...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 27, 2023

"I take Parnate to treat resistant catatonic depression and panic attacks. I have tried multiple other medications but find this is the only one that has worked for me. Don't take aged foods/medications and health supplements warnings lightly. A good practice is to not eat anything for 3 to 4 hours after taking Parnate. One downside is it will affect your sleep, and you may need to take sleep medication."

• mik...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 6, 2023

"I have suffered from chronic depression for years and tried multiple medications. My doctor suggested trying Parnate, and it's changed my life. I have had no food issues while taking it, but have had problems with over-the-counter antihistamines. This drug really works, wish it was cheaper, but it is worth it. Note: generic does not work for me. Hopefully, it will for others."

• Emd...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 10, 2022

"I'm torn between a positive review and something less optimistic. I've been on and off Parnate since 1982. Now that Nardil is gone, I'm unable to switch between the two if one fails. I take high-dose Parnate, up to 140 mg per day. I might get 4 good weeks, then a relapse. If I go cold turkey for a week, I can reinstate Parnate, and it works ... but never for long enough. I'm on a merry-go-round. No other drugs (antidepressants at least) do anything."

• rea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 20, 2022

"I feel compelled to write this review given the false sense of hope that I experienced as a result of the overwhelming amount of positive reviews on this site. I battled my doctor to get on this medication only to have it cause significant insomnia and a worsening of depression. I made it through 11 nights of 2 hours of sleep before I called it quits. I too was looking for the solution to my depression once the traditionally prescribed medications failed. I wish you the best of luck in your journey, but don't think that the large number of positive reviews on this site is representative of this drug's outcomes. If so, it would be a first-line treatment. With that being said, I hope this medication works for you."

• Col...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2022

"Might be good for depression if you like feeling manic and talking way more than usual. Also, the hypotension and raised liver count was alarming to say the least. If you decide to take it, make sure you get your liver checked monthly, as I was only on it for two months, thank God, and a low dose of 20 mg per day. I had to stop when my blood pressure dropped to 60 over 10, lucky I was in a hospital at the time."

• Old...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 11, 2022

"Have been in hand-to-hand combat with my depression and anxiety for twenty-seven years. Tried numerous drugs over this time with mixed results. Then I tried Parnate five years ago. It eliminated my depression and anxiety and is still working well. I find the food restrictions a minor issue in light of the improvement this drug has brought. Some hypotension, but that's my only side effect. Parnate is an oldie but goodie."

• nol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 25, 2021

"Incredibly strong antidepressant. Makes SSRIs seem like a placebo in comparison. Pulled me out of a very long depressive episode after trying every other drug I had yet to try, including fancy new SSRIs and IV ketamine - all ineffective. ECT was next. Parnate, while difficult to tolerate initially, is stunningly effective and worth putting up with the hassle and side effects. Worst was the hypotension (especially with lower BP at baseline) and sleep difficulties (insomnia + extreme afternoon fatigue), but both improve significantly over a couple of months. Diet changes were minimal to none, depending. The worst part about MAOIs is finding a good doctor who has their head on straight, research done, and cares enough to try them with patients who need them. MAOIs are deserving of being much more than just a 'last resort.' These are psychiatry's best kept secret... shameful they don't know that! If you need info/expertise: Dr. K. Gillman."

• mrb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2021

"I've tried almost every SSRI and SNRI. SSRIs flatlined my emotions, SNRIs made me feel energetic but unsatisfied with anything I was doing. DRIs like Wellbutrin made me seem and act irritable. Parnate was the first MAOI I ever tried, and it worked like a dream. Honestly, super disappointed in the psychiatric practice for making this a 'last resort' drug and trying to push safer, less effective drugs on people. I've spoken to Ken Gillman personally, and the amount of fear, uncertainty, and doubt that's been perpetuated around MAOIs has been extremely exaggerated. Only side effect was that it accelerated my hair thinning (male), but that was probably going soon anyway. This needs to be prescribed more often. If it's not obvious yet, it's far more effective than any SSRI, SNRI, or DRI."

• Mar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 21, 2021

"After using antidepressants for 20 years with minimal success, my psych put me on Parnate in combination with Seroquel. I take the max dose of 120 milligrams, though I'm diagnosed with major depressive disorder, severe anxiety, and PTSD. When my depression and anxiety kicked in, it tended to manifest itself into OCD and compulsive thinking. After 2 weeks, my symptoms were almost nonexistent, and since then, my state of mind has been a godsend. Insomnia can be an issue at times, but that's the only negative effect I've had. For anyone who has tried and had no success with other medications, ask your health professionals about Parnate. It was developed in the 70s and only prescribed as a bit of a last resort where other medications haven't worked. For me, it's been a wonder drug. In Oz (Australia), the drug is on the PBS schedule of drugs, meaning the price is substantially subsidized by the government."

• Poo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2021

"1983, severe anxiety, panic, and depression. Never suicidal, just crying all the time. Was forced into a psychiatric ward. Parnate was prescribed to myself and several other patients. Short story, another woman on the ward did not survive after eating aged cheese and bananas, which caused a fatal heart attack. My blood pressure plummeted to the point of my passing out. They would make me walk or run around the common room until it went up a bit and then give me my medication. Then I would pass out, and they would slap me across the face until I came to. Eventually, it put me into a coma. Doc said I was being uncooperative and required ECT. Shock treatment! I had one opportunity to escape during an outing, and I ran. Walked 13 miles to safety. Flew home to Vancouver the same day. Saw my regular doc, who immediately diagnosed severe hormone imbalance due to hysterectomy at age 27. Incompetent docs and Parnate nearly finished me!"

• Flu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2021

"I've been on Parnate 60 milligrams for 2 months. I take medicine for sleep. I'm unable to sleep and still have anxiety. On medication for both. Recently, my doctor decided to decrease my dose to 40 mg, saying there's a chemical in it that can cause my symptoms. Can a lower dose help these symptoms? I take Klonopin and Ambien."

• roc...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 2, 2021

"The most remarkable thing about Parnate is that it works, and that it just keeps working. I have the feeling that the effectiveness of Parnate as an antidepressant is at least partly due to the fact that it increases dopamine levels in the brain on top of serotonin and noradrenaline. The consistency of the effects (compared to, e.g., SSRIs) might be related to its unique mechanism of action (MAO enzyme inhibition). This medication is a practical proof that so-called “treatment-resistant depression” is not a meaningful medical diagnosis. And yes, Parnate helps also a lot with anxiety and OCD symptoms, better than all the SSRIs and SNRIs. In many cases, patients need to convince/push their (uninformed) doctors to be treated with a MAOI. Dietary restrictions are well overblown, dangerous med interactions are possible but easy to prevent. Side effects are real (afternoon fatigue, sleep disruptions, etc.) but manageable, and overall, not worse than those from SSRIs."

• ala...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 27, 2021

"I have tried all the SSRIs and the other stuff, and they only made my social anxiety symptoms worse. Parnate worked like magic! It's just terrible that doctors 60 and younger are taught false stuff about this wonderful drug, such that they are afraid to prescribe it! I've taken it for 7 months with zero side effects, and it is so wonderful now to be in the world without those crippling social anxieties!"