Parnate and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Dog...
• January 16, 2020

For Depression "I have taken Parnate for 30+ years. I have low-grade chronic depression. Any time I wean off Parnate, I gain huge weight due to an out-of-control appetite, as well as lethargy and irritability that make it impossible to function. I tried 15 other antidepressants (because of severe hypertensive crises); all failed over time. Parnate is the only medication that works. I would like not to take ANY meds. I would like to be able to eat aged cheese or avocados, have a glass of good wine, and eat in a restaurant without having to do major detective work and scare the staff, but those things are not possible. Parnate is like insulin for a diabetic: it is life-preserving. Side effects you HAVE to deal with. I ended up in the emergency room twice as a result of tyramine (misled by restaurant staff). Insomnia: I take the last dose no later than 2 pm, no caffeine after morning, and when necessary, Imovane to help sleep. Loss of libido and difficulty/inability to achieve orgasm are HUGE trade-offs, but in my case, they are trade-offs for life."

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

For Depression "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."

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

For Depression "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."

• Anonymous
• September 19, 2009

For Depression "After 15 years of SSRIs and SNRIs, I was told to consider shock therapy or Parnate. Parnate is a miracle drug as far as I am concerned. At 47, I seem to have the energy that I had in my 20s and 30s. I am taking Ambien to deal with the side effect of insomnia and it's working great. For once, I seem to be able to synchronize up with the rest of the world. The special diet required has not been a problem so far. I seem to have a problem with almonds, but cheese pizza (non-aged cheese only!) is still okay."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 4, 2014

For Depression "Parnate is a great medicine. It will mess with your sleep cycle and cause severe insomnia, but other than that, it's great. It improves mood, lowers anxiety (not perfectly, but enough), improves sex drive, and gives you energy. In my case, I welcomed slight weight loss. I've taken up to 40 mg a day. It's very important to take Parnate either in the morning or at 2 pm. If taken in the morning, it may cause drowsiness at around 2 pm. Take food warnings seriously. If I eat the wrong food, my blood pressure definitely increases."

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2019

For Depression "I took Effexor for a long time. It was a miracle drug until it stopped working, and I was more depressed than I had ever been before. The psychiatrist I went to see put me on Parnate. It is a relief from the depression. It does work, and like other people, I have not had a problem with food. My blood pressure was low after taking Parnate, so I tried some foods-cheese in particular-and I have had no problem with the diet; the problem is insomnia. I rarely get more than two or three hours of sleep, and that affects everything in my life. Even though I don’t sleep, some days I have lots of energy; other days I am temperamental because of the lack of sleep. I hope I can find a psychiatrist soon who will prescribe something so I can sleep. The county I just moved to has one psychiatrist that accepts Medicare but is not taking new patients. I get a 3-month prescription which is equivalent to half the price of one month, but it has gone up every time I refill."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2017

For Depression "By far the most effective med! Start at least on 30 mg a day, only side effect insomnia, but has gotten better! Been on it for 4 weeks. Combined with 40 mcg of T3 (thyroid med) as mood stabilizer. Helped so much with motivation and energy."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2020

For Depression "Parnate did not give me any major side effects. The insomnia was manageable, and the instant benefits felt from day one (no exaggeration) gave me hope that I was on a good track. For comparison, I have been through fluoxetine (2 years). It gave me 1 month of side effects and no benefits, but eventually I got better and continued with it. Unfortunately, fluoxetine stopped working from the 6th month or so. But I kept the faith in it. For 2 years. The psychiatrist also put me on desvenlafaxine. It was a nightmare of headaches that lasted for a day, putting me in bed. For no benefit. Compared to these experiences, Parnate feels like a walk in the park. Beware the dietary restrictions."

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

For Depression "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."

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

For Depression "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."

• meg...
• March 26, 2014

For Depression "I have been on Parnate for about 3 weeks. Am finding the insomnia really hard, as in the day I can be really tired, like fatigue at times, and am unsure whether this is coming from switching medicines, Zoloft to Parnate, or from just the Parnate, and not being able to sleep properly."

• par...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2017

For Depression "After only a few days on Parnate, my mood declined, my sex drive totally disappeared, I lost my appetite completely, and I could only sleep 4-5 hours a night. Then my blood pressure dropped, and I wasn't able to stand much. I had heart palpitations after taking it. My mood was so dark, and my body so weak, that all I did was lie in bed for 10 days. I already have problems getting out of bed, but this made it feel impossible to move. It was absolutely miserable. I had to stop taking Parnate because it made me SO MUCH worse, and I couldn't work, eat, sleep, laugh, nothing. The reviews on here are not a balanced representation of this drug. (I have bipolar 2 depression, social anxiety, GAD, ADHD)"