Cheese syndrome

Cheese syndrome is the name of a condition that is commonly associated with the usage of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a class of anti-depressants. It is caused by a buildup of tyramine, an amino acid that is involved in blood pressure regulation.

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The name of the syndrome is derived of the story of the British pharmacist who first noted the effect. His wife, who used a MAOI at the time, complained of headaches everytime they had eaten cheese, which is particularly rich in tyramine.

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MAOIs work by decreasing the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase, which destroys neurotransmitters like serotonin. Increasing the serotonin concentration in the brain ultimately helps people with depressions. But it turned out the enzyme was also responsible for the breakdown of tyramine, a compound that causes severe discomfort or even death if it builds up to too high a concentration.

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The connection drawn by the pharmacist explained why many people had been complaining of headaches while using the medicine, but also why some had died of brain haemorrhages while on the drug. The latter effect had caused MAOI's to be taken off the market for a while, even after the cheese connection was made.

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In modern days, MAOIs are prescribed yet again, but patients are told to watch their diet. Red wine, nuts and cheese should not be combined with this particular class of anti-depressants.

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Monoamine oxidase inhibitor: Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of antidepressant drugs prescribed for the treatment of depression. Due to potentially serious dietary and drug interactions they are used less frequently than other classes of antidepressant drugs (for example tricyclic antidepressants and selective ...

Anti-depressant: REDIRECT Antidepressant...

Tyramine: Tyramine (4-hydroxy-phenethylamine) is a monoamine compound derived from the amino acid tyrosine. It is a member of the phenethylamine family. It occurs widely in plants and animals and is metabolized by monoamine oxidase. If this process is compromised by the use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (M...

Cheese syndrome related Images and Photos (experimental)

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