What are the side effects of MAO inhibitors?

What are the side effects of MAO inhibitors?

Neal Hermanowicz (Director of the Movement Disorders Program) gives expert video advice on: What are the side effects of Dopamine Receptor Agonists?; What is 'impulse control disorder'? and more...

MAO inhibitors in general are well tolerated with very few side effects. Again, they may augment the effect of dopamine in the brain and by doing so bring out dopamine-related side effects, which could include things like dysconesias, these involuntary, squirming movements that the medication, particularly the lividopa, the use could create. There are cautions about the use of MAO inhibitors in conjunction with other medications. There is a caution regarding both of these medications, both rasagiline and salegiline, about using them with anti-depressant medications at the same time, although in my practice I do do this - I just caution people about it. Rasagiline does carry a caution about certain food interactions, these are things like aged cheeses or certain red wines or aged meats. This is really a theoretical concern, and something that has not been observed in clinical practice. Both of these medications, both salegiline and rasagiline, have contraindications of use with certain pain medications at the same time. There are very specific pain medications which are described in the package inserts of both these medications.