Posted by SLS on November 27, 2001, at 12:56:09
In reply to Re: pizza and MAOIs, posted by Adam on November 26, 2001, at 13:24:20
Hi Adam.
> I can second what Cam W. and Elizabeth have said: Fast-food pizza (even with pepperoni) doesn't seem to be a problem, at least in moderate amounts.
> I've actually had four slices of pepperoni pizza from Papa Gino's (not exactly gourmet) and a bottle of domestic beer (Cheap American Brewskienweiser) in one sitting and nothing happened to my blood pressure at all.
> As always, your milage may vary.
I think the phrase "your mileage may vary" is particularly appropriate when it comes to discussing the MAO-inhibitor diet.I have eaten tons of pizza while taking high dosages of Parnate and Nardil. My doctor at that time (1987), whose experience I regarded highly, explained to me with confidence that cheeze pizza is quite safe to eat, as long as the cheese used is of the cheap processed variety of mozzarella. He cautioned me to avoid the more expensive imported cheeses that tend to be aged considerably. I have not yet heard of anyone reacting badly to cheese pizza. This doctor also said that it was imperative to avoid pepperoni. I think any aged meat should be suspect, including certain sausages and salami. If I had to choose between pepperoni and sausage to put on a pizza, I would choose the sausage.
There is great variability between individuals as to how they will react to a given food. Equally true is that there is great variability as to how any one individual will react to a specific food on different occasions. Someone can eat pepperoni 36 times and be fine. Then, on the 37th time, he will experience the classic occipital headache that indicates an accute pressor reaction to tyramine.
I know I've told this story before, but...
I had been eating cheese pizza regularly while taking a combination of Parnate 60mg + desipramine 150mg. I would eat it every Saturday for lunch at work, as was ritual. One day, things were so busy such that I had just a fraction of a minute to run back to the conference room and grab a few bites of a slice between customers. I really wasn't paying attention to what I was doing because things were so busy. After chomping down twice and swallowing, I backed my hands away and saw that I was holding a slice of pepperoni. I yelled out "What the fuck am I doing!". Some of my coworkers turned around with puzzled looks on their faces, but I pretending like nothing happened. I consumed exactly 1 1/2 pieces of thinly-sliced pepperoni. I wasn't worried because it seemed like such a negligible amount. Within 10 minutes, the back of my head near where it meets the neck was throbbing with intense pain. It felt like someone was beating it with a hammer in synchrony with my pulse. I had never experienced anything like that before. I didn't happen to have any nifedipine with me, but I decided to take a chance and not leave work to run to the hospital, hoping that the reaction would dissipate. I didn't take my blood pressure, but the symptoms were unmistakable as a tyramine reaction. When I sat down, it got worse. So I ended up standing and walking around for 45 minutes until the headache disappeared.
Regarding alcohol, this doctor used as a rule of thumb to avoid any colored liquors. Similarly, he recommended that I stick to white wines. I don't recall him saying anything about beer, but he didn't go out of his way to say that it was safe to drink. I'm not sure that these proscriptions are warranted, but I have followed them in the past. I'm not much of a drinker, anyway.
Anyway, given my mileage, I would strongly recommend that one not eat pepperoni, dry sausage, or any other meats that are left hanging to age.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:84705
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011123/msgs/85301.html