Posted by Racer on May 7, 2007, at 17:25:20
In reply to Why do MAOI's poop out?, posted by Malcolm64 on May 7, 2007, at 16:29:26
I can't give you anything like a definitive answer, but I can tell you a bit about how they work, and something that might be involved in the short effectiveness you experienced.
OK, so monoamine oxydase (MAO) is a little fellow who scurries around with a little broom to sweep up all the used neurotransmitters after they've delivered their messages. MAOIs stop the production of MAO, so the neurotransmitters stick around in the synapse and repeat their messages. (Obviously, that's not how any text book would describe it, but it's the way it makes most sense to me...)
So, the receptors in your brain are calibrated to the neurotransmitters in your brain. If you suddenly get, say, 20% more serotonin, the serotonin receptors will recalibrate as they adjust, to become about 20% less responsive. That takes some time to happen, but it effects the effectiveness of drugs.
I've never taken an MAOI, and I haven't heard much about MAOIs pooping out, so I can't say that my next thought means anything at all. Someone with some more knowledge than I have will be along, though, to answer better. My guess would be that you didn't achieve quite enough MAO inhibition, and so your receptors could reset back to baseline, and it was as though you hadn't done anything.
That's only one thought, and it's likely wrong. I look forward to seeing what the experts have to say. (But, while that thought may be wrong, the explanation of MAOI activities is pretty accurate, if simplistic...)
poster:Racer
thread:756558
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070502/msgs/756576.html