Some people do not respond to treatment* with standard first choice antidepressant drugs. Their symptoms may have diminished in intensity, but they still linger on. Patients have tried one conventional medication after another, to no avail. Even while taking two medications at once to manage their persistent symptoms, they still suffer from potential fatigue, insomnia, sadness and feelings of hopelessness.1
If this situation sounds familiar, speak with your doctor about Marplan® (isocarboxazid) Tablets as an alternative for your depression† symptoms. Unlike conventional antidepressants, Marplan works differently than other antidepressants.2* Marplan is an MAO Inhibitor (a drug that blocks the enzyme mono-amine-oxidase), and this mode of action enables Marplan to raise the levels of all 3 of the “chemical messengers” (otherwise known as neurotransmitters) in the brain that can elevate mood.3 Other antidepressants only elevate the levels of only 2 of these 3 chemical messengers.3
Marplan’s effectiveness may be attributed to its ability to raise the levels of all 3 neurotransmitters; that may be the reason Marplan is effective in patients who have failed to respond to other antidepressants.3 Marplan could provide the symptom control you need. The mechanism by which MAO inhibitors act as antidepressants is not fully understood, but it is thought to involve the elevation of brain levels of biogenic amines. However, MAO is a complex enzyme system, widely distributed throughout the body, and drugs that inhibit MAO in the laboratory are associated with a number of clinical effects. Thus, it is unknown whether MAO inhibition per se, other pharmacologic actions, or an interaction of both is responsible for the antidepressant effects observed.
On this website are helpful resources for treatment-resistant* major depressive disorder and a downloadable guide to discuss your questions with your doctor.
- Doctors recognize that treatment-resistant* major depression is different from other forms of depression (and more challenging to treat).
- Marplan’s different mode of action may often alleviate symptoms of depression that are treatment resistant.3*
- There are a few simple rules that should be followed to take this medication safely to optimize your therapy.
Marplan should not be administered in combination with any of the following: MAO inhibitors or dibenzazepine derivatives; sympathomimetrics (including amphetamines); some central nervous system depressants (including narcotics and alcohol); antihypertensive, diuretic, antihistaminic, sedative or anesthetic drugs, bupropion HCL, buspirone HCL, dextromethorphan, cheese or foods with a high tyramine content; or excessive quantities of caffeine. Maplan should not be administered to any patient with a confirmed or suspected cerebrovascular defect or to any patient with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or history of headache.
Please see Medication Guide for useful information for patients taking Marplan.
*Treatment failure with first-line antidepressants.
†Based upon DSM-V, depression is now referred to as major depressive disorder.
Please click here to review the Marplan references.