- Marplan is available: Please ask your pharmacist for NDC 30698-032-01
- For Healthcare Professionals
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Marplan® (isocarboxazid) Warnings
Because MARPLAN® (isocarboxazid) Tablets work differently, you'll be asked to take them in a different way than other medications for depression.
- You'll be asked to stop taking your current medication for at least 2 weeks prior to initiating MARPLAN. During this period, your physician will monitor you closely. If you experience any symptoms, contact him or her immediately.
- Please be mindful that MARPLAN may interact with some other prescription medicines. Some OTC cough/cold, weight-control, hay fever/allergy preparations, and some herbal supplements may cause adverse events. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications and supplements you are taking.
- When taking MARPLAN therapy, you need to avoid certain foods that might interact with its MAO inhibitor effects. Some foods may be high in a chemical called tyramine. Although you'll need to avoid any foods that have a high tyramine level, you can enjoy a considerable variety of fresh foods and pasteurized foods.
- You should not consume alcoholic beverages while taking MARPLAN.
DON'T
- Don't eat certain foods containing tyramine while taking MARPLAN. Tyramine may interact with MARPLAN to cause serious untoward effects. Click here to view and download a helpful Dietary Guide that lists foods to avoid.
- Don't drink alcoholic beverages.
- Don't take additional prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs without first consulting with your doctor or pharmacist. Some OTC cough/cold, weight-control, and hay fever/allergy preparations may interact with MARPLAN to cause serious effects.
- Don't consume excessive amounts of caffeine. Caffeine is found in such products as coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks, and OTC "stay-awake" drugs. See the Dietary Guide for limits in the amount of these beverages you can consume.
DO
- Consult with your physician or other healthcare professionals about the benefits and risks of using MARPLAN and how to take it appropriately.
- Promptly tell your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms while using MARPLAN:
- headache
- palpitations/tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
- sense of constriction in the throat or chest
- dizziness
- neck stiffness
- nausea or vomiting
- Be vigilant for changes in behavior while using MARPLAN, especially when you are beginning MARPLAN therapy or when the dose of MARPLAN is being changed. These changes in behavior may indicate a worsening of your depression and an increased risk of suicide. On a day-to-day basis, patients and their families and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of an increase in symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsive behavior, akathisia (inner restlessness), mania, hypomania (a mind in persistent overdrive), worsening of depression, and thoughts of suicide.
- Report any of these symptoms to the doctor, especially if they were not part of your initial symptoms, and if they are severe or abrupt in onset.
- Be aware that MARPLAN may cause drowsiness, hypotension, and faintness. If these symptoms occur, you should not perform potentially dangerous tasks, such as driving or operating machinery.
- Inform other healthcare professionals who are providing you with care (other doctors, your dentist, and other health professionals) that you are taking MARPLAN.
MARPLAN is a prescription medicine used to treat people with depression.
Because of its potentially serious side effects, MARPLAN should not be considered as the first choice for the treatment of depression, but should be considered when other antidepressants have failed to control symptoms of depression. You should talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks associated with treatment.
WARNING: SUICIDALITY
MARPLAN is not for use in children and adolescents. Antidepressant medicines such as MARPLAN may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. Depression and other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts and actions. Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal thoughts or actions. These include people who have (or have a family history of) bipolar illness (also called manic-depressive illness) or suicidal thoughts or actions. You should pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings when taking MARPLAN, especially when starting treatment or when the dose is changed. Call your healthcare provider right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings.
What is the most important information I should know about MARPLAN?
- Symptoms may worsen with or without MARPLAN. Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) may experience a worsening of depression and an increased risk of suicide or unusual behavior, both with and without treatment. On a day-to-day basis, patients and their families and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of an increase in symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsive behavior, akathisia (inner restlessness), mania, hypomania (a mind in persistent overdrive), worsening of depression, and thoughts of suicide.
- MARPLAN is not for use in treating bipolar depression. You should talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of starting treatment, as well as your treatment choices for depression and other serious mental illness.
- Low blood pressure, faintness, and significant drowsiness may occur while taking MARPLAN. It is recommended to avoid potentially hazardous tasks, such as driving a car or operating machinery, until you know how MARPLAN affects you.
- Taking MARPLAN with certain drugs and foods may result in dangerous increases in blood pressure. You should have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis while on MARPLAN and promptly tell your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- headache
- rapid heartbeat
- tightness in the throat or chest
- dizziness
- neck stiffness
- nausea or vomiting
- Avoid foods that contain tyramine while taking MARPLAN. When taking MARPLAN, you need to avoid certain foods that contain a chemical called tyramine because they may interact with MARPLAN and cause serious side effects. Caffeine should also not be consumed in large amounts. A list of foods to avoid while taking MARPLAN is provided below.
Foods you CANNOT eat:
In general, you should avoid foods that are aged to increase flavor.
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Who should not take MARPLAN?
Do not take MARPLAN if you
- are allergic to isocarboxazid
- have or have had health conditions affecting the brain, heart, or blood vessels
- have high blood pressure
- have or have had recurrent headaches
- have pheochromocytoma
- have or have had liver disease
- have kidney problems
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking MARPLAN?
Some medications can interact with MARPLAN and cause serious unwanted effects. To avoid these effects, be sure to tell your doctor about ALL of the other medications you are taking, including herbal supplements.
Before you take MARPLAN, tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following conditions:
- epilepsy
- liver disease
- diabetes
- hyperthyroidism
- mental illness
The most common side effects of MARPLAN include
- dry mouth
- constipation
- nausea
- headache
- sleep disturbance
- dizziness
These are not all the possible side effects of MARPLAN. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please refer to the full Prescribing Information for a list of inactive ingredients found at www.marplan.com.
What should I avoid while taking MARPLAN?
- Avoid foods that contain a chemical called tyramine. See the link to the dietary guide above for a list of foods you can and cannot eat while taking MARPLAN.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages
- Avoid caffeine in large amounts
- Avoid taking additional prescription medicines or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs without first consulting with your doctor or pharmacist. Some OTC cough/cold, weight-control, and hay fever/allergy medicines may interact with MARPLAN to cause serious effects.
See the Contraindications section of the full Prescribing Information for a complete list of drugs to avoid.
The risk information provided here is not comprehensive. To learn more, talk about MARPLAN with your doctor or pharmacist. The FDA-approved product labeling can be found at www.marplan.com or 1-866-982-5438.
You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088, or at www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to VALIDUS at 1-866-982-5438 or info@validuspharma.com.
MARPLAN is available by prescription only.
Please see the accompanying Medication Guide at www.marplan.com.