Monamine oxidase inhibitors were the first type of antidepressant approved in the United States. But the class of drugs, commonly known as MAO inhibitors, aren't prescribed very much any more because of potentially severe side effects.

Though for many people they remain the best chance of treatment for major depression, MAO inhibitors can cause severe spikes in blood pressure when taken with certain foods and other medications. But that worry may soon be moot, thanks to a new patch that distributes the medication without the nasty side effects, reports The New York Times.

As reported in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry, 42 percent of patients treated with the new patch recovered from major depression within six weeks. The patch's active ingredient is the MAO inhibitor selegiline.

Monamine oxidase is an enzyme found in the brain and digestive system. When its flow is inhibited to the brain, it seems to give patients a better chance at fighting depression. But when taken orally, MAO inhibitors also block the enzyme to the digestive system. This interferes with the body's ability to detoxify a dangerous byproduct of many aged foods called tyramine.

So patients who take MAO inhibitors are told to avoid tyramine-rich foods, including aged cheeses, red wines and fermented foods. The patch appears to solve the problem by allowing the MAO inhibitor to be absorbed through the skin and target only the brain, without interfering with the digestive system, the newspaper reports.

-- Felicity Stone

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