MAO Inhibitors: Is Concomitant Use Safe or Too Risky?

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) have a long and storied history as some of the earliest antidepressants created. The efficacy of these medications led to the development of the monoamine hypothesis of depression and the development of subsequent antidepressant medications. Despite their known efficacy, MAOIs have fallen out of favor in clinical practice, giving way to newer agents with more favorable adverse-effect profiles and improved tolerability. However, the contemporary psychiatrist would be remiss to disregard these medications as archaic or dangerous.