Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) are drugs used to treat depression, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions. If you are taking MAOIs, you will follow a special diet.

A side effect of this type of medicine is that a normally harmless substance in food, tyramine (TY-ra-meen), is not broken down by the body.

High levels of tyramine can cause blood vessels to narrow. This can lead to very high blood pressure, a severe headache, and possibly bleeding.

To avoid these serious side effects, you should avoid certain foods or eat them only in small amounts. The chart on the inside pages will help guide you in your food choices.

Important Tips to Remember

Foods that are close to spoiling, are aged (like cheese), or have been stored for a long time have higher levels of tyramine than fresh foods do.

Try to prepare and eat fresh foods. Look for the expiration date on food packages. Avoid using dairy products that are close to their expiration date.
Start the MAOI diet (also called the “low tyramine” or “tyramine-controlled” diet) when you begin taking MAOI medication.
Continue the MAOI diet for four weeks (or as directed by your physician) after stopping the MAOI medication.

MAOI Diet

Food	Allowed	Limit	Avoid
Beverages	Milk Decaf coffee and tea Carbonated drinks	Chocolate drinks Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks White wine and clear spirits (limit two 8 oz. servings)	Alcoholic drinks, especially beer, ale, wine (Chianti, burgundy, sherry, vermouth, sauterne), and nonalcoholic beer and wine Acidophilus milk
Bread	Whole-wheat enriched white breads, rolls, crackers, and quick breads	None	Cheese breads Crackers Sourdough and fresh, homemade, yeast-leavened breads
Cereals	Cooked and dry cereals	None	None
Cheese and Dairy Products	Cottage cheese, farmer or pot cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and processed cheese	Buttermilk (limit to 4 oz.), sour cream, yogurt (national brands only-limit to 4 oz. per day)	All other cheese: aged cheese, Camembert, cheddar, Gouda, Gruyere, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, Roquefort, and Stilton
Desserts	Cakes and cookies Gelatins Ice cream and sherbets Pastries Puddings	Chocolate desserts	Cheese-filled desserts and cheesecake
Eggs	All	None	Quiche with cheese
Fats	All	None	None
Fruits	Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and juices	None	Banana peel extract Overripe and spoiled fruits
Meats, Fish, and Poultry	All fresh or frozen meats, fish, or poultry	Aged meats and frankfurters Fresh sausage and pepperoni Canned sardines Canned meats Fish roe (caviar) and paté (limit to 1 oz.)	Caviar (more than 1 oz.) Chicken and beef liver Dried, salted, and pickled fish Fermented and dry sausages Salami Dried meats and meat extracts
Potatoes and Substitutes	White and sweet potatoes Grits, pasta, and rice	None	None
Soups	All cream and broth soups, except those on the "Avoid" list	None	Soups from Italian broad beans and fava beans Cheese soup Soup made with beer or wine Any soup cubes or meat extract Packet soups and packaged soups Miso soup
Sweets	Sugars, hard candies, honey, molasses, and syrups	Chocolate candies and chocolate syrups	Imported chocolate
Vegetables	All fresh, frozen, canned or dried vegetables and vegetable juices, except those on the "Avoid" list	None	Chinese pea pods Fava beans and Italian broad beans Sauerkraut Fermented soybean products miso and some tofu products)
Miscellaneous	Salt Nuts and peanut butter Spices, herbs, and flavorings	Soy sauce (limit to 1/4 cup) and teriyaki sauce (limit to 1/4 cup) Brewer's yeast	Marmite (vegetable extracts) Yeast concentrates Vitamin supplements with brewer's yeast Monosodium glutamate (MSG) All aged products

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