• Patients should take into consideration that the MAO
• system of enzymes is complex and incompletely
• understood and there is only a limited amount of
• carefully documented clinical experience....

• If you are taking an MAO inhibitor (one of a class of drugs prescribed to counter depression, lower blood pressure, and treat infections and cancer), avoid the chemical tyramine and its precursor, tyrosine. Combining MAO inhibitors with tyramine causes the blood pressure to soar and could cause a stroke.

• Tyramine-containing foods include almonds, avocados, bananas, beef or chicken liver, beer, cheese (including cottage cheese), chocolate, coffee, fava beans, herring, meat tenderizer, peanuts, pickles, pineapples, pumpkin seeds, raisins, sausage, sesame seeds, sour cream, soy sauce, wine, yeast extracts (including brewer's yeast), yogurt, and other foods.

• In general, any high-protein food that has undergone aging should be avoided. Over-the-counter cold and allergy remedies should also be avoided.

• Note: This warning is for patients with high blood pressure.