Please Note: Parnate is strictly only available upon the presentation of a new prescription with each order. Orders unaccompanied by a prescription will be deleted.

Parnate General Information

What is Parnate Used For?

Parnate belongs to a class of medications known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

MAOIs are effective antidepressants and may be used to treat panic and mood disorders such as severe social phobia, panic attacks and anxiety. Parnate contains the active ingredient, tranylcypromine 10mg and is a useful antidepressant, especially when other antidepressants may have been tried and found to be ineffective.

Almost everyone from time to time will get “down”, or a challenging event or situation may cause a person to become stressed or sad but clinical depression tends to be longer-lasting and more severe and is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. This imbalance contributes to the emotional and physical symptoms experienced in depressive states. Typical symptoms may include low spirits and energy levels, an inability to enjoy life and companionship, poor appetite or overeating, disturbed sleeping patterns, and feeling guilt or other unpleasant emotions for no apparent reason. Sometimes doctors will prescribe Parnate for other reasons. Parnate is not recommended for mild depression that may have arisen from personal situational difficulties.

How Does Parnate Work?

Parnate is considered to work by restoring a chemical balance to neurotransmitters in the brain. Tranylcypromine, the active ingredient in Parnate is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Certain monoamine oxidase enzymes, which breakdown monoamines ingested in the diet, may inactivate certain neurotransmitter chemicals. By inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzymes, Parnate helps restore a chemical balance in the brain which aids in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders.

What Does Parnate Contain?

Parnate film-coated tablets contain the active ingredient, tranylcypromine sulfate equivalent to tranylcypromine 10mg. Parnate also contains the inactive ingredients calcium sulfate, carnauba wax, red spectraspray ACSL0673, erythrosine, gelatin, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, maize starch, propylene glycol, shellac and sucrose.

Before You Take Parnate

Do not take Parnate if you have an allergy to:

Parnate or any other medicine containing tranylcypromine or any of the inactive ingredients in Parnate.

Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body or rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Do not take Parnate if you have taken it or any other MAOI medication (e.g., phenelzine, moclobemide, furazolidone, iproniazid, isocarboxazid, nialamide, pargyline, procarbazine hydrochloride) before and became unwell. Tell your doctor if you have taken any of these medications before and report any side-effects.

Do not take Parnate and talk to your doctor if you have taken any other medicines for the treatment of depression or anxiety within the last 5 weeks and have not discussed this with your doctor.

This includes:

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), e.g., fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline
• Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), e.g., venlafaxine
• Tricyclic antidepressants, e.g., clomipramine, imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine, dosulepin (dothiepin), nortriptyline, trimipramine or doxepin
• Buspirone hydrochloride

Do not take Parnate and talk to your doctor if:

• You are taking, or being treated with, any of the following: appetite suppressants such as fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, phentermine (e.g., Duromine), mazindol or diethylpropion for weight loss
• Amphetamines, phenylpropanolamine, or other central nervous system stimulants
• Anticoagulant medication (blood thinners)
• Antihistamines
• Cold or hayfever medicines, including nose drops or sprays
• Dextromethorphan, contained in many cough and cold medicines you can buy without a prescription
• Diabetic medication
• Epileptic medication
• Non-prescription medicines or supplements you may have bought from a pharmacy or health food store.
• Methyldopa, dopamine, ephedrine, or any other medicine that affects blood pressure such as guanethidine or reserpine
• Metrizamide, a contrast media used in medical imaging
• Strong pain killers, e.g., pethidine, codeine, nefopam
• Levodopa (e.g., Madopar or Sinemet) for Parkinson’s disease
• Carbamazepine, used to treat epilepsy, nerve pain, mania, or bipolar disease
• Bupropion, used to help stop smoking
• Tryptophan, a dietary supplement to treat depression or anxiety or help you sleep 

Do not take Parnate and talk to your doctor if you have or have had any of these medical conditions:

• Addiction to drugs or alcohol
• Angle-closure glaucoma (sudden rise in intra-ocular pressure)
• Angina, heart disease or high blood pressure
• A stroke, poor blood flow to the brain, or frequent headaches
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
• Blood or bone marrow disorder
• Porphyria, a rare blood pigment disorder
• phaeochromocytoma, an adrenaline (epinephrine) producing tumour of the adrenal gland
• Sugar intolerance
• You are over 60 years of age

Do not take Parnate if you are under 18 years of age. The safety of Parnate in this age group has not been established.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) or are breastfeeding. This is important as your baby may be affected.

Do not give Parnate to anyone else. It has been prescribed specifically for you and your condition.

If you are not sure about any of this information or have further concerns, please talk to your doctor.

Disclose to your doctor if you have any allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives, or dyes; are planning on having any surgery as Parnate may interfere with some medications used in surgical situations.

How Should Parnate Be Taken?

Carefully follow the instructions from your doctor on how to take Parnate, paying particular attention to any warnings or precautions.

The usual dose is one tablet taken twice daily. Usually, Parnate is best taken in the morning and between mid-day and no later than 3 pm. This dosing regime helps to prevent disturbances of sleep. In certain cases, the dose may be increased to one tablet taken three times daily.

Are There Special Precautions for Taking Parnate?

Yes, please pay careful attention to the following information:

• Remind your doctor or pharmacist if you are about to start any new medication, that you are taking Parnate tablets 10mg. This applies to both prescription and non-prescription medicine.
• Tell anyone that is treating you that you are taking Parnate. (Doctors, dentists, emergency department nurses or doctors, pharmacists, podiatrists, or surgeons) Ask your doctor for an alert card or for advice on where to get an SOS bracelet.
• You must avoid certain foods and drinks during treatment with Parnate and for at least seven days after treatment discontinuation.
• Avoid protein foods and drinks that have been aged or fermented.
• Avoid any foods hat have caused you unpleasant reactions in the past

While taking Parnate you should avoid the following foods:

• Matured cheese
• meat, fish, poultry, pate, or yoghurt that is stale or smells “off”
• protein extracts such as Marmite, Vegemite, Bonox, Bovril, Promite
• pods of broad beans, sauerkraut
• smoked or pickled fish
• sour cream
• soybean products, e.g., soy sauce, miso, tofu
• avocados
• yeast extracts
• banana skins
• red wines such as Chianti
• home brewed beers or liqueurs.

Parnate reacts with a chemical found in these foods. This reaction may cause sudden high blood pressure which may be experienced as severe headache, stiff or sore neck, nausea, vomiting, fast or slow heartbeat, changes in vision, or sweating with initial paleness then sometimes followed by flushing of the skin.

Avoid large amounts of caffeine-containing foods or drinks such as chocolate, coffee, tea, or cola drinks (Coca Cola, Pepsi or similar) during treatment with Parnate and for at least a week after ceasing therapy. These may trigger off a migraine-like headache in some people taking Parnate.

How Long Should You Take Parnate?

Treatment with Parnate depends on how long it takes for symptomatic improvement. Some symptoms may go away fairly quickly, let us say one or two weeks, while significant improvement may take longer. It may take between 4 to 6 six weeks to feel better. You may need to take Parnate for several months or longer. You should not stop taking Parnate until you have discussed your treatment with your doctor. It is possible to feel symptoms of dizziness or anxiety if Parnate is discontinued suddenly.

What to Watch Out For?

• Monitor yourself carefully, especially over the first few weeks of treatment that your condition is not getting worse.
• Contact your doctor immediately, if you begin to experience any of the following symptoms: anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, sleeping difficulties, impulsiveness, hostility, restlessness, overactive or uninhibited behaviour, suicidal thoughts.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you are having thoughts of violence, either to yourself or to others. The risk of this happening is greater if you are in the 18-24 age bracket.
• Take care when driving or operating machinery. Some people become lightheaded or dizzy when taking Parnate and this may affect your performance and make these activities unsafe.
• Be very cautious when drinking alcohol as dizziness and light-headedness may become worse while on Parnate. Also, many alcoholic drinks may cause the adverse blood pressure reaction mentioned earlier.

What are the Side-Effects of Parnate?

Side-effects can be alarming, but please be aware that you may not experience any of them.

Ask your doctor for advice if you experience the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Chills
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Nervousness
• Numbness in limbs or “pins and needles”
• Poor appetite
• Sexual problems
• Skin rash
• Sweating (excessive)
• Swollen ankles or limbs
• Tinnitus
• Tremors

Contact your doctor immediately for medical attention if you experience the following:

• Agitation, extreme nervousness, or confusion
• Difficulty urinating
• Fever
• Jaundice (Yellow eyes and skin)
• Muscle spasms or twitches
• Severe dizziness or fainting on standing
• Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others
• Unusual bleeding or bruising

Seek emergency medical attention from your doctor or Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you experience the following:

• Serious allergic symptoms (Anaphylaxis) such as swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat or difficulty in swallowing or breathing
• Chest palpitations, fast heartbeat, or frequent headaches
• Headache which may begin at the back of the head and radiate forward, accompanied by chest pain, palpitations, stiff neck or soreness, nausea, vomiting, either rapid or slow heartrate, sweating followed by flushing of the skin, enlarged pupils or light sensitivity.

Missed Dose of Parnate?

If you miss a dose of Parnate 10mg, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose. Do NOT take a double dose.

How Should Parnate be Stored?

You should keep your Parnate in its original packaging, until it is time to take your dose, stored below 30° C in a cool, dry place. Keep well out of reach of children.