These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Eldepryl
Question: I have a female neighbor, about 50. She does NOT suffer from Parkinsonism. A family friend provided her with a fairly substantial sample of Eldepryl. She reports with great enthusiasm that Eldepryl has been very
helpful in relieving her symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. Although Eldepryl apparently has an MAO inhibitor function, reported side effects strongly suggest it would be conraindicated for bipolar symptoms. Are there clinical trials in progress on the use of Eldepryl as an antidepressant?
Answer: While Eldepryl does have an MAO type effect, the studies done in Parkinson’s patients indicate that in the doses approved for Parkinson’s Disease that it does not approach levels in the serum which are required to treat depression. I know of no ongoing trials concerning using this drug as an antidepressant. I would contact the company, Somerset Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for further information.
