> You're right, MAOIs and tricyclics are usually more effective than any of the newer classes. They also have drastically worse side effects, especially when yo

> You're right, MAOIs and tricyclics are usually more effective than any of the newer classes. They also have drastically worse side effects, especially when you look at discontinuation rates. We're talking about the difference between making eating cheese extremely dangerous and possibly fatal (some MAOIs) and sexual dysfunction (most SSRIs). You're looking at the older class of MAOIs. Although it is probably a bit overhyped, Selegelline has all the advantages of MAOIs with hardly any of the dietary restrictions. Only those who subsisted on a diet of aged, stinky cheese like Roquefort or otherwise consumed excessive amounts of Tyramine are at risk. You still have to be careful not to take certain medicines, mostly those containing pseudoephedrine. As selegiline is also used as a treatment for parkinson's, it has shown to be neuroprotective, and enhances/induces the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons (neurogenesis) and is used off label as a nootropic. (Disclaimer: I was taking this prescription until I no longer needed it and saw tremendous results) Modern anti-depressants certainly are more effective than a placebo and have saved many lives. However, I think that a significant % of people would also receive the same or greater results from exercise or mindful meditation. I don't have any numbers in front of me, but anti-depressants are over-prescribed to people who are not clinically depressed but who aren't as happy as they feel they should be. As we glean more results from the various public/private brain research partnerships our undeerstanding should lead to more effective modalities of treatment. How long it takes to get through clinical trials.