Student Case

The most serious adverse reactions to MAOIs involve changes in blood pressure and hypertensive crisis. These reactions are more common in elderly patients and patients with a history of hypertension, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. If you are caring for one of these patients and they are taking an MAOI, be alert to changes in their blood pressure. weakness.

The most serious adverse reactions to MAOIs involve changes in blood pressure and hypertensive crisis. These reactions are more common in elderly patients and patients with a history of hypertension, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. If you are caring for one of these patients and they are taking an MAOI, be alert to changes in their blood pressure.

Certain foods can interact with MAOIs and produce a severe reaction, call hypertensive crisis. This most often occurs when the patient ingests tyramine-containing food, such as red wine, beer, or aged cheese. Symptoms of a hypertensive crisis include severe pounding headache, tachycardia, flushing, stiff neck, chest pain, and nausea and vomiting. The patient requires immediate emergency attention to decrease his blood pressure and prevent any complications, such as stroke or heart attack. Caffeine may also interact with MAOIs, but the reactions aren't as serious as with tyramine-containing substances.