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To: Lucile R Wright Re: Fava beans and eldepryl I'd like to repay a great favor done for us by another member of this list, Vern Dauphin, who "straightened us out" on this subject right after my wife was dxed. We were also given a similar data sheet by my wife's neurologist, warning us about the phenomenon which has popularly become known as the "cheese reaction." I can still remember the dismay with which we read the sheet that night at home, as we scratched so many of our favorite foods and drinks off the list of things that my wife could have. Fortunately, we thought to ask those good people on the Prodigy PD support bulletin board and were fortunate enough to get answers from many. Vern, however, gave us the most definitive advice. In brief, Eldepryl is a member of the class of pharmaceuticals known as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. These are further subdivided into two classes, type A and type B. Eldepryl, fortunately, can serve as a selective inhibitor of MAO type B if it is administered at the recommended dose. This dose - 10mg/day - is critical, and should not be exceeded. In any case, there is no benefit from exceeding this dose. However, when taken at this dose or less, there is no evidence or clinical experience that the "cheese reaction" occurs. Thus, the restrictions on the list that you were given, which do apply to those taking MAO A inhibitors which are usually used as antidepressants, do not apply to those taking Eldepryl. For a complete exposition of all of the current facts related to this matter, I refer you to the section of Eldepryl in the Physicians' Desk Reference. I haven't read the 1994 edition, but you can find the section on Eldepryl on page 2351 of the 1993 edition. Incidentally, when we further questioned my wife's neurologist on this subject, he agreed and said that he gave us the literature which described the effect of the restricted foods just to make us aware of the dosage restrictions, and the possible results if these weren't followed. He may have said these things at our session when he gave us the dx, but perhaps we were too rattled to remember it. In any case, since that time my wife has enjoyed her soy sauce, chocolate, alcoholic beverages, beans, bananas, cheese, sausage, wines, etc. with her doctor's full knowledge and approval, and with no difficulties. I hope that this is helpful for you. Jerry Gleason ([log in to unmask])