Sometimes this medicine must be taken for several weeks before you begin to feel better. Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits, especially during the first few months of treatment, to make sure that this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor . Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

Moclobemide should be taken after a meal. However, if your doctor tells you to take the medicine a certain way, take it exactly as directed.

Dosing

The dose of moclobemide will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of moclobemide. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking moclobemide.

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For treatment of depression:
    • Adults At first, 150 milligrams (mg), two times a day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed, but the total daily dose is usually not more than 600 mg.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children. Overdose of moclobemide is very dangerous in young children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For moclobemide, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to moclobemide or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Also tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet

• Ask your doctor about any changes you should make to your diet.
• Do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

Pregnancy Studies of moclobemide use in pregnant women have not been done. In some animal studies, weight gain was decreased in pregnant females or their offspring after high doses of moclobemide. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding Small quantities of moclobemide pass into the breast milk. Moclobemide is not recommended during breast-feeding, because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies.

Children Studies on moclobemide have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of moclobemide in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults Older adults are especially sensitive to the effects of moclobemide. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment. Dizziness or lightheadedness may be especially likely to occur in elderly patients, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to these effects.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking moclobemide, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amphetamines or
• Appetite suppressants (diet pills) or
• Dextromethorphan or
• Medicine for asthma or other breathing problems
• Medicines for colds, sinus problems, or hay fever or other allergies (including nose drops or sprays) or
• Meperidine (e.g., Demerol) or
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (fluvoxamine [e.g., Luvox], fluoxetine [e.g., Prozac], paroxetine [e.g., Paxil], sertraline [e.g., Zoloft]) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Norpramin], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil] Using these medicines together may increase the chance of serious side effects

• Cimetidine (e.g., Tagamet) May increase the effect of moclobemide; moclobemide doses may need to be lowered by approximately 50% in patients using cimetidine

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) Taking moclobemide while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors may cause very serious side effects, such as sudden high body temperature, extremely high blood pressure, and severe convulsions; at least 14 days should be allowed between stopping treatment with one medicine and starting treatment with the other

• Hypertension Moclobemide may make the problem worse
• Liver disease Effects of moclobemide may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body; your doctor may need to change your dose