Randy was given a prescription for an antidepressant. his psychiatrist also gave him a long list of foods to avoid and warned randy that consuming any of the foods while he was on the antidepressant medication could cause dangerously high blood pressure and even death. the list included cheese, smoked sausage, and red wine. which type of antidepressant did the psychiatrist prescribe for randy?

The correct answer is: MAO inhibitors.

MAOI - monoamine oxidase inhibitors are antidepressants that affect the enzyme called monoamine oxidase which normally removes the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine from the brain. As a consequence, neurotransmitter’s activity is increased. MAOIs interact with tyramine, amino acid found in food such as cheese, smoked sausage, and red wine. Tyramin eis normally regulated via MAO. So, when the MAO is inhibited via MAOI, tyramine reaches high levels, causing the blood vessels to narrow and resulting in critically high blood pressure.