What you can and can't eat

Every list of the "MAOI Diet" is different. Some lists make it seem like you can eat only bread and water. You mean I can't eat raisins, avocados, chocolate, yogurt etc.? (I'm vegetarian, so things like dried fermented sausage and shit aren't part of my life). Other lists make it seem like it's no big deal to take an MAOI. Only things like pickled herring and aged cheeses are off limits. Who eats these every day? Surprisingly, the medication guide from Pfizer hardly spends half a page on diet. Having viewed many different lists, including the handout provided by Penn's Treatment Resistant Depression Clinic, I feel like the most carefully considered and helpful list is that provided by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. It separates foods into "allowed," "limit," and "avoid." Still there are conflicts. Penn's list says a limited amount of bottled beer is OK. UPMC's list puts beer into the "avoid" column. Shit. Penn says a glass of wine is OK. UPMC says white wine is OK, in limitation, but red wine is not. Shit So what do I do?