Can anyone answer a question for me?  I've been taking 50mg of amitriptylinie for sleep for a couple of years.  I've recently discovered that my problem with impotence may be caused by the drug.  It was suggested to me that I try taking the herbal extract called Yohimbe as a remedy for the problem.  This has seemed to work fairly well, but in reading through some Internet threads yesterday, I learned that Yohimbe is a MAO inhibitor and amytryptiline should not be combined with an MAO inhibitor.  Is this true?  Should I consider not taking the Yohimbe?  What are the potential ill effects?  It would be VERY helpful if you could email your answer to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it as well as in these threads.  Thanks in advance!!!  Ned

What are the potential ill effects? Plenty and somewhat complex. In the CNS it can cause excitation, which might negate the sedative effects of amitriptyline. It can increase the heart rate and blood pressure, and cause nervousness. Additionally, and often unthought of, most people don't consider supplements , such as yohibme, to be drugs so they don't mention to their pharmacist or physician that they're taking yohibme. Later when side effects begin to appear, the physician will treat the side effects as a new medical condition and probably treat them with a drug, adding yet another drug to the patient's therapy. Tell your pharmacist or doctor about the impotence, there are other drugs that can be used for sleep disorders. Also, if you continue to take the yohibme tell your pharmacist and physician(s). Michael Smar This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it