Emsam patch online prescription

The Emsam patch (selegiline) is a prescription medication. It was U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved in 2006 for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and adolescents 12 and older.

It’s a selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that’s worn on the skin. At low doses, it selectively inhibits a kind of monoamine oxidase called MAO-B, which breaks down dopamine. Higher doses cause the inhibition of both types of monoamine oxidase, known as MAO-A and MAO-B, which increases the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain.

Unlike oral MAOIs, the Emsam patch bypasses your digestive system and directly delivers medication into your bloodstream through your skin. This form of delivery decreases the risk of gastrointestinal side effects and reduces the interaction with dietary tyramine, an ingredient in some foods, beverages, and supplements, that can lead to dangerous spikes in blood pressure when used with oral MAOIs.

The Emsam patch has many benefits, including its mechanism of action, fewer dietary restrictions, and consistent drug delivery. At the patch’s lowest dose, which is 6 milligrams over 24 hours, you usually don’t need to adhere to a strict low-tyramine diet, like you do with oral MAOIs. The patch also offers a steady release of medication, which helps you maintain stable levels of medicine in your bloodstream.

Off-label uses (something it’s not FDA approved for) for the Emsam patch include panic disorder, treatment-resistant anxiety disorders, and treatment-resistant depression.

The Emsam patch is the brand name. There’s currently no generic version of selegiline available.

You can see a prescribing healthcare provider, like a physician assistant/associate (PA), nurse practitioner (NP), or psychiatrist or medical doctor (MD), either online or in-person to get a prescription for the Emsam patch. 

You can find a healthcare provider on Klarity Health who specializes in treating mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The provider you see determines if the Emsam patch is a medically necessary part of a treatment plan for you. And if it is, they can prescribe the Emsam patch for you.

The most common side effects people have when using the Emsam patch include headaches, insomnia (trouble sleeping), diarrhea, dry mouth, indigestion, rash, sore throat, and sinus infection. Another common reaction is a skin reaction where the Emsam patch is placed. You may see mild redness when the patch is removed, but the redness typically goes away within hours once it’s removed. Tell your healthcare provider if the itching or irritation continues.

Some people experience rare sexual side effects, including abnormal ejaculation, decreased libido, impotence, and anorgasmia (delayed, infrequent, or absent orgasms despite sexual stimulation) in men and decreased libido in women. A small percentage of people experience weight gain or weight loss when using the patch. People have also reported having visual hallucinations and disorientation.

Emsam does have an FDA-based warning for the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In studies, antidepressants like Emsam increased the chance of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in pediatric and young adults patients.

A potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome sometimes happens when people are taking MAOIs like Emsam with serotonergic drugs (drugs that affect serotonin) or people who’ve stopped taking serotonergic drugs then started taking MAOIs. Serotonin syndrome symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, dizziness, flushing, tremors, lack of coordination, hallucinations, delirium, and coma.

For people consuming tyramine-rich foods and beverages, like aged cheeses, soybean products, and tap beers, there’s a risk of hypertensive crisis (high blood pressure) when taking Emsam. Be sure to avoid consuming these kinds of foods when using the patch. A hypertensive crisis includes symptoms like headaches, neck soreness or stiffness, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

Emsam is contraindicated for people with bipolar disorder. Treating people with bipolar disorder using an Emsam patch or another antidepressant can lead to the activation of mania or hypomania, which is a less severe form of mania.

The Emsam patch can also have drug interactions with narcotic pain medications, other MAOIs, serotonergic drugs, tyramine, sympathomimetic amines, buspirone, carbamazepine, and alcohol. People who’ve used any of these drugs within the past 14 days shouldn’t use the patch.

If you use the Emsam patch and have any side effects, work with your provider and consider reporting negative side effects to the FDA by visiting MedWatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088.