---
name: Iproniazid
molecule: C9H13N3O
compound: "Iproniazid"
era: Modern
origin: USA
archetype: Freetekno
ancestor: Native American
swag_score: 3
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_nativeAmerican_iproniazid.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_nativeAmerican_iproniazid.webp" alt="Iproniazid" width="320" />
</div>


# Iproniazid

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Iproniazid produces mood elevation, increased energy, and mild
euphoria. It does not cause acute euphoria or hallucinations but gradually improves emotional
stability. Physically it might lead to dry mouth, dizziness, or insomnia due to increased
monoamine levels. It can also lead to weight gain or sexual dysfunction.

**Natural Occurrence:** Does not occur in nature.

## History

Iproniazid was originally developed in the early 1950s as a treatment for tuberculosis, derived from the rocket fuel hydrazine. In 1952, physicians at Sea View Hospital on Staten Island, New York noticed that TB patients treated with iproniazid became unusually euphoric and energetic, leading to the landmark discovery that it functioned as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) with antidepressant properties. Iproniazid became the first commercially available antidepressant in 1958, ushering in the psychopharmacological revolution and fundamentally changing psychiatry's approach to depression, though it was later withdrawn due to liver toxicity concerns.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Freetekno](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#freetekno)

**Ancestor:** [Native American](../../../core-lore/ancestors/native-american.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Three of Swords](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/three-of-swords.md)

**PubChem:** [Iproniazid](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Iproniazid)

**Paired With:** [Syrian Rue](syrian-rue.md)

## Sources

- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Iproniazid
- https://www.drugs.com/drug-class/monoamine-oxidase-inhibitors.html
- [Iproniazid - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iproniazid) — first commercially available antidepressant (1958), MAOI mechanism, hydrazine origin, liver toxicity withdrawal
- [Monoamine oxidase inhibitor - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor) — MAOI drug class, mechanism of action
- [Iproniazid (Britannica)](https://www.britannica.com/science/iproniazid) — pharmacological history and classification
- [Pharmacotherapy of depression: a historical analysis (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11478422/) — Sea View Hospital observations, antidepressant discovery history
- [Isoniazid - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoniazid) — hydrazine derivative origin, tuberculosis treatment context