[This message is from Ashton Braithwaite, who is fully identified to us.
**Kitty]

I haven't taken Deprenyl, and was investigating the brands,
distributors, doses, etc., before I begin. Then I noticed that
Rasagiline seems to have many of the same properities, and may be
more effective. However, the price difference is huge (28 x 1mg
tabs cost $250).

How should I compare the two, and do you have any recommendations on
beginning Deprenyl?

[I remember hearing about Rasagiline, but I have never looked into it because of
the huge price difference, likely difficult availability and the fact that
deprenyl is already highly effective. However, I find that it is available from
IAS (http://www.antiaging-systems.com/iasstore/acatalog/azilect.html) at the
price that you quoted (although they currently have a special on which makes the
price $235 including shipping). After a quick look a PubMed and elsewhere, here
is what I have found and concluded about these two chemicals:

1) Deprenyl (more commonly called selegiline in North America) is a monoamine
oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor which is of value in preventing the metabolism of
dopamine in Parkinson's Disease (PD). In low doses it has little MOA-B
inhibiting activity, but still shows a direct catecholamine enhancing and
neuroprotective activity which may help prevent neurodegenerative disease,
particularly PD.
2) Depreny has low and variable bioavailability and metabolizes to the
potentially neurotoxic compounds L-methamphetamine and L-amphetamine (even
though deprenyl itself is generally protective against neurotoxicity).
3) Concern has been expressed about the potential of the MAO-B inhibitor
selegiline (deprenyl) to induce cardiovascular adverse effects (orthostatic
hypotension), either directly or through its amphetamine catabolites, but this
and neurotoxic effects are unlikely at very low prophylactic dosages (less than
5 mg daily).
4) A sublingual route of usage increases bioavailability and reduces metabolism
to L-methamphetamine and L-amphetamine.
5) Rasagiline completely and selectively inhibits MAO-B with a potency 5 to 10
times greater than selegiline and without known neurotoxic metabolites nor
sympathomimetic activity. Adverse events do not occur with greater frequency in
subjects receiving rasagiline than in those on placebo.
6) Rasagiline may induce neuroprotection, neuroplasticity and long-term
potentiation and has therefore been chosen by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) to study its neuroprotective effects in both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
diseases.
7) Since the dosage in which rasagiline is sold (1 mg tabs) is meant for PD
patients, which is far too high for prophylactic use (equivalent in dosage to
5-10 mg of deprenyl), the tabs would need to broken into four at least to allow
any reasonable distribution of a dosage equivalent to 10-15 mg of deprenyl
weekly (the dosage recommended for healthy people). Even then you would only
want to take 1/4 tab 4 to 6 times per week. Another way would be to crush them
to powder and then weigh out dosages, but this is of course very time consuming.
8) Since rasagiline costs about $8-$9 per 1 mg tab versus $0.9 for each 5 mg
deprenyl tab (at IAS; even cheaper - $0.675 - at
http://uniquenutrition.net/shop/category.asp?catid=17) it still appears to be
more expensive relative to the dosage than is deprenyl (apart from being much
harder to use at the non-PD dosage).

Conclusion:
If one has PD then it would be best to use the more potent and less toxic (as
high dosages) rasagiline. However, for easy and distributed prophylatic usage by
aging yet healthy people, I still think that deprenyl is the better product.
--Paul]

[What Paul has suggested to others (including me) for deprenyl is to start with
5 mg per week while in 40s and add 5mg/wk for each additional decade past 40.
Therefore I am now taking 15mg per week and Paul a bit more. **Kitty]