Imipramine

Description

Imipramine is an effective medicine, used to treat depression. It should be started at lower doses and gradually increased. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly as it may cause withdrawal symptoms like mood changes and irritability.

Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Imipramine

  • Abdominal pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Decrease in frequency of urination
  • Dry mouth
  • Rapid weight gain
  • Yellow colored eyes or skin
  • Unusual tiredness and weakness
  • Increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight
  • Skin rash

Uses of Imipramine

What is it prescribed for?

  • Depression
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Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action
    The effect of this medicine can be observed after 2 weeks.
  • Duration of effect
    The effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 18 to 54 hours.
  • Safe with alcohol?
    Consumption of alcohol is not recommended while taking this medicine as it increases the risk of side effects of this medicine like dizziness, blurred vision, sweating, and muscle stiffness. Do not perform activities that require mental alertness like driving vehicle and operation machinery.
  • Is it habit forming?
    No habit forming tendencies were reported.
  • Usage in pregnancy?
    This medicine should be used by pregnant women only when the benefits outweigh the risk associated with usage. Hence, you are advised to consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
  • Usage while breast-feeding?
    This medicine should not be used by women who are breastfeeding. If it is absolutely necessary to take this medicine then you should stop breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.

Allergy

Not recommended in patients with known allergy to Imipramine.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)

Imipramine is not recommended patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors selegiline and isocarboxazid.

Myocardial infarction

Imipramine is not recommended for use if the patient is recovering from a recent heart attack.
Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

This medicine should be used by pregnant women only when the benefits outweigh the risk associated with usage. Hence, you are advised to consult your doctor before taking this medicine.

Breast-feeding

This medicine should not be used by women who are breastfeeding. If it is absolutely necessary to take this medicine then you should stop breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
General warnings

Sedation

Use of this medicine can cause sedation and impairment of physical abilities. You should avoid work that requires mental alertness while using this medicine.

Suicidal tendencies

Use of this medicine is reported to provoke suicidal thoughts and increased suicidal tendencies, especially in young patients. Report any such incidence to the doctor so that counseling and monitoring of progress can be performed at regular intervals.

Withdrawal symptoms

The use of this medicine should not be discontinued abruptly. You may experience withdrawal symptoms especially if you have been using a high dose for a long duration. Do not stop the use of this medicine without consulting your doctor.

Surgery

Use of this medicine is not recommended if you are planning to undergo a surgery in near future. Consult your doctor in this regard so that it can be discontinued properly.

Bipolar disorder

This medicine is not recommended in patients with bipolar disorder. Symptoms of mania and depression can worsen upon usage of this medicine. Consult your doctor and report the incidence of bipolar depression or mania before receiving this medicine.

Liver disease

This medicine should be used with caution if you are suffering from impaired liver functioning. Report all such conditions to the doctor before receiving this medicine.

Kidney disease

This medicine should be used with caution if you are suffering from impaired kidney function. Report all such conditions to the doctor before receiving this medicine.

Missed Dose

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next scheduled dose then the missed dose should be skipped.

Overdose

Contact a doctor immediately if an overdose is suspected. Symptoms of overdose may include a change in pulse rates, severe drowsiness, confusion, vomiting, hallucinations, convulsions, and fainting. Immediate medical intervention may be required if the overdose symptoms are severe.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol

Description

Concomitant use of alcohol and a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) may result altered TCA plasma levels and efficacy

Instructions

Consumption of alcohol is not recommended while taking this medicine as it increases the risk of side effects of this medicine like dizziness, blurred vision, sweating, and muscle stiffness. Do not perform activities that require mental alertness like driving vehicle and operation machinery.
Interaction with Medicine

Ondansetron

Antidiabetic medicines

Opioids

Antihypertensives

Disease interactions

Heart Disease

Imipramine should be used with caution in patients suffering from heart disease like heart failure, stroke, heart block etc. A fall in blood pressure, change in pulse, dizziness and other associated complications should be reported to the doctor. It is advised to not take this medicine if the patient has recently suffered a heart attack.

Pheochromocytoma

Imipramine should be administered with extreme caution in patients suffering from Pheochromocytoma, the risk of severe to fatal change in blood pressure is very high. Suitable dose adjustment and clinical monitoring of the symptoms is recommended in such cases.

Seizure disorders

Imipramine should be used with caution in patients having a seizure disorder. Seizures may be caused due to a disease, some other medicine, head injury in the past etc. Using this medicine can cause more frequent and severe episodes of seizures.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Imipramine as instructed by the doctor. Do not take in larger quantities than advised.Do not stop taking this medicine without informing the doctor as it may cause withdrawal symptoms like nausea and headache.
Miscelleneous

Can be taken with or without food, as advised by your doctor

To be taken as instructed by doctor

May cause sleepiness

How it works
It works by increasing the amount of a chemical substance in the brain which helps in maintaining the mental balance.
Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Tricyclic antidepressants

Schedule

Schedule H

[Internet]. 2017 [cited 19 May 2017]. Available from:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/23978

DailyMed - Imipramine hydrochloride tablet [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 19 May 2017]. Available from:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2f7d5e7f-79aa-4f3a-b9a6-758d9f3ce74d

[Internet]. Toxnet.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 19 May 2017]. Available from:

https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/f?./temp/~ohuOyb:1

Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 19 May 2017]. Available from:

https://www.tga.gov.au/prescribing-medicines-pregnancy-database#searchname

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Information on this page was last updated on 16 Nov 2017

Disclaimer

We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.