Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Imipramine

Imipramine (sold as Antideprin®, Janimine®, Tofranil®) is an antidepressant medication belonging to a class called tricyclic antidepressants of the dibenzazepine group, mainly used in the treatment of clinical depression and enuresis. more...

Home

IFEX

Imdur

Imitrex

Imodium

Indahexal

Indapamide

Inderal

Indocin

Indometacin

Infliximab

INH

Inosine

Intal

Invanz

Iressa

Isordil

Isosorbide mononitrate

Isotretinoin

Itraconazole

Ivermectin

Imipramine was, in the late 1950s, the first tricyclic antidepressant to be developed (by Ciba-Geigy). Initially, it was tried against psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia), but proved insufficient. During the clinical studies its antidepressant qualities, unsurpassed until today, became evident. Subsequently it was extensively used as standard antidepressant and later served as a prototypical drug for the development of the later released tricyclics. It is not as commonly used today but sometimes used to treat major depression as a second-line treatment. It has also seen limited use in the treatment of migraines, ADD and post concussive syndrome. Imipramine has additional indications for the treatment of panic attacks and chronic pain. In pediatric patients it is relatively frequently used to treat pavor nocturnus and enuresis.

Mechanism of Action

Imipramine, a tertiary amine, inhibits the reuptake of serotonin more so than most secondary amine tricyclics, meaning that it blocks the reuptake of neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline almost equally.

Metabolism

Imipramine is converted to desipramine, another TCA, in the body.

Contraindications and Precautions

See Tricyclic antidepressants

Side Effects

Some common side effects of the drug include: tremors, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, insomnia, drowsiness, perspiration, flushing and weight gain. Agitation, irritability, confusion, and delirium are also possible, particular in the elderly.

Dosage

Ambulatory patients : starting with 25 to 75mg daily, increasing up to a maximum of 200mg daily, after remission dose is often reduced to 50-100mg daily.
Hospitalized patients : starting with 3 time 25mg, increasing to 200mg. Up to 300mg may be given in resistant cases. After remission dose is often reduced to 50-100mg daily.
Pediatric patients : starting with 10mg daily the dose is adjusted according to the severity of the symptoms to be treated, the side-effects encountered and the weight of the patient.

Overdose

The symptoms and the treatment of an overdose are largely the same as for the other tricyclic antidepressants. Cardinal symptoms are cardial and neurological disturbances. Any intake by children should be considered as serious and potentially fatal.

Read more at Wikipedia.org

• [List your site here Free!]

Less expensive imipramine effective for overactive bladder - Small, Retrospective Study
From OB/GYN News, 2/1/03

SAN FRANCISCO -- Imipramine is effective and cheaper than more common drug therapies for treating overactive bladder, Dr. Karolynn T. Echols reported at the annual meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society.

The most common pharmacologic treatments for overactive bladder--oral oxybutynin and tolterodine--are available in extended-release formulations that have been reported to improve compliance and reduce their anticholinergic side effects. Not everyone can afford them, however, especially uninsured or indigent populations.

The cheaper tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, which has been shown to be effective in managing nocturnal enuresis, also has successfully treated overactive bladder symptoms in patients taking the drug for depression, said Dr. Karolynn T. Echols of Louisiana State University, New Orleans.

Her institution considers imipramine the first-line treatment option for overactive bladder.

In a retrospective study of records on 267 patients treated for overactive bladder over a 7-year period, results showed no significant differences in patient improvement or satisfaction between 165 patients given imipramine, 22 on oxybutynin, and 4 treated with tolterodine, she said. In the imipramine group, 53% achieved complete dryness, compared with approximately 42% on oxybutynin and 75% on tolterodine.

Charts for the remaining 76 patients contained insufficient follow-up for inclusion in the study but were unlikely to affect results because there were no significant differences in history or demographics between these 76 patients and the study cohort, she said.

The monthly cost per patient for the medication averaged $22 for imipramine, $38 for oxybutynin, and $110 for tolterodine.

The retrospective design of the study and its small size limit the suggestion that imipramine is a cost-effective alternative to other regimens for overactive bladder.

"This provides some important issues that we need to address in future prospective analyses," said Dr. Echols, who said she has no financial relationships with the companies that make the medications used in the study.

Of 32 patients who did not adhere to therapy, 22 were nonadherent because of side effects and 10 did not adhere because of cost.

While there were no significant differences between treatment groups in rates of nonadherence because of side effects, patients on imipramine were the least likely to stop therapy because of cost concerns.

Return to Imipramine

Home

Contact

Resources

Exchange Links

ebay