IMIPRAMINE

Tri-cyclic antidepressant medicine

Dosage Forms

Tablet

25 mg

Uses

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Nocturnal enuresis in children

Dose and Duration

Anxiety
  • Adult: 25–50 mg at night
Depression
  • Adult: Initially 25–50 mg orally increased gradually to 150–200 mg daily
  • Elderly: initially 10 mg orally increased gradually to 30-50 mg
Nocturnal enuresis in children
  • Child > 11 years (35–54 kg): 50–75 mg just before bedtime for not more than 3 months
  • Child 8–11 years (25–35 kg): 25–50 mg just before bedtime for not more than 3 months
  • Child 6–7 years (20–25 kg): 25 mg just before bedtime for not more than 3 months

Contraindications

  • Depression in children
  • Severe liver disease

Side Effects

  • Sedation, drowsiness
  • Dry mouth, constipation
  • Blurred vision
  • Urinary retention

Interactions

  • Alcohol (increased sedative effects)
  • General anaesthetics (increased hypotension)
  • Tramadol (increased risk of CNS toxicity)
  • Warfarin (increased or reduced anticoagulant effect)
  • MAOI (increased risk of hypertension and CNS excitation)
  • Antiepileptics (anticonvulsant effect antagonised)
  • Artemether/lumefantrine (increased risk of arrhythmias)
  • Antipsychotics (increased risk of arrhythmias)
  • Ritonavir (increased concentration and side effects of imipramine)
  • Adrenaline and noradrenaline (increased risk of hypertension and arrhythmias)

Patient Instructions

  • Take at night
  • Do not take alcohol while taking this medicine to avoid increased sleepiness side effect

Pregnancy

  • Do not use

Breast-feeding

  • Can be used

⚠️ Caution

  • Reduce dose in elderly
  • Do not stop treatment abruptly; may cause withdrawal symptoms
  • Do not start imipramine until 3 weeks after stopping a MAOI