Imipramine tablet, with the trade name Tofranil, is a type of tricyclic antidepressant that, in addition to treating symptoms of depression, is sometimes prescribed to treat enuresis in children six years and older. If you need to use this drug for any reason, we suggest you stay with us until the end of the article to learn more about how to use it and the side effects of imipramine.
What is imipramine?
Imipramine belongs to the class of tricyclic antidepressants that treat depression by maintaining the balance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Taking imipramine for depression improves your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels and motivates you to live. Also, imipramine is used along with other methods to treat nocturnal enuresis in children. In this situation, imipramine regulates the amount of acetylcholine in the bladder and inhibits the child’s nocturnal urination.
Important points before taking imipramine
- Some young people may experience suicidal thoughts after first using imipramine. So pay attention to mood swings and report bad symptoms to your doctor.
- Do not use imipramine if you are allergic to imipramine, have a history of heart attack, and are allergic to other antidepressants.
- Avoid taking imipramine if you have used a monoamine oxidase (MOA) inhibitor such as carboxylase, linezolid, or parenteral methylene blue for 14 days.
- Tell your doctor if you have used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants such as fluoxetine, sertraline, or trazodone in the past five weeks.
- Avoid driving or doing activities that require alertness while taking imipramine.
- After taking imipramine, avoid going under the sun and use sunscreen. This medicine can cause sunburn.
- Do not use imipramine during breastfeeding.
- The effect of imipramine on the fetus is not known. If you are pregnant, inform your doctor.
- Avoid giving imipramine to children without a doctor’s advice. Imipramine is not suitable for treating depression in children under 18 years of age. Also, this drug should not be used to treat nocturia in children under six.
If you have a history of certain diseases, inform the doctor, including:
- Heart disease, stroke, or seizure.
- Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other mental illnesses.
- Kidney or liver disease.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Closed-angle glaucoma.
- Urinary problems.
How to take imipramine
- Take imipramine according to the doctor’s prescription and the instructions that come with the medicine.
- If you plan to have surgery, let your doctor know.
- You can take medicine with or without food.
- The amount of medicine varies according to the disease type and treatment response.
- This medicine does not work immediately, and it takes about three weeks to see the effect of the entire treatment.
- Tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or worsen after two weeks.
- Smoking reduces the amount of imipramine in the blood.
- It would be best if you did not stop taking imipramine suddenly. Follow your doctor’s instructions to reduce the amount of medication.
- Keep the medicine at room temperature, away from moisture, light, and heat.
Dosage of imipramine
Imipramine is available as 10, 25, and 50 mg imipramine tablets.
Imipramine for depression
For teenagers, the elderly, and outpatients, smaller amounts of medicine are recommended. Imipramine is first prescribed in small quantities, gradually increasing after recovery; a minimal amount of medication may be specified for a more extended period to maintain the condition. Also, the amount of drugs is different for different people.
- Adults: First, 100 mg per day is prescribed as a single dose, which may gradually reach 200 mg daily. If the person does not respond to the drug after two weeks, the drug is increased to 250 to 300 mg daily.
- Outpatients: First, 75 mg per day is prescribed, which reaches 150 mg per day. Amounts higher than 200 mg per day are not recommended. The continued dose is 50 to 150 mg per day.
- Adolescents and the elderly: 30 to 40 mg per day is prescribed. Usually, it does not need to reach 100 mg per day.
Imipramine for children’s nocturnal enuresis
Initially, the drug should be given 25 mg daily and 1 hour before bedtime to children six years old or older. If no effect is observed after one week, this amount increases to 50 mg in children under 12 years old and up to 75 mg in children over 12 years old. Amounts more significant than 75 mg increase the likelihood of side effects. According to observations, it is better to use 25 mg of medicine in the afternoon and 25 mg at night for early nocturia. Of course, consult your doctor about this, and remember that reducing and increasing the drug should be done gradually. Stopping the medication suddenly makes the child not respond appropriately to the next course of treatment.
Forgetting to take medicine
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Avoid taking double the medicine. Abuse of this drug may be fatal. Symptoms of drug abuse include:
- Irregular heartbeat ;
- feeling faint;
- convulsions;
- earned
Side effects of imipramine
See a doctor immediately if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, including:
- change in mood or behavior;
- anxiety ;
- panic attacks ;
- sleep problem;
- more depression;
- thoughts of suicide or self-harm;
- Impulsivity, irritability, confusion, anger, restlessness, hyperactivity (mental and physical).
Serious side effects of imipramine
- Easy bruising, unusual bleeding, purple or red spots under the skin.
- Tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, seeing a halo around the light.
- I was feeling lightheaded or fainting.
- Chest pain, pounding heart, or pounding chest.
- Sudden numbness or weakness, trouble with vision, speech, or balance.
- Fever and sore throat.
- Confusion, hallucinations, unusual thoughts, or behavior.
- Painful urination.
- shudder
- Abnormal production of milk from the breast.
- convulsions
- Jaundice.
Common side effects of imipramine
- increased blood pressure;
- Tingling, weakness, or imbalance;
- diarrhea ;
- ringing in the ears;
- Orgasm problems;
- loss of appetite ;
- weight loss or gain ;
- increased sweating;
- Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting ;
- Breast swelling (in men or women).
These items are not a complete list of the side effects of the drug. If you have other complications, discuss them with your doctor.
Drug interaction of imipramine
- Taking imipramine with other hypnotic drugs can worsen the drug’s effect. Consult your doctor before taking imipramine with hypnotics, narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants, or medications for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
- Many drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal products, can affect imipramine. So talk to your doctor about your medications.
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Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
