Imipramine: functions, dosage, side effects, how to use it

Use

What is imipramine used for?

Imipramine is a type of oral medicine that is available in capsules and tablets. This drug belongs to the tricyclic antidepressant class. The way this drug works is by increasing the amount of natural substances in the brain that are needed to maintain mental balance.

This drug is used to treat depression, but there are also those who use this drug to treat bedwetting problems in children. However, it is still not certain whether this drug is effective in treating bed-wetting.

This drug is included in prescription drugs, so you can only use and buy it if accompanied by a prescription from a doctor.

How do I use imipramine?

If you want to get the maximum benefit from using this drug, you should use this drug in an appropriate manner, as follows.

• Take this medication with or without food. Usually this medication is used 1-4 times daily or as directed by your doctor.
• If you are sleepy during the day, your doctor may order you to take the entire dose once a day at bedtime.
• The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.
• In children, the dose may also be determined based on body weight. To reduce the risk of side effects, your doctor may tell you to start with a low dose and slowly increase the dose.
• When used in children to treat bed-wetting problems, imipramine should be taken one hour before bedtime. If the child usually wet the bed early at night, the drug can be given earlier in separate doses (for example, one dose during the day and one dose at bedtime).
• Follow the doctor's instructions carefully. Do not take the medicine more, less, or more often than is prescribed. The condition will not improve any sooner and the risk of side effects will increase.
• Use this medicine regularly for maximum benefits.
• To help you remember your medication schedule, use it at the same times each day.
• This drug is not effective immediately to work on your health problems. It may take up to three weeks before you experience maximum benefits if you are taking this medication for depression.
• It is important that you continue to take this medicine even if you are well. Do not suddenly stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. A number of conditions may worsen if the medicine is suddenly stopped. The dose may need to be gradually decreased.
• When used long-term in children to treat bedwetting problems, this drug may not work very well and may require a different dose. Talk to your doctor if the medication stops working well. Tell the doctor if the condition does not get better or gets worse.

How is imipramine stored?

There is a drug storage procedure that you must follow as follows.

• Store the drug at room temperature.
• Keep this medication away from exposure to sunlight or direct light.
• Do not store this medication in the bathroom or other humid places.
• Don't freeze it in the freezer either.
• This drug is available in various brands. Different brands may have different retention rules.
• Check the product box for instructions on how to store it, or ask the pharmacist.
• Keep medicines away from children and pets.

You must also follow the procedures for disposing of drug waste such as the following:

• It is forbidden to flush the medicine in the toilet or throw it down the drain if not instructed to.
• Do not mix medicinal waste with other household waste because it can pollute the environment.
• Properly discard this product if it is past the deadline or is no longer needed.
• Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal agency for more in-depth details on how to dispose of medicinal waste safely for the environment.

Dose

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the dose of imipramine for adults?

Adult dosage for depression - tablets

• Inpatients:
  • The starting dose is 100 mg per day but can be increased to 200 mg per day if needed.
  • Titration dose: After increasing to 200 mg / day but no improvement after two weeks, increase the drug dose to 250-300 mg / day.
  • Maintenance dose: 100-200 mg orally once a day
  • Maximum dose: 300 mg / day

• Outpatients:
  • The starting dose is 75 mg per day.
  • Maintenance dose: 50-150 mg orally once a day.
  • Maximum dose: 200 mg / day. Doses of more than 200 mg per day are not recommended.

Adult dosage for depression - capsules

• Inpatients:
  • Initial dose: 100-150 mg per day but can be increased to 200 mg per day if needed.
  • Titration dose: After increasing to 200 mg / day but no improvement after two weeks, increase the drug dose to 250-300 mg / day.
  • Maintenance dose: 75-150 mg orally once a day
  • Maximum dose: 300 mg / day

• Outpatients:
  • The starting dose is 75 mg per day.
  • Maintenance dose: 75-150 mg orally once a day.
  • Maximum dose: 200 mg / day. Doses of more than 200 mg per day are not recommended.

What is the dose of imipramine for children?

Child dosage for primary nocturnal enuresis

• Children aged 6-12 years:
  • Initial dose: 25 mg orally once a day.
  • Maintenance dose: 50 mg orally once a day.
  • Maximum dose: 2.5 mg / kg / day.
• Children aged 12-18 years:
  • Initial dose: 25 mg orally once a day.
  • Maintenance dose: 75 mg orally once a day.
  • Maximum dose: 2.5 mg / kg / day.

In what dosage is imipramine available?

Tablet, oral: 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg.

Side effects

What side effects can be experienced due to imipramine?

The use of imipramine also has the potential to cause side effect symptoms. These symptoms can include health conditions, ranging from mild to quite serious.

The following are symptoms of imipramine side effects that may occur:

• Feel like passing out
• Chest pain, irregular or fast heartbeat that is new or gets worse
• Sudden numbness or weakness, vision problems, speech, or balance
• Fever, sore throat
• Easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red spots under the skin
• Confusion, hallucinations, strange thoughts or habits
• Pain or difficulty urinating
• Convulsions or
• Jaundice.

If you experience symptoms of the side effects as mentioned, please contact your doctor immediately for medical treatment.

In addition, there are also side effects that are classified as mild, such as:

• Feeling ticklish, weakness, loss of coordination
• Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea
• Blurred vision, ringing in the ears
• Reduced sexual appetite, impotence, or difficulty orgasming.

These side effects are relatively mild, so they will go away on their own. However, if the side effects don't go away or they get worse, tell your doctor right away.

Also report any new symptoms or other worsening condition to the doctor, for example: changes in mood or habits, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, sudden impulsivity, irritability, grumpiness, aggression, restlessness, hyperactivity (mentally or physically), more easily depressed, and think about suicide or injuring yourself.

Not everyone experiences the following side effects. There may be some side effects not listed above. If you have concerns about certain side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions & Warnings

What should be known before using Imipramine?

Before using imipramine, there are a number of things you should know and do, for example:

• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to imipramine, any other medication, or to any of the ingredients in imipramine tablets or capsules. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of ingredients for this drug.
• Tell your doctor that you are taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have stopped taking MAO inhibitors for more than 14 days. Your doctor may tell you not to take imipramine. If you stop taking imipramine, you should wait at least 14 days before starting to take an MAO inhibitor again.
• Tell your doctor about the types of prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or planning to take. You are being treated with electroshock therapy (a procedure in which small electricity is given to the brain to treat certain psychiatric illnesses), and if you have had an enlarged prostate (male reproductive gland), difficulty urinating, seizures, an overactive thyroid gland, or liver disease, kidney, or heart.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking imipramine, call your doctor.
• Tell the doctor who will handle you undergoing surgery, including dental surgery, that you are taking imipramine.
• You should know that this drug may make you drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are aware of the effects of the drug.
• Keep in mind that alcohol makes you sleepier more and more, so taking it with medications can increase your risk of side effects.
• Avoid prolonged or unnecessary sun exposure or wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Imipramine might make skin sensitive to sunlight.
• You should know that imipramine might cause acute glaucoma. Talk to your doctor about having an eye exam before starting this medication.
• If you have nausea, eye pain, vision changes, for example seeing colored rings around light, and swelling or redness in or around your eyes, contact your doctor or get medical attention as soon as possible.

Is imipramine safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication.

This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category C based on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia. The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

• A = No risk,
• B = not at risk in several studies,
• C = May be risky,
• D = There is positive evidence of risk,
• X = Contraindicated,
• N = Unknown

There are not sufficient studies in women to determine whether this drug is harmful to a nursing infant if the mother is breastfeeding using this medicine. Consider the possible benefits and risks before using this medication while breastfeeding.

Interaction

What other medicines may interact with imipramine?

Drug interactions may change how medications work or increase the risk of serious side effects. Not all drugs that may interact with imipramine are listed in this article. Therefore, keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription / over-the-counter medicines and herbal products) and tell your doctor and pharmacist.

Do not start, stop, or change your dose without your doctor's approval. Take this medication with other medicines that may increase the side effects of using the drug. Ask your doctor before taking imipramine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medication, muscle relaxant, or medication for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

The following are drugs that may interact with imipramine:

• anticoagulants (blood thinners), such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• antihistamines
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• flecainide (Tambocor)
• Levodopa (Sinemet, Larodopa)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• medications for high blood pressure, mental disorders, nausea, seizures, Parkinson's disease, asthma, flu, or allergies
• methylphenidate (Ritalin)
• muscle relaxant
• propafenone (Rhytmol)
• quinidine
• sedative
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft)
• sleeping pills
• thyroid medication and sedatives

Can food or alcohol interact with imipramine?

Certain drugs cannot be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur. Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with a healthcare professional about using drugs with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

What health conditions can interact with imipramine?

The presence of other medical disorders may affect the use of this drug. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bipolar disorder (mood disorder with mania and depression), or risk
• Diabetes
• Glaucoma (acute type)
• Heart or blood vessel disease
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
• Mania, history
• Schizophrenia (mental disorder)
• Seizures, history
• Urinary retention (urinary disorders), history
• Heart attack, recent
• Kidney illness
• Liver disease

Overdose

What should I do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or overdose, contact the local emergency services provider (119) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget a dose of this medicine, take the missed dose as soon as possible. However, when it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to the usual dosing schedule. Don't double the dose.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.