imipramine

Drug Class:	Commonly Known As:	Category:
Tricyclic Antidepressants	Apo-Imipramine

imipramine - Side Effects, Precautions, and Contraindications

What side effects can imipramine cause?

Nausea

Take the medication after food, eat small but frequent meals. Avoid fatty or spicy food.

Drowsiness

May affect your ability to drive and use machinery. Make sure your reactions are normal before you drive or do things which require you to be alert.

Dizziness

Get up slowly from a sitting or lying position.

Dry mouth

Chew sugar-free gum, suck on sugar-free hard candies or ice chips, sip water regularly

Constipation

Drink more water (if you do not have any fluid restrictions), eat more high-fibre foods, and exercise regularly

Dry Eyes

Apply lubricant eye drops if necessary.

Skin sensitive to sunlight

Wear long-sleeved clothing and apply sunblock to protect yourself from the sun.

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

Very rarely (affect less than 1% of patients), this medication may cause:

Fast or irregular heartbeat
Confusion
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
Stiffness of arms or legs
Problems in urinating
Blurred vision
Seizures (fits)
Dark urine or light coloured stools, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain, yellowing of your eyes or skin

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

Before taking imipramine , what precautions must I follow?

Inform your healthcare professional if:

You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
You have heart, liver or kidney problems
You have diabetes as this medication may affect blood glucose control
You have a history of seizures(fits)
You have glaucoma
You are taking other medications for your mood
You have sudden changes in mood
You have new or increasing thoughts of harming yourself

IMPORTANT:

In some cases, particularly in young people below the age of 25 years, this medication may cause the following changes to a person's mental condition, especially in the first few weeks of treatment or during dose

changes

New or worsening thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life
Worsening agitation, restlessness, violent behaviour, or
Other changes in mood or behaviour

Please inform your doctor as soon as possible, or for your family or caregiver to inform your doctor if

you are unable to seek treatment on your own

Do not stop taking this medication on your own without discussing with your doctor.

It is important to note that your doctor has prescribed this medication as he/she feels you will benefit

more from taking this medication over the possible risks that it may cause, which have a low chance of

occuring, and most people take this medication without any of such problems.

What food or medicine must I avoid when I take imipramine ?

Avoid drinking alcohol as it may increase the risk of dizziness, light-headedness or drowsiness.

Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking or intend to take any other medication, supplements, traditional medications or herbal remedies.