What is desipramine?
Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant. Desipramine affects chemicals in the brain that
may become unbalanced.
Desipramine is used to treat symptoms of depression.
Desipramine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication
guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking desipramine?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to desipramine, or if you have recently
had a heart attack.
Do not use desipramine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid
(Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or
tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur
if you take desipramine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Before taking desipramine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
-
heart disease, or a history of heart attack, stroke, or seizures;
-
bipolar disorder (manic-depression);
-
schizophrenia or other mental illness;
-
liver disease;
-
overactive thyroid;
-
diabetes (desipramine may raise or lower blood sugar);
-
glaucoma; or
-
problems with urination.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use
desipramine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant,
especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening
symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or
whenever your dose is changed.
Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or
symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of
treatment.
This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are
pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether desipramine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a
nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a
baby.
Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medication.
Do not give desipramine to anyone under 18 years old without the advice of a doctor.
How should I take desipramine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in
larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may
occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Follow
the directions on your prescription label.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking
desipramine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Do not stop using desipramine without first talking to your doctor. You may need to
use less and less before you stop the medication completely. Stopping this medication suddenly
could cause you to have unpleasant side effects.
It may take a few weeks of using this medicine before your symptoms improve. For
best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do
not improve during treatment.
Store desipramine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose of desipramine?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose,
skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about desipramine?
Your pharmacist has information about desipramine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of desipramine?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or
behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable,
agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or
have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
-
fast, pounding, or uneven heart rate;
-
chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or
shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;
-
sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the
body;
-
sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech,
or balance;
-
confusion, hallucinations, or seizure (convulsions);
-
easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
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feeling light-headed, fainting;
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tremors, restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue,
jaw, or neck;
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fever with confusion, muscle stiffness, sweating, and fast or
uneven heartbeats;
-
urinating more or less than usual;
-
extreme thirst with headache, nausea, vomiting, and
weakness;
-
skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, and
muscle weakness; or
-
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark
urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:
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vomiting, constipation;
-
dry mouth, unpleasant taste;
-
weakness, lack of coordination;
-
feeling anxious, restless, dizzy, or drowsy;
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sleep problems (insomnia), nightmares;
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blurred vision, trouble concentrating, headache, ringing in
your ears;
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breast swelling (in men or women); or
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decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an
orgasm.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your
doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about desipramine?
Do not use this medication if you have recently had a heart attack, or if you have used
an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect),
selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant,
especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular
visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood
or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable,
agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or
have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
What should I avoid while taking desipramine?
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can cause dangerous side effects when taken together with
desipramine.
Avoid using other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold medicine, pain
medication, muscle relaxers, medicine for seizures, or other antidepressants). They can add to
sleepiness caused by desipramine.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with desipramine. Discuss the use of
grapefruit products with your doctor before increasing or decreasing the amount of grapefruit
products in your diet.
Desipramine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be
careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds).
Desipramine can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a
sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.
What other drugs will affect desipramine?
Before taking desipramine,
tell your doctor if you have used an "SSRI"
antidepressant in the past 5 weeks
, such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram
(Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline
(Zoloft).
Before taking desipramine, tell your doctor if you are currently using any of the following
drugs:
-
cimetidine (Tagamet);
-
guanethidine (Ismelin); or
-
heart rhythm medications such as flecainide (Tambocor),
propafenone (Rhythmol), or quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute).
If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use
desipramine, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.
There are many other medicines that can interact with desipramine.
Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.
This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not
start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines
you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
What happens if I have an overdose of desipramine?
