Imipramina What is, function, dose and side effects

Depressive disorders constitute a group of complex syndromes that have diverse symptomatology. For treatment, interventions have been proposed, such as psychological and/or psychiatric. Among the second ones, the therapy based on Psychopharmaceutical administration has undoubtedly been the most known and best known.

At this time there is a large number of antidepressant psychotropic drugs in the market that, according to the patient's characteristics, are selected by the health professional to treat depression in the most effective way. One of these types are tricyclic antidepressants, a category to which the protagonist drug belongs to the following Psychology-online article. ¿You want to know what Imipramine is and what is it for? Next, we expose What is imipramine, its function, doses and side effects.

1. What is Imipramina
2. Imipramine function
3. Recommended dose of Imipramina
4. Imipramine contraindications
5. Side effects of imipramine

What is Imipramina

As we have already advanced, the Imipramine is A psychotopharmacus of the tricyclic antidepressant group whose mechanism of action is based on the inhibition of norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake.

Taking into account the monoaminergic hypothesis of depression that establishes that in depressed patients there is a deficit of biogenic monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin), these drugs can achieve the improvement of these patients, since the inhibition of their reversal does, Not only that your activity is prolonged, but your action is enhanced.

Beyond the effect they have on depressive symptomatology, a characteristic to take into account regarding tricyclic antidepressants is that they carry numerous side effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth, tachycardia, etc. However, this fact will always be taken into account by the doctor or health professional who supervises the treatment.

Imipramine function

¿What effects the imipramine has? As a tricyclic antidepressant, imipramine is a drug used in the treatment of depressive disorders. These disorders are collected and specified in the DSM-5 diagnostic classifications (American Psychiatry Association) and CIE-11 (World Health Organization) and among which are the major depressive disorder or dystimia.

Imipramine treatment would also be indicated for other health disorders and problems. Following the Vademecum (2016), it can be used for:

• Cases of anguish crisis.
• Chronic painful syndrome.
• Night enuresis.

Recommended dose of Imipramina

Next, the doses that Vademecum (2016) recommend for the treatment of the different problems for which Imipramina's use is recommended are exposed. This exhibition is not intended to be a guide for drug administration, but a brief explanation of its use.

First, the recommendations of the Vademecum (2016) for the treatment of depressive disorders with imipramine indicate small initial doses and increase until you get the desired improvement. After this improvement the doses will be reduced to reach an optimal maintenance dose.

The health professional should take into account the patient's age when prescribing imipramina. It should be taken into account that the prescription of the drug to older people, children and adolescents must follow specific guidelines. This fact is important if we consider that Imipramine can be used in cases of chronic pain (which older people can suffer) and enuresis (a disorder related to childhood).

Imipramine contraindications

In addition to the side effects, the treatment with imipramina also presents certain contraindications, causing the intake of the drug to be avoided if:

• The patient presents hypersensitivity to said medication.
• The patient presents hypersensitivity to tricyclic antidepressants of the Dibenzoazepin group (group to which Imipramine belongs).
• The patient is in acute myocardial infarction stage.
• The patient is in treatment with selective reversible inhibitors of the monoamineoxidase, IMAO.

In addition, it is not recommended to drive or handle heavy machinery after intake, its use in breastfeeding periods and the pregnancy situation should be taken into consideration.

Given what is stated here regarding side effects and contraindications, it is important to keep in mind that we will never have to self -medicate ourselves. Imipramine is a drug whose administration You must always be under the supervision of a professional of qualified health for this.

Side effects of imipramine

Like all drugs, Imipramina also has a list of adverse reactions and/or associated side effects. Not all adverse effects will appear in all patients And, in case they appear, they may not appear with the same intensity.

However, it is normal that doubts about Imipramina's treatment may arise when reading the prospect. If this happens, our recommendation is to consult these doubts with the doctor and/or the pharmacist.

With all this, among the side effects of impramine proposed by the Vademecum (2016) and that could be present would be:

• Weight gain.
• Anorexy.
• Concern.
• Confusion.
• Delirium.
• Hallucinations.
• Anxiety.
• Agitation.
• Mania.
• Hypomania.
• Libido alterations.
• Sleep disorders.
• Disorientation.
• Shaking.
• Vertigo.
• Headaches.
• Drowsiness.
• Paresthesia.
• Blurry vision.
• Visual accommodation disorders.
• Decrease in tearing.
• Sinus tachycardia.
• Changes in ECG.
• Arrhythmias.
• Palpitations.
• Driving disorders.
• Hot flushes.
• Orthostatic hypotension.
• Dry Boca.
• Constipation.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Changes in liver function.
• Hyperhidrosis.
• Allergic dermatitis.
• Rash.
• Urticaria.
• Urination problems.
• Fatigue.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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