Desipramine Drug Profile

Boxed warning

Suicidality in children/adolescents/young adults

Clinical alerts

Boxed warning

1 boxed warning

Narrow therapeutic index

Small dose changes can cause toxicity or loss of effect

QT prolongation

Avoid combining with other QT-prolonging agents; check electrolytes

Serotonergic

Serotonin syndrome risk when combined with other serotonergic drugs

Anticholinergic

Adds to anticholinergic burden, particularly in older patients

CNS depressant

Additive sedation with other CNS depressants and alcohol

Mechanism of action

Preferentially inhibits norepinephrine reuptake

Recorded indications

From the drug index — may include conditions studied rather than approved indications

·Irritable Bowel Syndrome
·Chronic Pain
·DS (Durie/Salmon) Stage I Plasma Cell Myeloma
·DS Stage II Plasma Cell Myeloma
·DS Stage III Plasma Cell Myeloma

Interactions

No curated interaction pairs are recorded for Desipramine. This is not a statement that none exist — check a full interaction reference before combining.

Common adverse effects

Dry mouth
Constipation
Dizziness

Food, alcohol & herbal

Alcohol · major

Severe CNS depression

Pharmacokinetics

Half-life: 12-24 hours
Protein binding: 91%
Metabolised by: CYP2D6

Pregnancy & lactation

Not recorded for Desipramine. Absence here means this database does not hold a category — not that the drug is safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Sources

Assembled from: drug index, curated drug database.