In today's world, stress and emotional stress have become frequent companions of many people. Often, such phenomena lead to the development of depression. That is why antidepressants today have become the so-called first aid for the development of these pathologies. They contribute to the normalization of mood, eliminate anxiety and anxiety. One of these drugs is Imipramin, an instruction to which indicates that it is an effective tool to eliminate various psychosomatic disorders.
Description and description of the medication
"Imipramine" is an antidepressant, available in the form of red tablets that are odorless. One pill contains 25 milligrams of the main active ingredient - imipramine hydrochloride. Magnesium stearate, talc, lactose, povidone and others act as additional components. Fifty pills are placed in vials.
The release form of Imipramine may also be presented as an injection. One ampoule contains 25 milligrams of the active substance. Ten ampoules of 2 milliliters are placed in one package.
According to the instructions, "Imipramine" is prescribed for such pathologies and conditions:
- depression of various forms and durations;
- panic attacks;
- enuresis in childhood after six years.
Drug action
According to the instructions for use, Imipramin has an antidepressant, timoleptic, psychostimulating and antidysuric effect. They develop slowly, the therapeutic effect is observed after 4-8 weeks of therapy.
Imipramine, which is part of the drug, acts as a tricyclic antidepressant. It inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, blocks histamine receptors, which is expressed in its sedative effect.
The drug helps to improve mood, eliminate anxiety and motor inhibition, increases the tone of the body.
After ingestion, it is well absorbed. The maximum concentration of the active substance is observed two hours after taking the pill or one hour after intramuscular injection. Imipramine is able to accumulate in the liver, kidneys and brain.
The medicine is removed along with urine and bile after one day.
"Imipramine": instructions for use
The dosage and duration of therapy is determined by the doctor in each case. It all depends on the severity of the pathology and the nature of its course. To achieve a lasting therapeutic effect, it is necessary to take the drug from four to eight weeks. Therapy begins with a low dosage, gradually increasing it. An increase in dosage should take place under the supervision of a physician in the case of treatment of children and the elderly.
For the treatment of depression, one tablet or injection is first prescribed one, two or three times a day. By the end of the week, the dosage may be 150 milligrams of imipramine per day. It is recommended to observe a dosage of about 100 milligrams per day.
When treating in a hospital, as well as in severe cases, treatment begins with intramuscular administration of the drug at 0.025 grams three times a day. By the end of the week, the dosage is increased to 0.2 grams, then it gradually begins to decrease, a tablet form of the drug is prescribed. Every 25 milligrams of injection solution is replaced with 50 milligrams of the drug in tablet form. Then they completely switch to the tablet form of the medication.
Therapy of people of old age begins with a minimum dosage, then it gradually rises to two tablets per day.
According to the instructions, "Imipramine" at the beginning of therapy can lead to increased anxiety and anxiety. In this case, the doctor may additionally prescribe benzodiazepines, the treatment of which stops after eliminating the unpleasant symptoms.
In childhood, a medication is prescribed for the treatment of enuresis, if it is not provoked by organic diseases.
Children from six to eight years old are prescribed one pill per day, from 9 to 12 years old - two pills per day, after 12 years - three tablets per day. If there is no improvement over seven days, the dosage is increased. The maximum allowable dosage should be no more than 2.5 milligrams of imipramine per 1 kilogram of body weight.
The drug is taken once a day before bedtime. The duration of therapy is three months. It is necessary to cancel a drug gradually.
Patients should be monitored for several weeks, as the risk of suicide is great, especially in people under 24 years old. According to statistics, the risk is reduced in the early stages of recovery. If you experience negative symptoms and a change in behavior, you should consult a doctor.
According to the indications for the use of Imipramin, it is recommended that maintenance treatment be carried out for six months. The drug is canceled gradually, otherwise the so-called withdrawal syndrome occurs.
Application restrictions
Like all antidepressants, this drug has some contraindications. These include:
- high susceptibility to the components of medicines;
- children's age up to six years;
- taking MAO inhibitors;
- a history of myocardial infarction;
- arrhythmias;
- manic-depressive disorders;
- severe liver and kidney disease;
- children's age up to 18 years in the treatment of panic disorders and depression;
- the period of gestation and breastfeeding;
- galactose intolerance;
- lactose deficiency;
- glaucoma;
- alcohol consumption;
- urine retention.
Since the drug passes into breast milk, if symptoms of postpartum depression appear, treatment can be carried out if the baby is breast-fed.
The drug is prescribed with caution to those who have epilepsy and spasmophilia, prostatic hyperplasia, constipation, dry eye syndrome, ischemia, diabetes mellitus, adrenal tumors, bipolar depression, and also hyperthyroidism.
Manifestation of adverse reactions
Side effects develop infrequently, their manifestation depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body, the dosage of the drug and the duration of therapy. In some cases, the following conditions and symptoms may occur:
- sleep disturbance;
- increased anxiety and anxiety;
- dry mouth
- tachycardia;
- hypotension;
- arrhythmia;
- increase in blood pressure;
- leukopenia;
- tremor;
- pain in the head, dizziness;
- impaired consciousness;
- potency disorder "
- cramps
- impaired speech, vision and hearing;
- nausea and vomiting;
- stomatitis;
- hepatitis;
- violation of urination;
- allergic reactions;
- swelling;
- hair loss;
- breast enlargement;
- weight gain;
- anorexia;
- lowering blood pressure;
- serotonin syndrome with the simultaneous use of other antidepressants;
- photosensitivity;
- delirious syndrome;
- development of suicidal behavior at the initial stage of therapy and after drug withdrawal.
With the development of severe mental and neurological pathologies, medication is stopped.
When treated with Imipramin, side effects are more likely to occur in older people and children. During therapy, you can not drive a car or other complex mechanisms.
Excess doses
When using the drug in large doses, the development of such pathologies and conditions is possible:
- stupor;
- severe anxiety;
- cramps
- coma;
- lowering blood pressure;
- heart failure;
- shock;
- heart failure;
- respiratory failure;
- anuria
- fever.
Such manifestations can be observed for six days. In childhood and senility, an overdose can be fatal. In case of an overdose, therapy should be carried out in a hospital setting. The treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
Doctors install a gastric tube for twelve hours, wash the stomach, give sorbents. Anticonvulsant treatment is often used, artificial lung ventilation is performed, and “Dopamine” is administered intravenously.
Additional Information
The simultaneous use of the drug with MAO inhibitors is not allowed, since it is possible to develop seizures and coma, as well as with other antidepressants, otherwise the risk of developing serotonin syndrome increases.
Before treating depression in women, they should be informed about the incompatibility of the antidepressant and oral contraceptives and estrogen preparations.
Ethanol, nicotine, barbiturates, antipsychotic medications and anti-epilepsy drugs reduce the effectiveness of Imipramine and contribute to the development of side effects. With the simultaneous use of drugs against parkinsonism with it, the risk of developing adverse reactions increases.
Medications that contain thyroid hormones can enhance the pharmacological effect of an antidepressant. The combined use of sympathomimetics enhances the effect of the latter.
When using indirect anticoagulants, the risk of bleeding from the digestive tract increases.
How to store?
According to the instructions, Imipramin is stored in a dry, dark place with an air temperature of no more than twenty-five degrees. Shelf life is three years from the date of release of the drug.
Cost and acquisition of medication
You can buy medicine in almost any state pharmacy in the country. To purchase it, you must provide a prescription from a doctor. The price of Imipramin is about 360 rubles. In Russian pharmacies, a drug with imipramine can be purchased under another trade name - Melipramin, which is produced by a Hungarian company.
Analogs
Today in medicine there are a large number of tricyclic antidepressants. The doctor prescribes the drug based on the individual characteristics of the body of each patient. Analogues of Imipramine, similar in pharmacological action, are as follows:
- Amitriptyline.
- Asafen.
- Coaxil.
- "Anafranil."
Prescribe an antidepressant should be strictly a doctor, self-medication is unacceptable.
Reviews
In the Russian Federation, imipramine has been used in psychiatry for a long time. For twenty years of its use, he has proven effective in the treatment of depression and panic disorders. Reviews about the drug are good, it helped many to normalize sleep, eliminate anxiety and anxiety, and return to a full life.
In some cases, the medication even helped get rid of alcohol dependence, which developed against a background of depression.
Many psychiatrists say that a medicine rarely causes adverse reactions, so it is often prescribed for people with depressive disorders. In addition, the entire course of therapy will be relatively inexpensive.
Of the minuses, some patients note the appearance of negative symptoms at the beginning of therapy. But all side effects go away on their own after some time, which does not require discontinuation of the drug. Only in individual cases can such adverse reactions develop that require drug withdrawal. In such cases, the doctor selects a different medication. But this is extremely rare.
Only a few say that this drug is weak, so they do not recommend taking it. Some also noted that they did not feel any effect from the treatment.
Conclusion
Thus, judging by the reviews of psychiatrists and their patients, the medicine "Imipramin" is an effective drug in the treatment of various kinds of depression. Doctors often prescribe it, because it rarely shows adverse reactions and is relatively inexpensive. It is forbidden to prescribe treatment yourself, only a doctor can prescribe a medicine based on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body in each case.