Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking imipramine as follows:
- Imipramine takes some time to fairly balance the chemicals in the brain, before any improvement in mood and behavior are noted. It could take about 3 – 6 weeks to see this change in mood. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without consulting your physician, as you failed to see the improvement with depressive symptoms immediately after taking the medication.
- Imipramine carries the risk of causing and/or aggravating cardiac arrhythmias. Imipramine can also interact with many antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics, antiarrhythmic medications, antidepressants, and antipsychotic medications, resulting in development or aggravation of underlying cardiac arrhythmias, leading to debility and sudden cardiac death. Avoid taking imipramine along with medications belonging to the above-mentioned groups, to prevent any dangerous arrhythmias from developing. Discuss with your physician regarding your history of cardiac arrhythmias, if any, if you are newly started on imipramine. If you are newly diagnosed with any cardiac arrhythmias or started on any antiarrhythmic medications, discuss with your physician regarding your safety with continuing on imipramine, if you have been using the medication for long.
- As the balance between the chemicals in the brain has to be finely regulated to help relieve the anxiety and depressive symptoms and experience feelings of well-being, the dose of imipramine also needs to be finely regulated, in order to accomplish this goal. Your physician could change the dose of imipramine, based on the response and side-effects developed. Maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
