imipramine

drug

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Related Topics:: enuresis; tricyclic antidepressant drug

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imipramine, synthetic drug used in the treatment of depression and enuresis (bed-wetting). Introduced into medicine in the late 1950s, imipramine was the first tricyclic antidepressant, a class named for its three-ring molecular structure.

Imipramine works by inhibiting the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. It also acts on certain other receptors, such as H₁ receptors for histamine.

Imipramine usually is administered orally but may be given by intramuscular injection. The drug has a wide variety of side effects, which include dryness of the mouth, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty in passing urine, and cardiovascular abnormalities.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.