Imipramine - History

History

Imipramine was, in the late 1950s, the first tricyclic antidepressant to be developed (by Ciba). It was first tried against psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, but proved insufficient. As an antidepressant, it did well in clinical studies and it is known to work well in even the most severe cases of depression. It is not surprising, therefore, that Imipramine is also known to cause a high rate of manic and hypomanic reactions, especially in patients with preexisting bipolar disorder. It is estimated that up to 25% of such patients maintained on Imipramine will switch into mania or hypomania. Such powerful antidepressant properties have made it favorable in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression.

At the advent of SSRIs, its sometimes intolerable side-effect profile became more tolerable. Therefore, it became extensively used as a standard antidepressant and later served as a prototypical drug for the development of the later-released tricyclics. It is not as commonly used today, but is sometimes used to treat major depression as a second-line treatment. It has also seen limited use in the treatment of migraines, ADHD, and post concussive syndrome. Imipramine has additional indications for the treatment of panic attacks, chronic pain, and Kleine-Levin syndrome. In pediatric patients, it is relatively frequently used to treat pavor nocturnus and nocturnal enuresis.