Applies to desipramine: oral tablet.

Serious side effects of Desipramine

Along with its needed effects, desipramine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking desipramine:

Incidence not known

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• anxiety
• black, tarry stools
• blurred or double vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chest pain or discomfort
• confusion about identity, place, and time
• convulsions
• cough or hoarseness
• dark urine
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
• dry mouth
• fainting
• fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
• inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles
• inability to speak
• irritability
• light-colored stools
• lightheadedness
• loss of appetite
• loss of bladder control
• muscle spasms or jerking of all extremities
• nausea
• nightmares
• pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
• painful or difficult urination
• pinpoint red or purple spots on the skin
• pounding in the ears
• rash
• restlessness
• seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• shakiness and unsteady walk
• slow speech
• sore throat and fever
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
• stiffness of the limbs
• sudden loss of consciousness
• sweating
• swelling
• swollen glands
• talking, feeling, and acting with excitement
• trouble sleeping
• twisting body movements
• unsteadiness, trembling, or problems with muscle control or coordination
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• vomiting
• yellow eyes and skin

Other side effects of Desipramine

Some side effects of desipramine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

• Abdominal or stomach cramps
• bigger, dilated, or enlarged pupils (black part of the eye)
• bloating
• constipation
• decrease in the frequency of urination
• decrease in urine volume
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• diarrhea
• difficulty in passing urine (dribbling)
• hair loss or thinning of the hair
• inability to have or keep an erection
• increased in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• increased interest in sexual intercourse
• increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• painful urination
• swelling of the breasts or breast soreness in both females and males
• swelling or inflammation of the mouth
• unexpected or excess milk flow from breasts in females

For Healthcare Professionals

Applies to desipramine: compounding powder, oral tablet.

General

The most commonly reported side effects were tremor, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, constipation, and nausea.^[Ref]

Psychiatric

Frequency not reported: Agitation, anxiety, confusional states (especially in the elderly) with hallucinations, disorientation, exacerbation of psychosis, hypomania, increased or decreased libido, insomnia, nightmares, restlessness, suicidal behaviors^[Ref]

Nervous system

Frequency not reported: Alterations in EEG patterns, ataxia, dizziness, drowsiness, extrapyramidal symptoms, headache, incoordination, mydriasis, numbness, paresthesias of extremities, peculiar taste, peripheral neuropathy, seizures, serotonin syndrome, stroke, symptoms attributed to neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tingling, tremors^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

Frequency not reported: Acute collapse, arrhythmias, edema, flushing, general edema, hypertension, hypotension, myocardial infarction, palpitations, premature ventricular contractions, tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation^[Ref]

Endocrine

Frequency not reported: Gynecomastia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)^[Ref]

Genitourinary

Frequency not reported: Breast enlargement, delayed micturition, dilation of urinary tract, galactorrhea, impotence, nocturia, painful ejaculation, testicular swelling, urinary frequency, urinary retention^[Ref]

Ocular

Frequency not reported: Blurred vision, disturbance of accommodation, increased intraocular pressure^[Ref]

Hepatic

Frequency not reported: Altered liver function, elevated liver function tests, hepatitis, jaundice (simulating obstructive)^[Ref]

Hematologic

Frequency not reported: Agranulocytosis, bone marrow depression, eosinophilia, purpura, thrombocytopenia^[Ref]

Other

Frequency not reported: Drug fever, fatigue, fever, malaise, proneness to falling, sudden death, tinnitus, weakness^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

Frequency not reported: Abdominal cramps, black tongue, constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth (rarely associated with sublingual adenitis), epigastric distress, increased pancreatic enzymes, nausea, paralytic ileus, parotid swelling, stomatitis, vomiting^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

Frequency not reported: Cross-sensitivity with other tricyclic drugs^[Ref]

Dermatologic

Frequency not reported: Alopecia, face edema, itching, perspiration, petechia, photosensitization, skin rash, urticaria^[Ref]

Metabolic

Frequency not reported: Anorexia, elevated alkaline phosphatase, elevation/depression of blood sugar levels, weight gain or loss^[Ref]