Anafranil: Drug Information

Generic name: Clomipramine

Brand Name: Clofranil, Clom-SR, Clomidac, Clonil, Depnil, Ocifril, Syconil

Drug Class: Tricyclic, Antidepressant

Uses of Anafranil:

Anafranil is a drug belonging to the family of tricyclics exhibiting both antidepressant as well as antiobsessional properties. This medicine is used to treat depression, obsessive compulsive neurosis, and phobias. It works by inhibiting the serotonin uptake in the brain. This drug has antidepressant, sedative and anticholinergic effects.

Dosage:

It is essential for you to take the medicine as prescribed by your physician. In order to determine the best effects, your doctor may increase the dose gradually. Take it with food to prevent indigestion. Withdraw the medication under your doctor’s supervision as abrupt withdrawal may result in dizziness, nausea or fatigue.

Avoid taking an overdose of the medicine as it may result in agitation, convulsions, fever, hallucinations, coma, shock or tremors.

Safety Alert:

Priorto taking the medicine you need to tell your doctor if you happen to be allergic to any food, dyes or medicines.

Notify your doctor if you are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Any history of hypersensitivity should be disclosed to your physician.

If you are recovering from MI, heart block or arrhythmias, you should not take the medicine.

This medicine should NOT be taken by patients suffering from mania or those who have a history of blood dyscrasias.

You need to bring to your doctor’s notice if you have a medical history of glaucoma, prostrate problems, urinary retention, thyroid disease, asthma, convulsions, heart disease, alcoholism, tumors, hypotension, suicidal tendencies or seizures.

You must tell your doctor if you are pregnant or lactating before taking the medicine.

Precautions:

You must avoid excessive sun exposure while on Anafranil as it causes excessive sweating, thereby, increasing the risk of a sun stroke.

DO NOT consume alcohol with the medicine as it may cause excessive drowsiness.

Tricyclic antidepressants can aggravate suicidal tendencies. Therefore, you need to notify your doctor if you have any thoughts about suicide accompanied by any other mood changes.

Caution needs to be taken when administering the drug to elderly patents as it may worsen their present state of confusion due to sensitivity.

Side Effects:

Some of the most common side effects of the medicine include dryness of the mouth, confusion, nightmares, tremors, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, increased sweating and nausea.

Drug Interactions:

You need to inform your doctor if you are taking any drugs in order to avoid their adverse effects. Certain drugs react with tricyclics and should not be co-administered with them. For instance, Barbiturates increase metabolism when taken with TCAs whereas, cimetidine, guanthidine, haloperidol and phenothiazines block the tricyclic metabolism. Another drug called Warfarin should not be taken with Anafranil as its activity gets aggravated.

Anafranil should absolutely NOT be taken with MAOIs as it can result in strokes, hyperpyrexia, convulsions and even death. If at all, the medicine has to be substituted for MAOIs, then there should be a gap of 3 weeks between MAOI discontinuation prior to taking Anafranil.

If taken with phenothiazine, Anafranil may result in psychosis or agitation, especially in the elderly.