Health Information

Antidepressants for Urinary Incontinence

What To Think About

Imipramine can make drowsiness worse when it is combined with alcohol or other medicines that make you sleepy. These include cold and allergy medicines. Check with your doctor before taking any other medicines with imipramine, including medicine you can get without a prescription. If you are feeling sleepy, don't drive or do anything else that could be dangerous to you or other people.

Imipramine may cause your skin to be more sensitive to sunlight. When you are taking this medicine:

Stay out of the sun, if possible.
Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats, if possible.
Use sunscreen with an SPF that your doctor recommends.
Call your doctor if you have a severe reaction after being in the sun.

Dry mouth is common when you take imipramine. To help with dry mouth, you can chew sugarless gum, suck on sugarless candy, or melt ice in your mouth. If you continue to have problems with dry mouth after a couple weeks, call your doctor. Dry mouth can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

Taking medicine

Medicine is one of the many tools your doctor has to treat a health problem. Taking medicine as your doctor suggests will improve your health and may prevent future problems. If you don't take your medicines properly, you may be putting your health (and perhaps your life) at risk.

There are many reasons why people have trouble taking their medicine. But in most cases, there is something you can do. For suggestions on how to work around common problems, see the topic Reference Taking Medicines as Prescribed.

Advice for women

If you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or trying to get pregnant, do not use any medicines unless your doctor tells you to. Some medicines can harm your baby. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements. And make sure that all your doctors know that you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or planning to get pregnant.

Checkups

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a Reference PDF Opens New Window document?) to help you understand this medication.

By:	Reference Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: September 11, 2012
Medical Review:	Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Reference Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology