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Desipramine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of desipramine include fatigue, completed suicide, and headache, based on 1,837 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Desipramine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for desipramine.

1
Drug Ineffective7.2%132
2
Fatigue6.8%124
3
Completed Suicide6.4%117
4
Headache4.5%83
5
Off Label Use4.3%79
6
Nausea4.2%78
7
Weight Increased4.0%73
8
Toxicity To Various Agents3.6%66
9
Completed Suicide3.4%63
10
Pain3.4%62
11
Dizziness3.3%61
12
Dyspnoea3.3%61
13
Arthralgia3.3%61
14
Drug Intolerance3.3%60
15
Drug Hypersensitivity2.9%54

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that desipramine caused these reactions.

Report severity

71.8%Serious1,319 reports
28.5%Hospitalizations524 reports
17.9%Fatal329 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Desipramine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside desipramine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Venlafaxine7.0%128
2
Acetaminophen6.3%116
3
Gabapentin5.5%101
4
Quetiapine-fumarate5.2%95
5
Adalimumab5.1%93
6
Sodium-oxybate5.1%93
7
Oxycodone4.9%90
8
Duloxetine-hydrochloride4.8%88
9
Bupropion4.7%87
10
Lamotrigine4.7%87
11
Pregabalin4.6%84
12
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride4.4%81
13
Naproxen4.4%81
14
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride4.3%79
15
Clonazepam4.3%79

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen15.4%283
2
Gabapentin15.0%276
3
Levothyroxine-sodium10.8%198
4
Ergocalciferol10.7%197
5
Aspirin10.6%195
6
Omeprazole10.3%190
7
Clonazepam8.8%162
8
Albuterol7.7%141
9
Prednisone7.5%137
10
Pantoprazole-sodium7.3%135
11
Lorazepam7.1%131
12
Alprazolam6.9%127
13
Ondansetron6.9%126
14
Atorvastatin-calcium6.7%123
15
Furosemide6.5%120

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports desipramine side effects

63.5% of desipramine adverse event reports involve female patients and 26.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 69%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female63.5%
Male26.7%
Unknown9.8%

Age group

< 20.4%
2–110.6%
12–170.9%
18–6469.3%
65+28.7%

What is desipramine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking desipramine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal RigidityAffective DisorderAgoraphobiaAnalgesic TherapyAntidepressant Drug ClearanceAntidepressant TherapyAnxietyAtrial FibrillationAttention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderAttention Deficit/hyperactivity DisorderAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain Upper

Showing 15 of 128 indications

Desipramine brand names and reporting trend

Desipramine is sold under the brand name Pertofrane.

Brand names

Pertofrane3

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking desipramine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.