Clomipramine hydrochloride is a medication in the tricyclic antidepressant class of medications. It affects the body by altering the levels of neurotransmitters that are present in the central nervous system, causing changes in how messages are transmitted throughout the brain. Although the medication was initially developed to treat depression, it is now more commonly used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Side effects of the drug can include dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, and increased risk of seizures.
The mechanism of action of clomipramine hydrochloride is to affect the levels of neurotransmitters present in the body. It is considered to be a member of the tricyclic antidepressant class of medications. Drugs in this class effectively increase the concentration of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin in the nervous system by inhibiting the ability of nerve cells to re-absorb these chemical mediators. This affects the workings of the human brain in a multitude of ways.
Patients typically take clomipramine hydrochloride in pill form. Doses of the medication range from 25 to 250 milligrams per day. Patients are typically started at a low dose, and the medication dose is titrated up as tolerated by the patient. The drug goes by the trade name Anafranil®. Most often the drug is referred to as simply clomipramine, as hydrochloride is only a stabilizing agent.
Although clomipramine was initially developed to treat depression, with the advent of other types of antidepressants it is now less commonly used to treat this disease. Instead, one of the most common uses of clomipramine hydrochloride is to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Other anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, can also be treated with this medication. Occasionally the medication is prescribed to patients with chronic pain as a way to alleviate the severity of their pain.
Common side effects of clomipramine hydrochloride are dry mouth, headache, dizziness, constipation, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. Less frequently, use of the medication can be associated with more severe adverse reactions including fainting, seizures, and abnormalities in how the heart beats. Some patients could develop tardive dyskinesia, a condition in which they have uncontrolled movements of different parts of their body. Occasionally the medication can cause dangerous drops in the number of the body’s white blood cells, putting patients at an increased risk for infection. In some cases use of the medication has increased the risk of suicidality in at-risk patients.
Not all patients are good candidates for treatment with clomipramine hydrochloride. Typically elderly patients and children less than 10 years old experience more severe side effects from the medication. Patients with underlying medical problems including seizure disorders, heart disease, thyroid disease, glaucoma, and benign prostatic hypertrophy should take this medication cautiously, as the side effects could exacerbate their underlying illnesses.
