Imipramine and Dry Mouth: What Users Say

• con...
• January 24, 2010

Tofranil (imipramine) for Depression "I suffered from depression on and off till I was 33. My doctor prescribed a couple of medicines without success. Tried Tofranil because my mother took it in the late 1950s. Noticed a gradual improvement over 1 to 4 months with the full effect over a period of about 12 months. Medicine did not work at 100 mg, so went up to 250 mg, then 200 mg. Some small price side effects include dry mouth (gum, Tic Tac remedy). The medicine makes you sleepy about 2 hours after ingestion. Get ready for a good night's sleep, increased appetite, and feeling more relaxed than ever before. I remember the first sign of the Tofranil working was when I went outside one day and the sun seemed so bright, and I was happier to be alive. That was 25 years ago."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2009

Tofranil (imipramine) for Panic Disorder "I had suffered with panic attacks since I was around 14 years old. There came a time when I had shock treatments because back in the 60s, not much was known about these kinds of illnesses. Later on, I became completely housebound for 8 years. I heard about Tofranil and decided to try it. Within 3 weeks, I was able to not only get out of my house but go about 3 blocks away. It takes time, but if it had not been for Tofranil combined with Xanax, I would still be homebound. It works, no two ways about it. When nothing else did. The only side effects were sleepiness until it gets into your system (2 weeks for me) and dry mouth. But for me, that was nothing to getting my life back."

• Cha...
• March 27, 2017

For Panic Disorder "This medication saved my life! I've only been taking it for almost 2 weeks, but I was thrilled at the fast response I had to it! I've literally tried almost every other antidepressant without much success for over 20 years - for my debilitating panic disorder/GAD/depression. Thank you to the Dr. who started me on this recently while I was hospitalized for a suicide attempt. I can now leave my home without any fear or anxiety, my panic attacks/panic are literally gone! I feel like a new person! The only side effects I've had so far are dry mouth, dry eyes, and a bit of tachycardia. It also helps me sleep for once, I take it at bedtime. I was titrated up to the 100mg dose once at bedtime. I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to have this!"

• Pri...
• September 14, 2016

For Pain "Taking at a very low dose to help me sleep, as I have fibromyalgia related to arthritis. I tried two other drugs before this one, and both gave me extremely bad nightmares. I have found that I don't get nightmares with this one. Within an hour of taking, I am solid asleep virtually all night. I don't get foggy the next day. I really haven't had any side effects except for a slightly dry mouth, but I am on 10 mg."

• Ash...
• December 22, 2011

For Panic Disorder "I started at 25 mg and slowly made my way up to 125 mg. It's really not doing much. It has blocked my panic attacks but doesn't seem to do much for everyday anxiety. This is week 5, and I'm thinking of trying a new medication. The side effects aren't as bad. I didn't have any appetite changes and no sexual side effects (sex drive improved). The only side effect I had was a dry mouth after >100 mg dosages - it is pretty annoying but it's not that bad. Another side effect is random episodes of being tired - (again, this side effect wasn't that bad). The only really bad thing I have to say about it is that it didn't really work for my generalized anxiety disorder. It does block panic attacks, though! I highly recommend it for bad panic attack sufferers."

• ang...
• December 18, 2015

For Depression "I was prescribed this med for depression, which is also effective at bedtime for sleep and fibromyalgia pain. The pain improved significantly, and I felt more rested the next day. A dry mouth is the main side effect that is noticeable. This drug is very helpful."

• Tai...
• September 27, 2019

For Pain "I was suffering from 'atypical facial pain' for two years, which was absolutely excruciating (every other day). I held off taking a medicine such as this because I was concerned about the impact it may have on my (male) fertility. In the end, I succumbed because the pain was just too much. 80 mg - 40 in the morning and 40 in the evening - has taken away the pain. I switched between this and amitriptyline for a while because this one does have side effects. I have an endlessly dry mouth, so I have to drink a lot of water. Urinating can also be a challenge, but the sheer amount of water I drink offsets this problem somewhat. Amitriptyline worked equally well, but it was more sedating. Imipramine makes it more difficult to sleep at night, but it doesn't send me to sleep during the day. Amitriptyline is worse for weight gain, in my experience, and both are equally bad for libido. Neither has been good for my anxiety. On the whole, I am extremely grateful to imipramine though."

• Mis...
• June 4, 2015

For Depression "Only been on it about 6 weeks and only up to 30 mg. Moods are a little better so far, but insomnia, hello. I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 hours a night. I don't get how all of you sleep. I used to fall right asleep with my Topamax at night. Now he has me taking my gabapentin, Topamax, and imipramine at bedtime, optional Ativan too, but then I wake up groggy, defeating the purpose of a great mood in the AM. Hmm, maybe my meds don't play nice together at night, lol. I do get the dry mouth, I really hate that, but it has improved my morning moods, which is what we were going for. I do have anxiety, and it doesn't help with a quick onset. I am hopeful for this med as I have tried just about everything out there!"

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2017

For Depression "25 mg, once a day at night. For the first 7-8 weeks of taking this medication, there was no positive effect on my mood, around week 3/4, my mood was noticeably worse. During the 7-8 week period, I constantly felt disconnected and lacked any sort of motivation or energy to engage in any activity that involved thinking, especially social situations. I would constantly have a dry mouth and dry eyes, and in addition, I also had trouble urinating in the morning, and when standing up, I would feel light-headed and dizzy for a few seconds, this was worse if I had been lying down. However, now my mood is much more stable and the side effects are gone, but if I miss more than 2-3 doses, then I feel incredibly low for about a week but then pick up again."

• ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2022

For Primary Nocturnal Enuresis "Terrible constipation on the lowest dose. Miralax did not even help. Very bad dry mouth also."