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Drug interactions

Desipramine + Esketamine

Severity: Moderate

Desipramine and Esketamine: moderate interaction.

Last updated

For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.

Summary

Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant that is less sedating than most but can still cause drowsiness. With esketamine, sedation may increase, and both can affect heart rate and blood pressure.

What this interaction means in plain words

Desipramine and Esketamine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.

Desipramine belongs to Central Nervous System; Esketamine belongs to Central Nervous System.

Evidence level: Low

Why it happens

Additive CNS effects, with overlapping sympathomimetic cardiovascular effects.

What to do

Monitor blood pressure and sedation before and after esketamine dosing. Counsel the patient on impaired driving.

What to ask your pharmacist

  • Should I take them at different times of day?
  • Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
  • Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?

Bring a full list of your medicines, including over-the-counter products, supplements and herbal remedies, to every pharmacy visit.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I take Desipramine with Esketamine?

MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desipramine and Esketamine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant that is less sedating than most but can still cause drowsiness. With esketamine, sedation may increase, and both can affect heart rate and blood pressure.

How serious is the interaction between Desipramine and Esketamine?

MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor blood pressure and sedation before and after esketamine dosing. Counsel the patient on impaired driving.

What other medicines interact with Esketamine?

MediHelp also lists interactions of Esketamine with, for example, Alfentanil, Amobarbital, Belladonna and opium. The full list is on the Esketamine page.

Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app

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