Drug interactions
Desipramine + Isoflurane
Severity: Moderate
Desipramine and Isoflurane: 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
Isoflurane can prolong the QT interval, and tricyclic antidepressants like desipramine can add to this and to conduction abnormalities. Tricyclics may also increase the risk of perioperative arrhythmias and blood pressure instability during anesthesia.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desipramine and Isoflurane 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; Isoflurane belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive QT prolongation and cardiac conduction effects, plus altered catecholamine responses from tricyclic reuptake inhibition.
What to do
Tell the anesthesia team about desipramine use and review the baseline ECG. Monitor the ECG and hemodynamics during surgery and avoid adrenergic agents that provoke arrhythmias.
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?
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Other interactions of Desipramine
- Desipramine + Disopyramide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Dofetilide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Ibutilide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Methylene blue Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Pentamidine Contraindicated
Other interactions of Isoflurane
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Desipramine with Isoflurane?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desipramine and Isoflurane 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. Isoflurane can prolong the QT interval, and tricyclic antidepressants like desipramine can add to this and to conduction abnormalities. Tricyclics may also increase the risk of perioperative arrhythmias and blood pressure instability during anesthesia.
How serious is the interaction between Desipramine and Isoflurane?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Tell the anesthesia team about desipramine use and review the baseline ECG. Monitor the ECG and hemodynamics during surgery and avoid adrenergic agents that provoke arrhythmias.
What other medicines interact with Desipramine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Desipramine with, for example, Disopyramide, Dofetilide, Ibutilide. The full list is on the Desipramine page.
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