Drug interactions
Desipramine + Lorazepam
Severity: Moderate
Desipramine and Lorazepam: 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
Both drugs can impair alertness, and combined use may add to sedation and psychomotor impairment. Desipramine is less sedating than other tricyclics, so the effect is often smaller.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desipramine and Lorazepam 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; Lorazepam belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression through GABA-A potentiation and the tricyclic's central effects.
What to do
Monitor for drowsiness and dizziness and counsel on driving. Adjust the dose of either drug if sedation interferes with function.
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 Lorazepam
Other interactions of Desipramine
- Desipramine + Disopyramide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Dofetilide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Ibutilide Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Methylene blue Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Pentamidine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Desipramine with Lorazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desipramine and Lorazepam 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. Both drugs can impair alertness, and combined use may add to sedation and psychomotor impairment. Desipramine is less sedating than other tricyclics, so the effect is often smaller.
How serious is the interaction between Desipramine and Lorazepam?
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 for drowsiness and dizziness and counsel on driving. Adjust the dose of either drug if sedation interferes with function.
What other medicines interact with Lorazepam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Lorazepam with, for example, Alfentanil, Alprazolam, Amobarbital. The full list is on the Lorazepam page.
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