Drug interactions
Desipramine + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Desipramine and Pholcodine: 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
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive and desipramine is a sedating tricyclic, so together they may increase drowsiness and impair alertness. The effect is typically additive and manageable at usual cough-suppressant doses.
What this interaction means in plain words
Desipramine and Pholcodine 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.
Why it happens
Additive central nervous system depression.
What to do
Advise patients to avoid driving and alcohol while taking both, and use the lowest effective pholcodine dose for the shortest duration. Reduce the dose if excessive sedation occurs.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Desipramine and Pholcodine, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 7 days on the web. No card needed.
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 Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Desipramine and Pholcodine 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. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive and desipramine is a sedating tricyclic, so together they may increase drowsiness and impair alertness. The effect is typically additive and manageable at usual cough-suppressant doses.
How serious is the interaction between Desipramine and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Advise patients to avoid driving and alcohol while taking both, and use the lowest effective pholcodine dose for the shortest duration. Reduce the dose if excessive sedation occurs.
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.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
