Desipramine for Depression User Reviews

• Jenni...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 21, 2014

Norpramin (desipramine) "I have spent years going through one anti-depressant after another. I even did ECT treatments and nothing worked. My psychiatrist then put me on desipramine and I have never looked back. I have energy, I can concentrate, get out of bed, and function for the first time in years. I've been taking it for 6 months now and have not had to increase the dosage, either. It was truly a godsend."

• Dokto...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 29, 2013

Norpramin (desipramine) "Desipramine has worked wonders for me. After many years on and off of various medications that would - at best, if they worked at all - help briefly and degenerate into vicious side effects, this one worked like a charm. The only down-side is that it is so innocuous that it's easy to get used to the improvement; since the improvements it can be tempting to consider oneself "better" and discontinue prematurely. Fortunately there are no discontinuation effects, and the only side effect I have experienced is slight photosensitivity."

• Anonymous
• September 11, 2011

"I had taken many SSRI antidepressants and none helped my depression. I finally insisted that I try something different. Desipramine works on norepinephrine and that made a big difference. My apathy was gone, no severe anxiety like I'd had from Prozac and Paxil. I knew it was working when I started cleaning my house even though my mood had not improved yet. SSRIs may be newer but not better."

• 11223...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 3, 2016

Norpramin (desipramine) "I did so well on this medication! But I can no longer afford it. The generic version I was paying $280 a month. I have since changed to Effexor, and now on Zoloft and neither one works as well. I had been on this since 1986, but had to change last November because of the cost. I miss it so much"

• Joanzie
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 15, 2016

Norpramin (desipramine) "I took this drug for over 20 years. It worked extremely well for me. Dry mouth was my only side effect. I was told by my pharmacy they could no longer get it. I took the generic for a while but it never worked as well. I was surprised to read others have taken it recently. How sad something that worked so well for many is hard to get. I would switch back in a heartbeat."

• EAG
• November 29, 2011

"To treat depression, I have been on Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor and Cymbalta. None worked as well as desipramine. I have been taking 30mg of desipramine combined with 50mg Zoloft and I feel much better. It took a few weeks of ups and downs before it really kicked in."

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2023

"I have been taking desipramine, an antidepressant, for a certain period of time. After trying many other antidepressants from different classes or groups like SSRIs and SNRIs, I found that desipramine was working very well for my severe depression. I started feeling in a good mood, relaxed, and it even helped with my social phobia. It also improved my sleep and concentration. However, I stopped taking it due to some side effects and switched to another class of antidepressants. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any better, so I went back to desipramine because I found that it helps me more than other antidepressants. I decided to stay on it, despite the side effects, as most antidepressants, including tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs/SNRIs, have serious side effects. Therefore, I prefer desipramine over other options."

• 70cam...
• July 13, 2008

"I found it to be the best medicine for me. I was put on several newer antidepressants and I hated side effects especially weight loss. I am a very physical person who struggles to keep weight on and this helps me in this situation also."

• GERDIE
• May 3, 2017

"I was really surprised to see a post from Joanzie (taken for 10 years or more) November 15, 2016 today when she indicated her pharmacy could no longer get it. I have taken Desipramine (Generic is Norpramin) for nearly 10 years now and have no problems getting it Amneal makes 10 mg pills, but I am now switching to 50 mg. LGM Pharma makes it, but I'm sure there are others. I have used it since 911, as it really did a number on me. If I forget to take it, I know it, as I end up in lala land, as my head just feels like it is detached from my body. As long as I take the drug when prescribed, I'm steady Eddie!"

• another...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 8, 2017

"I have had trouble sleeping all my life. Too much rem sleep and waking exhausted In my 30s I was placed on a regimine of desip and trazadone. They worked well together but I quickly developed a tolerance and had to stop taking them. In the intervening years I tried seemingly every other anti depressant to try to get the same effect but nothing worked. Finally I demanded these 2 drugs from a young Dr who had never heard of them. After consulting with an older physician he allowed me to have them and I have created a 3 week regime that keeps me from building tolerance. I take a small dose 6 mg desipramine every other day (it works for 2 days but not 3). After two weeks I do a week of 50mg trazadone allowing my body to "forget" the desip. And in 2 weeks it "forgets" the trazadone."

• Lucky...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 18, 2017

"I’ve been taking desipramine (the generic from Actavis) for depression since 2003, returning to it after trying many other meds. It’s the only one that helped, although high doses caused shortness of breath, low-back pain, nightmares, stress, and anxiety. The key has been finding the correct dose. An important discovery was that chocolate produces a synergistic effect. Taking it in the evening right after a large serving of dark chocolate and 10 ounces of milk allows me to keep the dose and prescription costs low. It’s not nearly as effective without chocolate during the day. But a problem is that it’s addictive. Increasing the dose made me more depressed but going down improved my mood, so finding the optimal one has been difficult."

• mikrw
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2016

"One of the best-responding antidepressants I've ever taken. Unfortunately, I had to stop taking it because my resting heart rate went up to ≥ 100 bpm while on this medication (could've been interacting adversely with my Dexedrine). But wow, what a response I had! It started responding just a few weeks after increasing it to 75 mg, and it seemed to really bring me out of my cocoon at 100 mg-125 mg. That was the highest I ever got to try before realizing what was going on with my heart, and subsequently having to back down on the dosage. My positive response diminished, and I had gained a bunch of weight anyway, so we decided to switch meds."

• EJstu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 8, 2013

Norpramin (desipramine) "It was the God send of meds for me!"

• Hithere
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2018

"The first anti depressant along with Lamictal that I've tried in 25 years for my bipolar 1 that actually is an antidepressant. I think that sums up my experience."

• Liz
• December 20, 2020

"No side effects, helped huge! Sleep better"

• rberger
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2018

"Best antidepressant in 30 years. However effective is starting to wear off after 3 months. Experience side effect prickly Burning Sensations"

• pheny...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2016

"Did not notice any effect whatsoever."