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Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) that
inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine. It is sold
under the brand names Norpramin® and Pertofrane®.
It is used to treat depression, but not considered a
first line treatment since the introduction of SSRI
antidepressants. Desipramine is an active metabolite
of imipramine.
Along with other tricyclics, desipramine has found
use in treating neuropathic pain. The mechanism of action
seems to involve the activation, through norepinephrine
reuptake inhibition, of descending pathways in the spinal
cord that block pain signals from ascending to the brain.
Desipramine is one of the most potent and selective
medications in this respect. It may also be used to
treat symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder, as the
underproduction of norepinephrine has been increasingly
linked to symptoms associated with Attention Deficit
Disorder.
Desipramin has been shown to be genotoxic in fruit flies
and associated with an increased risk of breast cancer
in women.
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