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Lofepramine Side Effects

Lofepramine is a prescription antidepressant medication available in the United Kingdom. Despite its effectiveness, Lofepramine poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

  1. Types of Common Side Effects

    • Common side effects of Lofepramine include decreases in blood pressure, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, nausea, difficult urination, sweating, muscle twitches, agitation, skin rashes, confusion, ringing in your ears, headaches, confusion and a tingling sensation in your extremities.

    Hyponatraemia

    • If you use Lofepramine over a period of several months, it is possible to develop hyponatraemia, a shortage of sodium in your blood stream. Serious side effects associated with hyponatraemia include delusions, extreme confusion, muscle tics and seizures.

    Risks

    • Some patients develop white blood cells deficiencies while taking Lofepramine, causing an increased incidence of bacterial, viral and fungal infections, as well as fevers. It is also possible to develop a worsening of depression when you first begin taking Lofepramine, causing suicidal thoughts or self-harmful behaviors.

    Warning

    • If you suddenly stop taking Lofepramine, you are at risk for symptoms of withdrawal, including vomiting, insomnia, restlessness and anxiety. Because of this, your doctor will slowly taper your dosage of Lofepramine when it is time for your treatment to end, and you should be careful not to run out of the drug or miss a dosage.

    Considerations

    • Since it has the potential to cause dizziness, avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until you know how Lofepramine affects you. If you have a medical history of kidney or liver disease, heart attack or blockage, arrhtyhmia, bipolar disorder, fructose intolerance or recent usage of antidepressant MAO inhibitor drugs, you may not be able to take Lofepramine due to possible complications.

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