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LOFEPRAMINE is a brand name for Lofepramine. The medicine, its uses, side effects and dosage are the same regardless of brand.
Used for: For the treatment of symptoms of depressive illness.
Verbatim from this product's MHRA label. Tap a section to expand.
Posology Adults:
The usual dose is 70mg twice daily (140mg) or three times daily (210mg) depending upon patient response.
Elderly:
Elderly patients may respond to lower doses in some cases.
Paediatric population:
Not recommended Method of administration Lofepramine tablets are for oral administration only.
The adverse reactions reported with Lofepramine are listed below by system organ class. Frequencies are defined as very common (≥ 1/10), common (≥ 1/100 to < 1/10), uncommon (≥ 1/1,000 to < 1/100), rare (≥ 1/10,000 to < 1/1,000), very rare (< 1/10,000) and not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).
Blood and lymphatic system disorders:
Rare: bone marrow depression including isolated reports of agranulocytosis, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, leucopenia, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia.
Endocrine disorders:
Rare: inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone leading to hyponatraemia.
Psychiatric disorders:
Sleep disturbances, agitation, confusion, nightmares, hallucinations, hypomania, mania, psychoses, delirium. 4) It should be remembered that severely depressed patients are at risk of suicide until there is a complete remission of symptomatology.
Nervous system disorders:
Dizziness, headache, paraesthesia, tremor. Rare: drowsiness, convulsions, impairment of the sense of taste. Very rare: uncoordinated movement.
Eye disorders:
Visual disturbances including blurred vision, mydriasis, disturbances of accommodation; induction of glaucoma.
Ear and labyrinth disorders:
Very rare: tinnitus. ) Vascular disorders: Hypotension.
Gastrointestinal disorders:
Gastrointestinal disturbances including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea; constipation and dryness of mouth.
Suicide/suicidal thoughts or clinical worsening Depression is associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, self harm and suicide (suicide-related events). This risk persists until significant remission occurs. As improvement may not occur during the first few weeks or more of treatment, patients should be closely monitored until such improvement occurs.
It is general clinical experience that the risk of suicide may increase in the early stages of recovery. Other psychiatric conditions for which lofepramine is prescribed can also be associated with an increased risk of suicide-related events.
In addition, these conditions may be co-morbid with major depressive disorder. The same precautions observed when treating patients with major depressive disorder should therefore be observed when treating patients with other psychiatric disorders.
Patients with a history of suicide-related events, or those exhibiting a significant degree of suicidal ideation prior to commencement of treatment are known to be at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, and should receive careful monitoring during treatment.
A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials of antidepressant drugs in adult patients with psychiatric disorders showed an increased risk of suicidal behaviour with antidepressants compared to placebo in patients less than 25 years old.
Close supervision of patients and in particular those at high risk should accompany drug therapy especially in early treatment and following dose changes. Patients (and caregivers of patients) should be alerted about the need to monitor for any clinical worsening, suicidal behaviour or thoughts and unusual changes in behaviour and to seek medical advice immediately if these symptoms present.
It should be remembered that severely depressed patients are at risk of suicide. An improvement in depression may not occur immediately upon initiation of treatment, therefore the patient should be closely monitored until symptoms improve.
1. Lofepramine must not be used in patients hypersensitive to dibenzazepines. Lofepramine must not be used in patients: • with mania • with severe liver impairment • with severe renal impairment • with heart block • with cardiac arrhythmias • in the recovery phase following a myocardial infarction • with untreated narrow angle glaucoma • with prostatic hypertrophy with urinary retention • at risk for paralytic ileus.
Lofepramine must not be administered with or within 2 weeks of cessation of therapy with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Lofepramine must not be administered in patients with acute alcoholic, hypnotic, analgesic and psychotropic drug poisoning and acute deliria.
Not medical advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and follow your prescriber or pharmacist.
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Hepatobiliary disorders:
Raised liver enzyme levels, sometimes progressing to clinical hepatitis and jaundice, have been reported in some patients, usually occurring within the first 3 months of starting therapy.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders:
Skin rash, allergic skin reactions, and “photosensitivity reactions”. Rare: cutaneous bleeding, sweating.
Renal and urinary disorders:
Urinary hesitancy, urinary retention. g. testicular pain), gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea.
General disorders and administration site conditions:
Malaise, facial oedema. Rare: inflammation of mucosal membranes.
Investigations:
Changes of blood sugar level. Class effects Epidemiological studies, mainly in patients 50 years of age and older, show an increased risk of bone fractures in patients receiving SSRls and TCAs. The mechanism leading to this risk is unknown.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
Lofepramine may lower the convulsion threshold, therefore it should be used with extreme caution in patients with a history of epilepsy or recent convulsions or other predisposing factors, or during withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs with anticonvulsant properties.
Concurrent electroconvulsive therapy should only be undertaken with careful supervision. Caution is needed in patients with hyperthyroidism, or during concomitant treatment with thyroid preparations, since aggravation of unwanted cardiac effects may occur.
Lofepramine should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disease, because it is associated with a risk of cardiovascular adverse reactions in all age groups. Lofepramine should be used with caution in patients with impaired liver function, impaired renal function, blood dyscrasias or porphyria.
Caution is called for where there is a history of prostatic hypertrophy, narrow angle glaucoma or increased intra-ocular pressure, because of lofepramine's anticholinergic properties. In patients with narrow angle glaucoma, Lofepramine may only be used if adequate glaucoma treatment is given.
In chronic constipation, tricyclic antidepressants may cause paralytic ileus, particularly in elderly and bedridden patients. Care should be exercised in patients with tumours of the adrenal medulla (eg phaeochromocytoma, neuroblastoma) in whom tricyclic antidepressants may provoke antihypertensive crises.
Blood pressure should be checked before initiating treatment because individuals with hypertension, or an unstable circulation, may react to lofepramine with a fall in blood pressure. 5), therefore before local or general anaesthesia, the anaesthetist should be informed that the patient has been taking lofepramine.
Lofepramine should be used with caution where there is a history of mania. Psychotic symptoms may be aggravated. There have also been reports of hypomanic or manic episodes during a depressive phase in patients with cyclic affective disorders receiving tricyclic antidepressants.
It is recommended that abrupt withdrawal of lofepramine be avoided unless essential, because withdrawal symptoms may occur on abrupt cessation of therapy. Withdrawal symptoms may include insomnia, irritability and excessive perspiration.
Lofepramine can prolong the QT-interval in the ECG and may lead to Torsades de Pointes. Lofepramine may only be used with particular caution when other risk factors for Torsades de Pointes are present, such as: • congenital long QT syndrome • other clinically significant cardiac disorders • parallel treatment with medicinal products • patients with a family history of QT prolongation which also prolong the QT interval in the ECG or can cause hypokalaemia.
If Torsades de Pointes occurs the treatment with lofepramine has to be stopped. Overall, Lofepramine has a low risk to induce a QT interval prolongation at therapeutic doses. g. g. fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine) may increase the plasma concentrations of Lofepramine.
Therefore, concomitant use of these drugs might have an impact on the QT interval. 8). Monitoring of full blood count should be considered before start of treatment and periodically during treatment, particularly in patients with a history of blood dyscrasias.
Hyponatraemia (usually in the elderly and possibly due to inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone) has been associated with all types of antidepressants and should be considered in all patients who develop drowsiness, confusion or convulsions while taking lofepramine.
Serotonin syndrome Concomitant […]