flecainide vs imipramine
Side-by-side comparison of flecainide and imipramine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type 1C antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide).
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to monitor you closely for side effects or adjust your medication doses.
Tambocor
Tofranil
Flecainide is a medicine used to prevent irregular heartbeats. It helps your heart beat normally.
Imipramine (Tofranil) is a medicine used to treat depression and bedwetting in children. It helps improve mood and reduce bedwetting episodes.
This medicine can prevent fast heart rates in the upper chambers of the heart. This includes supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation/flutter. Flecainide can also prevent life-threatening fast heartbeats in the lower chambers (ventricles). It is usually started in the hospital for these serious ventricular problems.
This medicine can help relieve the symptoms of depression. It may work better for some types of depression than others. Imipramine can also be used to help reduce bedwetting in children 6 years and older, but only after a doctor has ruled out other possible causes.
Flecainide works by slowing down electrical signals in the heart. This helps to stabilize your heart rhythm. It belongs to a class of drugs called Class IC antiarrhythmics.
Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant. It works by increasing the levels of certain natural chemicals in the brain that help regulate mood. For bedwetting, it's thought to affect bladder control.
- • Dizziness
- • Vision problems
- • Difficulty breathing
- • Headache
- • Nausea
- • Dry mouth
- • Blurred vision
- • Constipation
- • Drowsiness
- • Dizziness
- Irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers 337
- Feeling tired 276
- Difficulty breathing 270
- Feeling lightheaded 255
- Feeling sick to your stomach 244
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 35
- Feeling very tired 30
- High blood pressure 29
- Feeling worried or nervous 28
- Feeling sad or hopeless 28
Flecainide can increase the risk of death or cardiac arrest in some patients who have had a heart attack. It is generally not recommended for people with less serious, but unpleasant, heart rhythm problems. Flecainide is also not recommended if you have chronic atrial fibrillation.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, teenagers, and young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should also watch for these changes.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if flecainide can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking flecainide while breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. This medicine may not be safe for you or your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.
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How to Read This flecainide vs imipramine Comparison
flecainide is classified in the Class IC Antiarrhythmic drug class, while imipramine sits within the Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, flecainide has 1,382 submissions while imipramine has 150. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs are processed by the same liver enzyme, which can cause them to compete and build up in your system.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between flecainide and imipramine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.