imipramine vs sertraline
Side-by-side comparison of imipramine and sertraline. 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
While all the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, inhibit P450 2D6, they may vary in the extent of inhibition.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to lower your imipramine dose and monitor you closely.
Tofranil
Zoloft
Imipramine (Tofranil) is a medicine used to treat depression and bedwetting in children. It helps improve mood and reduce bedwetting episodes.
Sertraline is a medicine used to treat depression and other mental health conditions. It helps balance chemicals in your brain to improve your mood and reduce anxiety.
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.
Sertraline is used to treat major depressive disorder in adults. This means it can help with ongoing sadness or loss of interest in things. It also treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where you have unwanted thoughts or behaviors that you can't control. Sertraline can also treat panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and social anxiety disorder.
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.
Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood, and by blocking its reabsorption, sertraline helps improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- • Dry mouth
- • Blurred vision
- • Constipation
- • Drowsiness
- • Dizziness
- • Nausea
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Insomnia
- • Dizziness
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 35
- Feeling very tired 30
- High blood pressure 29
- Feeling worried or nervous 28
- Feeling sad or hopeless 28
- Feeling sick to your stomach 5,757
- Feeling very tired 5,244
- Loose, watery stools 4,654
- Pain in your head 4,407
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 4,121
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.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression, unusual behavior, or thoughts of suicide. Sertraline is not approved for treating depression in children.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sertraline may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking sertraline during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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How to Read This imipramine vs sertraline Comparison
imipramine is classified in the Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) drug class, while sertraline sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) 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, imipramine has 150 submissions while sertraline has 24,183. 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 sertraline interferes with how your liver processes imipramine, which can lead to higher levels of imipramine in your blood.. 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 imipramine and sertraline - 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.