Drug side effects
clomipramine Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for clomipramine (also sold as Anafranil), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 4,403
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 1998 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.
The most commonly reported side effects of clomipramine come from 4,403 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 4,403 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for clomipramine (Anafranil): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.
Total Reports
4,403
Reports Mentioning Death
393
8.9% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
2,376
54.0% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 393 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 56 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 38 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 26 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 25 |
| PYREXIA | 23 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 20 |
| DYSPNOEA | 18 |
| VOMITING | 18 |
| INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE | 17 |
| COMA | 16 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 16 |
| DEPRESSED LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 15 |
| NAUSEA | 15 |
| AGITATION | 14 |
| PNEUMONIA | 14 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 14 |
| PNEUMONIA ASPIRATION | 13 |
| SUDDEN DEATH | 13 |
| TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS | 13 |
| FOETAL EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY | 12 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 2,376 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| FALL | 167 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 144 |
| SUICIDE ATTEMPT | 138 |
| TREMOR | 132 |
| CONFUSIONAL STATE | 124 |
| INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE | 121 |
| SOMNOLENCE | 117 |
| COMA | 97 |
| ASTHENIA | 95 |
| OVERDOSE | 93 |
| PYREXIA | 89 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 89 |
| SOPOR | 88 |
| DRUG ABUSE | 86 |
| LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 86 |
| NAUSEA | 85 |
| TACHYCARDIA | 85 |
| HYPOTENSION | 84 |
| DEPRESSION | 83 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About clomipramine Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 4,403 voluntary reports linked to clomipramine and its brand equivalents (Anafranil), spanning 1998 through 2025. Of those, 393 (8.9%) listed death as an outcome and 2,376 (54.0%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 60% were female and 40% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,216 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug interaction with 225 submissions, followed by somnolence and fall.
How to read these numbers
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to clomipramine's 4,403.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.