Desipramine and Atomoxetine Interaction
Drug interaction information between Desipramine and Atomoxetine.
Desipramine and Atomoxetine have a documented minor interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a minor-severity interaction between Desipramine and Atomoxetine. Major interactions are generally avoided, moderate ones may need monitoring or a dose adjustment, and minor ones are usually low-risk. This page shows the documented mechanism and guidance. Label-documented interactions are not a complete safety review, so always confirm your own medications with a pharmacist or doctor. Educational information, not medical advice.
How They Interact
Atomoxetine does not change how the body processes desipramine, even though both drugs use the same liver enzyme.
What To Do
No dosage changes are usually needed when taking these two medications together.
FDA Label Information
CYP2D6 Substrate (e.g., Desipramine) — Coadministration of atomoxetine (40 or 60 mg BID for 13 days) with desipramine, a model compound for CYP2D6 metabolized drugs (single dose of 50 mg), did not alter the pharmacokinetics of desipramine.
Desipramine Also Interacts With
- Bupropion minor
- Darunavir minor
- Desvenlafaxine minor
- Dopamine minor
- Duloxetine minor
Atomoxetine Also Interacts With
- Albuterol moderate
- Omeprazole minor
- Fluoxetine minor
- Methylphenidate minor
- Warfarin minor
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take Desipramine and Atomoxetine together?
This is a minor interaction. No dosage changes are usually needed when taking these two medications together.
How serious is the interaction between Desipramine and Atomoxetine?
This interaction is classified as "minor" severity by the FDA. Minor interactions are unlikely to cause significant problems but should still be mentioned to your healthcare provider.
Why do Desipramine and Atomoxetine interact?
Atomoxetine does not change how the body processes desipramine, even though both drugs use the same liver enzyme.
Understanding the Desipramine and Atomoxetine Interaction
FDA-approved prescribing information for these two drugs flags their combination as a minor-severity interaction. Desipramine belongs to the Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) class and Atomoxetine belongs to the Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor class - two categories that can collide when co-prescribed. The mechanism described in FDA labeling is: Atomoxetine does not change how the body processes desipramine, even though both drugs use the same liver enzyme. Severity tiers matter: major flags generally advise avoidance, moderate flags often require monitoring or dose adjustment, and minor flags may only call for awareness.
Context around a specific patient determines real-world impact. Desipramine has 18 total documented interactions on file in this dataset, and Atomoxetine has 15. Each additional medication compounds the interaction surface, which is why pharmacists run full-profile checks rather than evaluating one pair at a time. FDA-derived guidance for this pair is: No dosage changes are usually needed when taking these two medications together. Timing of doses, renal and hepatic function, age, and other concurrent prescriptions all shape whether a labeled interaction matters clinically.
An interaction flag is not a verdict. A large share of labeled interactions are managed routinely in clinical practice, the fix may be as simple as spacing doses or adding a monitoring test. Others require the prescriber to choose a different medication entirely. This page surfaces FDA-sourced labeling and openFDA data for educational purposes only; it is not medical advice and cannot account for your full clinical picture. Never start, stop, or adjust either Desipramine or Atomoxetine based on a web page, speak with your prescriber or pharmacist before making any change.
Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about drug interactions.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.