Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed
• If the medication was prescribed for the patient

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

See: Poison control center - emergency number

What to expect at the emergency room:

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms are treated as appropriate.

The patient may receive:

• Activated charcoal
• Blood tests to monitor imipramine levels
• Breathing support
• Fluids through a vein (by IV)
• Laxative
• Medicine, called an antidote, to reverse the effects of the poison (sodium bicarbonate)
• Tube through the nose into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)

Expectations (prognosis):

Imipramine can be an extremely serious overdose. Patients who swallow an excessive amount of this drug are almost always admitted to hospital.

How well a person does depends on how much of the drug was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster one gets medical help, the better the chance of recovery.

Death can occur, usually from serious heart rhythm disturbances or because breathing stops.