Desipramine Pruritus

Panic disorder in a 26-year-old man was treated with oral desipramine 50 mg/day in a tartrazine-containing tablet. The patient had a history of allergy to codeine but not to aspirin. After taking desipramine for 10 days the patient developed generalised pruritus but laboratory tests showed normal chemistry, no eosinophils and normal liver function profile. Desipramine was replaced by oral nortriptyline 25mg (capsule) for 1 week without development of pruritus.

Desipramine 50mg (tablets without tartrazine) was begun and pruritus reappeared after 5 days. Treatment with nortriptyline 25mg (capsules) successfully resolved panic attacks without pruritus.

'This case questions the wisdom of restarting patients who develop allergic reactions while taking antidepressants to similar or identical medications without tartrazlne.·

Hollander E. American Journal of Psychiatry 44: 1247. Sep 1987

0157-7271/87/1107-0007/0$01.00/0 © ADIS Press REACTIONS'" 7 November 1987 7