Aspects of the Clinical Chemistry of Desmethylimipramine in Man

Abstract

Abstract A method is described for the fluorimetric estimation of desmethylimipramine (DMI), an active metabolite of imipramine, in plasma. The plasma levels of DMI were followed in six patients over a period of 4 weeks during the treatment of endogenous depression. The results suggested that there was an inverse relation between the mean plasma DMI concentration and the weight of the patient. Two to 3 weeks treatment with DMI was necessary before the blood platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine was significantly lowered, whereas an improvement in symptoms, if it occurred, usually took place earlier.