Actually, imipramine (trade name in the
USA:
Tofranil®) is used to control
nocturnal enuresis, or bedwetting, in both adults and children. It is important to note that it is not being used as an
antidepressant here -- for adults, a
psychotherapeutic dose is ~150mg/day, while effective doses for enuresis are 25-50mg/day. The
mechanism appears to be related to the increase in
epinephrine seen with the
tricyclics, as well as a normalization of sleeping
EEG.
Imipramine may not be a good sole treatment for enuresis, because users tend to
relapse upon discontinuation. Also, despite the fact that the doses are well below the antidepressant dose, long-term use of such a powerful personality-changing chemical for a physiological problem seems a little dangerous. On the other hand, it can be invaluable when enuresis must be temporarily controlled. Also, since most people with enuresis are children, and most children grow out of it in time, a
temporary fix may be sufficient.