Norpramin (nor-PROM-in, nor-PRAM-in)
Generic name: desipramine (dez-IHP-ra-mean)
Clinical uses: treatment of depression, cocaine withdrawal, bulimia
Class: tricyclic
Chemical formula: C18H22N2
Possible side-effects: sedation, nausea, change in weight, change in libido, hypertension, impotence
To the best of my knowledge, Norpramin is rarely prescribed for depression these days. Doctors do administer tricyclics to patients who do not respond to SSRIs and atypical antidepressants; however, they'll usually start with some other drug first (such as Elavil or Tofranil), in part because Norpramin doesn't have the sedative effect that makes these other tricyclics useful. Nonetheless, a patient might still receive Norpramin if s/he didn't respond to common antidepressants but couldn't tolerate any kind of sedation.