Frågedatum: 1994-11-07
RELIS database 1994; id.nr. 10435, DRUGLINE
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A 50-year-old woman has been treated with Anafranil (clomipramine) 60 mg once daily for a long time



Fråga: A 50-year-old woman has been treated with Anafranil (clomipramine) 60 mg once daily for a long time because of an anxiety syndrome. When exposed to UV light in a solarium, the patient develops a local skin reaction with urticaria. Does clomipramine induce photosensitivity?

Sammanfattning: It is possible that the observed photosensitivity is caused by the clomipramine treatment.

Svar: Drug-induced photosensitivity may be divided into phototoxic (usually type A) and photoallergic (type B) mechanisms. Phototoxic reactions occur in a high proportion of those exposed, are dose-dependent, may occur on first exposure, and have a short latency of minutes to a few hours. The opposite obtains in photoallergic reactions. (1)

Many drugs can induce photosensitivity. Phototoxic reactions due to neuroleptic agents, especially phenotiazines, are well-known. Tricyclic antidepressant drugs are structurally related to phenotiazines. Tricyclic antidepressants have been expected to have both a phototoxic and a photoallergic potential. (1) Several cases of photosensitivity associated with different tricyclic antidepressant drugs have been reported to SADRAC. However, in none of these cases was clomipramine the actual medication. (2) Two case reports have been found on Medline (3,4) where clomipramine is supposed to have induced photosensitivity.

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