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What is Anafranil?
Anafranil is a tricyclic antidepressant. It affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. Anafranil is used to treat symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) such as recurrent thoughts or feelings and repetitive actions.

How Anafranil works?
In the brain there are numerous different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells.

Serotonin and noradrenaline are neurotransmitters and they have various functions that we know of. When serotonin and noradrenaline are released from nerve cells in the brain they act to lighten mood. When they are reabsorbed into the nerve cells, they no longer have an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin and noradrenaline released from nerve cells in the brain. Clomipramine works by preventing serotonin and noradrenaline from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released noradrenaline and serotonin. In this way, clomipramine helps relieve depression. Clomipramine also blocks receptors in other areas of the body, and this can cause side effects such as drowsiness. This means clomipramine may be particularly useful in treating depression in people who are also anxious and agitated.

Warning
Depression is associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and suicide. You should be aware that this medicine may not start to make you feel better for at least two to four weeks. However, it is important that you keep taking it in order for it to work properly and for you to feel better. If you feel your depression has got worse, or if you have any distressing thoughts or feelings, particularly about suicide or harming yourself in these first few weeks, or indeed at any point during treatment or after stopping treatment, then it is very important to talk to your doctor. Antidepressants may cause the amount of sodium in the blood to drop - a condition called hyponatraemia. This can cause symptoms such as drowsiness, confusion, muscle twitching or convulsions. Elderly people may be particularly susceptible to this effect. You should consult your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms while taking this medicine so that your blood sodium level can be checked if necessary.

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