Effect of Low Dose Imipramine in Patients with Nocturnal Enuresis, A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nocturnal enuresis is a condition, which can affect the quality of life in children. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of low-dose imipramine combined with desmopressin on treatment of patients with primary nocturnal enuresis who were defined as desmopressin non-responders. Methods. A randomized clinical trial was carried out on patients with primary nocturnal enuresis. Forty children with enuresis ranging from 5 to 12 years old were randomly divided into the intervention (n = 20) and control groups (n = 20). The subjects in the intervention group were treated with desmopressin combined with 5 mg imipramine at bedtime, and those in the control group were given desmopressin alone. The patients were followed up weekly for one month. The number of wet nights was recorded. Results. Two individuals in the intervention and three individuals in the control group were excluded from the study. Our findings indicated that the age and gender showed no significant difference. Furthermore, a significant better recovery in the enuresis was observed in 18 of 20 patients who were treated with combination therapy after 1 month (P < .05). In addition, the frequency of recovery was significantly higher (83.3%) in the intervention group, compared with the control group (29.4%). Conclusion. The analysis showed that low-dose imipramine is well tolerated in clinical practice and may represent a good short-term treatment option in combination therapy where desmopressin alone is not efficient enough.