Myoclonic movements as a side-effect of treatment with therapeutic doses of clomipramine

Abstract

Myoclonic movements have been observed in depressed patients receiving therapeutic doses of clomipramine. Such movements, which appear in states of deep muscular relaxation such as sleep, do not appear to have any repercussion in the outcome of the depression and are reversible following withdrawal of the drug. In this study the plasma levels of clomipramine and desmethylclomipramine were determined and their possible relationship with myoclonus studied. No statistically significant relationships were found.