Tofranil is categorized as which type of medication?

• A. Antidepressant
• B. Antipsychotic
• C. Anxiolytic
• D. Mood stabilizer

Answer: (A)

Tofranil is imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant. It works mainly by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine (and also affecting serotonin), which increases these neurotransmitters in the brain and helps lift depressive symptoms. That pharmacologic action places it squarely in the antidepressant category. It isn’t an antipsychotic, which target psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations; it isn’t an anxiolytic, whose primary role is reducing anxiety; and it isn’t a mood stabilizer, which are used to prevent mood swings in bipolar disorder. So the best classification for Tofranil is antidepressant.