Doxepin for sleep, depression?

My NP prescribed me Doxepin for sleep.  Has anyone here had any experience with it?  I’m so hesitant to add other drugs but my lack of sleep like many of us is getting pretty bad. 

 

I’ve read it’s an older tricyclic AD used for depression, anxiety and sleep.

 

Anyone used it; good or bad?

You are right that it's a tricyclic AD.

Do they want you to take it everyday? Or just when needed for sleep?

It is very sedating, and can leave a hangover the next day.

I used it back in 2014 when I had serotonin syndrome, had to immediately stop an SSRI, they gave me doxipin and I slept good. Took it for a few months then.

However, during benzo and poly drug nightmare 2019....I tried it again...and it did not work. Was actually not a good experience.

 

Sooooooooo, it may help or may not. I would just say to really research any drug before you start it. And also research how to get off of it! Are you totally off all meds?

 

Get the liquid Doxepin and try a small bit of it.  It is very sedating.  I took it before too.

Yep I was told it would make me sleep it didn’t but I was in tolerance wd. Would I try it again ... not sure. In a normal brain it would probably work well with sleep, in a benzo brain, I don’t think so. I was on them for 6 months. So I gave them a good try

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I was prescribed 10 mg capsules for sleep.  I did some research and read that 10 mg is a bit high if taking it for sleep. 

Only other meds I’m taking is the Ativan as you can see on my signature.

Plus melatonin and l-theanine at bedtime.  Vit D, magnesium, curcumin, probiotic in daytime.

Oh and an anti inflammatory called mesalamine for what the Gastro doc called microscopic colitis although I’m not consistent in taking that because I’m not sure how it interacts with tapering benzos.

 

I’m not really for taking the doxepin.  The psychiatric NP I’m seeing for my taper is always trying to give me something to help withdrawal easier and doxepin was the latest.  Just thought I’d get some thoughts and comments .

I was on doxepin for 20 years. Definitely is one of the sedating ADs which is what I needdd.  They tried me on some SSRIs which I could not tolerate they jazzed me up so bad. Couldn’t sleep for days on them. Doxepin was the only AD in the end that I could tolerate or helped both for depression and sleep. But I stopped it as it causes cognitive issues in older adults and I decided 20 years was enough.  Others here are correct that if you only need help with sleep 10 or 25mg should suffice.

I had bad experience with tricyclic antidepressants (in my case amitriptyline). Had to take huge rescue doses of benzos to counter amitriptyline which landed me into cold-turkey withdrawal state. I think hydroxyzine is far safer choice. The sedative effect of tricyclics is by antihistamine activity anyway. So, why not go for straight antihistamine?

Thanks for your replies Pokey and Pacenik

 

I’ve decided to give it a miss right now.  My sleep is not great but not alarming either.  I probably average 5 hrs.  I can fall asleep usually ok .  I wake up after about 4 hrs and have a hard time getting much after that.  I think the biggest culprit is some back pain I’ve been battling for some time now. The pain wakes me up.  I am working on solution to that .

 

I had bad experience with tricyclic antidepressants (in my case amitriptyline). Had to take huge rescue doses of benzos to counter amitriptyline which landed me into cold-turkey withdrawal state. I think hydroxyzine is far safer choice. The sedative effect of tricyclics is by antihistamine activity anyway. So, why not go for straight antihistamine?

 

I second this. I had terrible side effects from amitriptiline everyone in the book. I was then swapped to doxepin

So I tried the doxepin because starting this week I am having terrible insomnia.  The first night it worked really great.  I slept a total of 8+ hours even though it was broken .  But the next day I was shaky, weak, and faint feeling.  So the next night I tried unisom, not the one with Benadryl, but the other one and it did absolutely nothing for me.  I was wired all night.

 

So the next 2 nights I tried the doxepin .  The first night I finally went to sleep after 3 hours and got 6 hrs sleep  and didn’t feel too bad the next day.  So took it again and slept but not well at all. The next day I was extremely depressed and panicky all day.

 

My conclusion is NOT to take it but am now worried about how to sleep.  When I don’t sleep my anxiety goes through the roof and I have meltdowns.

All this plus still dealing with back and hip pain that continues to go unresolved.  I am losing it!

 

Drs will say it takes a few weeks to get into ur system... blah blah blah. I’m really sorry it didn’t help much 2 cats. I wish it did coz I’d be on it too! X lack of sleep is a struggle and I’m the same, anxiety is crippling the next day. But usually I feel better in the afternoon so I just hang on til then x

Drs will say it takes a few weeks to get into ur system... blah blah blah. I’m really sorry it didn’t help much 2 cats. I wish it did coz I’d be on it too! X lack of sleep is a struggle and I’m the same, anxiety is

crippling the next day. But usually I feel better in the afternoon so I just hang on til then x

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Yes it’s the same for me. I feel better the next day, late afternoon. By then I’m starting to have anxiety about sleeping that night.!  Isn’t that ridiculous? A vicious cycle. this is a somewhat new symptom for me .  I probably was averaging 5 or 6 hrs a night but it was like somebody flipped a switch last weekend and I started getting real jittery and agitated feeling.  I didn’t do my cut so I don’t know what triggered it.  Like every other symptom with this crazy drug!  I look forward to the day I can sleep like many of us.  I used to be such a good sleeper.  I could pretty much sleep on demand. 

Me too. Miss it so much. X