Doxepin is an antidepressant used to treat major depressive disorder. It is also used to treat anxiety disorders as well as treat sleep issues like insomnia. Doxepin belongs to a category of antidepressants called tricyclic antidepressants.
This post will cover some of the information you need to know about Doxepin and answer the most common questions. It will also include my personal Doxepin review from my experience when I was on this medication. Read to the end and I will share with you the treatment that worked for me so well that I no longer take any antidepressants after being on them for over 10 years.
Doxepin Side Effects
I don’t know of any antidepressant that doesn’t have possible side effects attached to it, and Doxepin is no different. Some of the side effects you may experience from being on this medication include the following:
Vomiting
Nausea
Tiredness
Fatigue
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Diarrhea
Ringing in your ears
Swollen testicles
Constipation
Increased breast size
Headache
Skin sensitive to sunlight
Changes in appetite
Weight changes
Hair loss
Difficulty urinating
These are just some of the possible side effects. You may experience several of these or none at all. If you are having more serious side effects such as an increased heartrate, skin rash or yellowing of the skin, then you should inform your doctor immediately. They will determine if the benefits of Doxepin outweigh the side effects of being on it. In a lot of cases, side effects will subside after a few weeks.
Doxepin Side Effects Sexually
Unfortunately, sexual disfunction and changes in sex drive are a common side effect of some antidepressants.
Use of Doxepin may lead to changes in your sex drive and significantly reduce your interest in sex and even impact your sexual function. In some cases, it may actually increase your interest in sex.
Doxepin Weight Gain
Can Doxepin cause weight gain? Yes, it definitely can. That doesn’t mean that it will definitely happen, but it has been listed among the common side effects of taking Doxepin.
Doxepin And Pregnancy
Currently, it is not known if Doxepin can increase the risk of a miscarriage or birth defect. You should be speaking to your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant and they will be able to assess whether any potential risks are greater than the benefit of being on Doxepin while you are pregnant.
Doxepin does pass into breastmilk if you are breastfeeding your baby and it can sometimes be recommended that you do not take Doxepin if you are breastfeeding. Again, please discuss it with your doctor and they will decide the best thing to do for your particular situation.
Doxepin And Alcohol
It is best not to mix alcohol with any antidepressant medication as it may put you at greater risk of increased side effects, such as drowsiness and confusion. Doxepin can cause drowsiness and tiredness on its own, so combining it with alcohol can make it worse.
In addition to that, alcohol is a depressant so combining it with an antidepressant can reduce the overall effectiveness of the antidepressant you are taking.
Doxepin For Anxiety
As well as treating depression, Doxepin can also be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. In Doxepin reviews on drugs.com it has a rating of 7.1 out of 10 (from 41 reviews) for the treatment of anxiety.
If you suffer from both depression and anxiety then this may be a good medication for you as it will treat both illnesses.
Doxepin For Sleep
Doxepin treats depression and anxiety and it is also approved to treat insomnia for those who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. A 2013 study showed that low doses of Doxepin were effective at reducing insomnia.
How Long Does Doxepin Take To Work?
Doxepin is similar to other antidepressants in that it can take several weeks before you start to see any relief in your symptoms. Typically, you will need 2-4 weeks before Doxepin starts to work.
If you are taking Doxepin for insomnia, then you should take it around 30 minutes before going to bed as the drug will likely make you drowsy by that time.
Doxepin Half Life
The half life means how long it takes your body to remove half of the medication from your system. The half life of Doxepin is between 8 and 25 hours after your last dose.
How Long Does Doxepin Stay In Your System?
While it can take 8-25 hours to eliminate half of the drug from your system, how long Doxepin stays in your system will depend on a number of factors. These include age, metabolism rate and body mass.
Doxepin Withdrawal
You should never stop taking Doxepin suddenly unless advised by your doctor. When you stop taking it suddenly it can increase your chance of suffering from withdrawal side effects. Some of those include Nausea, headaches and tiredness.
The safest way to come off Doxepin is by reducing your dose gradually under the guidance and instruction of your treating doctor. They will advise you on how much you should reduce your dosage by and how often.
Doxepin Vs Xanax
One study showed that when treating unipolar depression Doxepin and Xanax were equally as effective as each other. This study did show that there were fewer side effects with Xanax than there were with Doxepin.
Xanax can be quite effective at treating anxiety and panic disorders. The problem that myself and many others found is that Xanax can be a very difficult drug to withdraw from.
Also, Xanax should only be taken for up to 6 weeks as it is quite an addictive medication.
I found that Doxepin on the other hand, was less of a problem when it came time to stop taking it. I was also able to take it for longer than I could have with Xanax. Doxepin was more of a long term solution whereas Xanax was more for the short term.
Doxepin Reviews – In My Experience
I don’t recall what year I began taking Doxepin, but my doctor prescribed it to me for the treatment of anxiety and depression. When I first started taking the medication there were a few minor side effects which subsided within a month or so. The side effects I experienced were a dry mouth, occasional diarrhea and also tiredness. The tiredness may have been because I started on a lower dose, and it is lower doses of Doxepin that are used to treat insomnia. Either way, it had less of an effect on tiredness over time and with an increase in the dosage that I was taking.
Once we had given enough time and increased the dosage of Doxepin, I can’t say I felt any better at all. I definitely wasn’t feeling any worse due to the drug after the side effects wore off, but it was giving me no positive benefits. We increased the dose some more but I still didn’t feel any improvement.
After a while, it was decided that I would stop taking Doxepin. Under my doctors guidance, we reduced the dose that I was taking gradually and carefully, monitoring for any withdrawal symptoms. I did notice an increase in tiredness again, but I was taking the drug at night so the tiredness was somewhat welcomed. It didn’t leave me feeling tired the next day.
Overall, Doxepin was not a terrible experience for me, it simply just did not work for my depression and anxiety. That doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you and you should not be discouraged by my experience. If your doctor thinks it is the ideal medication for you then you should follow their advice.
How I Became Free Of All Medication
Over the years I have taken many different antidepressants and combinations of medication to treat my depression and anxiety. I have never really had much success with any of the medications that I have been prescribed.
In an effort to find an alternative solution, I eventually found a course called Destroy Depression. It is a medication free (and side effect free!) way of treating depression and it really worked for me. It worked so well in fact, that I no longer take any antidepressants at all.
The course covers a lot of things, but it is done in easy to follow format that even with my low levels of concentration I was easily able to digest the information. If you are sick of relying on or hoping that medication will help you, then this may be the course for you. It comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, so there really is no risk involved. All I encourage you to do after you buy is put it into action. Reading it will not cure you, but if you apply what it teaches (which isn’t hard to do) then hopefully just like me you will have excellent results.
Click here to learn more about Destroy Depression
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