There are 130 ratings for the drug: DOXEPIN HCL in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for doxepin hcl: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
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4	Depression	weight gain, memory problems, confusion, some vision problems, vivid dreams	I tried other anti-depressants, including Lexapro and couldn't tolerate them. I started at 25 mg. of Doxepin and wound up taking 300 mg. within 6 months. I felt great for a while at 150 mg. There was no weight gain at that point. Then I felt myself going in a cycle. One day depressed, the other day fine. So I began increasing the doses, 25 mg. per week. The cycles continued until I started taking 300 Mg. per day. At that point, the depression stopped. Within 3 months, I gained 45 lbs! I work out regularily, doing 4 miles on the treadmill 5 times per week along with other activities. Even with all of that, I haven't lost an ounce! I had 20/20 vision and now I need reading glasses and sometimes my long range vision is blurred. Also, had a photographic memory and now my memory is about average or slighly below average. I also get confused the odd time, such as opening the wrong drawer to get something. I really dislike the vivid dreams. They tend not to be pleasant dreams either. However, remembering what my depression was like and the problems that I had with other medications such as Prozac, Effexor, Paxil, Serzone and Lexapro, (Cipralex), I am sticking with Doxepin. The worst side-effect that I had with some other meds, (especially Paxil and Lexapro) was severe headaches. And I mean severe. Some other anti-depressants that I tried made the depression worse. Bottom line: Taking Doxepin sure beats having depression.	M	56	4 years 50 MG. 6X D		8/16/2010 Email
1	Anxiety	Sedation, dry mouth, impotence HUGE ANXIETY INCREASE	5 days after taking only 2 days and I want to crawl out of my skin - so sorry I took this drug	M	62	2 days 1X D		8/16/2010
2	Anxiety and Insomnia	A small amout of Weight gain, I still cant stay asleep. I used to wake up about 10- 15 times a night, Now I wake up about 35 times a night. I don't think this works as well as the doctors think it should.		F	20	7 days 10 1X D		7/29/2010
1	Anxiety and Depression and Insomnia	I hate this med! And I can not believe my md didn't tell me about the possibility of extreme weight gain! I had gastric bypass about 5 yrs ago and have been 125lbs ever since. I just went to see my regular md due to my horribly bloated and painful abdomen- I LOOK PREGNANT!. I now weigh 146!!!! I am so pissed! And didn't help me sleep either- I would wake up off and on all night long.		F	34	3 weeks 100mg 1X D		6/26/2010 Email
4	FM/CFD/fibromyositis/insomnia	Weight gain, dry mouth, & CRAVING SWEETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!		M	30	3.5 years 50 mg 1X D		5/19/2010 Email
5	Chronic PN, with Insomnia	None	I have been able to sleep well with the med. It does seem to work with the pain meds that I take, and has allowed me to get a good nights sleep for the first time in over a year. I have not had any dreams, nightmares or anything of the such. Maybe a little hung over in the AM, hope that resolves with continued usage.	M	46	3 days 20mg 1X D		4/21/2010 Email
5		In the beginning, I did have dry mouth	It was a miracle drug for me. I had strong first-time bout of depression and could not sleep. My Dr. used Doxepin 10 MG with ambien for the sleeping issue along with paxil. The Dr. knew how I hated the idea of being dependent on any drug, so once I was able to sleep again, we worked ahead with the aim that I would first reduce ambien to zero and then reduce the amout of doxepin. While I have never been able to go off paxil, I was successful in reducing the doxepin to lower and lower amount 2MG-1MG or less and only when needed (once or twice per month) My own theory on doxepin is that most people do not realize that while you will use higher amount initially, within a few months, you can (and probably need to)back off dosage amount. And over time, if you are consistent, the amount you need will be incredible small. If I were to take 10MG pill now, I would probably sleep for two days!	M	55	10 years 5mg 1X O		4/7/2010
5	Urticaria, photosensitivity	Continued drowsiness upon awakening. Cured that by taking it early in the afternoon so I was sleepy by bedtime. No delayed reaction. Sleep aids take about 7 hours to work on me. By then it is time to get up!	Great for my dogs' itching/allergies. They were driving me crazy with their scratching. Since it is a combo of histamine 1 and 2 antagonizers, it is a dream come true. The vet never heard of it, so I go to a regular doctor to get a script for the dogs. It also works wonderfully when I need it, which is not often at this point in time. After doing significant research, I discovered that my itching and photo-sensitivity were due to a bladder problem: chronic interstitial cystitis. Odd but true.	F	62	18 years		1/26/2010 Email
4	chronic hives	1 10 mg pill puts me to sleep but I do have some crazy dreams and restlessness during the night. Tolerable if itching stops.	Was taking 1 10 mg doxepin and 1 5 mg predisone. Was allowed to increase to 3 pills but never had to. Hives stopped immediately. Am now off prednisone (5 days) and am starting to get a little itching but nothing major. I will wean off doxepin if all goes well in 3 weeks.	F	59	3 weeks		1/19/2010
4	Myalgic Encephalomyelitis	bit of weight gain, lot of constipation, only on 10mg.	great help with sleep, antihistamine. Suddenly became allergic to it after 15 yrs. Disaster, had to come off suddenly only 3 days ago. No idea what will happen. Anyone come off after so long? any info really appreciated. 10mg for me the only dose I could tolerate, fell asleep an hour later, was great.		48	15 years		1/19/2010 Email
4	Insomnia &depression	I definately do have vivid dreams , but often did before taking this. It certainly made me able to deal with stressful situations without getting overwrought. It has taken away the ability to really laugh and be spontaneous. I laugh less, however, I cry less. Sleep has improved but can be very sluggish in the mornings.	I have gained 20 kilos in the 10 years I've been on it. Some due to lack of activity and developing a sweet tooth. So can't blame it completely for that.	F	42	10 years		1/12/2010
5	Sleeplessness	No negative side effects experienced	Doctor prescribed for sleeplessness - amazing results, sleep comfortably and through the WHOLE night without waking. Much better than any of the new sleep meds I tried.	F	55	2 years		1/9/2010
5	Hives	makes me sleepy and have had No weight gain at all	I have been suffering from massive hives for almost 9 years, I had been admitted to hospital because throat had swelled shut emergency room doctor recommended Doxepin and Zantac swelling went away within a few hours. I took this once a day for 30 days within two days of stopping Hives were back and ended up back in hospital. I am back on it and look forward to hives being gone	F	49	30 days		1/6/2010
5	sciatica	Drowsiness in the morning, but this was cured by taking my Doxepin earlier in the evening.	I have sciatica and take 10 mg. of Doxepin every night. This is a wonderful drug that helps me to relax and fall asleep. It helps me sleep deep enough to keep from rolling around all night from my back pain. If I don't take doxepin in the evening, I am up all night walking around.	F	51	2 years		1/6/2010
3	itching, hives, depression	Very very strange dreams.. huge appetite at first but controlled it after a while..very drowsy in the morning		F	18	30 days		1/2/2010
3	anxiety, depression, chronic nausea	Dry mouth and eyes, fatigue in mornings and early afternoon, increasing constipation.	I started on 25mg in evening and increased to 50 mg. This was a mistake. I am going to lower the dosage to 20 mg. I hope this will reduce the side effects. It did relieve anxiety and decrease the nausea, but hasn't shown any depression improvement as yet.	M	63	4 weeks		12/19/2009
3	Depression	Weight gain		F	49	10 years		12/4/2009
2	sleeplessness - depression	Severe itching and constipation, improved mental attitude but not worth the itchy feeling all over my upper body - even the inside of my ears itch !! The sleeplessness is worse - I feel like I am "wired for sound". I can only sleep 4-5 hours; the insomnia is worse than before.	I have just been on this med for 5 days - it DID NOT help me with the insomnia; made it worse - the itching is driving me crazy - which is weird because this med is also prescribed for people with hives and works very well. It has helped with the depression but after reading all the posts (and the info that came with the med), I am discouraged about taking it - maybe a higher dose would benefit me (only taking 50 mg at night). Right now, I am ready to give it up. There HAS to be another drug on the market for me to take.	F	58	5 days		11/10/2009
2	rash	took it one time and now I am going to the bathroom. Feel like I am having contraction, peeing a LOT!		M	52	1 days		11/10/2009
4	urticaria (hives)	sleepy and weight gain!	It took nearly 4 wks to be effective, my hives are still there but not everyday and not bad, but it makes me fall asleep almost instantly. Also I have gained 20 pounds, not too happy at all about that. I laughed when reading people's notes about craving and never feeling full, but it's very true for me. Want to go off, it, but I'd sell my soul to not have hives.	F	45	3 months		11/2/2009 Email
1	itching, stress	So far, I have been taking it for three days. itching is still there & always sleepy in the morning. Don't know if I gained any weight yet.		F	27	3 days		10/22/2009
5	insomnia	weight gain, dry mouth	I'm 5'2" and have probably gained about fifteen pounds, which shows up a lot on me. But it's been worth it because I have had trouble sleeping my whole life, and it's sooooo wonderful to be able to fall asleep easily now.	F	53	3 years		10/12/2009
5	Itchiness	Weight gain, drowsiness in the morning, increased appetite, uncontrollable food cravings, decrease in the quality of sleep I was getting	It worked great for the itchiness and I wasn't itchy anymore but I gained about 8 lbs and have trouble fitting into some of my pants. I was craving foods I don't normally eat. I am normally a healthy eater and keep my bad food cravings in check but on this medication I wanted to eat ice cream, chocolate, fries, etc. every day. When I would give into the cravings I never felt satisfied and would want to keep eating more and more. All I could think about was food. I workout regularly so the weight gain was really frustrating. I also would wake up in the morning feeling exhausted and had really vivid and intense dreams every night. I just went off it before the weight gain got out of control.	F	27	2 months		10/10/2009
5	Insomnia	none!	I've had insomnia for several years. Fall asleep around midnight and wake up between 2-3AM. Unable to shut my brain off it just goes on non-stop preventing me from falling back to sleep. Tried Ambien, I sent emails that were jibberish in the middle of the night and not remember in the morning - wasn't good. Dr. put me on Doxepin, works well for me. I still wake up on occasion but generally fall back to sleep. I do find myself groggy between breakfast and lunch but it beats 2 or 3 hours of sleep a nght!	M		8 months		9/5/2009
3	Chronic Pain - Neuropathy	Extremely tired in the morning; I forced myself to get up at 8 or 9 after 9 hours of sleep, and then I had to stare into space while I drank two cups of coffee. Also: sun sensitivity (a known side effect), and weight gain/edema (although I don't know for sure which of my meds or eating habits lead to this), and muscle cramps (which I have not confirmed to be due to the doxepin).	I was taking 2400 mg of gabapentin (generic for Neurontin), along with low dose hormone pills and 150mg of doxepin. I decreased the doxepin to 100mg with no noticable physical/mental changes. Then, because I was getting daily, serious muscle cramps, and because the gabapentin is non-negotiable, I stopped taking the hormone pills and slowly reduced the doxepin to where I am now: 25mg. The muscle cramps have lessened but not gone away. Perhaps not a cause and effect, and I am having my electrolytes tested because vitamin D deficiency (which I, and most chronic pain people have) messes with calcium levels (and calcium is part of the delicate equation, along with sodium, potassium and magnesium, for proper muscle function). I took 10mg of amytriptyline for two years before being switched to doxepin, and had no problems with it - but it was a low dose.	F	43	4 months		8/26/2009
5	Chronic Hives	Tiredness, feeling weak, breast enlargement, weight gain, and feeling Bloated.	Worked great for hives. Hives are gone!, and no more itching. I just feel like if you took a pin you could pop me, just like a balloon. I have gained weight on this drug, and increased my exercise and went on a strict diet, and I can't loose an ounce! I think it slows your metabolism down unfortunately.	F	37	3 months		8/2/2009 Email
4	Chronic Uticaria	No major side effects. I was very drowsy the first few days, but that tapered off. My appetite definitely increased but no major weight gain because I'm trying to eat healthy and get to the gym. Getting up in the morning is a bit of a struggle but once I'm up I feel great.	I definitely have relief from my hives. The benefits outweigh the side effects for sure.	F	31	2 months		7/22/2009
3	chronic uticaria	weight gain, dry mouth, strange dreams, very tired, hard time getting up and going in the morning, would just like to stay in bed.	I was having terrible breakouts of hives and itching. I tried Atarax, prednisone, but Doxepin worked the best and for the longest. I went approx. two months without any hives! They are coming back but not as bad, I probably need to increase the dosage (been taking 50 mgs at bedtime for almost five months) but I do not want to because of the weight gain, so I am trying to take Benadryl also. I am making an appointment with an allergist/immunologist to see if they can get to the bottom of the cause. Very frustrating to me because they just started one day approx. 8 months ago and I have never had them before in my life.	F	41	5 months		7/7/2009 Email
5	sleep aid	weight gain	Original prescribed 50mg had hangover next am cut back to 25mg,now dose is perfect for sleep aid	M	47	3 weeks		7/4/2009
1	Migraines	Horrible weight gain. im disgusted. and very bizzare strange dreams and very tired wanting to sleep all the time bu thas got a little better.	I can't control my hunger, i was 120 when i started and now im 145. i have been taking it for almost 2 months. it has helped so much with my migraines but there has to be something else out there that can not take over my appetite this severely and still be able to control my migraines.	F		2 months		7/4/2009
2	insomnia, depression	extreme weight gain - have only been on it 2 weeks and have already gained 10 lbs. helped a lot with insomnia, but if I have to deal with this continued weight gain, it's not worth it. i struggle with my weight enough as it is.		F	20	2 weeks		6/25/2009
3	Chronic Idopathic Hives	I feel very tired even when I get 8 or nine hours of sleep. I wake up exhausted, feeling as if I got no rest at all. I am going to start taking doexepin around 730 at night and try to be in bed by 9:30 to insure a full nine hours of sleep. I may start to take it every other day? I am starting to eat more, it’s a little bit uncontrollable, but this feels like a total mental thing. I am going to start buying more fruits and replacing ice cream and bad snacks with sweet fruit. I am going to start going to the gym two to three times a week. I will not allow myself to gain more weight. At work I feel like I can’t concentrate, it is the weirdest thing. My thoughts are all discombobulated. I feel like I am drunk. I try to focus but it’s really hard. I am getting weird joint pain in my knees & wrists. The worst part is feeling this tired. Its bad.	I can tell you that this medication is working to reduce my hives. They are not gone completely, but I am getting relief. Also, as many others with chronic hives, the only other thing that would help was prednisione. Now that's a terrible drug.	F	21	40 days		6/23/2009
5	itching	Very intense dreams and some nightmares. Weight gain, crave cupcakes uncontrollably.	For the first time in 20 years I do not have to sleep with a round brush by my bed to accomodate the head to toe itches that attacked me every night. My itching was so bad I would have to pull off the road and take off my shoes to scratch my feet. My legs would bleed because I would claw them. It literally made me miserable every day of my life. I can deal with the dreams, and I guess the weight gain, because I'm finally free from itching!	F	49	3 months		6/18/2009
4	Severe Itching / Chronic Sinusitis	Itched all over and and could not stop scratching. Took all sorts of steroids creams and ointments, even did allergy shots for months, didn't work! I would scratch so much I broke skin and would bleed. As much as I tried to not scratch, I would. I did benedryl, but it didn't work. I been to several dermatologist for 2nd..3rd..4th opinions, nothing helped. Test came back negative. It came down to it being I was severely allergic to the world! My last doctor I saw was a dermopathologist who gave me a Rx for Doxepin, and I was thinking, great! Waste of time and money. WOOHOO I sneezed only once in the 3 days I been taking it, as oppose to the 300 times daily I would sneeze.	I have had very minor side effects, some minor drowsiness, but I take it about 6:00pm and I sleep peaceful at night. I don't wake up in the middle of the night trying to find a new position to sleep in cause I can't breath or am too itchy.	F	32	3 days		5/29/2009 Email
4	anxiety, SI, Depression,	Weight Gain... 125-150 in 7 months I listed what happened to me when i first started taking it in Novemeber, but I think that was due to an ambien cocktail	It has helped me, but I am going taper off. The weight gain is bothersome. I have also started ativan, I will try to manage with topomax and ativan	F	40	7 months		5/20/2009
5	PTSD, anxiety, irritability	My boobs look AWESOME! OK, I also look like I'm pregnant after gaining 15 lbs all in my abdomen since I started, but whatever, that is sooo not important compared to how amazing I feel now. I can handle stress in a NORMAL way, and I swear I didn't even realize what normal was before. The dreams are odd and highly entertaining but don't last more than a couple weeks. I take 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night, I'm not having sleepy during the day issues, quite the opposite, I'm actually crossing things off my to-do list but not being depressed or overwhelmed about things I haven't crossed off bc I can handle time management and stress better now. I have been craving milk, ice cream and sugar like nobody's business, but since I've always hated the way sugar tastes, I'm enjoying this added bonus on the tour of how 'everyone else' lives that this drug has given me. Also, I started behaving better after just a couple days and it's reassuring to read the drug has been around for so long	If you prefer your psych problems over not having psych problems but being a little chunkier, then you probably didn't have the level of issues this med warrants being prescribed for.	F	26	2 months		5/17/2009
2	Depression, Anxiety, Panic Disorder	Increased sleeping, weight gain, increased panic attacks, bloating, dry eyes and mouth	I was put on Doxepin primarily for the depression and anxiety and i have to say while it helped me maintain a steady level with the depression it only served to backfire when it started making me gain weight. I put on almost twenty five pounds in a little over a month. Im now getting random panic attacks at all hours of the day and have been put on valium to combat them but nothing seems to be working. Im afraid I'll have to stop taking Doxepin.	F	24	2 months		4/18/2009
1	Ulcer	Tired, nightmares, blurred vision, uncontrollable shaking, dizziness.	Due to reaction to other medicine doctor said to take early in afternoon. I fell asleep sitting up within the hour and then slept for the next 18 hours. It was not a good sleep - bad dreams and blurred vision in the morning. I felt like a caged animal wanting to pace when I did wake up. If I did manage to stay seated for any period of time, my foot would shake uncontrollably. After one day, the doctor said it was not a good option and took me off the medicine.	F	38	1 days		4/18/2009
1	Insomnia	Horrible NightMares , Felt very Drunk. Can't think or concentrate on anything. Won't take anymore. Only on it 2 days. Wicked stuff.	Think twice before taking it. Read up on it , it has some nasty side effects.	F	52	2 days		4/15/2009
5	anxiety disorder	none		F	47	1 years		3/30/2009
3	Bad case of ECZEMA	Horrible weight Gain!	It was great for my hives well not really it just put me to sleep so I wouldn't itch but i am 4 11 and weighed 127lbs and after I started taking it next thing you know I was 160lbs fast. I stopped taking it about a month ago and I am finally down to 136	F	27	6 months		3/19/2009 Email
5	Autoimmune idopathic urticaria	tiredness, lack of energy, weight gain. Pharmacist told me to take coenzyme Q-10. Doxepin depletes this from your body.	Watson stopped manufacturing doxepin. It was the only thing that helped my hives. I have had to take the par brand. I am doubling the dose and it seems to have the same effect of the lower dose watson brand. I also take hydroxizne. These two drugs have anti-histamine properties in them. It is the only meds that work on me. The prednisone works also but is not good for long term.	F	52	20 years		2/17/2009 Email
5	anxiety depression eating disorder	After taking phen-phen and loosing 100 pounds I fell into a deep depression and became unable to face my anxiety of taking exams. Doxepin was prescribed and slowly (over 8 months or so), I began to feel real again. However I'm now 5'7 and 255 pounds.	As a singer, the dry mouth is often a problem. I lower the dose i take at night if I have to sing in the morning. While on phentermine I could go several hours without eating. Now I crave starch/sugars too often. I used to have bad seasonal allergies. Now I don't. I used to have symptoms of PTSD, now I don't. I still suffer from anxiety. I can't wake up in the morning, but my life works around this comparably small issue. If I miss a dose, I have a huge headache so it doesn't happen that often.	F	40	14 years		2/14/2009
3	Anxiety, panic attacks,insomnia	dry mouth,visual auras, intense headaches,numbness/thigh,itching,parasthenia,photosensitivity,increased restless leg syndrome.	It was fine for 14 years but the side effects outweighed the benefits during the last year. Discontinuing the daily 10mg dosage resulted in 7 weeks of terrible withdrawal symptoms; namely, nausea, headache, fatigue,general malaise, etc.	F	74	15 years		2/13/2009
4	Irritable Bowel Syndrome	none	I was prescribed this medicine for IBS. I hope that it will help with my bowel spasms and nausea, but I have only been taking it for 3 weeks. My doctor advised me that it may take 4 to 6 weeks to get into my system. I was terrified of taking this after reading others reviews, but I have had no side effects. Sometimes I feel drowsy, but I take it at bedtime, so I don't mind.	F	27	25 days		2/3/2009
5	Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria	A little dizzy and tired, dreams most every night. When I first started the Doxepin, I was on Prednisone as well, so I gained a lot of weight but I don't think it was from the Doxepin.	I started having chronic hives in high school and had to go to the hospital many times to get shots and even went to Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins to get diagnosed. I was on prednisone and everything else- about 20 pills - until my dr. gave me Doxepin. It works great for my hives and I only get a few here and there. It's great not to have to worry about massive hive attacks anymore. I recently quit taking the Doxepin since it has been 11 years now and I'm wondering if anyone else has quit taking Doxepin long term and had any problems. I am planning on getting pregnant in the next year, so I wanted to be off as much medication as possible. I am feeling itchy and hot, but very few hives and have been off of it for about 5 days now. If anyone has any experiences with this, please feel free to contact me. Thanks!	F	28	11 years		12/30/2008 Email
5	depression and panic attacks	Almost no side effects other than sleepiness (which isn't a problem since it treated my insomnia too), especially compared with other antidepressants I tried before discovering Adapin/Sinequan (generic: Doxepin). I take 75mg each evening.	I have been taking the Watson Labs version of the generic. As several other comments have mentioned, the Mylan and Par generics don't seem to work for me. Now, my pharmacist tells me that Watson has quit making Doxepin, so I am very worried. Does anyone else have any information on this?	M	49	18 years		12/26/2008
3								12/24/2008
5	chronic hives	really makes you sleepy, so take it at night. Also have had dry mouth and and food taste strange.	I have had chronic hives for over 1 year now. No doctor can find the cause. I found a great allergist/Immunologist who started me at 25mg doxepin and gradually increased it to 150mg a day. He did this over a 1-1/2 week period. This drug has cleared up most of my hives. I still get a few here and there, but I can live with those. The hives are far and few between. My doctor also told me doxepin had to be in you system (about 3 weeks) to really start feeling the effects, (he also said doxepin only works in about 50% of the people who try it for hives). I noticed some of the comments of people taking 50mg to 75mg and getting no results. Talk with you doctor and see if he/she can bump you to 150mg. Also I have not had any weight gain. I also noticed in the comments that people were taking both doxepin and prednisone. Prednisone is the worst for weight gain and its really bad for you.	F	53	60 days		12/1/2008
4	Cripp Anxiety, MJ Depress, Fatigue	I have been disabled by illness for two + years! I was getting disenchanted with meds and did some research on my own and picked this one based on MANY issues. I have been pleased so far. I do have the slow-morning issue, but it is my 1st job in many years so I am not pushing myself. Also I was very hungry the first few weeks of this medication, and experienced some sleep related issues such as Sleep Dialing, Sleep Eating, Sleep Internet Related Issues. It lasted about 6 weeks. I notified my friends and therapist about this, and learned to take the meds every night at the exact same time and to not do anything tech or food related shortly before or during dosing.	I take this medication with Topomax, and I think this is why I have not had weight related issues. As for dry mouth I had a very negative issue with MAOI's years ago, EXPENSIVE, so I am chewing sugarless gum on a regular basis with this med. The gum also helps with weight and IBS issues... sorbitol! I think it also important to note that I take fish oil, vit D, a vit B complex, and these really also assist me with managing my illness and fatigue. I am 5'3 and weigh about 125 My dentist gave me the two thumbs up!	F	40	3 months		11/30/2008
4	depression from chronic fatigue syn	very few, increased sleep duration	on 25mg, improved sleep and appetite, it took 8 weeks for full antidepressant effect you must be patient, none of the negative side effects of ssri ad's. i was about to give up on antidepressants and life.	M	35	2 months		11/22/2008
1	chronic hives	dizziness, weight gain, bloating, blurry vision, occasional coordination problems - dropping things.	Did not notice improvement on hives even with steadily increasing doses up to 75 mg. Prednisone helped immediately. I am weaning myself off doxepin and finding a physician with more honesty. Would prefer if physician had warned of weight gain - 20 pounds in a 2 weeks - normally active, work out, but no energy while on doxepin.	F	59	3 weeks		11/12/2008
3	insomnia	Tired, listless all next day. I took 50mg as prescribed and although I slept well at night I needed repeated naps during the day and still slept all night.I couldn't focus on tasks and was afraid to drive.	I will try a lower dose and see what happens.	M	50	6 days		11/11/2008
4	Anxiety - sleep related issues	Very few once I learned a secret. I started out with the full amount of Doxepin my Dr. suggested. It worked well, but in time I felt sluggish. I cut back (over time) and found that I had the same success at much lower dosage - 1/4 of dosage. I believe that my body adjusted to it and made me more receptive to it. In backing off of dosage, I found a perfect level. I can't tell you what a blessing (for 12 years) doxepin has been.	With regards to weight loss, again - adjusting dosage was a big help here. Talk to your doctor about looking at cutting back amount after first 3 months. It was amazing to me how little I needed to get that same effect related to good sleep!	M	53			11/2/2008
1	insomnia	Fast weight gain. Abdominal bloating, constipation, and cramping. Alopecia and disturbing, bizarre dreams. I have to get off of this stuff. It does NOT help me sleep and the side effects are horrible!		F	38	2 months		10/22/2008 Email
1	Insomnia	Severe Wright Gain, 20 pounds in 4 mths, no matter how much I exercised or how little I ate, I still gained. It made my breasts very large. Sever bloating, gas, and cramps related. I slept great, but spent a ton of money trying to figure out what was happening to my digestive system. If only Drs would do a little research about the meds they prescribe. I will not take it again.		F	33	5 months		9/12/2008
4	Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria	Vivid and bizarre dreams the first 2 weeks. Some dry mouth. Excessive weight gain.	Doxepin did seem to do a pretty good job of allowing me to decrease my Predinisone following my most recent bout of CIU. However, I am completely miserable following a 25lb weight gain in less than 3 months. I can't walk up stairs or even the length of a couple blocks without becoming exhausted. I'm going to taper off the Doxepin and increase my other antihistamines and save the Doxepin for bad flare-ups.	M	46	3 months		8/18/2008
4	Anxiety	I started taking Doxepin after I landed myself in the ER from my first panic attack. I knew I had some anxiety issues, but I thought that it was apart of life. Well, my life has been better. I can think clearer and my anxiety is alot better. But, I too, have gained more weight than I care to have. I went to my Dr to see about something else and he told me to exercise and be more active. Well, that was a couple months ago and the scale has went no where but up and all of my jeans are skin tight. I love the way feel mentally, but I can't stand the added weight.		F	26	6 months		7/20/2008
5	Sinequan Doxepin	I was really tired the first morning after taking and did have a few panic attacks the first two weeks but after that I have been great. I've been suffering with extreme panic for 12 years. I was put on almost every anti depressant nerve pill out there and nothing worked. Doxepin has saved my nerves, i'm three weeks in and my panic has gone from two times a day everyday to only once a week if even that. I was 88lbs when I started it and now I actually have an appetite and can enjoy eating. I only take about 3mg of the medication though rather than a big amount.	It is a life saver for anyone experiencing severe panic, I can't believe I tortured my body this long without taking it. You have to tell the doctor to prescribe it to you though because its an older medicine and they like to hand out the new ones.	F	22	3 weeks		7/14/2008
4	for severe hives	I took 20mg for one month along with zrytec, zantac and predinsone. I gained 20 pounds in three weeks. Even though it was a low dose of the doxepin, I had a nice contented feeling of well being. A nice side effect for a change.		M	41	30 days		6/30/2008
5	chonic daily migraine	dry mouth, some constipation.	i am mentally prepared for the weight gain everyone talks about. a fair trade not to wake up, every day for the last eight weeks and almost every day for the last year and a half, with a severe, unbeatable headache. that is true, almost indescribable torture and makes life barely worth living. this drug gives me a glimmer of hope (though i've been disappointed many times before). Just sleeping better alone makes me feel like i've returned to life. hoping committed exercise will offset weight gain. but as long as it keeps working, i don't really care.	F	39	5 days		6/17/2008
5	Chronic Hives	Vivid, bizarre dreams and weight gain. I now watch what I eat and am generally healthier for it - not a bad trade off. As for the dreams, I find them entertaining.	As some others have stated, forget antihistamines, just use the Doxepin. I use 75mg per night. I suffered 5 years before discovering this great drug. Prednisone works great, but the side effects have more risk. I'll still take 5 - 10mg of Pred. on really bad days. It's a quality of life decision for me. But I incorporated glucosamine and calcium w/ magnesium as a supplement to my diet. It's been so worth it, I strongly urge others to try it.	M	55	1 years		6/13/2008
5	CHRONIC HIVES !!	Tired, dry mouth and groggy the first week then not so bad the following weeks..	I've tried everything ever made to get rid of hives! Nothing has ever worked at all besides Prednisone which will destroy your body and mind in no time at all - so that drug is out of the question long term. But DOXEPIN has been a wonder drug for me :) It has cleared up all my hives after only a couple weeks of use and a higher dosage!! For everyone who has not had success with Doxepin I had realized at my initial dose of 75 mg's per day only gave me minimal relief. It was only after uping my dose to a steady 150 mg's per day that I was 100% hive free :)	M	35	2 months		6/10/2008 Email
3	chronic hives	weight gain, but could be other factors, metal taste in my mouth.	I have read a couple of comments from people who've had varying results with different manufacturers. I was taking 75mg doxepin (plus a lot of other stuff) from a manufacturer that I'm not sure of - worked great hives under control for the first time in over a year. I got the prescription refilled and immediately my hives were back - i talked to the pharmacist and she said they did order from a different manufacturer. We are military overseas so I don't have a lot of pharmacy options - does anybody know why different manufacturers makes a difference?	F	37	7 months		6/7/2008
5	Itching -24/7 for 8 months	Doxepin (35mg)a day, has had no (zero) side effects for me. I am so grateful	I had itching all over my body for 8 months. Diagnosed initially with dermatitis ( no rash - just itching.) Then saw an allergist and found I was allergic to all but about 13 foods. Had what the neurologist thinks was an anaphylactic attack and mini stroke. Was sent to a new allergist, who, after many tests prescribed doxepin. I was never depressed. There were no side effects except it stopped the itching entirely....YEAH! Sometimes I have a feeling of sharp pin pricks but that is nothing. The first allergist had given me Singulair, Allegra, (Xypra - gave me a rash) but they had no effect on the itching.	F	69	30 days		6/6/2008
2	insomnia, neuropathy (due to Lupus)	Weight gain - 20 pounds in six months. Daytime sleepiness.	Doxepin did not help the insomnia at all. I am going to taper off of it. I tried to quit cold turkey and experienced horrible withdrawal. Not sure if it helped with the neuropathy; the symptoms did abate but other factors may have played a part.	F	45	9 months		6/2/2008
3	Severe itching	Massive weight gain, increased appetite, constant food cravings, lethargy, apathy, & difficulty getting going in the morning.	This medicine worked beautifully to stop severe, intense chronic itching. It allowed me to sleep peacefully instead of itching miserably for the first time in more than a year. Unfortunately, it also turned me from a person who's always been normal weight into a female version of Homer Simpson. I had to stop taking it because I gained 30 pounds in 6 months (15 pounds in the first month alone!) despite increased activity and attempts at reducing food consumption. That was a huge struggle, as the doxepin made me crave food constantly and reduced my willpower to almost nil. I also had to take up drinking energy drinks to get me going in the morning, and had trouble making it to work on time. After I quit taking it I stopped gaining weight, but it's been impossible for me to lose it. I'm afraid that it's somehow reset my body at a higher weight. I'm starting Wellbutrin in the hope that it will help me to reset my weight back to normal.	F	38	6 months		5/31/2008
3	HIves	weight gain, aprox. 8 pounds the first 3 weeks and then i stopped counting	only 10 mg. a day slept like a baby, very tired in the morning , also taking "2" zyrtec every night, and 1 300mg zantac for hives and a topamax for migraines stopped taking the doxepin two days ago...so far no noticeable return of the hives.....yet	F	42	2 months		3/25/2008
4	insomnia	I have been taking Doxepin 100 mg. everyday for 20 years for insomnia. I take the dose before I go to bed and typically sleep through the night. I have noticed a difference in the efrfectiveness depending on the manufacturer of the pill. The only side effects I'm aware of are dry mouth, groggy when I wake up. Also a battle against weight gain has been ongoing, but not sure if the Doxepin is a contributor. I've tried to go off the medication before (30 days) but met with disastrous results in that I could never achieve any semblance of normal sleep patterns.		M	60	20 years		3/17/2008
5	Hives	None	Taking 50mg every night. Had haves for 6 months and Doxepin was the only med that worked after taking Zyrtec, Avelox, Nicomide, and Prednisone. Initially took 25mg capsules made by Danbury and had a bad reaction and hives were worse than ever. Switched to 10mg capsules made by Mylan along with Elidel cream and it cleared up in 2 days.	F	38	5 days		2/28/2008 Email
4	Mast Cell Disorder	Sedation that improved with time, some weight gain, breast tenderness/swelling	I take up to 80mg during waking hours. I have autoimmune hives that are manifesting very unusually-I cannot eat or drink without having hives in mouth, on tongue and presumably throughout digestive tract, since I also get nausea and stomach/intestinal cramping, also heart racing, plus dermographism on outer skin. Hives are caused by food contacting mouth/tongue NOT by an actual allergy to the food. Prednisone and massive amounts of Benadryl were the only drugs that seemed to help before Doxepin was prescribed 2 years after onset of symptoms. Lots of ER trips. Weight gain is actually good, since I dropped so much from not being able to eat. Symptoms aren't completely under control yet. I can't each too much or outside of a certain time frame-two hours after taking pill...not before and then I get a 2 hour safe window, unless I eat too much...have been unable to find anyone else with these symptoms, my immunologist has not seen it before and he's in a major metro area.	F	40	6 weeks		2/11/2008 Email
4	insomia	Craving sweets big time. Can't get enough. increased appetite		F	39	4 years		1/23/2008
5	allergies,insomnia,chronicbronchiti	dry mouth	no longer have problems with insomnia allergies under control and chronic bronchitis under control	F	50	3 months		1/11/2008
5	Big Huge Hives	A little drowsy in the morning but not bad.	I have not experienced any noticable weight gain. I had been taking Zrytec, Allegra, and a couple of other things along with the Doxepin. Nothing seemd to work long term, so I stopped everything but the Doxepin because it helps me sleep at night and low and be hold I have not had a serious bought with hives for about 9 months now. It has to be the Doxepin by itself and more importantly the good rest I get from the Doxepin could be helping too.	M	58	7 years		1/11/2008 Email
4	depression	helps me sleep		F	40	9 days		12/9/2007
4	Idiopathic Anaphlaxis	Dry mouth, Memory seems foggy sometimes. Does anyone know if this drug causes hives when interacted with other anti-histamines? I take 20mg of Allerclear (Costco's brand) in the morning and 50mg-75mg of Doxepin at night.	I suffer from unknown allergies. I've made way to many visits to the ER by way of ambulance. The doc's can't seem to find the cause of my allergic reactions.I've taken many anti-histamines but nothing really seemed to help except for Doxepin. I carry an Epi-pen for emergencies. I have a huge list of foods and med's I need to stay away from that are known "triggers". If anyone has similar symptoms, I would love to hear your feedback.	F	44	3 months		10/29/2007 Email
4	Depression/Anxiety	The first month or so I felt extremely tired, I slept like a baby. But, sleeping like a baby was not always a good thing since I had HORRIBLE NIGHTMARES!!! Those symptoms went away after about a month or so. It helps with my anxiety, and I don't really have depression. Even if it didn't help I would keep taking it because it helps dry up my nervous stomach. Before, I would have diarrhea almost every day. I started taking this and I NEVER have it. Whatever I had before (irritable bowel syndrome?) it is cured now. If you have this problem ask your doctor about this. I did have weight gain, but i'd rather be fat then not being able to leave my house!	I would not reccomend taking more than 25 MG.	M	27	10 years		9/22/2007
4	chronic hives and angioedema	Take at night, very sleepy. Weight gain but better than prednisone.	This is the only thing other than steriods that has helped me. I take at bedtime w/ have hives and swells, wake up and they are gone. It stops itching also.	F	54	4 weeks		9/11/2007
3	depression	weight gain, grogginess, thirst	I have had a big problem with weight gain as a result of taking Doxepin, and reading these posts show I'm not alone. I didn't know it was that bad. I will definitely see if a lower dosage can be safely prescribed.	M	56	17 years		8/19/2007
5	depression and anxiety	tendency to oversleep in the AM; but it is worth it for the relief it provides. It has never made me too drowsy to function, even late at night.	Just like the man who posted on 2/3/07, the only lab that makes Doxepin that helps me is Danbury, now taken over by Watson. Parr and Mylan do nothing for me at all. It is amazing that different versions of a generic could have such different effects. Recently the bottles from Watson have looked different; the capsules have lighter markings, and I am noticing a lack of effectiveness. I am wondering if Watson has started outsourcing their production or changing their manufacturing methods. If anyone knows anything about this, please e-mail me.	M	52	20 years		7/5/2007 Email
4	Allergies	Weight gain, drowsiness	This helped with my allergies and I believe it also helped my depression.	F	31	2 years		7/3/2007
3	PN	Excessive weight gain	The itching is not as intense. Sleep well through the night.	F	48	3 days		6/26/2007
4	Insomnia / Migraines	Weight gain - about 10lbs in 6 months. Very sleepy and tired in morning.	I didn't think that the Doxepin was causing my weight gain until I read all of these posts. I eat very little because I am keeping up with my 1 & 3 year old and didn't know why I was gaining weight instead of losing. It does help me sleep very well but if I don't take it before 7 or 8 pm, I am terribly sleepy in the morning - waking up with kids at 7am.	F	37	4 months		6/1/2007
4	Extreme Itching	Massive weight gain. 17 pounds in 5 weeks	Stopped the itch immediately, but I quit taking it because of the weight gain. I am desperately looking for something else to take care of my itch.	F	42	5 days		5/31/2007
5	sleep aid	I take only 5 drops each night (okay, sometimes 6) and this stuff has given me the freedom of real-uninterrupted-sleep. I have NEVER slept through the night, and just a few drops each night has literally saved me. I am SO pleased with this stuff!	Awesome sleep aid!!!	F	39	3 years		5/2/2007 Email
4	Hives (Itchy and red)	Weight gain and oversleeping	I have been on Doxepin for almost 3 weeks. Before that I had been back and forth to the doctor and emergency room for what seemed like a severe allergy attack. I had been breaking out with itchy red bumps for nearly 2 months then all of a sudden it started affecting my breathing and the redness was swelling. They admitted me to the hospital and from that point the steriod shots began. After I was released I was to take steroid packs for 2 wks. It helped reduce the itching but the redness kept coming back with no clue as to why and I was gaining weight. I took everything from benedryl to allergra nothing helped. When I went to the allergist he put me on Doxepin...wonderful! It stopped the itching and the redness completely but was causing more weight gain. So now I am taking a fat reducer called xenical to help with the weight gain...but thats an entirely different story.	F	34	19 days		4/20/2007
2	PTSD/Sleeplessness/Nightmares	Lethargy that is unbelievable! Unmotivated and consistently sleepy and hungry. Extremely IRRITABLE! However - I slept like a champ although only for 5 hour stretches but that's pretty much all one needs as one gets older, yes?	25mg dosage perscribed by my physician at the VA Hospital. Took the meds one day and am still feeling the effects! Finally 'sobering' up if you will. Difficult getting up at my usual time and can't seem to stop eating. Can't afford to get fat as I am still in the military (Nat'l Guard)and must pass p-t test and weight asides. A bit tentative about taking it again - (didn't take it last evening and slept like a freakin' baby for 5 hours) as I am still groggy and sluggish. After the first night of meds driving to work I could not focus on the trek in and nearly had an accident. Never had more horns blarring at me. My next VA appointment is in two weeks so will discuss other options then. In the meantime I will stick to an every-other-night regime until this medication and I can come to an agreement.	F	45	1 days		4/12/2007
3	fibromyalgia, nausea, insomnia	Not being able to get up in the AM. Sometimes stay in bed until noon. This is not me at all. Even though I also have anxiety/depression, I am typically out of bed at 7:30 or 8:00 AM and this drug caused me not to have any energy, especially to do chores. I fell out of my normal routine. I also am feeling very dizzy in the AM with some blurry vision. Since I also take other drugs, it's sometimes hard to know what is causing the side effect, but this one was pretty clear.	It did take away the nausea that I get when my irritable bowel is acting up (associated with fibromyalga) and also seemed to take away some of my leg pain. I intend to get off this drug and resume the Elavil that I was previously taking. Both drugs seem to cause weight gain but I had no idea that Doxepin was so potent in this regard.	F	62	4 weeks		4/9/2007 Email
5	chronic urticaria	none	I couldn't take it any more. After several misdiagnoses by general practitioners, I saw a dermatologist who diagnosed me, and sent me to an allergy specialist. When the hives are in full misery mode, I take this with buckets of Benadryl, Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin, and Zantac. This makes me sleepy, so the allergist said to take it at night. I have suffered with this for so long, and have found that Doxepin is the best help for the problem. I am glad that others have found it as well.	F	40			4/2/2007
4	Hives	Tired / lethargic. Take 10mg at night and find it hard to wake up. Lethargic during the day. Weight gain of about 5-10 lbs on a fairly thin frame (5'6" usually weigh 125).	Works extremely well to get rid of hives!	F	27	3 months		3/30/2007
2	Migraine headaches	extreme daytime fatigue, listlessness, severe weight gain (~15lbs in 4 weeks on 25mg for the first 2 weeks then 50mg, most of the gain came after the increase to 50mg/day). I'm not sure how much it did for my migraines though I was finally able to get off of effexor which I had been taking for several years while on this.				4 weeks		3/30/2007
1	insomnia	excessive and rapid weight gain of 30 lbs over about 3 months. STill wake up numerous times during the night. Bloating, constipation, increase in cup size of breasts (my partner and every one else thought I was pregnant!) dry mouth, inconteninence due to brief very deep sleep b4 awakening. Only successful in sleeping ~4-5 hours per night! Hate it. Taking 200 mg per night.	It's gross	F	44	6 days		3/28/2007
3	insomnia	dry mouth, water retention/bloating, weight gain, constipation	i have been taking doxepin for just 4 weeks now and have gained 6lbs! i work out regularily 3 times a week and burn an average of 2500 calories a week. i was a steady weight for about 6 months before i starting taking this drug. i take 20mg 1 hour before sleep; though it helps tremendously with sleeping, i can not stand the weight i've gained. i am 5'8" (i was 133) now approaching 140 - not good.	F	27	4 weeks		3/26/2007 Email
2	sleep	dry mouth, blurred vision		M	22	2 weeks		3/17/2007
3	hives	Weight gain and excessive bloating. Ugh!! My boobs have never been this big before.	I'm on a very low dosage for hives as a result of stress (I teach)10mg. Sleeping through the night has never been a problem, but this weight gain is killing me 4'11 cannot handle this excess. I'm going to stop and only take it when I need it.	F	49	18 days		3/8/2007 Email
4	Depression and insomnia anxiety	No really bothersome side effects- constipation and maybe sleeping a little too much.A (little brain fog at times not bad) GREAT antianxiety effects No rah rah mood lifter but kind of a normal feeling where you react to life situations the way most everybody else does You can laugh and have fun or you can get appropriately dejected over real life situations	In spite of the cardiac risks and anticholinergic effects (DRINK WATER) it works well enough for me Also has potent antihistamine properties which is standing me in good stead from itching due to food allergies Have reduced dose from 300mg to 75 mg over 15 years Less is more as you get older	F	70	15 years		3/4/2007 Email
3	insomnia	The first 6 months I gained 20 pounds! That was not good! I am usually a thin woman (5'7 & 120 pounds), and I gained to 140! I was very sleepy even during the day, noticed lots of acne I never had before, also hair loss, and major abdominal bloating!	But, despite being now fat, bloated, having acne and losing lots of hair.....it did help me sleep at night! I also noticed that my heartburn went away, and I got to go off the Zantac I had been on for 5 years! Also, it helps lessen body aches and pains. The second 6 months I lost 10 pounds of that weight, so I am fine with that.	F	38	10 years		2/5/2007
4	Insomnia and allergies		Previously always took the name brand Sinequan. Since Pfizer halted production, the only lab that makes Doxepin that helps me is Watson. Parr and Mylan do nothing for me at all. Its amazing how the inactive ingredients can make a difference	M	48	20 years		2/3/2007
5	Grover's Disease - various rashes	I'm on 200 mgs. daily. I've had rashes twice before, both for 8-9 months. The disease has 10 rashes associated with it and I've had 7 (and sometimes 3 or 4 at once). This last time was incredibly itchy and when I was put on this dosage I was almost completely itch free the next day. I have noticed only a bit of sleepiness during the day. I sleep great at night. I just have horrible cottonmouth - so far, the only side effect.		F	57	5 days		1/21/2007 Email
5	Chronic Hives	Side effect of ringing in my ears.	This was the last drug added in a parade of anti-histamines. I had hives for 8 months (and 3 courses of Prednesone) Finally, I was prescibed: Benadryl, Zyrtec, Zantac, Singulair & Doxepin all taken every day to get the hives under control. I got the biggest result immediately after adding the Doxepin. I tried tapering off several times...but hives returned. Finally I'm down to only the Doxepin, and NO HIVES for 3 weeks!	F	55	4 months		1/17/2007

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Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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