Doxepin: uses and side effects of this antidepressant drug.

A tricyclic Antidepressant drug used for some physical or mental health disorders.

Antidepressants are widely used nowadays worldwide, especially to treat depression, but also for other conditions such as insomnia or anxiety. Here we will know doxepin, a tricyclic antidepressant..

Doxepin: a tricyclic antidepressant

There are different types of antidepressants: MAOIs, tricyclics, serotonin inhibitors, noradrenaline inhibitors, duals, etc. Doxepin is a tricyclic antidepressant.

Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants are among the first antidepressants to be developed. They are effective, although They are effective, although they have now been replaced by other antidepressants with fewer side effects.. However, they are still the most effective for certain disorders such as melancholic depression.

Back to doxepin, its trade name is Silenor. This drug is used to treat insomnia, i.e. difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, as well as depression and anxiety, mainly.

Mechanism of action

The mechanism of action of doxepin consists of blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitters by the neuronal membrane..

Its functioning is based on slowing down brain activity so that sleep can take place, through the modification of the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain necessary for mental balance.

Therapeutic indications

The indications for doxepin are mainly psychoneurotic disorders where anxiety and/or depression are predominant symptoms: neurosis with anxiety with or without somatic symptoms, reactive depression, mixed anxious depression..

It is also indicated for psychotic depressions including involutional melancholia and depressive phase of manic depressive psychosis. In addition, doxepin is also indicated to treat insomnia.

1. Insomnia

If used for insomnia, doxepin is taken in tablets to be taken orally. In terms of dosage, it is usually taken once a day, 30 minutes before bedtime. It should not be taken within 3 hours after a meal.

After taking it, the person usually feels very drowsy, and remains asleep for some time after taking the drug.. Do not take doxepin if you will not go to bed right away and if you do not expect to stay asleep for 7 to 8 hours.

When you start treatment, you will feel better during the first few days. If in a week or 10 days it does not improve, or even worsens, it is advisable to call the doctor.

2. Anxiety and depression

In this case doxepin is taken in capsules or concentrate (liquid) to be taken orally. It can be taken with or without food three times a day. It is recommended to take it at approximately the same time every day.

3. Other

Doxepin is also is sometimes used to treat chronic urticaria without a known cause.. In addition, the drug can be prescribed for other uses, although the most frequent are those mentioned above: insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Contraindications

Contraindications (when it should not be used) of doxepin are: when there is hypersensitivity to the drug or in elderly people with acute-angle glaucoma or with a tendency to urinary retention.

Side effects

As for side effects, doxepin can cause nausea and dizziness, as well as some others:

• Vomiting.
• Tiredness or weakness..
• Increase in pupil size.
• Dry mouth.
• Mouth sores..
• Skin more sensitive than usual to sunlight.
• flushing
• Changes in appetite or weight.
• Change in the taste of things.
• Indigestion.

On the other hand, it is recommended to call the doctor if any unusual problem appears while taking doxepin, or if one or some of the side effects mentioned is intense or does not disappear.

Suicidal tendencies with doxepin

It is important to note that, during clinical studies of doxepin, a small number of children, adolescents and young adults (up to 24 years of age) taking antidepressants such as doxepin were suicidal. These translated into thoughts such as harming or killing oneself, planning to do so, or attempting to do so.

Children, adolescents and young adults who take antidepressants to treat depression or other mental disorders are known to be more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who do not take antidepressants, are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who do not take antidepressants to treat these conditions. to treat these conditions. However, experts do not know exactly to what degree this risk ranges and to what extent such a phenomenon should be considered if a young child or adolescent should take an antidepressant.

It should be remarked that children under 18 years of age should not regularly take doxepin, although in some cases, the physician may decide that doxepin is the best option.

Bibliographic references:

• Doxepin (Insomnia. NIH MedlinePlus Health [Internet]. 2017; Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/druginfo/meds/a617017-es.html. English, Spanish.
• Doxepin (Depression, anxiety. NIH MedlinePlus Health [Internet]. 2017; Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/druginfo/meds/a682390-es.html. English, Spanish.