Doxepin for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 2)

• johns
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2013

Silenor (doxepin) "This medicine was just like taking Benadryl, only more expensive. An hour to two hours after taking Silenor, I still couldn't fall asleep...not even the slightest bit tired. Once I had fallen asleep, I would wake up 2-4 hours later and be wide awake for the rest of the night. "

• jjones
• October 10, 2010

Silenor (doxepin) "I have used all known sleepers and other off label medicines for sleepers and I have taken Silenor 6 mg for 3 nights. It is amazing. I fall asleep with no problems and stay asleep for 7-8 hours. No hang over or other side effects. I had been taking Remeron 60mg for sleep, as it was the best of all I had tried. I thought the Remeron was doing an okay job until I tried the Silenor. I am thrilled and feel more rested then I have in years."

• JB1950
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2017

"I retired over 3 yrs. ago and almost immediately my schedule began to change, ending up in a situation in which I couldn't fall asleep sometimes until as late 5 or 6 am, and not get up until around noon! Yesterday my lung doc, who also does sleep studies, suggested doxepin. I had already had a bad experience with it many years ago - 10 mg. It put me to sleep alright, but I felt like a frigging zombie the next day .He told me that was too strong a dose and recommended half of that. He also told me that most insurance companies won't pay for it in any dose except the generic 10 mg. capsule. Not the 3mg. tablet or the liquid. So, I half the caps nightly in water. Slept fine;no hangover. Retired 11:30 & up @ 8.Hope tonight's same. Dose is key!"

• 456po...
• June 19, 2013

"I have been taking 25 mg of Doxepin for 17 years, I always could fall asleep, but if I woke up during the night, I couldn't go back to sleep for hours. Doxepin was like a miracle to me, I was never groggy the next morning and it didn't make me sleepy and groggy right after taking it. It just lets me go right back to sleep if I get up to use the bathroom. It still works after all these years, not as well though. I have weaned myself off of it, but I start having hot flashes off and on all day...so I start taking it again. And after being off of it for a few days the sleep problems seem to be back...so I may be on this for the rest of my life. I have recommended this to several friends and it has also helped them."

• jmmh
• May 23, 2013

"This medication knocked me out every night and so it was great to catch up on years of sleep debt. Overall, a very positive experience. However, like other users, I slowly gained 10-20 pounds over the course of taking doxepin. I stopped taking it in the last couple of months, and suddenly, my appetite significantly decreased and weight just started dropping off. I had no idea that the medication caused this increased appetite/weight gain. Honestly I thought I was just growing older and my metabolism was changing. I'm glad I took this medication for insomnia, and also that the side effect of weight gain faded away as soon as I stopped taking it. Overall, the value of the sleep I gained far outweighed the con of the weight I gained."

• Jabber...
• August 30, 2013

"I've been using doxepin for about 2 years for insomnia. I used to wake every night after 2-3 hours of sleep and then was unable to get back to sleep for 1-2 hours. This has helped tremendously. I now sleep through the night, dream and feel better through the day. If I do wake, I am able to roll over and get back to sleep quickly. I take it just prior to bed, and get about 7 solid hours of sleep. I experience some dry mouth in the morning, but nothing severe, and it can be a bit difficult to get going in the morning. Overall, I'm much better than before."

• Steph...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2016

"Ok....OMG!! Sooo..let me just say look at all the insomniacs ( true diagnosed people by psyc docs)that have had great experience with this..benzos are terrible for you ...but doxepin has yet to wake me up ...has yet to not work..and has yet give me Dreams or night terrors...now if ur like me and you can go 3 days with zero sleep ...while trying trazadone and even seraquil.. You know restlessness and complete misery..once on doxipen I slept great...didn't get up groggy (8 hour sleep ideal per 25 mg tablet) and it even combats IBS and my case crohnes"

• aquab...
• August 10, 2014

"I started this medication about 10 days ago. Doxepin, 10mg, has been working more days than not. Like most medicines, the first few days it worked like a charm. I took it and I slept about 5.5 hours straight. Sometimes can go back to sleep for another 1/2 an hour. I do feel a little help in the anxiety category. Not a lot but it does help a bit. The bad thing about this medicine is that you feel very sedated throughout the day. You know you slept because of the vivid dreams and you don't wake up the whole night. Nevertheless, you feel extremely tired the whole day. I wish I didn't have to take medicines. But I rather be feeling sleepy and knowing that I slept as opposed to feeling sleepy due to no sleep."

• Mike
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2023

"I’ve been using doxepin for a while now and I find it very useful for helping with sleep. I use 10 mg every night and I usually get 7-8 hours. The first week or so, yes I felt pretty hung over and sleepy all day but that faded as I stuck with it. Does it truly knock me out? I’m not sure. I seem to fall back asleep upon awakening much easier now. I also believe doxepin improves my mood and anxiety overall which makes sleep easier all on its own. I haven’t gained weight… In fact, it’s the opposite for me. I have way more energy now due to more sleep so I’ve been exercising and dieting better than when I was getting bad sleep. I have tried 3 mg and 6 mg (I used a compound pharmacy due to those dose sizes not being covered by insurance for some reason) but I don’t find them more useful than 10mg. I have also used trazodone in the past and I feel that doxepin works better and doesn’t cause a stuffy nose like trazodone does. I say give it a try!"

• Anony...
• June 14, 2014

"I've suffered with insomnia fire several years now. At times sleeping only 1 hour before having to get up to go to work. My Dr. prescribed Silenor but my insurance gave me Doxepin (25mg). Biggest mistake I made was taking right before bed because it doesn't help you fall asleep, only helps you stay asleep. Once I fell asleep, I didn't wake up at all until the following morning. If you have children or anyone else to depend on you for care, I wouldn't recommend it. I was actually awakened by my boys and I felt very drowsy, groggy, and irritable. So much so that I caught myself yelling at my kids. I wasn't able to function 100%. This would ONLY be good if you have nothing to do or no-one to care for the next day. "

• ginge...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 17, 2015

"Doxepin at 150 mg. saved my life! I've had chronic insomnia for as long as I can remember with sometimes several nights resulting in no sleep at all. I was diagnosed with a number of major medical problems from early adulthood, the worst of which being Type 1 Diabetes at age 24, so managing my overall healthcare now at age 55 is complicated by the severe sleep deprivation. I inherited all of the medical problems from both sides of the family tree and from my father, inherited a unique tolerance to any sedating medications, so no sleep aid I was ever prescribed was effective. About 8 mos. ago a new psychiatrist asked about sleep problems resulting in a script for 150 mg. Doxepin. Every night since-a full, deep night's restorative sleep!!"

• Kryst...
• December 19, 2013

"I have taken doxepin every day for 29 years. I started taking 75 to 150 mg for depression, but once the depression lifted, I continued taking 10-25 mg a day for insomnia. It has been a lifesaver for me as, since my teens, I have not been able to sleep without a sleep aid, over-the-counter, prescription. Doxepin allows me to fall asleep and stay asleep for 6-8 hours. When I started taking it I gained 10 lbs. in a week and have never lost it. I have dry mouth, but that is an inconvenience that I am willing to put with. I tried to wean myself off once, about 10 years ago, but felt very bad flu-like symptoms so I started taking them again. In the past 5 years so 10mg doesn't always do the job and so I often take 20 mg."

• Anonymous
• October 7, 2010

Silenor (doxepin) "I was skeptical since I have tried every possible remedy out there. I was simply amazed that I actually have been sleeping 7 to 8 hours straight without any nasty morning hangover like I had experienced with the others. I can't believe that I could actually take this every night. No addiction!"

• BoboPT
• October 7, 2010

Silenor (doxepin) "I have been using Ambien for years for sleep maintenance. I tried Silenor over the last week and it's been fantastic! I don't have any side effects whatsoever in the morning. Slept 7 hours straight every time I took it."

• NopeN...
• November 9, 2016

Silenor (doxepin) "I have been on Silenor for 6 months now. I have a ton of medications that I take for my Bipolar Type IIA with a Panic Disorder. They help, but my mind would never stop so that I could sleep well. I take Silenor with a couple of medications (which I will not list) at night and sleep fine. No side effects noticed, but I take so many medications during the day that I might not notice it. I have been dealing with my illness for about 20 years now, so side effects are not a huge deal to me because most go away after 30 days. Now, if they are too severe, then I will consult my Doctor. You have to give these types of medications a chance. It's not like taking a Tylenol for a headache."

• Brown...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 13, 2017

Silenor (doxepin) "I have been on Silenor since shortly after it hit the market....2011. It has been life changing. I can nap now, and some nights I can even sleep without it, which never happened on any other sleep meds. I will say it took about 4 weeks when I initially started it for it to really do the job-those were a rough for weeks. I also have very good commercial insurance that only requires a $5.00 co pay for a 3 month supply; my old plan used to require $100 for a 39 day supply. Since it is not cost prohibitive, it works well."

• Tired
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

Silenor (doxepin) "Have had chronic premature waking for years. Silenor not covered by insurance. $500.00, outrageous for doxepin in smaller dose. Had a compounding pharmacy make 5 mg caps. Insurance then paid part. I paid 10.00. Last night 1st trial. Slept...wait for it...9 hours! Felt little bit groggy but now feel well and awake."

• Sleep...
• March 2, 2013

Silenor (doxepin) "I too have tried Ambien and since I heard many of my friends become slightly addicted to it, my doctor switched me to Silenor. It definitely works! And it doesn't give me that weird feeling like Ambien did at times. Couple of my other friends also say it worked for them. Copay was just as much as Ambien on my insurance. "

• Tuxedo...
• April 19, 2019

"Even with the best sleep hygiene I can go for weeks on end not getting more than 2 solid hours because I wake up constantly, 6-8 times per night. Doxepin has almost completely solved my problem staying asleep and given my life back! Ambien and benzodiazepines are not effective for me, and trazadone gives me panic attacks. Doxepin 150 mg allows me to go to sleep 2 hours after I take it and get a good solid 6-8 hours. I have to make sure to take it 3 hours after any food. The only drawback is it makes me hungry, but I just go to bed and don’t give in to the hunger after I take my dose. Well worth it! I occasionally take it with clonazepam if I am having panic attacks. The perfect sleep medicine for me. Oh- it can raise your heart rate so make sure to let your doctor know if your pulse increases or you feel heart palpitations."

• georgie
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2013

"Did not take too long to go to sleep. Had some dreams but not nightmares. Woke with dry mouth and a little groggy. Within an hour of being up, I feel very alert, almost energetic, not sure how to explain it, just overall feel better than I have in weeks. Last night was my first dose of 25 mg. So we will see how it goes, hope I don't gain weight, as I have read about. I have had sleep issues for years and tried everything, hope this continues to work. "

• Sunfl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2018

Silenor (doxepin) "My sleep dr. gave me a sample. I waited until I got very sleepy and took it and got right into bed. An hour later, I still wasn't asleep, but I kept lying there. At some point I must have gone to sleep, but I woke up about three hours later needing to go to the bathroom. Went back to bed, slept a couple of hours more and woke up again needing to go to the bathroom. During my "sleep" I had continuous vivid dreams, and I never felt as if really slept. When I got up, I felt bad all day today. I'm not going to give it another chance. I have been on Ambien CR for years, and it gives me an average of 7 1/2 hours of sleep. I wanted to try something new because I need to take an Ambien vacation from time to time b/c I become habituated to it, and it stops working so well."

• Anonymous
• May 21, 2012

Silenor (doxepin) "This medication has been working well for me so far and I've tried them all. Glad it comes in 2 doses. I figure I can get good results with 3mg why bump up to 6mg. Side effects are nothing compared to others I have tried. I hope I don't get used to it but my doctor said it's not addicting."

• Post...
• April 24, 2014

"Developed acute insomnia immediately following a bad concussion. I would doze off but would wake up within 30 minutes, unable to fall back asleep for hours at a stretch. Tried several sleeping medications (off-label use trazodone, Ambien, melatonin, OTC sleep aids. with no success for several weeks and was getting desperate. A mere 3mg of Doxepin saved my life. I slept for six straight hours the first night and it only got better and better. I take 3mg around 9pm, sleep from 11pm to 6am very reliably and have few side effects besides a small amount of weight gain (about five pounds in my first two weeks) and slight drowsiness in the mornings and mid-afternoons. I'm so grateful to have my sleep back."

• Anonymous
• October 7, 2010

Silenor (doxepin) "Got a sample and tried it last night. Slept for 6 hours straight, bathroom break then back to sleep for another hour. No side effects waking up. Felt great...really liked it. If you have trouble staying asleep more than 3-4 hours, suggest you try it!"

• jbg
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

Silenor (doxepin) "I was given a sample pack 3mg Silenor to help with my inability to stay asleep. I followed the instructions and unfortunately it did not seem to work for me. It made me very anxious and agitated during the night. I did sleep but kept waking up. In the morning I was very groggy and unsteady on my feet. I felt like I had been drugged and had a minor headache all day. I do not think I will take it again as it is obviously not the drug for me."