Doxepin and Dry Mouth: What Users Say

• Rit...
• August 18, 2019

For Insomnia "I have struggled with anxiety and insomnia for years and have been prescribed all manner of medication (klonopin, Xanax, Prozac, you name it). Since I was a little kid, this has been a problem. Now at 21, I was finally prescribed Doxepin and though I have only been using it (50 mg at bedtime) for a week, it has changed my perspective on anxiety. I feel a sense of tiredness and readiness to go to sleep that I have not felt on any other substance I have used to try and fall asleep. I have been able to get to sleep by 11 pm and wake up at 8 am, refreshed and ready for the day, which is not something I have been able to say for a long time, if ever. My only problem with Doxepin is that when I wake up, I have very bad dry mouth (almost cotton mouth) for several hours into the day, but it eventually goes away and in no way eclipses the helpfulness of this medication for me. All in all (so far), Doxepin has worked incredibly well for me and I am thankful to finally have been prescribed it."

• edd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2020

For Insomnia "I wanted to like it. I read all the good reviews. The first night I slept great (felt like normal sleep and not dopey like trazodone/xanax). The next morning I felt too good. I am not bipolar. Later I felt unusually emotional. I tried again the next day and had terrible side effects. Feelings of derealization. Dry mouth. Racing heart, clammy, sweating. It made me feel like my soul was being sucked from my body and I didn't care and was just watching myself from 10 inches away. Everything about it was subtle but it felt like it was drastically changing my chemistry in a freaky way. I can't stand the stuff and flushed it down the toilet."

• Tre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2020

For Insomnia "I have always had a hard time getting to sleep, but these past months it’s gotten so bad I went to the doctor, who first put me on trazodone, and all that did was make me feel tired, I still couldn’t sleep. The doctor then gave me 10 mg of doxepin and said I could take 20 mg if I had to, and honestly, it doesn’t work. I had my hopes high because he was saying how much he loved the medication. It might as well be a placebo, I took 20 mg and 5 hours later, with proper sleep hygiene before, all I have is a dry mouth and the walls look like they’re breathing. It hasn’t really affected me differently, and I’ve been taking this medication for a while now. I honestly can’t recommend this medication."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2019

For Anxiety "I've been on doxepin 10 mg for insomnia and anxiety attacks. In only three days, it has changed my quality of life for the better. I take it at 9 pm, and I’m asleep by 10:30 or 11 pm at the latest. I sleep all night. I do feel a little groggy in the morning, but it goes away after an hour of moving around. It keeps me centered and functional throughout the day. No anxiety or panic. It has relieved my palpitations too. A bit of dry mouth, but my pharmacist suggested I drink water or suck on ice cubes. It relieves the dry mouth. I was put on sertraline 50 mg and buspirone before this, and that combo totally messed me up. They caused me mild serotonin syndrome (rapid heart rate and high blood pressure). I’m so glad my doctor put me on doxepin. It has helped so much! I will not touch sertraline or buspirone ever again."

• Ins...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2013

For Depression "I've been diagnosed with chronic insomnia and general anxiety for 9 years. I also suffer from depression, but refuse to be medicated directly for it (specifically SSRI's) after dealing with Paxil and the horrible withdrawal I experienced 8 years ago. So recently, I was prescribed 30mg Doxepin in addition to my Zolpidem (Ambien) for my insomnia. My insomnia has slightly improved, but more pronounced has been the reduction in both occurrence and severity of my anxiety (within the first week) and depression (after about 3-4 weeks). It's been about 6 weeks since I started the doxepin and haven't noticed any negative side effects besides some dry mouth/eyes, which is far outweighed by the benefits I've received."

• Jab...
• August 30, 2013

For Insomnia "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 throughout 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."

• Kry...
• December 19, 2013

For Insomnia "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."

• geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2013

For Insomnia "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2013

For Insomnia "This medicine has helped me tremendously! This has been the only medicine that has helped me. The only part I don't like about it is that when I wake up, I have a really bad dry mouth. Other than that, it is great!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 14, 2019

For Insomnia "33-year-old male here. Experienced bad insomnia for months, that was induced from an out-of-nowhere panic attack incident. If you are looking for a reset to get yourself sleeping regularly again, this stuff does the trick. You have to experiment around with the dosage. I started taking 25 mg each night, sometimes taking it twice a day. The first few days, you will feel sluggish in the morning, but that goes away after a week. Also, a little dry mouth."

• Mrw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2018

Doxepin for Insomnia "1. Causes extreme gas pains, bloating, nausea, diarrhea in the middle of the night. 2. Doesn't work once you wake up (in pain). 3. Dissolves in your mouth before you can swallow. 4. Causes severe dry mouth. 5. Takes several hours to fully awaken. 6. Mood swings. 7. The working ingredient doxin costs $12.00. This name change costs $498.00!"

• MS4...
• October 29, 2016

Doxepin for Insomnia "Difficulty sleeping through the night. I did sleep the first night, but then most of the next day on Silenor. The second night, tossed and turned, but slept for about 4 hours. Felt drugged the next day. Took the third night, slept off and on. Felt horrible the next day: tired, weak feeling, headache. Also leaves mouth extremely dry. Not going to take Silenor anymore."

• SuZ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2021

For Depression "I have struggled with endogenous depression (and anxiety) since the age of 19, and I am now 57. Doxepin has repeatedly given me my life back. It zaps anxiety/panic first and then depression. During my most recent bout (made worse from a concussion), I tried numerous newer meds: SSRIs, SNRIs, Mirtazapine, Wellbutrin, thinking “newer must be better.” All came with “special” side effects (some worse than the older tricyclics) and just did not help much. Finally, I asked my doctor for Doxepin and am kicking myself for not going back to it sooner. Do not be afraid of trying older tricyclics if you are not getting relief. I had good experiences with other TCAs, but Doxepin has been the best. Take the GeneSight test if you can. (SSRIs were on my less response list - not surprised.) Doxepin side effects were initial drowsiness, which decreases as you adjust, and dry mouth. Used to increase my appetite, but not so much this time. Start low and titrate up. I plan to stay on it for life."

• boy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2020

For Insomnia "I tried a 5 mg dose of doxepin by dividing the contents of a 10 mg capsule. No help for my insomnia. Then tried the whole 10 mg. Still no help for my insomnia (didn't make me sleepy at all; I was up all night), but I felt awful the next day with a dry mouth. Strange, because I remember this putting me to sleep back when I used it for depression decades ago (even when I had weaned down to just 10 mg a day). Wonder if the generic is the same potency and quality now? Back to doxylamine (OTC generic Unisom), which works well, but is pricey."

• Pep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2019

For Insomnia "I started taking this for sleep (I take between 10 mg and 30 mg and I take the liquid), and this helped tremendously. My first night I fell asleep great, slept all night, and after the initial 45 minutes of sleepiness, felt rested for the first time in months. It continues to work just as well. Just rated it 8/10 for the extreme dry mouth. Also, the taste is like Satan's vodka in one of those '80s plastic thermoses that always tasted like plastic. Not great, but I'll definitely put up with it!"

• aun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2015

For Insomnia "I was prescribed 10 mg pills for insomnia; I fall asleep readily, but can't stay asleep for more than 2 hours at a time. That's partially due to having a dry mouth; drink something, have to go to the bathroom, wake up with a dry mouth, drink something, go to the bathroom - a vicious cycle. I'm awake for about 15 minutes after each episode. I took doxepin for 4 days out of 9. I started having very vivid dreams, to the point that I did not know what was actually real the next day. I also started feeling 'who am I?', 'where am I?', 'what am I doing here? - in other words, very disoriented. I had walked to a neighbor's house to get paperwork for the Civic Assn. I truly had no clue what the lists were, or what they were for. I'm glad I made it back home."

• Chi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2022

For Insomnia "Doxepin has worked for me when others didn’t to help with insomnia. I’ve tried others with little to no effect. It allows me to go back to sleep after waking, which I could never do before. The only side effect I’ve had has been dry mouth in the morning, but it’s manageable. I highly recommend trying it if you have insomnia!"

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2016

For Insomnia "Low-dose doxepin did not help at all with my insomnia. I tried doses from 5 mg to 20 mg, and it never helped with either falling asleep or staying asleep. Side effects: very dry mouth, sore throat, headache. On the plus side, it's very inexpensive, and I was able to discontinue it without any withdrawal effects."

• Tri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2019

For Neuropathic Pain "Craving for sweets, but otherwise no appetite. Increased dry mouth, sore and bleeding gums, vivid dreams, brain fog the next day. I was given Silenor because I wake up every 2 hours. While I sleep, I’m told I thrash about, “seize” my leg muscles, and am very loud and verbal during sleep. Even though I still wake every 2 hours, half the time I go back to sleep for an hour. Still only getting about four hours, but not in a row."

• Jay...
• January 10, 2016

For Insomnia "I got this for depression, I took 150 mg a day. Now I need 50 mg to fall asleep, sometimes even 100 mg. I don't know how this works for people who take only 10-20 mg. Yes, I get a dry mouth, but that's okay. I noticed that I have very realistic dreams and sometimes a hangover for the next day (after 100 mg)."

• Anonymous
• February 27, 2010

For Insomnia "This medicine was prescribed to treat my insomnia. While it did help me fall and stay asleep, it seemed to aggravate my fibromyalgia symptoms. It also left me with a drugged feeling until about noon every day and caused constipation and dry mouth."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2025

For Insomnia "My Dr. prescribed this in liquid form, .5 mg, to help me sleep. I'm in perimenopause and wake up at least 2-4 times a night. Liquid Doxepin tastes disgusting, but it did help me sleep 9 hours straight! which I haven't done in years! I woke up still tired and very tight neck muscles. Alas, the anticholinergic effects are real. My mouth is so dry I've drunk 64 oz of water in 3 hours. My eyes are super dry, when usually I don't have major dry eye problems this time of year. I cannot wait for this to wear off, I hate dry mouth and dry eyes are painful."

• Dud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 3, 2022

For Insomnia "Side effects of doxepin = dry mouth, restless leg syndrome, racing, heavy beating heart, numb, aggressive in the morning, highly sensitive to sunlight, highly sedative, but feels unpleasant when it takes effect. Great for sleep, but will do NOTHING to help with depression because there is literally nothing in it that helps depression. It's basically a cheap, horrible, highly sedating sleeping pill, but it may work very well for those suffering from extreme insomnia."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

For Insomnia "Doxepin didn’t help me sleep at all. It gave me extreme dry mouth too."