I've been having kind of a little fling with my latest drug, doxepin.
Doxepin is one of the older family of tricyclic antidepressants, and my latest neurologist (whom I've only seen once but liked a lot) prescribed it about three months ago. I didn't start it right away, as I was still giving the neurostimution a chance to prove itself. But after a couple of bad months of taking too much Maxalt and spending too many days in bed with debilitating pain, I decided it was time to try it. Well, my first prescription was for 25 mg once a day, and the first time I tried it, I took one at bedtime, as is recommended. Well, although I have often read (but never found to be true) that it can take up to a month to feel the effects of an antidepressant, this one took effect quite rapidly. The first night I took it, I slept like a stone, not getting up even once, which is unusual for me. I was enchanted. The only trouble was, when I got up the next day (late -- about 10, I think) I was still tired. I made breakfast, ate, got back into bed and basically slept most of the rest of the day till 3 or 4.
Well! That wouldn't do. I was afraid to take it the next day because I had work the following morning.
I looked up doxepin online and found that there are several dosage levels, some lower than the 25 mg gel cap I had. I called my doc's office and asked for a lower dosage. When I started, the 10 mg wasn't as strong (obviously) as the 25 mg, but it still made me sleep deeply (which was heavenly) and wake up a bit groggy and stay sleepy through the day (which was not so great).
After being on it for a couple of weeks, however, the daytime sleepiness eased up and my mood definitely improved. In fact, it's possibly the most pleasant drug I've been on. besides a bit of dry mouth (and a slight medicine taste) doxepin has had very few side effects. What I like is I feel it start to take effect within about half hour of taking it, with a kind of a oozy relaxing rush. Sorry, I don't know how to describe it very well, other than that it's a pleasant sensation.
But of course I am taking it for migraine, not depression (although in fact I do suffer from depression as well). So the big question is, does it help?
I believe it has been helping. However, after only a month, I have stopped sleeping deeply again, which is disappointing. I still am sleeping better than I had been, but the first night I woke up and had to get up to pee, I was so disappointed. So what I'm trying to say, is its effectiveness has begun to ebb a bit faster than I am at all comfortable with. I have had to take Maxalt on some days, but not as many it seems like -- as I've noted before, occasionally I do have a good month, and since I'm nearly always trying something new, chances are good that the new thing I'm trying might happen to coincide with the odd good month I am fortunate enough to have.
But I'm at a crossroads. I think I'm going to be looking at needing to increase dosage within the next month. Now, I have nothing against feeling better even if it's temporary -- but the trouble with antidepressants is getting off them. So the higher dosage, the worse the withdrawal, as I see it. I'm not making a decision right this very minute, though. Another aspect of the doxepin is I think it makes me less anxious about everything, which is also a lovely perk.
I <3 doxepin!
Anyway, I see my neuro in another week, so I'll talk to him then.
Cheerio.
