The generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin belongs to a tricyclic class and it is an anti-depressant medication. Medications in this class are often referred to as tricyclic anti-depressants or TCAs. Depression is an all-pervasive sense of sadness and gloom. In some patients with depression abnormal levels of neurotransmitters chemicals that the nerve cells use to communicate with each other may be the cause of the depression.

Nortriptyline elevates the mood by raising the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. Nortriptyline is also a sedative and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia restlessness and nervousness. The generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication is used to elevate the mood of patients with depression. It also has been found to be helpful for treating chronic pain and the pain of neuralgia.

However, before taking Doxepin i.e. Adapin medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient and read it carefully. Talk to your doctor about all the possible risks of taking Adapin medication. However, Adapin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Hence, for more information, consult your doctor and your medical pharmacist.

Follow the directions given by the doctor exactly for the usage of the Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication and also read the prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part that you do not understand.

The dose of doxepin is tailored to the patients needs. Sometimes physicians will start with relatively low doses such as 25mg given three times a day to reduce the risk of excessive sedation early in the course doses then will be increased slowly. It may take several weeks before the effects of a dose are maximal. Other physicians prefer to give nortriptyline once daily in which case it is generally given at bedtime to take advantage of its sedating properties. Elderly persons and patients with advanced liver disease may need lower doses.

If you notice any of the symptoms, which seem severe or persistent to you, please contact your doctor immediately. However, your doctor may need to monitor you carefully for side effects and alter the doses if necessary.

The most commonly encountered side effects associated with doxepin includes - urinary retention, difficulty in urinating, dry mouth, rapid heart rate, blurred vision, constipation, weight gain or loss and low blood pressure when going from sitting to standing orthostatic hypotension. Rashes, hives, seizures and hepatitis are rare side effects. Doxepin also can cause elevated pressure in the eyes of some patients with glaucoma. Overdose with doxepin can cause life threatening abnormal heart rhythms or seizures.

If antidepressants are discontinued abruptly symptoms may occur such as headache, nausea, dizziness, changes in mood or changes in the sense of smell taste etc. Such symptoms even may occur when even a few doses of antidepressant are missed. Therefore, it is recommended that the dose of antidepressant be reduced gradually when therapy is discontinued.

Inform your doctor if you experience any of these side effects or some new side effects occur which appear too bothersome to you.

Inform your doctor if you are allergic to the formulation of this medication or any other medication in any other form and also inform your doctor about any other medication you may be taking in any other form, as they may affect the way your medicine works.

However, Adapin i.e. Doxepin exaggerates the effects of other medications and drugs that slow the brains processes such as alcohol barbiturates benzodiazepines e.g. lorazepam Ativan and narcotics. Reserpine given to patients taking TCAs can have a stimulatory effect. Doxepin and other TCAs should not be used with monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs for example isocarboxazid Marplan phenelzine Nardil tranylcypromine Parnate and procarbazine Matulane. High fever convulsions and even death can occur when these drugs are used together Cimetidine Tagamet can increase the doxepin blood levels possibly causing side effects.

Moreover, Adapin i.e. Doxepin may also interact with some kind of foods, varied medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements, vitamins, other OTC medicines, some vaccinations etc. Acquire more information about the interactions of the Adapin medication from your doctor and the medical pharmacists.

In case of overdose call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
If the suffering patient has collapsed or is not breathing call local emergency services at 911. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

Do not allow any other person to use your medication without getting doctor’s prescription themselves and also avoid using this medicine for other health conditions on your own. Keep the medicine away from the children and pets.

Also inform your doctor, if you are pregnant or are breast feeding. If you conceive during the course, inform your doctor immediately. Do not share your medicines with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms, for it may harm them. Do not begin, increase, decrease, or stop using this medicine on your own. In short discuss your complete medical history with your doctor, before taking the medicine.

Remember, it is very important to keep regular appointments with your doctor to study the way your body is responding to the course. And if you are going to have a surgery, tell your health care professional that you are using Adapin medication.

Carry with you at all times an ID card mentioning your name, the medicine you are taking, the dosage, the name of the person and your health care professional they should call in case of an emergency. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory and keep regular checks ups.

Also avoid alcohol and alcohol containing beverages whilst on a course with this medication.

And in case, if you wish to use the medicine in children, please contact your pediatrician for sure before its use.

If you missed the Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication dose, do take the medicine immediately provided that there is ample of time in between the next dose. However, if it is almost time for the next dose skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Never double your doses to cope up with the missed. And in case, if you miss your one or two consecutive doses consult to your doctor or physician for guidance and continue further.

Generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin is used to elevate the mood of patients with depression. Nortriptyline is also a sedative and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia restlessness and nervousness. It also has been found to be helpful for treating chronic pain and the pain of neuralgia.

However, it may also be used to treat some other medical conditions which may be determined by your doctor accordingly and consult a pediatrician for the use of this medication in children.

The generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication may be prescribed for other uses also and hence ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication.

Store generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin, at room temperature in between 86°F and 30°C, in a cool and dry place. Keep the medicine in the container, it came in and always keep it tightly closed. Check Expiry date without fail. Keep all medicines away from women, newborns, children and pets. Do not freeze in any case. Also, keep it away from heat, dampness and direct light. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down. When the medicine is not in use or outdated it should be discarded. Take help of your pharmacist in disposing this medicine properly. In any case, do not store the Adapin medication in the bathroom.

Following precautions must be taken during consuming generic Adapin i.e. Doxepin:

1. Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had: kidney disease, lung disease, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, asthma, heart attack, seizures, strokes, suicidal thoughts, trouble in urinating, dehydration,
glaucoma, irregular heartbeats, mania/bipolar disorder, other cardiac disease,
prostate enlargement, an overactive thyroid gland, recent weight loss, serious injury/infection or any other severe disease etc. Also inform, if you drink alcoholic beverages or are a tobacco smoker etc.

2. Also acknowledge your doctor if you need to undergo any kind of surgery, including dental surgery or need an x-ray procedure that uses contrast agents. So, inform your doctors immediately about it, so that the doctor can decide whether to continue taking Adapin medication or stop it during the surgery.

3. Let the doctor also know, if you are in-taking or are planning to take any prescribed or non prescribed medicines, health supplements or any other OTC medications, vitamins etc. If you are taking or have taken within the last 2 weeks any prescription and non prescription drugs especially antihistamines, anticoagulants [warfarin Coumadin], cimetidine Tagamet, estrogens, fluoxetine Prozac, Levodopa Sinemet, Larodopa, lithium Eskalith, Lithobid, MAO inhibitors [phenelzine Nardil, tranylcypromine Parnate].
You also need to inform about medication for high blood pressure, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, asthma, colds or allergies, methylphenidate i.e. Ritalin, muscles relaxants, oral contraceptives, sedatives, sleeping pills, thyroid medications, tranquilizers and vitamins.

4. Do not use the Adapin i.e. Doxepin medication, if you have any kind of allergy to it or to any ingredients of it and tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and get treated accordingly.

5. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding before taking Adapin medication. Hence also, inform your doctor immediately when you plan to conceive, or become pregnant during the course.

6. Do not share the drug with others unless they are prescribed by the doctor themselves. And if your symptoms of side effects do not improve in few weeks or if they become worse and bothersome, check these conditions immediately with your doctor.

7. Please, use the Adapin medicine in the prescribed amount and do not overdose it or use it for the longer period of time. Do not discontinue on your own and consult your doctor before doing so to avoid further problems.

8. Regularly, keep your appointments with your doctor and keep an eye on the progress or side effects that has been noticed during the complete course.

9. Also, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol and alcohol containing beverages during the complete course to achieve good results.

10. For more information, contact your doctor and your pharmacists and also discuss the risks and benefits of the generic Adapin.

11. Remember: It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular intervals.