Doxepin Alternatives

If depression symptoms do not improve with the use of doxepin, alternatives to the medication are available, including other antidepressants, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or alternative therapies. Other common depression medications that are used as alternatives to doxepin include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Let your healthcare provider know if doxepin is not working for you or if side effects occur so he or she can recommend an alternative to doxepin.

 

Doxepin Alternatives: An Overview

Doxepin hydrochloride (Sinequan®) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of depression (also known as major depression or clinical depression) and anxiety. Doxepin is part of a group of antidepressant medications called tricyclic antidepressants. For many people, doxepin is effective in treating their symptoms and most people tolerate it well. However, as with all medicines, side effects can occur or the medicine may not adequately control a patient's symptoms. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to doxepin for depression treatment, including:
 
  • Therapy
  • Other depression medications (also known as antidepressants)
  • Electroconvulsive therapy
  • Alternative (natural) therapies.
     
(This article describes alternatives to doxepin for the treatment of depression. For information on doxepin alternatives for other medical conditions, see Anxiety Treatment.)
 

Therapy as a Doxepin Alternative

Many forms of psychotherapy, including some short-term therapies (10 to 20 weeks), can help people with depression.
 "Talk" therapies help patients gain insight into (and resolve) their problems through verbal exchange with the therapist and are sometimes combined with "homework" assignments between sessions. Behavioral therapists help patients learn how to obtain more satisfaction through their own actions and how to unlearn the behavioral patterns that contribute to or result from their depression.
 
(Click Psychotherapy for Depression to learn more about this depression treatment option.)
 
(Doxepin Alternatives Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;