Doxepin Hydrochloride

Abstract

Anxiety and depression are ubiquitous disorders that have many different clinical guises. Drugs for treating anxiety and depression are among those most widely prescribed. Doxepin hydrochloride, a tricyclic antidepressant related chemically to amitriptyline, is also highly sedative. This combination of properties led to its promotion as a drug equally useful in treating anxiety, depression, or combinations of these symptoms. Numerous clinical studies indicate that doxepin is not significantly different from other antianxiety and antidepressant drugs, but their design was such that the null hypothesis was not likely to be rejected. Although doxepin can be used to treat both anxiety and depression, it may present more hazards than the benzodiazepines and lack enough potency to treat severe depressions. Newly introduced drugs must be evaluated in the context of those currently available.