Dosulepin
About
Dosulepin belongs to the class of tricyclic antidepressants. It is primarily used to treat depression that is unresponsive to other antidepressants or any other alternative treatment. It is also used to treat disorders related to anxiety. Depression is a mood disorder that affects day to day life of a person. A person may have symptoms such as feeling sad or feeling of loss and might have mood swings. Anxiety is defined as an emotion that is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and symptoms like increased blood pressure. Anxiety disorder also includes panic disorder which is characterized by sudden feelings of terror.
Dosulepin works by increasing the levels of chemical messengers which are responsible for stabilizing and elevating the mood levels in the brain. It also stops your brain from releasing the chemicals which cause anxiety. It provides relief from symptoms such as feelings of restlessness, irritability, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, feeling, and sleep disturbances. It helps to carry out daily activities easily.
Dosulepin should be taken in dose and duration as advised by the doctor and taking it before bedtime should be preferred as it can make you feel drowsy. It can be taken with or without food, but it should be taken at a fixed time each day. In some cases, you may experience increased heart rate, blurred vision, dizziness, dryness in the mouth and constipation. Most of these side effects of Dosulepin do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Try not to stop taking this medicine on your own without consulting your doctor as it may lead to withdrawal symptoms. Do not take this medicine if you have any lung disease, muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis), sleeping disorder or difficulty in sleeping (sleep apnoea), severe liver disease or problem with alcohol or other prescription recreational drugs. Inform your doctor if you are planning to get pregnant, are pregnant, or breastfeeding. Also, tell your doctor if you are allergic to this medicine.
Uses of Dosulepin
Medicinal Benefits
Dosulepin works by increasing the levels of chemical messengers which are responsible for stabilizing and elevating the mood levels in the brain. It also stops your brain from releasing the chemicals which cause anxiety. Dosulepin provides relief from symptoms such as feelings of restlessness, irritability, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, feeling, and sleep disturbances. It helps to carry out daily activities easily.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Dosulepin
- Increased heart rate
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Dryness in the mouth
- Weight gain
- Sudden lowering of blood pressure on standing
- Difficulty in urination
- Constipation
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Dosulepin should be given with extreme caution in patients having epilepsy (Brain disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures), impaired liver or kidney function, diabetes, decreased level of sodium in the blood, tendency to easily develop bleedings or bruises, patients receiving electroconvulsive treatment, having coronary heart disease, suffering or have suffered from heart problems or have recently had a heart attack, having a low resting heart-rate, having prolonged severe diarrhoea and vomiting (Being sick) or using diuretics (water tablets), experiencing a fast or irregular heartbeat, fainting, collapse, or dizziness on standing up, which may indicate abnormal functioning of the heart rate and having or previously had eye problems, such as certain kinds of glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye).
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: This medicine may have an interaction with other anti-depressants such as phenelzine, iproniazid, isocarboxazid, nialamide, imipramine, and desipramine and tranylcypromine, moclobemide, medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease such as selegiline. Taking this medicine with Dosulepin can increase the risk of side effects. It can also have an interaction with antibiotic linezolid, lithium (used in the treatment of manic-depressive disorder), and tryptophan, medicines used to treat migraines such as Sumatriptan, medicines used for severe pain such as tramadol, medicines used for stomach ulcers such as Cimetidine, lansoprazole, and omeprazole, medicines used to treat fungal infections such as fluconazole, medicines used to reduce the risk of strokes such as ticlopidine, St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) - a herbal remedy used for depression, blood-thinning medicines (warfarin, dipyridamole, and phenprocoumon) and pain killers, antimalarials such as Mefloquine, medicines used for heart diseases such as Flecainide, propafenone, medicines that decrease blood levels of potassium or magnesium, as these increase the risk of life-threatening heart rhythm disorder
Drug-Food Interaction: Dosulepin may interact with multi-mineral or other herbal/ayurvedic supplements. So, if you are using any of the OTC items please tell your doctor.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Obese people (with a BMI greater than 25) should consult a doctor before taking Dosulepin.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeIt is not recommended to take alcohol while taking Dosulepin to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
Pregnancy
unsafeIt is advised not to take Dosulepin during pregnancy as it may pose risk to the unborn baby. However, if you are already taking Dosulepin, please inform your doctor that you are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
safe if prescribedDosulepin passes in very small amounts in breast milk. It has not been linked with any side-effects. However, caution is advised while taking it. Please inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
unsafeIt is not recommended to drive after taking Dosulepin as it can make you feel drowsy.
Liver
cautionCaution is advised while taking Dosulepin if you suffer or have suffered from liver diseases.
Kidney
cautionCaution is advised while taking Dosulepin if you suffer or have suffered from kidney diseases.
Children
unsafeDosulepin is not recommended in children below 12 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Option for healthy food which in turn will help you to elevate your moods.
- Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes a day. It will help you to reduce stress and improve your mood. It will also improve your quality of sleep.
- Take deep breaths to calm your mind.
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule (at least 8 hours a day).
- Manage your stress levels by doing activities that make you happy such as watching your favourite show, reading a book, listening to music, and activities of your interest.
Special Advise
Do not stop taking dosulepin without talking to your doctor. You may suffer side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. If you and your doctor agree that you should stop taking dosulepin, your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Depression: It is a mood disorder that affects day to day life of a person. A person may have symptoms such as feeling sad or feeling of loss and might have mood swings.
Anxiety: It is defined as an emotion that is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and symptoms like increased blood pressure. Anxiety disorder also includes panic disorder which is characterized by sudden feelings of terror.
FAQs
Dosulepin starts to show its full effect in 4 to 6 weeks. In case, you feel that you are not feeling better or there is no improvement in the symptoms, please consult your doctor. In case, you feel that you are experiencing any kind of side-effect after taking Dosulepin, please contact your doctor immediately.
Dosulepin helps to elevate your mood levels. After taking it, you easily communicate with other people. It helps you to get better sleep. It helps you to feel like yourself again.
It depends on your symptoms according to which your doctor will advise the dose and duration of Dosulepin. Please inform your doctor if you are planning to switch to any other antidepressant.
Dosulepin is not recommended to treat pain. Rarely, it is advised to treat nerve pain like fibromyalgia or to prevent migraine.
No, Dosulepin is not a habit-forming drug. However, it can cause side-effects especially when you stop taking it suddenly.
Dosulepin might cause weight gain as taking it makes you feel hungry. However, it varies from person to person as some people might feel less hungry after taking it.
