Compare Lunesta vs. doxepin
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Helps you sleep.
Lunesta (Eszopiclone) is good for falling asleep and staying asleep. Not as habit-forming as some sleep medicines, but more likely to cause withdrawal symptoms if you stop suddenly.
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3.3/ 5 average rating with 592 reviewsforLunesta
Treats depression and anxiety.
doxepin can treat depression and anxiety, but it's not a first choice medication because of its many side effects.
Upsides
- Effective at helping people fall asleep faster and sleep longer.
- Not as habit-forming, so you can use it for longer than most other sleep medicines.
- doxepin has been consistently shown to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- doxepin has been used to treat depression for over forty years.
Downsides
- More likely to cause withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it suddenly.
- Might not be safe if you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, depression, lung disease, or a condition that affects metabolism.
- It's easy to become reliant on sleep medicines. In the long run, it's better to learn good sleeping habits and behavior so that you can sleep better naturally.
- doxepin can make you very sleepy. Try taking it at bedtime if you need to be alert during the day.
- You shouldn't drink alcohol with doxepin. It can worsen side effects like drowsiness.
- You have to take it daily, especially if you are feeling better, for the medicine to do its job.
- It can have more side effects than other antidepressants, like weight gain and increased appetite, decreased libido, and sleepiness.
- It's not unusual for people to try different antidepressants until they find one that works for them.
Used for
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Pill
- Liquid
Price
Lowest price
$14.19
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$10.46
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Reviews
592 reviews so far
55%
saidit'sworth it
36%
saiditworked well
17%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Lunesta (Eszopiclone)?
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Side effects
10possible side effects
- Headache15%
- Unpleasant Taste8%
- Dyspepsia6%
- Pain4%
- Diarrhea4%
- Pruritus4%
- Dry Mouth3%
- Abnormal Dreams3%
- Neuralgia3%
- Urinary Tract Infection3%
The doxepin FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
Risks and risk factors
- Dependence and withdrawal
- Continuous use for 2 weeks or more
- Driving impairment
- Alcohol
- Taking other medicines that make you less alert
- Less than 7 hours of sleep.
- Abnormal thoughts
- Undiagnosed psychiatric conditions
- Sleep driving
- Taking with alcohol or drugs that acts in the brain
- Serious allergic reactions
- Risk of falls and injury
- Elderly
- Higher dose
- Liver problems
- Taking Lunesta (Eszopiclone) with other nervous system depressants
- Long-term use
- Risk to fetus
- Women of childbearing age
- Breast-feeding
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- Age 24 years or under
- Unmasking of bipolar disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Serotonin syndrome
- Taking MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- Heart problems
- History of heart disease
- Adults over 65
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Sleepiness
- Adults 65 years or older
- Taking other medicines that cause drowsiness (antihistamines, sleep medications, narcotic pain medications)
- Alcohol
- Dizziness and falls
- Age 65 years or older