Silenor is a drug that is also known as doxepin in its generic form. It belongs to a class of drugs that is recognized as hypnotics. This means that it is used for the treatment of insomnia for individuals who struggle to remain asleep.
What You Should Know About Silenor
Though Silenor is known to be a highly effective drug for treating insomnia and its symptoms, there are some things that you should take into consideration before using it. It is a very powerful medication and as a result, some patients who have used it do not remember having taken part in activities such as eating, driving, or making phone calls. Should this occur when you have taken Silenor, it is important that you cease its use and talk to your doctor about how you should proceed.
If you are using MAO inhibitors, have used them within the last 14 days, or intend to use them during the same time that you need to take medication to help you sleep, you should not take Silenor. Taking Silenor when this type of medication is still in your body can produce dangerous and potentially deadly results. Other conditions may require that you use a different medication or that your doctor alter your dosage, including:
- Depression
- Liver disease
- Bipolar disorders
- Sleep apnea
How to Take this Sleeping Pill
If you have been prescribed Silenor, take it precisely as your doctor has directed. This drug should never be taken for longer periods than was recommended, and the dosage should never be increased or decreased without the advice of a doctor. Follow the prescription label on the package carefully.
Typically, it will recommend that the pill be taken a half hour before bedtime. It should not be taken inside of 3 hours following the consumption of a meal.
How Does Silenor Work?
The effects of Silenor may not be immediate. It is common for patients to need 7 to 10 days before they begin seeing improvements in the symptoms of insomnia. Even if you do not see improvements after having used this medication for 10 days, continue its use, but contact your doctor for recommendations.
Throughout your use of this medication, if you have any questions about how it works, if it’s working, how to use it, or if an effect you’re experiencing is normal, do not hesitate to contact your doctor or pharmacist. These resources are there for you to make sure you’re taking your prescription properly and safely. When in doubt, always contact them to be sure things are as they should be.
What if You Miss a Dose?
If a dose is missed, then simply take the next one as soon as you remember. That said, if your next scheduled dose is approaching, then just skip the dose that was missed and continue onward with the regularly scheduled dose. Never increase the amount of Silenor that you’re taking in order to compensate for a missed dose.
Don’t take a dose of Silenor if you will not have enough time to have a full night’s rest of at least 7 to 8 hours before needing to be active and alert once more. Moreover, be very careful with what you choose to do the morning after using this drug until you are extremely confident that you understand the impact it is having on you.
Don’t take this drug for the first few times when you’ll need to drive the next morning. Be sure you thoroughly understand just how groggy or alert you are upon waking after using Silenor before you get behind the wheel. Remember that if you’re still affected by this medication, your alertness and reaction time may not be as good as you are assuming. Get to know how alert you are the next morning and, ideally, get someone else’s feedback as well before you decide that driving is a good idea.
You’re much better off taking generic 10mg Doxepin rather than paying the price for Silenor.
Ambien wasn’t working at all for me so my doctor had me try this. One half dose and I slept for a day and a half. I still felt drunk, nauseous, dizzy, sleepy and had slurred speech. It was awful. I do not recommend!