What Is Doxylamine?

Doxylamine is a sleep aid in products like Unisom and Nyquil that you can buy over the counter. It's also an antihistamine that's used to treat nasal congestion.

Some people take doxylamine to treat insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

You don't need a prescription for doxylamine as it is widely available over-the-counter (OTC). But that doesn't mean the medicine doesn't come with potential side effects. Before taking doxylamine, learn the possible risks.

This article goes over how doxylamine works, its uses, and what problems it can cause.

Doxylamine Uses

Doxylamine is an antihistamine, a type of medication used to treat allergies. It can also reduce nighttime cold symptoms. One of its side effects is drowsiness.

Because of this effect, doxylamine is often used in over-the-counter sleep aids for those who have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. But note that it shouldn't be used for more than two weeks to treat insomnia.

Like many sleeping pills, doxylamine affects neurotransmitters. These are chemical messengers that send signals between brain and nerve cells (neurons). Doxylamine blocks receptors that let the chemical histamine stimulate neurons. This causes you to get sleepy.

Before You Take Doxylamine

Since doxylamine is an OTC medication, risks might be slightly lower than with prescription medications that need careful monitoring. No routine tests are recommended with its use.

Ultimately, doxylamine is not the best option if you are considering taking sleeping pills. There are other choices that are better for aiding sleep.

Doxylamine doesn't promote sleep in the same way as prescription sleep medications, such as benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine medications.

Doxylamine is a non-habit forming medication. However, you can develop a tolerance to it, which means you'll have to take more of it over time to get the same effect. This can lead to an increased risk of other side effects.

Doxylamine Dosage

As is the case with any medication, it's important to only use the recommended dosage for doxylamine. Doxylamine pills can typically be found in strengths of 12.5 and 25 milligrams (mg).

When used as a sleep aid, the recommended dosage for doxylamine is 25 mg, once daily, taken orally (by mouth) up to 30 minutes before bedtime. But if taking 25 mg of doxylamine makes you feel excessively drowsy the next day, you may want to reduce your dosage to 12.5 mg.

Precautions and Contraindications

Certain groups of people shouldn't take doxylamine.

Age Restrictions

Children under 12 years of age shouldn't use doxylamine 25 milligrams (mg). Children under 6 and elderly people shouldn't use it without a healthcare provider's advice.

Breastfeeding

According to the National Institutes of Health, taking small, occasional doses while nursing shouldn't cause problems for the baby. However, larger doses or long-term use may cause drowsiness, irritability, and colicky symptoms in breastfed babies. It may also lower your milk supply.

Medical Conditions

People with many conditions should be cautious about doxylamine as it may cause problems or drug interactions. These conditions include:

• Glaucoma
• Hyperthyroidism
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pneumonia
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Prostate enlargement
• Liver disease
• Bowel or bladder obstruction

Negative drug interactions are also a risk, especially with other medications that affect the brain, so be sure to review your medications with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting to use doxylamine.

Side Effects

The list of potential side effects for any drug can be quite long, and doxylamine is no exception. Although you likely wouldn't experience most side effects, and may not have any at all, some that occur commonly with doxylamine include:

• Dizziness
• Loss of coordination
• Headache
• Stomach pain
• Dry mouth or nose
• Constipation
• Difficulty urinating
• Blurred or double vision

Potential Serious Reactions

While they're rare, serious side effects can result from the use of doxylamine, including:

• Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), including difficulty breathing
• Low blood cell counts (agranulocytosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia)
• Abnormal heart rhythms or altered heart rate
• Seizures
• Toxic psychosis
• Inner ear problems (acute labyrinthitis)
• Hallucinations
• Confusion or delirium
• Low blood pressure

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Summary

Doxylamine is an antihistamine drug that is often used in over-the-counter medications to promote sleep.

Side effects can range from dizziness and headaches to confusion and serious allergic reactions. People with certain medical conditions like glaucoma and heart disease should not take doxylamine. If you want to try it to help with insomnia, talk to your healthcare provider first.

A Word From Verywell

If you experience any difficulties when taking doxylamine, you should be in close contact with your primary healthcare provider. If you wish to pursue other preferred treatments for insomnia, you should likewise make an appointment and discuss the better prescription options that are available.

Effective treatment may include medications, learning better sleep habits, or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI).