Lunesta vs Doxepin For Insomnia: Dosage, Duration & Drug Interactions

A good sleep is like a heavenly feeling in today’s hectic world. Doctors also recommend sleeping at least 8 hours is important to maintain good health. But some people face difficulty sleeping. Not by choice, but some people don’t get enough sleep. It’s because of stress and anxiety, and later causes insomnia. You can get several medications to treat insomnia, but one of the best medications you can get is Lunesta. Apart from these medications, doctors also prescribe doxepin. So, in this blog, we will do a comparison of Lunesta vs Doxepin to find which works better for insomnia.

Comparison of Lunesta vs Doxepin Due To Effectiveness, Side Effects & Safety

Both are different medications and differ in almost all aspects, but they work for similar diseases. Doctors mainly prescribe Lunesta for sleep or sleep-related problems like insomnia, whereas doctors prescribe Doxepin for sleep and depression. Let’s know both medications in detail.

Lunesta (Eszopiclone)

Lunesta belongs to sedative-hypnotics drug class that only deals with sleeping problems, and is only prescribed to people over 18 years. It is a high-power medication and is prescribed for short-term use only. Being a CNS depressant, it mainly works inside the brain and the CNS. Also, got FDA-approval in the year 2006. When the decision comes about Lunesta, a very common question arises,” Is Lunesta a controlled substance?” since most prescription drug carries serious risks of abuse and dependence that can only be treated through treatment of prescription drug addiction and proper care.

Doxepin

Doxepin is a tricyclic antidepressant that is primarily designed for major depressive disorder and also treats insomnia, urticaria, and anxiety, but off-label. This is also a CNS depressant, but it works very differently inside the brain and the CNS. It was approved by the FDA in the year 1969 and can also be used for long-term.

What’s The Key Difference Between Doxepin And Lunesta?

Both are different in almost every factor. Let’s compare Lunesta vs Doxepin with the help of the table given below.

Factors	Lunesta	Doxepin
Drug class	Sedative-hypnotic	Tricyclic Antidepressant
Controlled substance	Schedule IV	Not a controlled substance
Onset action	15 to 25 minutes	Within 30 minutes to 1 hour
Works best for	Falling and staying asleep	Staying asleep
Cost	500$ for 30-day use	Almost 30$ for 30-day use

Mechanism of Action

Both are CNS depressants, but they work differently. Lunesta works by enhancing the GABA performance, which slows the brain and the CNS, which gives a peaceful sleep to the body. Doxepin works by acting as a histamine receptor and causes sedation, which results in good and peaceful sleep for the body.

Dosage

Let’s see the average dosage of both medicines for dealing with insomnia. Lunesta dosage is about 1mg before bed, whereas Doxepin dosage is about 3mg to 6mg before bed. This dosage can increase depending on your condition. Both are taken once a day before bed.

Side Effects

Both medications show different side effects. Side effects are not noticeable in everyone who uses these medications. It mainly depends on the body type and dosage. Let’s have a look at the side effects we can notice in Lunesta and Doxepin.

Lunesta side effects:

• Dry mouth
• Bad taste
• Headache
• Anxiety
• Memory loss

Doxepin side effects:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Vision problem
• Weight gain

Addiction and Withdrawal

Doxepin is not counted as addictive, and it is not scheduled in any class. As a non-addictive medication, there are no withdrawal symptoms noticed. Whereas Lunesta is counted as a highly addictive medication and comes under a Schedule IV controlled substance. Also, serious withdrawal symptoms are noticed. Some common symptoms are listed below.

Lunesta withdrawal symptoms:

• Rebound Insomnia
• Nausea
• Muscle ache
• Tremors
• Anxiety

After using Lunesta, there are chances of getting addicted to it. In case of addiction, consult a doctor for treatment of Lunesta addiction. Also, you can add a rehab program to boost your addiction treatment time period.

Which Is Better For Insomnia?

Well, it depends on the symptoms of insomnia. If you are having difficulty falling asleep, then Lunesta can work better for this. And if you are having difficulty staying asleep, then doxepin can work better for this. But if you are facing both problems, then you might have chronic insomnia. For that, you can take Lunesta for the short term, and if long-term medication requires then you can take doxepin. As Lunesta is a controlled substance, using it for long-term has a risk for addiction. But, people also ask, can you take doxepin with Lunesta for insomnia? Well, using both for one disease can worsen it more and may give you several side effects.

Natural Ways To Treat Insomnia

Medications are not the only way to deal with these problems. In some natural ways, you can improve your symptoms of insomnia. Using natural ways is always safer and easier. There are several natural ways you can find on the internet, but among them, some of the most effective and best ways are listed below.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I)
• Good sleep hygiene
• Yoga and meditation
• Massage therapies
• Avoid watching the phone, laptop, or TV before bed.
• Sleeping and waking up times should be the same every day.

Frequently Asked Questions-FAQs

Conclusion

So, after a brief comparison of Lunesta vs Doxepin for insomnia, we know that both can work better, but depending on the symptoms of the insomnia. For short-term use, Lunesta is better, and for long-term use, doxepin. Also, Lunesta has a risk of addiction, so use it under a doctor’s observation.