Therapeutic Efficacy of Doxepin in Divided and Single Dose Regime

Doxepin Hydrochloride is an antidepressant which though widely used abroad, is relatively new on the Indian scene. Chemically, Doxepin, is N, N-Dimethyldibenz (b, e) oxepinii(6H) propylamine hydrochloride (Krakowsi, 1968). Doxepin, being a tricyclic compound, has its basic action similar to other compounds of the group (Groton, 1967). It is tertiary amine like Amitriptyline and Imipramine which confers mood improving properties on the compound (Arieti, 1975). Some workers have rated it as good or slightly superior to Imipramine and Amitriptyline whereas Swiss Psychiatrists have not found it so. (Frank, 1969). In India few research workers have used Doxepin to compare its effect in Anxiety neurosis with Trifluoperazine (Kishore et al., 1973), or to determine an optimum dose of the drug in patients suffering from anxiety state associated with depression (D'Souza, 1978) or to compare its effectiveness with Placebo (Vahia et al., 1974). Recently, it has been reported by some workers that steady-state levels of a tricyclic antidepressant can be maintained by administering the drug as a single dose at night (Kramer, 1962, Dimascio et al., 1969, Marshall, 1971) and clinical experience suggests that this method of administration is effective in relieving symptoms of depression.