Is doxepin safe during pregnancy?
Answered by MotherToBaby’s teratology specialists, quoted in full — including the questions most pages skip, like whether a father’s exposure matters.
The questions people actually ask about doxepin in pregnancy
Answered by MotherToBaby, the fact sheets written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists and published through the NIH. Quoted in full — we do not condense them.
I take doxepin. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
It is not known if doxepin can make it harder to get pregnant.
Does taking doxepin increase the chance for miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. It is not known if taking doxepin increases the chance for miscarriage.
Does taking doxepin increase the chance of birth defects?
Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Doxepin has not been well-studied with use in pregnancy. Data from animal studies does not suggest an increased chance for birth defects. In a case series looking at 8 human pregnancies, there were no birth defects reported.
Does taking doxepin in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
It is not known if doxepin can cause other pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).
I need to take doxepin throughout my entire pregnancy. Will it cause withdrawal symptoms in my baby after birth?
The use of tricyclic antidepressants during pregnancy can cause temporary symptoms in some newborns soon after birth. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as withdrawal. Symptoms reported with other tricyclic antidepressant medication have included jitteriness, vomiting, crying, fussiness, changes in sleep patterns, tremors, trouble with eating and/or regulating body temperature. In most cases these symptoms were mild and went away on their own within 1 to 2 weeks after birth. Not all babies exposed to tricyclic antidepressants will have these symptoms. It is not known if taking doxepin during pregnancy would cause similar symptoms in newborns. However, it is important that your healthcare providers know you are taking doxepin so that if symptoms occur your baby can get the care that is best for them.
Does taking doxepin in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?
It is not known if doxepin increases the chance for behavior or learning issues as this has not been well studied for doxepin. One study looked at 80 children who were exposed to a tricyclic antidepressant medication during pregnancy (only 1 had been exposed to doxepin). This study did not find differences in learning or behavior.
If a male takes doxepin, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
It is not known if doxepin could affect fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase the risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/ .
Quoted from MotherToBaby Fact Sheets — Doxepin, published May 2024. MotherToBaby states its fact sheets should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers.
Breastfeeding is a separate question — what LactMed says about doxepin
This is general reference information, not medical advice. Whether to take any medication in pregnancy is a decision for you and your prescriber; do not start or stop a drug on your own, because an untreated condition can also carry risk.