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Doxylamine

This article is a stubmissing:
Subjective Effects
Pharmacology
Interactions
Tolerance
History & Culture
Doxylamine molecule structureDoxylamine molecule structure
Chemical Class
Benzhydrol

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Threshold10 mg
Light75-200 mg
Moderate200-350 mg
Heavy350+ mg

Duration

Onset20-30 minutes
After Effects1-6 hours
Total6-8 hours

Subjective Effects

Subjective Effects not written up yet

Pharmacology

Pharmacology not written up yet

Interactions

Interactions not written up yet

An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.

Check TripSit

Tolerance

Tolerance not written up yet

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Low

Tolerance develops with repeated use, which may lead to dose escalation. Rebound insomnia upon discontinuation can create a cycle of continued use.

Physical

Low

Rebound insomnia occurs upon discontinuation following repeated use, indicating mild physical dependence potential.

Toxicity

Renal

Overdose may rarely result in rhabdomyolysis and subsequent acute kidney injury; this is not a risk at typical therapeutic doses.

Central Nervous System

Continuous and cumulative use of anticholinergic medications including doxylamine is associated with higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older people; occasional use at typical doses carries minimal documented risk.

Cardiovascular

Cardiopulmonary arrest has been reported in fatal overdose cases, with children appearing to be at particularly high risk.

Carcinogenicity
Possible

Animal studies have found liver and thyroid cancer signals in mice and rats, with the findings most pronounced in mice. Human carcinogenicity remains poorly studied, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies doxylamine as not classifiable regarding carcinogenicity in humans.

Evidence Basis
Human EpidemiologicalNone
Animal Models
Positive
(mouse, rat)

Psychosis Risk

Delirium occurs at high doses due to potent anticholinergic activity. Overdose symptoms include hallucinations, mental confusion, and delirium. Night terrors and euphoria have also been reported in overdose.

Seizure Risk

Seizures are listed among overdose symptoms. Fatal cases have been characterized by tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures.

History & Culture

History & Culture not written up yet

Legality

By Country

Legal / decriminalized1
United States flagUnited StatesLegal (regulated)

References

Citations

  1. openFDA DrugsFDA record — NDA 018066 (Unisom). api.fda.gov (n.d.). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=application_number%3A%22NDA018066%22&limit=11
  2. openFDA DrugsFDA record — ANDA 040564 (doxylamine succinate). api.fda.gov (n.d.). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=application_number%3A%22ANDA040564%22&limit=11
  3. DailyMed - SLEEP AID- doxylamine succinate tablet (Meijer). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=de0a6f68-6988-44df-9fab-b87620fd32e81
  4. DailyMed - SLEEP AID- doxylamine succinate tablet (Walgreens). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=489ee606-15f4-4032-a62b-35c8844f1a261

Article Status

  • Josie Kins avatar
    Step 1 · Automated synthesis

    An autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.

  • Step 2 · First-pass reviewPending

    Not yet reviewed — this article is pending editorial review by Lyrea.

  • Step 3 · Citation reviewPending

    No one has reviewed this article's citations yet. That second pass checks each claim against the source it cites.

Recent changes7 human edits · latest

Times are UTCNewest first

24 January 2026

  1. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  2. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  3. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  4. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  5. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  6. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  7. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

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