ambien withdrawal right after valium withdrawal

[kitkit2]

Hello,
I have finally realized after 40 years of "sleeping aids" that I would like to restore my natural sleep, if possible.
I was taking 4 mg of ativan (way too high), as well as 10 mg ambien for insomnia.  I managed to taper off the ativan using valium when I got to the smaller doses of ativan.
Now I am done with the valium (as of August 1) but am still having rebound insomnia and jittery feelings.  I still take 10 mg of ambien at night to sleep, but it isn't really working.  I've gone many nights now with minimal sleep and do function during the day.
Should I wait until the valium rebound is done before I start the ambien taper?  Or is the ambien making my valium taper worse?  Since I'm not sleeping anyways, perhaps I should start the ambien taper?  What a mess.
Thanks for advice.
kitkit2

[atthebeach]

hi kit how are you doing?
it is great that you are exercising. ah yes, the beach.
yes with ambien there would be many of the same withdrawal symptoms,

Sweating; Nausea; Fatigue; Insomnia; Cramps in the Stomach; Increased Irritability; Unsettled Feelings; Panic Attacks; Shakes and Tremors.

I would give yourself another month or so before you start the ambien taper.

hoping and praying you feel better,
Debbie

[kitkit2]

Thank you atthebeach.  I am also at the beach, so I do take a lot of walks, and try to do 10,000 steps per day as well as yoga several times a week.

The ativan taper, with the valium "finishing touches" was done over a period of 4-6 months, with many weeks between stages.  That's why I'm wondering whether this "rebound" is still from the ativan, that I finished on August 1.

Does ambien taper cause the same rebound?  or just nightmares and sleeplessness?

I did buy some Alteril herbal OTC med this morning as another poster suggested, but didn't know whether I could combine it with the ambien.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.
Kitkit2

[atthebeach]

How long did you taper the ativan?  Was your taper doctor supervised?
It is going to take some time for you to stabilize. I would definitely wait to start the ambien taper.

Sleepy time tea is made by Celestial seasonings. There are alot of calming teas. You could also try a hot Epsom salt bath before bed.
Magnesium/ calcium supplements also help with sleep, the restless and creepy crawling feeling.
You are doing awesome. Keep the faith.

Do you exercise or take walks ? That would also help your brain heal.

[kitkit2]

One more question:
It's now only 6:30 am and I feel the buzzing and restlessness and creepy-crawling feelings again even though I stopped ativan tapering on August 1.  Any suggestions to get over these horrible feelings?  It is not pleasant to think that I will feel like this all day.  
What I'm gathering is that the tool is "distraction" with activities all day.  Any other suggestions?

[kitkit2]

Thank you all for your overnight responses.  I definitely plan to keep busy.  In fact after one week my adult kids including a 4 year old granddaughter are arriving for 10 days.  When they leave I need to go to work on September 2.

Last night was pretty rough, but tolerable.  I broke up the 10 mg ambien to 7.5. I don't think I slept much, but did have a very vivid and memorable nightmare so I must have been dozing.

One thing I did do a few months ago was spend several sessions with a cognitive behavioral therapist who specialized in insomnia.  This is while I was tapering off the ativan.  He was extremely helpful in pointing out, after I kept a sleep diary,  that I don't need 8 hours of sleep, that I function fine during the day with 5 hours of sleep, and that while I've had insomnia all my life, no one has ever said I seemed sleepy during the day.  Just the opposite.  The sessions with him help me get through the nights now.

I will go out today, get myself tired, and get some Sleepytime tea (is it a placebo?) and melatonin.

Thanks everyone.  I'll report in tomorrow.
Kitkit2

[marycarmel]

I took Ambien for years.and it wasn't working great anymore.  I've found Alteril and Sleepy Time tea.work well for me.  I also got a script for Trazadone for nights my anxiety is off the charts.  (My son is going into the Marines next month and I'm.sick ober it.)  Trazadone is not habit forming.

[Sonrissa]

Hi there,  I have suffered from insomnia for years.  When I started taking opiate pain pills I was finally able to sleep. However, it wasn't natural sleep. When I quit taking pain pills, my insomnia returned with a vengeance.  I agree with Sweetness, the more you can do during the day to tire you out, the better. Some other tips I've learned, to make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible with no noise like TV. Also, make it as cold as you can.  I still occasionally take OTC sleep aids like Sleepy Time Tea, or Melatonin, or Zzzyquil.  I do find that the more I lay around during the day, or try to nap, the worse it is at bedtime.  Natural sleep takes a while to return, but it will.  Take care, I wish you the best.

[Sweetness91]

One thing I learned during detox, (and I'm not saying you don't do this), but I had to actually do things during the day to make myself sleep at nite. Meaning, I had to be active enough during the day to wear myself out enough that sleeping at nite was my only option. When I was tired and sleepy I just wanted to lay around and baby myself. I realize now that it was the worst thing I could've done.
As hard as it may be, find things to exert even just a little energy. Take the long way to the mailbox, clean the toilet after you use it, wash the sink after you brush your teeth. Whatever...just do SOMETHING! Relying on something to make you sleep, even if it's OTC...in the long run, you still have to pay the piper....Good luck my friend!!