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Ambien addiction
I have been treated for depression since 1991 and am on lexapro and just started gabitril. The problem is that I never sleep well and have become addicted to ambien but do not know how to tell my psych this. I get the ambien over the internet and sometimes take 100mg or more at a time. How do I stop on my own? I cannot afford a clinic and I know my psych will make me go to the hospital if I tell her.
wow, Mandy, 100+mg Ambien? That's about 10 times the recommended dose, isn't it? I think we both know what "our" new MD is going to say about this one ...
Tell me, did you gradually ramp up to that dosage? And does the Ambien get you high before you sleep? Do you ever take it when you don't intend to sleep? Just curious. I've tried it a few times, and it always put me out before I knew what hit me.
Ambien is a schedule IV controlled substance, so your doc is bound to do something. Do you really think your doc would hospitalize you for this? Perhaps you could taper down over a few weeks. It seems to me that using a sleep aid over time would deprive you of your natural ability to fall asleep.
Thomas
Tell me, did you gradually ramp up to that dosage? And does the Ambien get you high before you sleep? Do you ever take it when you don't intend to sleep? Just curious. I've tried it a few times, and it always put me out before I knew what hit me.
Ambien is a schedule IV controlled substance, so your doc is bound to do something. Do you really think your doc would hospitalize you for this? Perhaps you could taper down over a few weeks. It seems to me that using a sleep aid over time would deprive you of your natural ability to fall asleep.
Thomas
I have been on Ambien for over 10 years, including 3 or 4 during the day to 'take the edge off'. Your post has to be one of the better posts I have ever read. I know it's old and you probably have a different email address now. You probably won't ever see this comment. Thank you sooooooo much. I'm gonna make that the last post a read on the subject because it is so positive. Thank you very, very much..
I know it has been years but are you still answering questions regarding the ambien. How is your sleep cycle now?
After reading your remedy, I figure it's possible to quit a 10 mg, 2 year process. My process did become multi-purpose as it actually worked two-fold as a pain-killer. I would break a pill in half and use that during the day. It took the edge off the pain. But this wasn't the use Ambien had intended. Previously, the pain from the herniated disc in my neck was not being remedied. That pain wouldn't let up and I had noticed how the ambien would ease the pain...even though I wasn't trying to go to sleep. I would be driving somewhere and the ambien eased the pain, almost as an anti-anxiety. I felt no euphoria. I was completely aware and it worked for pain. This was before I found a chronic pain management doctor. Then I was prescribed Nucynta 50 x 4. They make you strange. Or they have made me strange. I am now down to 50 x 3 a day. I itch, runny nose, no interest outside, etc.. Just want to stop the weirdness but then I have to deal with pain. How do I do this?
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Hi MarleyAN, I know exactly the feeling you are going through. I take 100mgs of Nucynta x3 and I get the exact feeling, I just don't want to do nothing at all. When I don't take it I get a runny nose and sneeze and yawn all day.
God bless you, the true hero! I hope the best for you and your family for the rest of you lives. It is going to be tough, but I hope and pray that with the love, suooprt and companionship you con get fro groups like NA, AA, groups for vets. I am sure there is not enough, but hopefully you will find the right one.
Thank you for defending our country. Now I think it is time to fime some people that will return th favor.
Leighab68
Thank you for defending our country. Now I think it is time to fime some people that will return th favor.
Leighab68
i take about 80 per night. i have just run out. doctors dont know what to do. they have put me on 30mg of diazipam. tonight is the first night. so so hard already. i have tried to stop before its really bad. and when i run out the panic is awfull. some times i feel like just jumpig of a roof. i dont know anyone who knows how to stop after taking so many. but i am trying tonight. and i will be thinking off you. i wish my doctors would put me in rehab. but they wont. its to expensive
becky
becky
1 Comments
I take 3 a night and thought this was just me. I'm glad theres more people out there then just me. But now I have to quit cause I'm pregnant :/ its gonna be hard
If you have anxiety it can and a lot of ties causes rebound anxiety if your on it awoke cause ur body needs it at night... Body aches,irritability..
I know this because I am taking it... About 20 mg a night and I gotta get this down to 10
I know this because I am taking it... About 20 mg a night and I gotta get this down to 10
To those taking ambien... It has a lot of side effects... If you google it, it's not just the normal list of side effects every drug has... Many people have a lot of side effects with this medicine as well as its dependency...
i took 10 mgs once when it was first Rxd. after that i went to 5mgs. then to 2.
and not every night cuz i want it to keep working and cuz i do think its not good for us.
and not every night cuz i want it to keep working and cuz i do think its not good for us.
also,
i do think it screws with your memory.
and my boss had to quit taking it - he said he would get up in the
night and do stuff and not remember.
and i think it might have effects on the heart - i think it makes my arrhythmias worse.
you know your body much better than a doctor ever can. something like a sleep aid is not medically necessary (usually) so you should aim for the least amount necessary, and not rely on what they prescribe. 10 mgs gets me goofy and i can hardly walk to the bathroom. yeah, if i was 22 it might be fun, but thank god all we had to get high was pot and psychedelics.
i do think it screws with your memory.
and my boss had to quit taking it - he said he would get up in the
night and do stuff and not remember.
and i think it might have effects on the heart - i think it makes my arrhythmias worse.
you know your body much better than a doctor ever can. something like a sleep aid is not medically necessary (usually) so you should aim for the least amount necessary, and not rely on what they prescribe. 10 mgs gets me goofy and i can hardly walk to the bathroom. yeah, if i was 22 it might be fun, but thank god all we had to get high was pot and psychedelics.
i am amazed by this thread. i could not live with out my zolpidem. but i have never taken more than 5mgs (my doc Rxs 10 mg pills) and that was before i knew i could use much less. i can usually FALL asleep, but i will wake up 3-4 hours later and then be awake for 3-4 hours until i can fall asleep again. that was before zolpidem. now i take a tiny bite 2 mgs and read until i feel the slightest bit tired, i can read thru the dose so i quit reading as soon as i feel tired and turn off the light and take deep breaths until it works. i wont take it after 3 am tho cuz it makes me half alert during the day if it do. also i try to get cold cuz your body temp needs to go down to be sleepy...
I am 71 years of age, have been taking Zolpidem for 10 years. Just one tablet a night 12.5mg. It knocks me out, I am totally unconscious until the alarm clock wakes me in the morning. I have panic attacks when I only have two tablets left and become irrational with the pharmacy when they tell me no more till the end of the month.
I have tried to stop, due to memory lapses. When I do not take a tablet it causes horrible and scarey nightmares. I have been diagnosed with COPD and am scared that with a severe panic attack I may stop breathing. Which has happened on one occasion in hospital.
I originally started taking Ambien/Zolpidem because of severe night cramps in lower legs, ankles and feet. Which I did not feel once I had taken my sleeping pill. This no longer works. I crave my pill and sometimes am not quite conscious when the cramps hit and I try to stand up to get rid of them. Yes I do get a pain in my shoulders (in reply to a previous posting) the left one, and cannot raise my arm very high.
I am going to try and break this habit. I managed to give up smoking but this seems to be worse.
I have tried to stop, due to memory lapses. When I do not take a tablet it causes horrible and scarey nightmares. I have been diagnosed with COPD and am scared that with a severe panic attack I may stop breathing. Which has happened on one occasion in hospital.
I originally started taking Ambien/Zolpidem because of severe night cramps in lower legs, ankles and feet. Which I did not feel once I had taken my sleeping pill. This no longer works. I crave my pill and sometimes am not quite conscious when the cramps hit and I try to stand up to get rid of them. Yes I do get a pain in my shoulders (in reply to a previous posting) the left one, and cannot raise my arm very high.
I am going to try and break this habit. I managed to give up smoking but this seems to be worse.
I've been without Ambien for more than 3 weeks now and reduced to what I would consider medical use for several weeks prior to then. Before this spell I had not slept a night without medication for at least five years.
I was taking at least 60 mg/day and stopped cold turkey several times (for 5-7 days at a stretch). I am confident that all of the side effects I felt were results of the sleep deprivation, not withdrawal itself. This can be debilitating I still feel its worth it.
My memory and cognitive function are greatly improved and I am much less anxious of social interaction. The prospect of a sleepless night is no longer as terrifying as the drug. Best of all, I can sleep a little at night. Once I broke the idea of "never" being able to sleep again withouot drugs, the rest became manageable.
I was taking at least 60 mg/day and stopped cold turkey several times (for 5-7 days at a stretch). I am confident that all of the side effects I felt were results of the sleep deprivation, not withdrawal itself. This can be debilitating I still feel its worth it.
My memory and cognitive function are greatly improved and I am much less anxious of social interaction. The prospect of a sleepless night is no longer as terrifying as the drug. Best of all, I can sleep a little at night. Once I broke the idea of "never" being able to sleep again withouot drugs, the rest became manageable.
I have been taking Ativan and Ambien for 5 years now every night... I really need help... PLEASE HELP... Any one out there please help I caint stop and I don't know what to do anymore... If I try to stop I feel like Iam going to pass out or die.. Please please help me.... ***@****.... Iam willing to pay for help...
I agree with you 100%.I think Psych ER wouldn't hurt her. they can get her on the spot therapy and a good nit sleep....
ya mann.. im all about rational recovery, 12 steps did nothing but give intro me to my dope addict girl friend? like thats what i fn needed? anyway just dosent work for me atleast.. the point i stoped using hard **** i wanted to move past that not sit with a group of em n tell sad stories? i used good nug,kratom,sex to quit my opiate/benzo proplem..n im 35 days clean,only this ambien i just got from doc, wel see
I was probably averaging 40-60 mg daily for the past few months but really I am not sure. There are large chunks missing completely. My last refill of 30 was gone in I think 4 days. I can't believe that I actually took that many; it doesn't seem possible now but the empty bottle seemed to prove it.
The effects of severe sleep deprivation are intense and debilitating. I certainly would not say that I will never take zolpidem again out of desperation but the concerns for my long-term health and the safety of my family finally outweigh my anxiety over just not sleeping. And I managed to have a few social interactions over the holidays that I can actually remember.
The effects of severe sleep deprivation are intense and debilitating. I certainly would not say that I will never take zolpidem again out of desperation but the concerns for my long-term health and the safety of my family finally outweigh my anxiety over just not sleeping. And I managed to have a few social interactions over the holidays that I can actually remember.
No it was not a typo 50mg's twice a night. No doctor would prescribe this so I went doctor shopping and collected the scripts at various pharmacies. I am now on 20mg's and tapering at 10%every 15 to 20days. My point is high dose long term users should NEVER cold turkey but taper
Wow! I have Fybromyalgia developed after I severely injured my back and neck, after being diagnosed with sleep apnea I became an experimental guinea pig in order to find the right combo that would work for me. I am taking three 50mg of Amitriptyline at 9pm and it normally knocks me out within 2-3 hours.
I refuse to take pain meds, for I just do not like how they make me feel, and though the pain gets really severe, I take nothing more than an 800 mg of Neurontin, and this with the Amitriptyline, I sleep solidly all the night through, and without the dopiness other sleep agents make me feel.
I also credit this combo of drugs with a 335mg aspirin regime for helping me to quit smoking after 36 years and I did not have one craving and six years later are smoke free, I also get sick when I smell the strong smoke odor on those who do smoke...I hope this helps some of you, It did wonders for me and are now sleeping really great and without all the whole dependency thing to worry or fuss over. Give it a go after of course with your Doctors approval, we are all wired different of course and may find this inadequate!
God's Speed and I pray your sleeping better...
I refuse to take pain meds, for I just do not like how they make me feel, and though the pain gets really severe, I take nothing more than an 800 mg of Neurontin, and this with the Amitriptyline, I sleep solidly all the night through, and without the dopiness other sleep agents make me feel.
I also credit this combo of drugs with a 335mg aspirin regime for helping me to quit smoking after 36 years and I did not have one craving and six years later are smoke free, I also get sick when I smell the strong smoke odor on those who do smoke...I hope this helps some of you, It did wonders for me and are now sleeping really great and without all the whole dependency thing to worry or fuss over. Give it a go after of course with your Doctors approval, we are all wired different of course and may find this inadequate!
God's Speed and I pray your sleeping better...
I'm continuing with this thread because it comes up if you search for zolpidem addiction. I have never posted on a bb before, but have decided to reach out in case there is someone out there like I was, someone searching the internet out of desperation because they would never admit they have a problem to family or friends, let alone a doctor.
Today was 4 nights without sleep. Today was the day I had set that I was allowed to take my last pill. If I just made it until today I could feel good about myself. At the time, I could not imagine making it through one night and making it through 4 would feel like a miracle. Frankly, I could not imagine making it through one afternoon or even a few hours.
It has taken a sheer force of will, but I made it. And, I've decided that I will wait another night. Maybe, just maybe I will be able to wait another night after that. I have hope again that life might be worth living without Ambien after all.
Does my head hurt like hell so I want to dig out my eyeballs? Yes. Is my husband pissed because I haven't come to bed in 4 nights and am irritated by everything? Sure. Do I have coffee spilled all over my shirt because my hands are shaking violently? Absolutely. But all of this is to be expected after 4 nights without sleep.
Let me tell you what I did not do. I did not search every pair of pants and handbags in my house looking for a pill I forgot. I did not check the floor for pills that had dropped while intoxicated or left in hiding spots. I did not scour the internet for websites where I could order more pills with quick delivery. I did not run out to buy benadryl or tylenol pm or anything to dull my brain from racing.
I have hope that I can overcome this obsession and enjoy my life again. If there is anyone out there like I was, everything looks different from the other side. You CAN break free.
Today was 4 nights without sleep. Today was the day I had set that I was allowed to take my last pill. If I just made it until today I could feel good about myself. At the time, I could not imagine making it through one night and making it through 4 would feel like a miracle. Frankly, I could not imagine making it through one afternoon or even a few hours.
It has taken a sheer force of will, but I made it. And, I've decided that I will wait another night. Maybe, just maybe I will be able to wait another night after that. I have hope again that life might be worth living without Ambien after all.
Does my head hurt like hell so I want to dig out my eyeballs? Yes. Is my husband pissed because I haven't come to bed in 4 nights and am irritated by everything? Sure. Do I have coffee spilled all over my shirt because my hands are shaking violently? Absolutely. But all of this is to be expected after 4 nights without sleep.
Let me tell you what I did not do. I did not search every pair of pants and handbags in my house looking for a pill I forgot. I did not check the floor for pills that had dropped while intoxicated or left in hiding spots. I did not scour the internet for websites where I could order more pills with quick delivery. I did not run out to buy benadryl or tylenol pm or anything to dull my brain from racing.
I have hope that I can overcome this obsession and enjoy my life again. If there is anyone out there like I was, everything looks different from the other side. You CAN break free.
It's better to start a new thread instead of reviving this old one.
""50mg twice nightly!!!''' that has to be a typo, has to be 5 twice nightly, I can't imagine anyone taking 100 mgs a night...and who exactly prescribed it or what pharmacy would even accept it.
""50mg twice nightly!!!''' that has to be a typo, has to be 5 twice nightly, I can't imagine anyone taking 100 mgs a night...and who exactly prescribed it or what pharmacy would even accept it.
Hi there I hope you succeed to overcome your ambien dependency. I am sure you will as you were never taking more than the dosage. I have not being to break the grip it has on me even though I have never had any bad experiences on it other than needing it for sleep. The problem is I have developed a tolerance over a period of 12 years to about 50mg twice nightly!!! Recently I tried to cold turkey off this (in a rehab) but was not successfull and after 17 days of absolutely zero and I mean zero (not even microsleeps) I caved and was tranferred to a psychiatric hospital for 3 weeks. I have read almost everything on the internet and joined all sorts of forums but nobody seems to have suffered mor than 7 or 8 days without sleep. Melatonin does nothing for me and nor does Aterax or any other kinds of tranquilizers. I have tried to taper but when I wake after 2hours of sleep for more than a week I give in. If there is anybody out there who can give me any help I woult really appreciate it
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