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ambien, zolpidem

hello! please help me, how can i get off of zolpidem 10 mg, i take it nightly 6 months, cant sleep without it, what to do, i am depressed
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Avatar universal
i have been taking xanax for about 10 years now 5mg a day.i wish i had never started. after your on xanax for about a year you start to have nightmares ALL NIGHT  EVERY NIGHT. it sssuuuuuuccckkssss.
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Avatar universal
what will you tell about seroquel instead off ambien
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1198664 tn?1368647812
Only should last a few days. Just be aware also you might have some messed up dreams in the coming weeks. I also used tynlanol pm and I also used a little of the "green stuff" because that puts me right to sleep. But that's just me. I know its frowned upon in certain establishments :)
But you will get through it. Just wondering though are you just sick of taking it? If you do have chronic insomnia and its the only thing that helps then dont beat yourself up. Like I said I've been on and off of it (mostly on) for litteraly over 15 years. I think I was one on the guinnea (sp) pigs when it first came out! I mostly do fine on it sometimes I do kick up my usage though and that's a bad thing to do I know. I guess I can understand the need to get off it. I dream of one day not having to take any of this garbage and get back to the person I  was 20 years ago. Hell even the person I was 3-4 years ago would be fine!
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Avatar universal
first night with 1/2 of dose, 5mg gave me 2,5 -3 hours of sleep than i awake at 2,30 night and till 6 was awake, then i slept with my own sleep till 9,30 but sleep was poor, not refreshed, feel like drunk...will it be better? how time needs to have normal sleep now? this non sleeping can make me crazy?
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4149717 tn?1389503561
Well, I didnt think I would either but this damn addict brain of mine always gets the best of me! hahaha
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4204073 tn?1361831476
I take ambien for sleep so that I don't wake up in panic and/or anxiety attacks.   But I have noticed the drunk like feeling if I try to stay awake.   I've also slept walk while on them and don't recall doing it.  But knowing all im going to do is sleep after taking them, I wouldn't want to waste them taking more.  
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4149717 tn?1389503561
You can get a "black out " effect from taking Ambien. I was able to force myself to stay awake for a while after taking them and would feel like I was drunk! I rather enjoyed the feeling I got for about 30 to 45 minutes after taking them. I would say I was definitely abusing them at some level
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4204073 tn?1361831476
Not to sound stjpid, but how does one abuse ambien.  It puts you to sleep...so what is the benefit of taking more?    
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4149717 tn?1389503561
Doing a Taper is not a bad idea if thats what your Dr suggested but As selfinduced and NG said, the only real issue you will have is rebound insomnia for a few days. I have taken ambien off and on for many years and have been on it for 4 months at a time before. I was taking 15 mg a night and stopped taking it all together without any issues besides having a few nights with limited sleep. You will be fine not sleeping much for a few days.

Best of luck
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Avatar universal
thank you very much!!!! i work night shifts too, that may be one of the reason that i dont sleep, but when i  work evening shifts i dont sleep too, i have strong anxiety, panic ataks and depression too, have anxiety about non sleeping, i am watching at the clock, that manage anxiety...another problem is zolpidem dependence...hell drug!!!! thank you. sorry about my english =)))
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480448 tn?1426948538
I posted on your other thread...I'm going to copy my reply here instead, so you can have just ONE thread going.  More than one gets confusing.


I'm sorry you're going through this, but I just wanted to say that no drug, in itself is inherently "bad".  When taken correctly, and how it was intended, medications can really greatly help people.

Ambien, along with any other med for insomnia are NOT meant for long term, regular use.  Unfortunately, many docs will Rx it that way, which leaves people in a worse situation than what they started with.

Meds for insomnia are only to be taken for short intervals, a couple weeks at a time MAX.  Anything beyond that, it's just going to exacerbate the insomnia.

I have HORRIBLE insomnia, and have for many years now.  A few times, I was close to asking for something to help me sleep, but thought better of it.  

It's important to try to thorougly assess what's behind the insomnia, and correct it.  In MANY cases, a pretty straight forward answer can be found, whether it be a person's schedule or work hours, stress, underlying medical conditions, anxiety, depression, poor sleeping habits, etc.  Once a person can figure out what is behind the insomnia, it's a lot easier to manage.

My advice to you is to work with your doctor to gradually taper off the Ambien. The worst thing about coming off of it will be rebound insomnia.  That won't last forever, your system WILL readjust eventually.  To help yourself out, look into reasons why you could be suffering from insomnia.  

It's always important to be medically evaluated first, usually with a sleep study, to determine if there could be a physiological reason, like sleep apnea,  behind the sleep disturbances that needs addressed.  Once a medical problem has been ruled out, you can get down to the nitty gritty.  If you think your issue could be stress, anxiety and/or depression, then it's important to address those issues with a professional.

Also, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your sleep habits.  There are many things that will help you manage insomnia.  A few examples...

1.  An increase, or initiation of an exercise program (even just brisk walking) will help a lot.  
2.  Cutting down, or eliminating stimulants is important.  Never use alcohol as a way to put yourself to sleep at night.  That can actually end up having the opposite effect.  
3.  Getting into a consistent sleep routine is paramount.  Make a big effort to go to sleep at the same time, in the same location (ie bed) each night.  4.  Make your sleeping area warm and inviting.  Keep your bedding clean and smelling good.  Choose blankets that are soft, comforting.  Make sure the room is dark, and at a comfortable temperature if possible.  If you have the a/c blowing 30 degree air on you in the summer...it will affect your sleeping.
5.  Sometimes, taking a hot bath or shower right before bed will help.  You feel and smell clean, which adds to that comfort level.  
6.  Try to avoid having the TV on...that usually makes it harder to sleep (I'm super guilty of this myself).  If you're used to TV being on, instead try some very soft background music or sounds (white noise).  
7.  Don't eat a heavy meal shortly before bed.  Just the act of digestion will interefere with your relaxation.  Instead, a small, light snack an hour or more before bed is fine.  
8.  Cut down on any liquids you consume before bed.  There is varying info, but I think it's safe to say about 3-4 hours before bed is good.  Nothing more upsetting than when you FINALLY fall asleep, only to have mother nature wake you back up!  UGH!  
9.  If you work strange hours (evening shift, night shift), sleep is definitely a challenge, but there are ways to maximize your sleep in those situations.  I worked steady nights for years...I have some ideas if you need them.
10.  Be realistic.  It's actually NOT true that adults NEED 8+ hours of sleep
each and every day.  Life, and events will happen, and there WILL be some nights when you get more, and some when you get less.  If you're putting too much importance on sleeping 8-10 hours when you only get 5 or 6, you will THINK you're sleep deprived when you're really not.  Once in a while, getting less than normal amounts of sleep will NOT hurt you.
11.  LISTEN to your body.  If you FEEL tired at a certain time of the day, lie down for a while and take a BRIEF nap.  NO naps of 3-4 hours, that will wreak havoc on your sleep cycle.  About an hour is plenty...enough time to sort of "reset" yourself.  

For now, just be paient with yourself...you're going to get disgusted because your sleep patterns will be off until you readjust to NOT taking the Ambien.  Once things start to normalize, you can REALLY start employing some of these interventions to help you sleep.

Hope this helped!  Best of luck! .
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Avatar universal
3 weeks ago i stopped to take mirtazapine, stopped slowly lowing the dosage from 15 mg to 3,75, i took it 3 month. it works with opiat receptors in the brain too...but not like opium
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271792 tn?1334979657
Back2me, Please do not suggest that members take benzos while trying to come off a sleep aid. It is reckless and very dangerous advise.
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1198664 tn?1368647812
I've been on it for over 15 years 10 mg at night and when going through WD usually more than that. I can quit that stuff with very little problems. Usually a day or two of headaches, some neck pain and sleeplessness which I can use Ativan for. But it's NOTHING like coming off of opioids.
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Avatar universal
thanks! dr. sad that i need to take 5 mg first week, then 2,5 mg next week, then off bun that is too fast. and next problem is when i cut 2,5 mg from 10 mg i dont fall asleep, then i take 2,5 mg and fall asleep. may be its psihological moment.
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Avatar universal
Hey Via, I too have been a long time user of zolpidem and even abused it when I was w/d ing from opiates (big mistake btw). For me when I stopped and I've done this several times thru-out the years. I get 3 nights of very little sleep then my body goes back to normal. It is nothing like coming off of pain meds. You just have resign yourself that sleep will not be good for a few nights, but it will kick back in. Hope this helps. You may want to ask your Dr. about weaning. I never did that, but that may be easier on your sleep cycle. Good luck.
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