Adding Ambien to night sleep

[amber711]

Have been taking xanax .25 mg 4 times daily. Dr today prescribed Ambien  10 mg to help with staying asleep at night and skip the last dose of xanax before bed and take the Ambien.  I take the xanax for Anxiety attacks and i'm first scared to stop the last dose before bed and second, don't know how the Ambien is going to effect me.  The xanax at night only puts me to sleep for about 2 hours then i wake up.  What should I do?

[ILADVOCATE]

Xanax and Ambien both are generally meant for short term use only. As for anti-anxiety medications longer lasting benzos such as Klonopin are generally used for more long term use due to having less of a potential of a person building up a tolerance to them. I've taken Klonopin for 10 years safely. As per Ambien you could take it as its prescribed but for a sleep aide that can be used continuously you could ask about Lunesta or Rozerem especially Rozerem as it works like melatonin to adjust the sleep cycle and has no potential of addiction. Speak to your psychiatrist about this.

[amber711]

WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS STOPPING THE 4TH DOSE OF XANAX SUDDENLY.  MY XANAX SEEMS TO NOT BE WORKING THAT WELL NOW.  SHOULD I ASK DR TO SWITCH TO KLONOPIN.  DR SAID IF I DONT RESPOND TO THE AMBIEN THEN HE THINKS IT BIPOLAR WHICH I THINK IS EXAGGERATED AND I THINK HE WANTS ME TO TAKE AN ANTIDEPRESSANT WHICH I DONT FEEL DEPRESSED AND I TRIED LEXIPRO 2 DAYS AND HAD TERRIBLE BURNING SENSATIONS IN MY ARMS AND LEGS AND MY HEAD WAS OUT OF IT.  i CANT BE THAT WAY SINCE i HAVE 3 CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF BY MYSELF.  pLEASE HELP!!!

[Caveman24]

I am worried about you taking so much xanax it is a very addicting drug. The doctor gave me the same dose but I am only suppose to take it when I have a panic that I can't control. Then I take 40mg of citalopram once a day for the long term. I don't know anything about sleeping meds, so sorry I can't be of any help there. But I would definitely try to slow down on the xanax, and ask the doctor to add some type of long term med.

[aheart]

I agree with Caveman, you'll be doing yourself a favor in the long run if you take the least amount of xanax as possible. When I was taking them it would help me just to know I had them in my purse (just in case I had a rough spot) and finally I didn't have to take them at all. Ambien is a wonderful sleep aid, it works well, and you don't feel tired the next day. And its non-narcotic. Good Luck and God bless    aheart:)

[amber711]

This is my problem, i want something like klonopin but dr is being stubborn and i dont want anything like Lexapro again.  I am going through a rough time with a death and almost always my 3 only panic attacks while i was asleep.  Xanax only lasts me 2-3 hrs after i fall asleep and then im up and down.  I don't want to start any antidepressants cause of the sever side effects i had.  These drs really suck at giving meds. Any suggestions?

[Jikan]

Personally, I am unable to take Ambien due to an adverse reaction the first time I took it. Seems I was out driving my car at 4:00 am while asleep. Fortunately I didn't kill myself or someone else, but was involved in an accident.
I have found that taking a quick acting and short lasting benzo like Xanax is a small dose(i.e. .25 mg) has worked best for me to get to sleep if needed. But, as you said it doesn't keep you asleep.  No other  sleep medication seems to help me due to a variety of adverse effects. But I'm treatment resistant to most medications.
Sorry I can't provide you with more information, but wanted to share my bad experience with Ambien.
I can only suggest that you try various option until you find that which works for you.
Sometimes some of the older sedatives like secanol work better for some people like myself instead of these newer medications which are supposed to be better.
Good luck in finding that which works for you.

Michael

[amber711]

I'm really pissed that the dr prescribed it for me 3 times daily .25 mg xanax.  Ive read so much about all these bad meds that im totally confused about it all.  All i know is it is not working well now and i don't know if i should wean off withdr permission and try something else or try to deal with it without meds.  Im really scared as to what to do now.  I made an appointment with a new dr for next week but i have to last till then.  Hope he has a better solution.  Usually people withdraw from xanax when you feel better but i don't.  I hate feeling stupid all the time with this med.  I should have only taken it as needed and i would not be in this situation.  Any suggestions.

[abby10]

You're in tolerance with the xanax. Xanax is a horrible drug. Ambien has its problems, also it has issues with dependence. It works similiar to benzo's. Don't take more xanax. Don't stop abruptly. You're very smart not to want to get on the drug merry-go-round with that "quack doctor".  But you'll need that xanax prescription until you can tapper off. I'm a benzo hater and with very good reason, but a "cross over" to valium or klonopin would be your best choice. And then tapper off slowly when you can. See site *****.org.uk

abby

[abby10]

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abby

[abby10]

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abby

[Seas27]

I had issues with Klonipin, feeling out of it and acting drunk, and found it quite scarey, bit everyone is differant. I definately think the dose of xanax you are on is no good. It should be used only when needed, or like everyone else said you build a tolerance to it, and then when you need it to work it doesn't. Also, you may not feel depressed but, some people that have weird reactions to antidepressants, like more panic attacks, heart palpitations, and just feel worse, can actually be bipolar and that's why they are reacting to the antidepressant. People with bipolar ( not saying you are) cannot only be given a antidepressant. They need a mood stabalizer to go along with it before relief.

[amber711]

What happened was. I got 2 separated night panic attacks, one in late Dec and one about a week from that. this dr said here take this Xanax, 3 times daily and they should stop.  Well, i havent had one since but i started to have problems staying asleep so he said spread it out and take 4 daily.  I only take .25 mg each dose but I think im more paranoid about not being able to let up on it. I now know I probable only should of taken it from theBeginning only when i go to sleep and maybe in the day if i start to get a panic attack.  I have never had this before and i know its the stress i am under and not depression.  He tried to put me on Lexipro and after two doses it gave me burning sensations and dr told me to stop taking it.  I feel like he was trying to push me into taking an antidepressant when i feel i just needed something to calm me down.  I went to the Neurologist my husband went to and he seem to feel the same way and suggested i try to cut one of the pills out during the day by cutting the one i feel i dont need the least in half and see how i do.  He said to try to get down to 3 a day again and then take as more needed.  Ifeel now im taking it in fear of getting a panic attack which i never had during the day.  I do feel anxious when it gets near the next dose cause now im used to these times more than i need it.  The reg dr scared me because he thought if I couldnt take the antidepressant i was bipolar and i know im not that.  I feel like tis has been blown out of proportion and all this reg dr just wants to keep medicating me.  Its terrible that im stressing over taking meds than the anxiety itself.

[honeydew3]

I have extreme anxiety issues!!!  Have been on Xanax .25 for 13 years........doctors want to switch me to klonopin...should I be okay.  I mean I heard people say klonopine increases their anxiety...which scares me.  Hoping someone can help me out.  Doctos does not want to do antidepressant because i did so bad on zoloft.  Any information would be helpful.  I was diagnosed at 19 and did xanax and support groups but a recnt hospitalization has through me for a loop!!!!  Maybe klonopine will make a difference now???

[abby10]

The benzo's are not the answer, been there done that. Can't work, can't sleep, can't function. Only for short term, low dose use. Then get off. A slow tapper is necessary.

SEE SITE>www.ashtonbenzomanual.com
or google>benzodiazepine

abby