Addicted to ambien

[Mandy16]

I have recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and am in outpatient program and take prozac, neurontin, and trileptal.  I still cannot sleep without ambien.  Because my dr. only gives me 10mg a night, I buy over internet and sometimes take as many as 10 a night to go to sleep.  Is this causing my bipolar disorder?  How do I get off the ambien?  Trazadone and othr sleep medicines do not work.  I hate the thought of being crazy and addicted but I do not know what to do.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You and your doctor, or a psychopharmacologist your doctor recommends, must make a change in the mix of medications you are taking.  Prozac, for instance, is sometimes a stimulant.  Are you taking other stimulants like caffeine?  YOu are taking much too much, and in my opinion, a dangerous amount of ambien.  Also, ambien is short acting, and when you make the  changes necessary, you might ask your doctor for a longer acting sleep medication.  Benadryl is safe, long acting, and very effective.

[giants999]

I cannot sleep thru the night without taking ambien. I have been very depressed since my wife left me 10 weeks ago and since then I could not sleep . My doctor gave me ambien and I took it for a while and sleep great but felt groggy so I stopped . I then got maybe 4 hours sleep. I went back to the DR. last week and he said I need my sleep and that I should take the Ambien to sleep and take Paxil for depression.
I have taken ambien for 4 days now and slept 6+ hours a night. I took the paxil today also.

My question is this stuff addicting and how long should I take this to sleep?  How do I get normal sleep without the pill?
Any suggestions?

[SUZEQ]

If you are taking Ambien and Paxil, let me tell you that Paxil is a dangerous drug.  In my situation, I have been taking Paxil for almost 2 years and have attempted to stop taking it 2 times.  The withdrawal symptons were so severe that I returned to the full dose my physician was giving me to avoid the symptons which are, flu-like symptons, anger, irritation, sweating profusely, disorientation, blurriness in vision but the worst withdrawal sympton was trying to sleep at night with a feeling of absolute terror.  I also had hemorragic bleeding and basically could not function until I returned to taking Paxil.  The reason I started taking Paxil was that I told my doctor that I would start into a room and forget what I came for.  I had no nervous problems, the usual anger problems (nothing severe).  I should never have started taking it in the first place but my doctor told me it was safe, non-addictive, etc.  He was dispensing this medication with the info given to him by the mfg.. I assure you this medication is addictive, unsafe and if you are not already addicted to it you need to change medications right away after a conference with your doctor.