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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.
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1304379 tn?1376567437
I just want you to know I have been in the same boat before, and I was able to pretty much quit cold turkey(maybe I was lucky?) I could take 2-4 pills during the day and NOT get tired... just feel high. Nevermind, I didn't do it cold turkey, I did have about 3 10mg valium and I chipped off small peices here and there. You are going to have to tough it out, but it is nowhere near as hard as an opiate habit. There is a website dedicated to Ambien addicts. I will find the page and post it for you. This, you need to understand: Your life is more important than a dirty secret... stay in touch with your body, and if you feel in danger, you must go to the ER and seek help... I did, and they treated me well, and helped me through.
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Avatar universal
That's exactly one of my worries - at night I know it's ok if I'm not tired, because I can take the ambien and sleep anyway.  My brain isn't producing what it needs to fall sleep.  I'm not sure it ever has, but I'm certainly not helping with the Ambien.  I did read that taking Diazepam while weaning off of Ambien, then slowly weaning off of the diazepam might be easier to go through than just cutting the Ambien.  I experienced some weird symptoms last week as I tried to cut my ambien dosage, but I didn't think that was what it was from.  Stepping down might not be a bad idea, but isn't diazepam valium?  I've had valium before as a Rx a long time ago - but it never seemed to work for me.  I have a high tolerance to certain drugs, though I do not take any regularly except the ambien.  
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Avatar universal
Yes,  this thread has been brought back time and again by those surfing through the back pages.     Anyone can start a brand new thread at anytime.  
Anyway,   these chemicals were never meant for long term use.    Like many other drugs, it causes changes in brain chemistry that disrupt your sleep/wake cycle.     Your brain actually produces its own natural chemicals that control bodily functions.     So why you ask do they make a drug that is supposed to help you sleep?      I still don't understand it myself because once you've been on this for any length of time,   your brain says to itself that it doesn't need to produce its own since there's this chemical already in your body.    That's why when you attempt to stop using it,   your brain doesn't immediately begin producing its own and thus your body is starved for a chemical to induce sleep.    The lag period between stopping the drug abruptly and waiting for the brain to naturally produce its own is what makes this period,  the withdrawal process, so rough to tolerate.        
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Avatar universal
I noticed some posts on here are getting a little old.  Is anyone still following?  I'm hoping to wean off of Ambien, I dont' know how it will work.  For the last year and a half that I've been on it I finally slept consistently.  My social life improved, my overall health improved: by that I mean my mental state, there is nothing like feeling happier and able to deal with life in general.  So I am not looking forward to stopping, but I really feel that I should pull myself out of this addiction.  I am in the middle of moving after buying a house and I don't think I have the days it will take of no sleep.  I tried to wean it down last week and paid the price.  I was run down and had no energy, among other symptoms.  And I never went without it, I tried taking half to at least help me to sleep, but that lasted all of 2 hours.  I went back to taking the full pill this weekend and I'm glad I did because i was able to get work done on the new house and not be tired at 4pm.  I've suffered from insomnia since i was a child.  I suppose that means the chances of it going away are slim.  I'm feeling discouraged.  Either I stay on this pill that I don't know what long term effects it has, or I go back to living as i was before, irritiable, tired, etc etc.  On a side note, I do feel that the ambien has somehow affected my mental capacities.  I have foudn that expressing myself aloud is more difficult, and I pause before talking.  Even though my mind is racing and I have thoughts to say, they do not come out.  I have also lost memory of experiences, and have a hard time remembering vocabulary.  I have only noticed this issue in the last year.  Anyway, sorry this is so long, anyone care to comment or share?  It would be greatly appreciated.  For anyone who used melatonin (I was even on a prescription for this and it didn't work)  How might I help ensure that it will work well?  How much do you take?

Thank you!!
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Avatar universal
I have been takin ambien 10mg For one year now. I have tried to quit cold turkey. It has not worked. I can not sleep without it and have started to take an additional pill in the middle of the night to goback to sleep. I don't know what to do either.
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Avatar universal
Also, the depression was something terrible.  I would have joint pain, tenderness, soreness all over my body.  I would often "blank" out, have headaches and racy speech.  The anti-anxiety med helped out but didn't put me to sleep.  It is advisable to taper off Ambien, not cold turkey.  Have a support group.  It is definitely possible.  I have read many testimonys (go back and ready Mandy's)...
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