Aa
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.
Well here is my story,
At the end of June I had trouble breathing and ended up going to the doctor to get it figured out. It all scared the hell outta of me due to having to get xrays and a scan of my lungs with contrast to see if it was cancer which turned out to be pneumonia but scared me enough to quit smoking after 10 - 12 years. About 2 months after quiting smoking and also quiting alcohol cause it made me want to smoke and which I was drinking several nights every week and drinking about a 12 pack of beer or more each night for a couple years or so, I started all of a sudden not sleeping and didn't sleep for 3 days at all and which was absolutly horrible. I link the initial not sleeping now to the quiting smoking and drinking which were I believe my coping with stress and what not but am still glad I quit. After not sleeping for 3 nights I started taking OTC sleep aids then after a month or so of those they started loosing thier effectiveness. So I went to the doctors and he prescribed me Ambien. I started taking it and all was well and slept wonderfully for about a month then crashed hard. I hit bottom. I had for the first time in my life a severe panic attack and the whole weekend to follow was some of the worst feelings I have ever had. Went to the doctors and was prescribed Xanax for anxiety and still took the ambien for not sleeping. I didnt take the Xanax just the thought of having it was enough to get me through the worst of the anxiety. But in January I started taking the Xanax due to feelings of not feeling normal and still feeling anxious. Took the xanax and ambien for about 2 weeks and the memory loss and what not was very bad. I could not concentrate at work at all. Would for get conversations as they were happening. I stopped taking the xanax after couple of weeks could not deal with the side effects. I have been taking the Ambien every night since prescribed. I have noticed it does not work as well anymore. I wake up a couple times a night and I take 10mg dose and sometimes take 2 which I am fighting not to do in fear of what this stuff does and building an even more tolerance to it. I have noticed I still fight with alot of side effects including headaches during the day which never go away and dry eyes and memory loss and tiredness and feelings of not feeling normal. I have tried several times to not take the stuff to fall asleep tonight being one of them and each time is the same although this is the longest I have lasted with not taking it cause I usually give in and take it around 2 - 3 am after going to be around 11pm and not sleeping. But each time I attempt to not take it I start out fine but then it starts and I start loosing it and go into a panic mode and my heart races and I end up going into sever sweats even though it's 65 in my house and I never sweat. I have never had this kinda reaction from not taking something and the thought of being this dependent scares the hell outta me. Not sure if it's all mental or if I am really hooked on this stuff but its some bad stuff. I dont know what to do at this point. The not being able to sleep is bad but the not feeling normal all the time which I have and I believe is caused by the Ambien is taking its toll. I always feel abnormal everyday and sometimes bad thoughts happen and I feel so numb. I am not sure at this point if what I am saying is making sense I am not good at writing and or exspessing my feelings. But anyways I am trying to quit this stuff it is very hard tonight where I would have just given in and taken it I decided to just stay up and try sleeping tomorrow. I dont know how much I can take I just want to go back to being able to sleep. I think well maybe if I go back to drinking and smoking then it will all go back to normal but then I am back to a very unhealthy life but which is really better. I feel like I am going crazy.
At the end of June I had trouble breathing and ended up going to the doctor to get it figured out. It all scared the hell outta of me due to having to get xrays and a scan of my lungs with contrast to see if it was cancer which turned out to be pneumonia but scared me enough to quit smoking after 10 - 12 years. About 2 months after quiting smoking and also quiting alcohol cause it made me want to smoke and which I was drinking several nights every week and drinking about a 12 pack of beer or more each night for a couple years or so, I started all of a sudden not sleeping and didn't sleep for 3 days at all and which was absolutly horrible. I link the initial not sleeping now to the quiting smoking and drinking which were I believe my coping with stress and what not but am still glad I quit. After not sleeping for 3 nights I started taking OTC sleep aids then after a month or so of those they started loosing thier effectiveness. So I went to the doctors and he prescribed me Ambien. I started taking it and all was well and slept wonderfully for about a month then crashed hard. I hit bottom. I had for the first time in my life a severe panic attack and the whole weekend to follow was some of the worst feelings I have ever had. Went to the doctors and was prescribed Xanax for anxiety and still took the ambien for not sleeping. I didnt take the Xanax just the thought of having it was enough to get me through the worst of the anxiety. But in January I started taking the Xanax due to feelings of not feeling normal and still feeling anxious. Took the xanax and ambien for about 2 weeks and the memory loss and what not was very bad. I could not concentrate at work at all. Would for get conversations as they were happening. I stopped taking the xanax after couple of weeks could not deal with the side effects. I have been taking the Ambien every night since prescribed. I have noticed it does not work as well anymore. I wake up a couple times a night and I take 10mg dose and sometimes take 2 which I am fighting not to do in fear of what this stuff does and building an even more tolerance to it. I have noticed I still fight with alot of side effects including headaches during the day which never go away and dry eyes and memory loss and tiredness and feelings of not feeling normal. I have tried several times to not take the stuff to fall asleep tonight being one of them and each time is the same although this is the longest I have lasted with not taking it cause I usually give in and take it around 2 - 3 am after going to be around 11pm and not sleeping. But each time I attempt to not take it I start out fine but then it starts and I start loosing it and go into a panic mode and my heart races and I end up going into sever sweats even though it's 65 in my house and I never sweat. I have never had this kinda reaction from not taking something and the thought of being this dependent scares the hell outta me. Not sure if it's all mental or if I am really hooked on this stuff but its some bad stuff. I dont know what to do at this point. The not being able to sleep is bad but the not feeling normal all the time which I have and I believe is caused by the Ambien is taking its toll. I always feel abnormal everyday and sometimes bad thoughts happen and I feel so numb. I am not sure at this point if what I am saying is making sense I am not good at writing and or exspessing my feelings. But anyways I am trying to quit this stuff it is very hard tonight where I would have just given in and taken it I decided to just stay up and try sleeping tomorrow. I dont know how much I can take I just want to go back to being able to sleep. I think well maybe if I go back to drinking and smoking then it will all go back to normal but then I am back to a very unhealthy life but which is really better. I feel like I am going crazy.
I started taking ambien after a painfull surgery I had so I could sleep. When I stopped taking it after about a week I had bad insomnia, so I continued. Big Mistake.
I would not recommend this drug other than once a month. I had to continually increase the dosage over time to get the same effect. When it no longer worked even at 20mg, I knew I was f ked excuse my french. I went into a psyce word severly deprived from sleep and the usage of this drug and the negative effects it had on me...lethargia, poor memory, no appetite, anxiety, worsening of my depression.
All I can say is be very carefull, I am done with ambien, it ruined a better part of 3 years of my life. Yes I still experience occasional insomnia, I just have to deal with it the best I can. I know I need to increase exercise once again especially now with winter and fewer hours of daylight, I suffer from Sad, so I know when winter approches what I am up against.
Mandy, dont give up or anyone struggling with this drug. I never thought I was going to have my life back again, when I was in the grips of it, I wanted to die I was so sick. But I did get it back, and I do think it does have an effect on ones brain, because I have memory issues also. But you will get there. Keep the faith, dont stop the drug cold turkey , gradually decrease it over the weeks especially with the extremely higher doses. I am extremely appalled at 100 mg usage of this stuff, I truly feel bad for anyone on this so high, but you have to do something about it or it is going to take over your life at some point if it hasnt already.
Please people dont dabble with this drug, BE CAREFULL!
I would not recommend this drug other than once a month. I had to continually increase the dosage over time to get the same effect. When it no longer worked even at 20mg, I knew I was f ked excuse my french. I went into a psyce word severly deprived from sleep and the usage of this drug and the negative effects it had on me...lethargia, poor memory, no appetite, anxiety, worsening of my depression.
All I can say is be very carefull, I am done with ambien, it ruined a better part of 3 years of my life. Yes I still experience occasional insomnia, I just have to deal with it the best I can. I know I need to increase exercise once again especially now with winter and fewer hours of daylight, I suffer from Sad, so I know when winter approches what I am up against.
Mandy, dont give up or anyone struggling with this drug. I never thought I was going to have my life back again, when I was in the grips of it, I wanted to die I was so sick. But I did get it back, and I do think it does have an effect on ones brain, because I have memory issues also. But you will get there. Keep the faith, dont stop the drug cold turkey , gradually decrease it over the weeks especially with the extremely higher doses. I am extremely appalled at 100 mg usage of this stuff, I truly feel bad for anyone on this so high, but you have to do something about it or it is going to take over your life at some point if it hasnt already.
Please people dont dabble with this drug, BE CAREFULL!
I think some of the confusion in the messages going back and forth about whether a person who isn't addicted to Ambien can post or not, can be cleared up pretty quick. People are confusing chemical dependence to chemical addiction. It seems some are dependent upon Ambien to get some sleep at night but others are addicted to the anti-anxiety properties or the "high" they get when using Ambien.
I personally appreciate hearing from those who take this drug in both manners as both points of view contain useful information. What I don't appreciate are the Prayer Line trollers who have nothing to add to this forum in that format! Please refrain from preaching on this forum. I have nothing againt God, just against people trying to snag members of this forum in that manner. Thanks.
LOKI
I've been taking Ambien for about 10 years. I never take more than the prescribed dose (10 Mg). It helps me fall asleep but doesn't usually keep me there more than a few hours, so I often take 3 benadryls at bedtime, and save the Ambien for waking up in the middle of the night.
FWIW, I am an addict, a grateful member of AA since 1/24/1986. I haven't found that my addiction to booze extends to painkillers or sleep aids, although I am careful not to increase dosage. The availability of anesthesia is a major blessing, and while I long ago blew the benefits of booze, I am grateful that others are still possible in case of need.
My most effective and reliable aid to well-being, health, sobriety and equanimity is running. I've been running 40 or 50 miles a week for the last 18 years, and have participated in many beautiful trail runs of 50 kilometers and upward. It's probably not for everyone, and I've been fortunate in resistance to injury. I've found it the best stress-reducer ever, although, as most runners will tell you, it can be somewhat addictive!
FWIW, I am an addict, a grateful member of AA since 1/24/1986. I haven't found that my addiction to booze extends to painkillers or sleep aids, although I am careful not to increase dosage. The availability of anesthesia is a major blessing, and while I long ago blew the benefits of booze, I am grateful that others are still possible in case of need.
My most effective and reliable aid to well-being, health, sobriety and equanimity is running. I've been running 40 or 50 miles a week for the last 18 years, and have participated in many beautiful trail runs of 50 kilometers and upward. It's probably not for everyone, and I've been fortunate in resistance to injury. I've found it the best stress-reducer ever, although, as most runners will tell you, it can be somewhat addictive!
I am 32 and have been taking "something" everyday to help me to sleep since I was 19 but the last 4-5 years it has been ambien CR 1or2 12.5mg. I have taken it with pain meds I have taken it with xanax but mostly I just take it by its self. I have done super freaky things on it cleaned eaten have had sex and don't remember. Thank god I have never got behind the wheel. Other people have put that the love the feeling they get from it I hate it. The only thing I love is the sleep but now its not even doing that anymore so I'm done it scares me to think of what my body and mind are going to go through without it but it scares me more to think of what I'm don't staying on it this long. I have memory problem I Have gained 40 pounds and have withdrawn from my life and IM DONE! I want my life back. Reading all the stories have helped me so much thank you all for sharing. Today will be my 2 day without it so far so good.
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