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Serious about getting off of ambien
I am very serious about getting off of ambien. I take 18mg every night (I take one tab, quarter another and take three quarters). Dr. said I could take 20mg, but not quite up to that dosage. I've been taking it for ten weeks.
I need to get off of this stuff. Has anyone here done this? I can taper off my usage gradually, and I understand it will take a while. I'm looking for a tapering schedule, and advice in general. Basically what I'm getting myself into.
I need to get off of this stuff. Has anyone here done this? I can taper off my usage gradually, and I understand it will take a while. I'm looking for a tapering schedule, and advice in general. Basically what I'm getting myself into.
I have an appointment 2 weeks and a day from now with Dr. to discuss getting off of the ambien. Can't wait...seriously want this stuff out of my life.
Good luck, and please keep in touch. Let us know how it goes. If you can do it, then I can do it :)
I'm not sure what the medical answer is on why i felt lousy the next day, but when I went from 7.5 down to 5, I felt I needed to do another 1/4 a couple of times to get to sleep. Each time the next day was really rough. Also, going backwards makes the WD symptoms just that much tougher.
Right now I'm on a low alternating reduction. It took me about 4 days of WD, but now I'm doing great, so it seems. I'm also sleeping on Valerian pretty good, although I only got 5 1/2 hrs last night. I plan to stay on this reduction another week just to stabilize really well for the next reduction which brings me down to the lowest amount in the taper plan. I'll be off ambien completely soon.
Right now I'm on a low alternating reduction. It took me about 4 days of WD, but now I'm doing great, so it seems. I'm also sleeping on Valerian pretty good, although I only got 5 1/2 hrs last night. I plan to stay on this reduction another week just to stabilize really well for the next reduction which brings me down to the lowest amount in the taper plan. I'll be off ambien completely soon.
>>Once you start your taper program, never go back to a higher dose of Ambien. With it's short half-life you'll feel lousy the next day.
So the question that comes to my mind - if Ambien has such a short half-life (3 hours or so I think), why does it make you feel lousy the next day? I feel pretty lousy most of the time, and I suspect it is the high dosage of ambien that I take causing it.
So the question that comes to my mind - if Ambien has such a short half-life (3 hours or so I think), why does it make you feel lousy the next day? I feel pretty lousy most of the time, and I suspect it is the high dosage of ambien that I take causing it.
Please let me know how it works, and what you use to get sleep as you taper to nothing. I'm going back to Dr. this week if I can get in to see him and see what my options are.
When you started your tapering without anything else to help you sleep, how was it? How did you sleep? 7.5mg isn't a lot to start with, you are very lucky you never took the high dosages I take.
When you started your tapering without anything else to help you sleep, how was it? How did you sleep? 7.5mg isn't a lot to start with, you are very lucky you never took the high dosages I take.
Yes, the one 450mg Valerian Root gets me back to sleep very well. sometimes It doesn't happen right away but I can usually get another couple, three hours more sleep from using it. This is still uncharted territory for me so It'll be interesting to see how well this will work when I taper down to nothing in a couple of weeks or so.
My Doctor indeed okayed me taking 1 melatonin with ambien. I really didn't need to use melatonin or anything else until I got down to 5mg of Ambien on my taper chart. That's when I needed to supplement my ambien to sleep. My Doctor also okayed the Valerian.
We're individual cases here so check w/your doctor about those two items. Also learn everything you can first about anything you use, including prescription interactions.
Once you start your taper program, never go back to a higher dose of Ambien. With it's short half-life you'll feel lousy the next day.
My Doctor indeed okayed me taking 1 melatonin with ambien. I really didn't need to use melatonin or anything else until I got down to 5mg of Ambien on my taper chart. That's when I needed to supplement my ambien to sleep. My Doctor also okayed the Valerian.
We're individual cases here so check w/your doctor about those two items. Also learn everything you can first about anything you use, including prescription interactions.
Once you start your taper program, never go back to a higher dose of Ambien. With it's short half-life you'll feel lousy the next day.
My memory has been suffering lately, but I figured that was chronic lack of sleep. I haven't had a good nights sleep for ten weeks. And yes, I'm feeling different. Weird. Apathetic. Emotional. Just don't care about things like I used to. I wear a fake smile around while holding back the tears.
But in my case, I can doze off quite nicely - the problem is that I have some sort of chronic central sleep apnea (caused by stress and not permanent, according to more than one doctor) so that after ten minutes of sleeping, my breathing slows to the point where I wake up gasping for breath - that is why I needed the ambien in the first place. Ambien allows me to not feel the low blood oxygen, and I sleep through it with low oxygen levels. Well, for the most part, when it dips real low, I still wake up, but that is only a few times a night.
Did your doctor approve your taking the melatonin with the ambien? I have some, but haven't got my doctors OK to take it yet, so have not done so.
Does the Valerian Root really help at 4am? I've thought of taking more ambien when I wake up at 2:30, but that is a Pandora's box I don't want to open. I take too much of the stuff as it is.
But in my case, I can doze off quite nicely - the problem is that I have some sort of chronic central sleep apnea (caused by stress and not permanent, according to more than one doctor) so that after ten minutes of sleeping, my breathing slows to the point where I wake up gasping for breath - that is why I needed the ambien in the first place. Ambien allows me to not feel the low blood oxygen, and I sleep through it with low oxygen levels. Well, for the most part, when it dips real low, I still wake up, but that is only a few times a night.
Did your doctor approve your taking the melatonin with the ambien? I have some, but haven't got my doctors OK to take it yet, so have not done so.
Does the Valerian Root really help at 4am? I've thought of taking more ambien when I wake up at 2:30, but that is a Pandora's box I don't want to open. I take too much of the stuff as it is.
One poster up there says:::::
"""" I have no intention to stop, and as long as I dont have the desire to take it during the day or something, whats the big deal, being addicted to sleep?
btw, i did start at 10 mg, then after a year or so that dose just abruptly stopped working, so my doc doubled it to 20 mg.. """""
The big deal is that 10 mgs gradually stopped working for you and you had to double it to get the same effect. You're not addicted to sleep, you've gotten addicted to the ambien. Now what happens when 20 mgs loses its effect? Do you go to a higher dose? This ambien and other sleeping pills are not what you want to keep taking as they actually disrupt the wake/sleep cycle after a while. You're free to bash me anyway you want but is this the quality of sleep you or others out there really want? I used to be on this garbage and despite having fibromyalgia which disrupts my nights greatly, it is far worse having my nights disrupted by fibromyalgia AND AMBIEN.
"""" I have no intention to stop, and as long as I dont have the desire to take it during the day or something, whats the big deal, being addicted to sleep?
btw, i did start at 10 mg, then after a year or so that dose just abruptly stopped working, so my doc doubled it to 20 mg.. """""
The big deal is that 10 mgs gradually stopped working for you and you had to double it to get the same effect. You're not addicted to sleep, you've gotten addicted to the ambien. Now what happens when 20 mgs loses its effect? Do you go to a higher dose? This ambien and other sleeping pills are not what you want to keep taking as they actually disrupt the wake/sleep cycle after a while. You're free to bash me anyway you want but is this the quality of sleep you or others out there really want? I used to be on this garbage and despite having fibromyalgia which disrupts my nights greatly, it is far worse having my nights disrupted by fibromyalgia AND AMBIEN.
Your question "what is the problem with being on ambien?" Just like you, at first I thought Ambien was wonderful. I've never slept well, starting in my 40s. I first took Ambien while in the Hospital for a short stay 14 months ago. I woke up the next morning thinking WOW, how amazing, I slept great and no hangover. So I asked my doctor for a script, and was on my merry way with 10mg, but only using 7.5 per night; 5 at bedtime, 2.5 at 4am when I woke up to pee.
But sadly I began to feel "different". And I knew I couldn't sleep WITHOUT Ambien. Impossible to even imagine going to bed without taking it. And slowly, my brain wasn't the same anymore, my memory was going. I work in the creative field and I wasn't ME; instead I was what ambien had turned me into. I unwittingly had borrowed sleep from my future. So I told the same doctor that I want off. He's been working with me to help me beat this stuff.
And look at what I have to go through to get off of this crap! What fun! I've felt "a little sick" (think Pink Floyd, The Wall) now for 3 months!
I simply don't want to be addicted to ANYTHING or be a slave to a drug or to the drug company that makes it. I want my old life back just the way it was, but I'm not sure that will happen. This stuff can do permanent damage to the human CNS. When I'm free from this and I can't sleep, I'll watch TV instead of taking a hypnotic pill.
But, hey, that's me. If iambien helps others, good for them. Everyone should have the dignity to be who they are. We all should put the focus on ourselves and what works for us.
But sadly I began to feel "different". And I knew I couldn't sleep WITHOUT Ambien. Impossible to even imagine going to bed without taking it. And slowly, my brain wasn't the same anymore, my memory was going. I work in the creative field and I wasn't ME; instead I was what ambien had turned me into. I unwittingly had borrowed sleep from my future. So I told the same doctor that I want off. He's been working with me to help me beat this stuff.
And look at what I have to go through to get off of this crap! What fun! I've felt "a little sick" (think Pink Floyd, The Wall) now for 3 months!
I simply don't want to be addicted to ANYTHING or be a slave to a drug or to the drug company that makes it. I want my old life back just the way it was, but I'm not sure that will happen. This stuff can do permanent damage to the human CNS. When I'm free from this and I can't sleep, I'll watch TV instead of taking a hypnotic pill.
But, hey, that's me. If iambien helps others, good for them. Everyone should have the dignity to be who they are. We all should put the focus on ourselves and what works for us.
Hi again Zootal,
Some of the withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant, but as long as I stick with the slow taper plan none of them get in my way. When I first started up the taper I got into trouble with a slow heart-rate during high exercise. I had breathing difficulties and had to stop. Once I learned to go slow with the taper, hold each reduction until completely stabilized, I was able to go back to my usual exercise routines with no problems. Sometimes the dizzyness bothers me when I need to balance.
As for your question on how I sleep: Yogi Tea, 1 Melatonin and my present taper dose every night at bedtime gets me to sleep. When I wake up at 4AM to pee, and if can't get back to sleep, I'll take one Valerian Root 450mg. If it wasn't for the afore mentioned I wouldn't get much sleep. I can also doze off on my own for 10 minutes here and there.
Nothing is really earth-shaking, and I'm happy to be getting free of this stuff. Ask me any questions you may have. It helps me to help you.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant, but as long as I stick with the slow taper plan none of them get in my way. When I first started up the taper I got into trouble with a slow heart-rate during high exercise. I had breathing difficulties and had to stop. Once I learned to go slow with the taper, hold each reduction until completely stabilized, I was able to go back to my usual exercise routines with no problems. Sometimes the dizzyness bothers me when I need to balance.
As for your question on how I sleep: Yogi Tea, 1 Melatonin and my present taper dose every night at bedtime gets me to sleep. When I wake up at 4AM to pee, and if can't get back to sleep, I'll take one Valerian Root 450mg. If it wasn't for the afore mentioned I wouldn't get much sleep. I can also doze off on my own for 10 minutes here and there.
Nothing is really earth-shaking, and I'm happy to be getting free of this stuff. Ask me any questions you may have. It helps me to help you.
I take t at 11:15 pm. I'm out at 11:30. I'm awake at 2:30. Go pee. Awake at 3:30. Roll over. Awake at 4:30 and from that point on I'm lucky if I can doze in and out for a few more hours. I'm groggy and lethargic during the day and haven't had a decent nights sleep in ten weeks. Ambien just doesn't do it for me - I want my natural sleep back.
what is the problem with being on ambien? i have never in my life slept like I do with ambien, I would sleep for 12 hours and feel like i merely took a nap... then I got some ambien, and, I feel so refreshedwhen I wake up, after less than 8 hours of sleep... am I addicted? Yeah, probably...but I have no intention to stop, and as long as I dont have the desire to take it during the day or something, whats the big deal, being addicted to sleep?
btw, i did start at 10 mg, then after a year or so that dose just abruptly stopped working, so my doc doubled it to 20 mg..
btw, i did start at 10 mg, then after a year or so that dose just abruptly stopped working, so my doc doubled it to 20 mg..
PS - now that you are on 1.25/2.5mg alternating, how do you sleep? I would guess that it wears off pretty quickly, are you able to go back to sleep once it wears off?
I started on 10mg, quickly moved up to 15mg, and have actually been stable on 18mg for several weeks now - have not had the need to increase dosage any more.
I started on 10mg, quickly moved up to 15mg, and have actually been stable on 18mg for several weeks now - have not had the need to increase dosage any more.
Thank you everyone for your kind words. I subscribe to sleep.about.com (and a few others about.com newsletters) and have been in fact learning those very things about improving my sleep habits. We recently bought a 3" memory foam mattress liner, and I love it! I have two sound machines next to my bed, and I run both of them - one set to summer night (crickets mostly) and the other to rain. Very soothing. I want some nice expensive sheets, but I'm out of work - that will have to wait a bit...
Your withdrawals sound quite unpleasant. I talked to my Dr. a few days ago, and he mentioned using another med to help in the process, but I don't remember what it was - I wasn't there to talk about the ambien, and he said to come back and see him when I was ready. Wish now that I had as I won't be able to get back in to see him until next week.
Funny you should mention the "Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches" thread - I found it by accident just a few hours ago. Honestly, it scares me - I had no idea what I was getting myself into when my Dr. put me on ambien. At the time I had not slept for over a week, and would have sold my soul for a few hours of sleep - now I'm wondering if I did exactly that?
Do you have anxiety? General, or panic attacks?
Ten weeks is too long - I love/hate the stuff. It's wonderful dreamless sleep for about five hours. Then it's toss and turn for a few more hours and then I hate getting out of bed thinking I haven't slept enough. I have got to get off of the stuff ....
Your withdrawals sound quite unpleasant. I talked to my Dr. a few days ago, and he mentioned using another med to help in the process, but I don't remember what it was - I wasn't there to talk about the ambien, and he said to come back and see him when I was ready. Wish now that I had as I won't be able to get back in to see him until next week.
Funny you should mention the "Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches" thread - I found it by accident just a few hours ago. Honestly, it scares me - I had no idea what I was getting myself into when my Dr. put me on ambien. At the time I had not slept for over a week, and would have sold my soul for a few hours of sleep - now I'm wondering if I did exactly that?
Do you have anxiety? General, or panic attacks?
Ten weeks is too long - I love/hate the stuff. It's wonderful dreamless sleep for about five hours. Then it's toss and turn for a few more hours and then I hate getting out of bed thinking I haven't slept enough. I have got to get off of the stuff ....
Hi, I can identify with you wanting to get off ambien. I hate it. 20mg is huge! 10 weeks isn't a long time to be on it, so i think you'll have mild withdrawal. Do not stop cold turkey!
I was on 7.5MG a night for 8 months and now I'm into my 12th week of tapering directly off. Right now I'm alternating 1.25/2.5MG. Taking only 1.25 every other day, let alone 2.5 on the GOOD day is getting me into withdrawal by 2-3pm every day. But I stabilize each reduction before going on to the next. You can never good too slow for benzo tapering. It's against this forum's guidelines to give a taper schedule. If you look on the net you'll find one. Google "Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches". Go to the topix site (1st hit). Read all about it. Get all the info and support you can.
Having been on it for almost a year, some of my symptoms of withdrawal are; tingling scalp, pains in temple, migraine headaches. Dizziness, Gait disturbance, Lack of co-ordination, Loss of balance, vertigo. Skin tingling, burning, electrical sensations. Body Tremor, feeling of inner vibration, shaking. Loss of taste or metallic taste. Impaired memory, inability to comprehend the simplest things, inability to cope with a lot of information, Lack of concentration, amnesia, short-term memory impairment, Speech difficulties. This doesn't happen all at once, but I've experienced these as I've tapered.
Ambien is a hypnotic drug. It goes straight to the GABA receptors of the brain. It has a short half-life. It's active for only a few hours. When you taper it kicks in the WDs early in the day. Keep in touch. Wish you the best.
I was on 7.5MG a night for 8 months and now I'm into my 12th week of tapering directly off. Right now I'm alternating 1.25/2.5MG. Taking only 1.25 every other day, let alone 2.5 on the GOOD day is getting me into withdrawal by 2-3pm every day. But I stabilize each reduction before going on to the next. You can never good too slow for benzo tapering. It's against this forum's guidelines to give a taper schedule. If you look on the net you'll find one. Google "Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches". Go to the topix site (1st hit). Read all about it. Get all the info and support you can.
Having been on it for almost a year, some of my symptoms of withdrawal are; tingling scalp, pains in temple, migraine headaches. Dizziness, Gait disturbance, Lack of co-ordination, Loss of balance, vertigo. Skin tingling, burning, electrical sensations. Body Tremor, feeling of inner vibration, shaking. Loss of taste or metallic taste. Impaired memory, inability to comprehend the simplest things, inability to cope with a lot of information, Lack of concentration, amnesia, short-term memory impairment, Speech difficulties. This doesn't happen all at once, but I've experienced these as I've tapered.
Ambien is a hypnotic drug. It goes straight to the GABA receptors of the brain. It has a short half-life. It's active for only a few hours. When you taper it kicks in the WDs early in the day. Keep in touch. Wish you the best.
Yes you are going to have to work out a taper plan with your doctor .Its not going to be easy but you can do it ... Talk to your doctor ...Hang in there
Well, I cant really speak from experance on this--I only took ambain once and had a "rare" reaction and got up and drove to work at about 3 in the morning (not even scheduled untill 6am) and started working and have no memory of anything about that morning untill about 9 am.
But what I can say is that I do think that for these kinds of meds tapering is your best option.
Step 1 Consult your doctor to formulate the best withdrawal plan for you. Don't try to quit cold turkey on your own, because chances are good that you'll relapse. A very gradual plan will work best, over a period of a month or more.
Step 2 Write down the goals and schedule that you have set with your doctor.
Step 3 Consider a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a tapering plan from your doctor. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that patients who used a combination of CBT and a tapering program fared the best long-term.
Step 4 Expect insomnia to increase while you are tapering off your medication, especially if you have been taking benzodiazepines. Don't give up your plan, and stay in touch with your doctor regarding your progress.
Improve Your Sleeping Environment
Step 1 Set aside worry time during the day.
Step 2 Eliminate light, noise and other distractions and control the room temperature.
Step 3 Make sleep something to anticipate, not dread. Treat yourself to a wonderful pillow or expensive sheets, or spring for a new mattress. Make your bedroom inviting with candles and/or music.
Step 4 Spend some time reading or doing some relaxing activity before bed. Write in a diary and get your thoughts on paper.
Step 5 Get up and do something else if you lay in bed awake for more than 20 minutes. Tossing and turning and looking at the clock does nothing more than increase your anxiety about not sleeping.
good luck, Parhaps another member that has been through ambain w/ds will reply and be more helpfull
But what I can say is that I do think that for these kinds of meds tapering is your best option.
Step 1 Consult your doctor to formulate the best withdrawal plan for you. Don't try to quit cold turkey on your own, because chances are good that you'll relapse. A very gradual plan will work best, over a period of a month or more.
Step 2 Write down the goals and schedule that you have set with your doctor.
Step 3 Consider a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a tapering plan from your doctor. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that patients who used a combination of CBT and a tapering program fared the best long-term.
Step 4 Expect insomnia to increase while you are tapering off your medication, especially if you have been taking benzodiazepines. Don't give up your plan, and stay in touch with your doctor regarding your progress.
Improve Your Sleeping Environment
Step 1 Set aside worry time during the day.
Step 2 Eliminate light, noise and other distractions and control the room temperature.
Step 3 Make sleep something to anticipate, not dread. Treat yourself to a wonderful pillow or expensive sheets, or spring for a new mattress. Make your bedroom inviting with candles and/or music.
Step 4 Spend some time reading or doing some relaxing activity before bed. Write in a diary and get your thoughts on paper.
Step 5 Get up and do something else if you lay in bed awake for more than 20 minutes. Tossing and turning and looking at the clock does nothing more than increase your anxiety about not sleeping.
good luck, Parhaps another member that has been through ambain w/ds will reply and be more helpfull
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