Can I Go Back?

[marquisdesade]

My DOC is Ambien Cr, I like it because there is no after taste and it works fast and it keeps me asleep. I have been told that I am an addict because I use to take 4 a night. Because I would take so many of the Ambien I had to take 6 of the 10mg, 5 of the 30mg Restoril, and 5 3mg of Lunesta. I literally cannot sleep without the ambein. I went to a sleep clinic and they had my Internist cancel of my prescriptions. Please give me some advice!!

[vicki595]

Hey~~~  That's a dangerous load of sleep medication!  Do YOU think your addicted?

I think it's going to be awhile until you sleep properly. Your days and nights will be turned around. It happens...just go with it and don't take those meds. Get a doctor to help you with this...Just too many meds for sleep...
Good luck~
Vicki

[WaywardWendy]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "can you go back?"  Are you asking if you can go back to being normal, or can you go back to a Dr. and get the meds. prescribed?  Sorry in advance for not understanding exactly what you're asking.  It's early, so bear with me.  Also, two other things I didn't understand....you said that you've been told you're an addict.  Do you believe that you aren't?  I am not being harsh by asking that, so please understand that, I'm just trying to get a feel for where you're coming from on all of this.  Because in my opinion, once we step over the boundaries of taking our meds as prescribed, and step into taking them the way we want to take them, it becomes a whole different ball of wax.  While I believe that addiction and dependence are two different things, it's a VERY fine line at best.  When you first start taking something, you generally take them as prescribed, when your tolerance builds, you may begin to take more than what the Dr. prescribes for you.  That is where the fine line comes in, (IMO)... While it's possible that your body has become tolerant to a certain dosage, and you have become dependent on the drug to treat what ails you, it's hard to stay on that side of the fence, so to speak.  On the other side the fence is addiction.  Once again, IMO only, and others are welcome to disagree, I can take it....when you begin to take the drugs as YOU prescribe and NOT as your Dr. prescribes, and/or if you take the meds for the euphoria or energy, or any number of other "good" feelings they give, versus taking them only for the pain, then you're walking the line of addiction, and just about to step on the other side of the fence.  If any of that makes sense??  I know what I"m trying to say, it made sense in my own head, (wrong place)..ha!!  

   The scary part to me is that you're taking that many mgs. of sleep-aids.  My own Dr. has talked many times of not being able to sleep, and he has told me it was for this reason or that, and he even went on to tell me what and how many he took.  My first thought was....how could a Dr. not realize he's stepped over the line from dependence/tolerance, to addiction?  Anyway, that aside.  I can't say for certain the reason the Dr. took you off the meds, but I'm "just" assuming that it was because after your sleep clinic visit, they must have seen some dangerous warning signs.  That could range from the length of time you slept after taking such an amount, and/or it could depend upon how many times you may very well have stopped breathing for a bit during the study.  Believe it or not, many people stop breathing during the night, generally for a few seconds at a time, but people who mix meds, especially pain meds and sleep aids, they are the most prone to having episodes of sleep apnea.  Another fine line there though as well.  While some episodes of apnea are common, especially in those taking meds, it's possible the clinic saw the signs that you were beyond sleep apnea and stepping into dangerous territory.  When you have an apnea episode, within a few seconds your brain kicks in and tells your body, HEYYYY wake UPPPP.  BUT, there are cases where someone takes so much of something that it takes their brain much longer to kick in and give that response.  It can become dangerous if you go past the few second mark.

    I'm just guessing of course, but I would say that you were possibly having some serious, possibly life-threatening apnea episodes, so your Dr. decided it best to take you off of them.  

    The only other thing I didn't quite understand that you said was, "they don't have a bitter after taste."  I could be wrong, and as I said, whether it's you or anyone else, please feel free to correct me, however, I'm not sure how a pill could have much of an after taste if you are swallowing them.  SO my next comment is two-fold actually.  Anytime I've been given a med that gives the name, followed by the letters CR, that means controlled release, therefore, the medicine is released over a long period of time.  Some of it is released immediately, then the rest is released through the night, that way you don't just fall asleep, but it allows you to stay asleep.  I suppose my question to you is, if you feel you have to take all those other meds to fall or stay asleep, it's possible it's because you are breaking the time-release of the Ambien.  If that's the case, then the med will go through you body much faster, but it won't last as long as it's made to last, therefore leaving you to have to take more, or other sleep aids as well.  I'm not saying that's what you're doing, as you didn't come right out and say it, but just the mention of the after-taste is what got my attention where that is concerned.  If that is the case, if it were me, I would take a long look at what I'm really doing, what I'm really feeling, and what road I may be heading down.  As I said, I'm not trying to be harsh, just speaking from experience that's all.  If you are in fact chewing or crushing the Ambien, then it's possible you've fallen on the side of the fence called addiction, not dependence or taking more because of tolerance.  Anytime you feel you're becoming tolerant to a drug and you are prescribing more for yourself, it's a bad idea.  You should always go to your Dr. and be honest about it.  Tell him that they aren't working the way they were when you first started, and you feel you may need an increase in dosage.  A lot of us won't go and have that conversation for fear that the Dr. will cut us off, or take that particular drug away, and give us something different.  If you are afraid to have that conversation with your Dr. then you've almost certainly fallen off the fence, and you didn't land on the easy side of it I can assure you of that.  

    I'll repeat just one more time....I'm not trying to be harsh or preachy, as I actually hate those type of posts, so I hope mine didn't come across that way.  I'm only trying to give you some advice that may help you decide what to do, and if nothing else, may help you to take a look in that mirror and see what none of us ever wanted to see about ourselves.  Not harsh, just speaking from experience, and hoping that you find the help you seek.  Here is hoping you get this all straightened out, and I'm sending strength and prayers your way.  Good luck, hope some of my rambling helped you a little.  If not, don't worry, there will be others here soon that will help you out.  The boards get a little quiet overnight, but you will get more replies when people start waking up for the day.  

[marquisdesade]

I have tried working out and the healthy sleep regime and I am still awake.