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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
Hi
I've been using Ambien/Zolpidem for about 8 months now, since I've always had problems trying to fall asleep. I don't consider myself a chronic insomniac...
I'm rather scared, because I have found myself taking this everyday & making sure that I do not run out of it! I have tried to stop but when I do I WILL NOT sleep. Maybe I'm trying to stop cold turkey and that's not the best way to do it. I must admit that I do like the effects of dis-connecting from the world for a couple of hours...but again I'm worried & I know that can't be good for you! I 've had spells of temporary "memory loss" to the point where I nearly have to sit for 30 mins to try and remember what in the world I ate or said that night...My husband swears I'm addicted to it and thinks I'm going to go crazy if I don't stop. Is he right?I have never posted here before and I was kind of hoping that someone can help me by telling me how to get off Ambien? I would like to stop or at least not feel like I have to be dependent on it.
PLEASE, PLEASE....someone give me some advice! How can I stop Ambien/Zolpidem from running my life?
Thanks,
Posted by GreyWalker on February 8, 2006, at 17:42:41
In reply to Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
Shouldn't you just ask your doctor about weening off of it?
You shouldn't stop drugs like that cold turkey, bad things tend to happen. Memory loss can happen with drugs like that, especially if you are messing with the dosage suddenly. Not a biggie or anything, happens a lot with benzodiazepines.
Well, then again... if you forgot you started cooking something 10 hours ago...
Posted by Phillipa on February 8, 2006, at 21:26:39
In reply to Re: Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by GreyWalker on February 8, 2006, at 17:42:41
I would just tell my pdoc you're afraid you may be addicted to ambien. Any of these meds cause insomnia for a while after stopping them. It sounds like anxiety about stopping the ambiem is causing you to feel this way. So try and break off small pieces of the ambien very slowly until you are taking none. It has a low profile for addiction. It is a favorite of people on pbabble. Just give it some time and others will pipe in. I myself have taken it and never had a problem . Hope that reassures you a bit. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by 4WD on February 8, 2006, at 21:40:38
In reply to Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
> Hi
> I've been using Ambien/Zolpidem for about 8 months now, since I've always had problems trying to fall asleep. I don't consider myself a chronic insomniac...
> I'm rather scared, because I have found myself taking this everyday & making sure that I do not run out of it! I have tried to stop but when I do I WILL NOT sleep. Maybe I'm trying to stop cold turkey and that's not the best way to do it. I must admit that I do like the effects of dis-connecting from the world for a couple of hours...but again I'm worried & I know that can't be good for you! I 've had spells of temporary "memory loss" to the point where I nearly have to sit for 30 mins to try and remember what in the world I ate or said that night...My husband swears I'm addicted to it and thinks I'm going to go crazy if I don't stop. Is he right?
>
> I have never posted here before and I was kind of hoping that someone can help me by telling me how to get off Ambien? I would like to stop or at least not feel like I have to be dependent on it.
>
> PLEASE, PLEASE....someone give me some advice! How can I stop Ambien/Zolpidem from running my life?
> Thanks,Hi,
I think your addiction or dependency is at least partly psychological. I'm sure you have developed some degree of physical dependency on Ambien after taking every night for 8 months. To deal with that, you just need to cut down the dosage slowly. You will have rebound insomnia, it's unavoidable. Your body is not used to going to sleep without help and it will take a while to get used to it. Just accept that for a while, you will have a lot of trouble falling asleep but it *will* eventually pass.
The psychological part of it might even be harder. I got so used to the idea of taking a med for sleep that even now, 20 years later, I can develop a psychological dependency in as little as a couple of days. If I take an ambien _for just one night, I will be afraid I will be unable to sleep the next night without one! And the fact that I'm worried about it makes it come true to some extent. I can really psych myself out about it. So I just don't allow myself to use sleep meds. And now I fall asleep naturally and easily. (Cymbalta really helped me in that department. When I was on Prozac I had terrible insomnia. Some insomnia on Celexa and Effexor, etc. but on Cymbalta, I could fall asleep in 15 minutes at night. I'm no longer on it but it seems to have changed something in my brain and I no longer have trouble falling asleep. It's one of the greatest gifts I've ever received.)
Try just to relax about it and accept that you are going to have a hard time sleeping for a while. When you are lying there trying to go to sleep, try not to worry about it. Remind yourself that you are getting rest just by lying quietly and that when your body is ready, it will sleep. It's a temporary situation and you will get through it.
Marsha
>
>
Posted by Phillipa on February 8, 2006, at 21:58:04
In reply to Re: Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!! » TwstedPrixie, posted by 4WD on February 8, 2006, at 21:40:38
Hi Marsha! Great advise. And I'm so glad the cymbalta is working so well for you. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on February 9, 2006, at 9:24:16
In reply to Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
Good advice above. Also, you may want to talk to your doc abt whether it makes sense for you to stop taking Ambien right now. I've been taking it for over a year. Pdoc and I decided that not getting good sleep was making it harder to fight my depression (sleep probs due to depression, anxiety, and the meds to fight them). So, our plan has been to keep the ambien around for a while until everything is stable and then worry about taking it off.
I think the commericals can make you feel guilty/worried abt taking it b/c they say that you shouldn't take it for more than a few nights. Which, of course, would be true unless you know what is causing the sleep problem and have weighed the pluses and minuses of treating it. My advice would be to get in to see your doc and talk abt it. Perhaps it makes sense for you to have a large enough rx so that you can plan to take an ambien each night.
Best,
EE
Posted by James K on February 9, 2006, at 13:27:23
In reply to Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
Ambien has been very useful for me, but rebound insomnia with dicontinuation is a real problem. I also think it is important to take it as you turn off the light, and make sure you've given yourself enough sleep time. I and my wife have taken it and stayed up talking or something then drift into dreamlike state. I've never heard of anything bad happening, like that, but I feel to be on the safe side, just let it work when you are already laying down preparing for sleep.
I did take it in the day once for a long nap and that was disaster.
If you've decided for sure you are going off, I suggest you look up and read about good sleep hygiene. (if I'm saying a bunch of obvious that you and everybody knows, sorry). Hygiene is not about cleanliness in this case either.
James k
Posted by gardenergirl on February 9, 2006, at 15:08:07
In reply to Re: Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!! » TwstedPrixie, posted by James K on February 9, 2006, at 13:27:23
Has anyone tried this? I have trouble with rebound insomnia, too. I'm about to just decide to take Ambien every night, but in the past, when I stayed up quite late to do work and then had to get up early the next a.m., it didn't seem wise to take it, and I would end up awake all night.
So if you alternate the two, would that help avoid the rebound insomnia? Anyone try this?
And does the nasty taste side effect eventually go away with regular use of Lunesta?
Thanks,
gg
Posted by TwstedPrixie on February 9, 2006, at 17:55:26
In reply to Ambien/Zolpidem Addiction???? HELP!!!!, posted by TwstedPrixie on February 8, 2006, at 17:22:00
Thank you so much for all of your advice & replies!
Marsha you are completely correct in everything you said...I shouldn't worry about trying to fall asleep (which I know I do)...I know that my "dependency" more than anything is psychological...Just last night, I was yawning because I was actually a little "sleepy" and can you believe I immediately went upstairs and took the Ambien!! I didn't even try to see if by the miracle of God I could maybe fall asleep on my own. I'm amazed at how your mind just takes over your life sometimes :( But I know this has to be temporary...and that I just have to tough it out and have a few sleepless nights and try to make an effort to try and sleep on my own!
After reading some of your replies I will be cutting down on the dose...Lately, my conscious has told me to take 1 1/2 pill of the 10mg, which I know is not right, considering my doctor told me to take 1/2 or 1!
So again, I thank you all for your help and your advice...and I do hope to be able to write back and say that I'm falling asleep on my own :)
~Y~
Note:
Gardenergirl...I wouldn't mix anything with Ambien (or any meds for that matter)...you may not know how the different components of these drugs may react with one another. Ironically enough, I work in a hospital and can see what happens when you take all these meds (which probably explains why I'm worried about this little dependency of mine)...patient's can range from just being "normal" to turning into zombies from the combinations of all the things they NEED to take. I would just stick to one really, but not for too long :)
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