Dealing with Ambien Addiction

[blessednstressed]

My mom has been taking 2 pills of Ambient everynight for about 5 years. The doctor gave it to her because she would wake frequently in the night from pain due to her fibromyalgia. I am 27 and recently  moved back in with her temporarily and the side effects that I have noticed is that she binges uncontrollably after she takes it, does things she doesn't remember the next day and has conversations with me she doesn't remember. It's basically how I used to act when I was smoking weed in High school!

I did some research and printed out some very hard facts about the drug, including revised labeling from the FDA to warn people about the memory impairment/temporary amnesia and loss of judgement. This has been hard for her to deal with admitting that she is addicted to something seeing as she is a recovering alchohoic of 10+ years now and I think this is  bringing  a lot of that shame back.

She tried cutting down to 1 pill unsuccessfully a couple weeks ago...she couldn't fall asleep until 3 or 4am so she started taking 1 1/2 which is a step in the wrong direction.

Last night she woke me in the middle of the night asking if I had any cookies and when I told her today what she did she became very defensive, yelled at me and said I was obviously disgusted with her...she says she doesn't even remember it.

She has spoken to her doctors about this but they are all blowing it off from what I can tell, and are telling her to maybe switch brands but that's not eliminating the problem when they are in the same drug class (tranquilizers)!

I believe the memory loss is affecting her during the day too...I don't believe it is totally out of her system.

Has anyone successfully gotten through an Ambien (or similar) addiction or know someone who has? Please, any suggestions...

[Laroo]

Well, I'm awake reading this so no I don't. BUT valium puts you down fast, just doesn't work all night.  I don't know of anything else but ambian.  I will try lunesta next too - thanks.  Goodluck, keep me posted. :-) T

[osugirl1313]

i was prescribed 10mg per night of ambien for the past 6 months and it has occured to me that i am indeed dependent on it for sleep...i have also built up a tolerance for it and am needing to take more and more to sleep which i hate because it makes it so hard to get up,  and once i do wake up i have horribble headaches....so i'm thinking something new like lunesta that claims its the only sleep aid without addiction ...or sonata i heard is good to get you asleep...anyone know anything?????????????????????????
p.s. i hate my f*ing roomats who can just lay down at whaever given bedtime and fall into a deep natural sleep and wake up smiling at the birds chirping in their windows....hate it because i wish i could have it...
*

[blessednstressed]

anyone else have a really hard time getting off this?

[blessednstressed]

thank you so much for responding.

i am somewhat relieved to hear from someone who had similiar symptoms! i think that she is embarresed about her behavior and i hope she realizes how common these dangerous side effects really are...and how important it is to rid yourself of them because inducing a state of amnesia is scary to me.

i believe she does take hormones to help with menopause and unfortunately i don't think tylenol PM would help because it is mainly her anxiety (which she takes meds for) and again, the pain in the night that wakes her up...the tylenol wouldn't have the same effect as the extended release like the ambien she takes.

any suggestions on what would help her STAY asleep that wouldn't have those types of side effects???

:(

[TJack]

Hey, i was taking 3 and 4 a night.  I told my dr. and she was in shock.  Now i am on retoril, which is so addictive.   But, she only gave me a months worth and she said no more.  I have started hormone patches again, a week ago and am hoping this sleep thing is related to that.   How about your Mom and her hormones?
I never did anything in the night, like getting up and eating etc, which i have heard stories about for sometime.  I just built up a tolerance to them and lunesta also.  Gosh, what a mess.  Now i am fighting the drinking thing.  Hang in there and i believe your Mom is scared.
This sleep thing will do it to us.  Good luck and keep posting. TJ

[IBKleen]

Hello.

I am sorry no one replied. It is a little busy here today.

I was taking it several years ago, but only took it short term...a couple of months.

I experienced almost exactly what your mom did. It was awful.

I would wake up in the morning and yell at my husband for leaving dishes in the sink, until he would tell me that I had gotten up in the middle of the night and cooked a full meal. I would never remember the next day. I also sleep walked and had full conversations while asleep. Don't remember any of that either.

The day after I would take one, I would be in a fog, kind of like a "hang over" of sorts. It was a terrible feeling.

Since I was not on them that long, I had no trouble stopping. Now, when I can't sleep I take tylenol PM and they work fine for me.

Maybe it is time for mom to see another doctor. that is all I can suggest. Good Luck.