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I am Ambien Free!
Effective 36 hours ago, I am Ambien free! After almost five months of Ambien hell, I am free! I will *never* again take another pill for as long as I live.
It took me six weeks to taper from 20mg to 2.5mg, and at that point I just walked away. It wasn't the most pleasant of times, but it's doable. There is hope for all of you out there - if I can do it, you can do it. Go see your doctor. Tell him you want off of these pills from hell. Follow his advice - it can be done.
It took me six weeks to taper from 20mg to 2.5mg, and at that point I just walked away. It wasn't the most pleasant of times, but it's doable. There is hope for all of you out there - if I can do it, you can do it. Go see your doctor. Tell him you want off of these pills from hell. Follow his advice - it can be done.
So you had that half-awake, half-asleep state while trying to sleep too? Like you're not sure if you're dreaming or awake? It's a really frustrating feeling. I find it odd that taking Ativan is now giving me similar problems, but some days allows me to sleep normally. There was no "wall" as I got with the Ambien, but instead that weird half-dreamy state. I'm hoping it's still because of the residual Ambien. I would like to believe I didn't take enough, or for long enough to become addicted, but these symptoms are showing otherwise. A half-life of 1.5 hours should really prevent addiction for someone who takes it once a day. But I guess maybe it can still build up in your system. Even your 20mg should have been out of your system within 13 hours.
Many years ago I had to take Ambien, and Serzone for a period of time in order to get my sleep regulated. I had this "hypnic jerk" which would jerk me awake from sleep every time I dozed off. I was up for almost a week. Amben worked like magic back then. Eventually the Serzone took over and I could sleep without the ambien. Eventually I cut the Serzone and was still sleeping fine. The jerks came back randomly, briefly, over the years, but most of the time, a small piece of Ambien got me past it. This time they came back with a vengeance, after a few days of legit major stress. It was devastating for me when the one thing that always worked suddenly stopped working. I was hoping Ativan and Amitryptyline would be the answer this time, but I'm not sure. Ativan is supposed to be the least addictive, but it wont matter if it doesn't work. I swear the Amitriptyline is doing something to block the ativan. The first night I took it, and slept 15 hours, The buzz hit me harder than ambien. 2nd night, i didn't feel anything, other than maybe some anxiety reduction. wonder if it's possible to burn out your GABA receptors, or maybe if supplementing GABA would help.
Many years ago I had to take Ambien, and Serzone for a period of time in order to get my sleep regulated. I had this "hypnic jerk" which would jerk me awake from sleep every time I dozed off. I was up for almost a week. Amben worked like magic back then. Eventually the Serzone took over and I could sleep without the ambien. Eventually I cut the Serzone and was still sleeping fine. The jerks came back randomly, briefly, over the years, but most of the time, a small piece of Ambien got me past it. This time they came back with a vengeance, after a few days of legit major stress. It was devastating for me when the one thing that always worked suddenly stopped working. I was hoping Ativan and Amitryptyline would be the answer this time, but I'm not sure. Ativan is supposed to be the least addictive, but it wont matter if it doesn't work. I swear the Amitriptyline is doing something to block the ativan. The first night I took it, and slept 15 hours, The buzz hit me harder than ambien. 2nd night, i didn't feel anything, other than maybe some anxiety reduction. wonder if it's possible to burn out your GABA receptors, or maybe if supplementing GABA would help.
FWIW, that is what ambien did to me. The very first night, I slept soundly for 7 hours. The next night, 5 hours. Eventually I was taking 20mg (a double dosage) just to get 5 hours of sleep. Ambien is a drug from the deepest pits of hell. Because of ambien, I was out of work for a very long time and lost my home because I could not work or drive. I wish the FDA would ban it. It was not until I quit taking it that I was able to heal and finally get a job and move on with my life.
If you are taking ambien, stop! Flush it! In the end it does way more harm than good.
Talk to your doctor before quitting ambien or any other drug. It can be dangerous to abruptly quit.
If you are taking ambien, stop! Flush it! In the end it does way more harm than good.
Talk to your doctor before quitting ambien or any other drug. It can be dangerous to abruptly quit.
Did any of you enter a half-sleep half-awake state, where you feel conscious, but yet dreams, etc... are going through your mind as if you're sleeping? I laid there for 8 hours like that last night.
I'm not sure I was actually addicted. But I did take 1/4 pill (10mg) fairly frequently over time (months), sometimes jumping to 1/2. This sleep disturbance is very real, however. I've convinced myself there's something wrong with my brain.
I haven't taken any in about 5 days. But towards the end, over a week, I was taking a full 10mg, and progressively getting less and less sleep. 7 hours one day, 5 the next, 3, then 0, then there would be a "wall" in my mind where I couldn't fall asleep.
Doc put me on Amytryptyline, and Ativan. They worked for a few days, but the ami left me progressively more and more tired. Last night I had my energy back for a change, then the above happened with the half-dream state.
Does this sound familiar with anyone?
I'm not sure I was actually addicted. But I did take 1/4 pill (10mg) fairly frequently over time (months), sometimes jumping to 1/2. This sleep disturbance is very real, however. I've convinced myself there's something wrong with my brain.
I haven't taken any in about 5 days. But towards the end, over a week, I was taking a full 10mg, and progressively getting less and less sleep. 7 hours one day, 5 the next, 3, then 0, then there would be a "wall" in my mind where I couldn't fall asleep.
Doc put me on Amytryptyline, and Ativan. They worked for a few days, but the ami left me progressively more and more tired. Last night I had my energy back for a change, then the above happened with the half-dream state.
Does this sound familiar with anyone?
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Very familiar. I existed in a zombie-like half awake, half asleep state for as long as I took ambien, and for a month or so after I quit. One day, about six weeks after quitting, I "woke up", so to speak. I realized that for the first time in a very long time, I could think clearly again. My mind wasn't foggy, and I could think, reason, etc. You don't realize what a daze ambien puts you in until you quit taking it.
My doc tried me on trazodone, nortryptyline, valium, xanax. The xanax was absolutely wonderful, but I quit it after six weeks because I didn't want to become addicted to it. Nothing else helped.
In the end, I had to quit taking *everything*. I flushed all of the pills, and stopped everything. Then, and only then, did I heal and recover the ability to sleep naturally. I know it's hard, having been there myself, but you won't heal and move on until you quit taking the pills. Talk to your doctor about this, don't take anything I'm saying as medical advice. But give serious though to flushing all of the pills so your brain can heal, because while we take the pills our brain stays addicted and in a fog.
My doc tried me on trazodone, nortryptyline, valium, xanax. The xanax was absolutely wonderful, but I quit it after six weeks because I didn't want to become addicted to it. Nothing else helped.
In the end, I had to quit taking *everything*. I flushed all of the pills, and stopped everything. Then, and only then, did I heal and recover the ability to sleep naturally. I know it's hard, having been there myself, but you won't heal and move on until you quit taking the pills. Talk to your doctor about this, don't take anything I'm saying as medical advice. But give serious though to flushing all of the pills so your brain can heal, because while we take the pills our brain stays addicted and in a fog.
Google Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches, go to the "topix" site.
1 Comments
Sadly, topix shut down the forum a long time ago. Sad. That discussion thread probably had more information about ambien and withdrawing and recovering than any other site on the Internet, or for that matter any book you will ever read, or any doctor you will ever talk to.
Where is this Ambien only forum? I'd like to participate - I'm sure I could learn something, and maybe I could contribute as well.
I've survived the last five months of hell, I can tough out another week or two. Tonight is the seventh night, and the way I see it, having been drug free for a week, it may not be very pleasant but it's not going to get any worse. There is nowhere to go but up :-)
I've survived the last five months of hell, I can tough out another week or two. Tonight is the seventh night, and the way I see it, having been drug free for a week, it may not be very pleasant but it's not going to get any worse. There is nowhere to go but up :-)
Yes, I've been done with Ambien completely Since August 8th. I had tapered and stabilized to where I was pretty much done with the withdrawal when I quit. After I quit I had some very mild withdrawal, and I had to finish tapering Valerian Root somewhat. I stayed on Melatonin and Valerian another 2 weeks and stopped everything a week ago yesterday.
Melatonin is not addictive.
It sounds like you might have not become stabilized and/or still had some distance to go yet on your Ambien taper before you jumped off. What you describe are Ambien WDs and CNS symptoms still going on. With the CNS symptoms, you aren't going to sleep very well right now. I'm on another forum dedicated to strictly Ambien and the folks who go cold turkey pay for it with no sleep intil their CNS settles down somewhat.
It's going to take both of us some clean time before our CNS heals up. Tuff it out Zootal, keep on keeping on one day at a time. You've gotten this far, it's a matter of not ever giving up when the miracle is right around the corner. And it is. Don't think months, think by next week things will improve greatly.
Melatonin is not addictive.
It sounds like you might have not become stabilized and/or still had some distance to go yet on your Ambien taper before you jumped off. What you describe are Ambien WDs and CNS symptoms still going on. With the CNS symptoms, you aren't going to sleep very well right now. I'm on another forum dedicated to strictly Ambien and the folks who go cold turkey pay for it with no sleep intil their CNS settles down somewhat.
It's going to take both of us some clean time before our CNS heals up. Tuff it out Zootal, keep on keeping on one day at a time. You've gotten this far, it's a matter of not ever giving up when the miracle is right around the corner. And it is. Don't think months, think by next week things will improve greatly.
I've been taking Melatonin to help take the edge off of things, but I'm not sure it's helping, and I'm not sure I want to use even that. Can you develop a dependence on Melatonin? I'm with you - I had another pill flushing ceremony this morning - I flushed all my OTC stuff, what little I had. I kept the rolaids and vitamins.
You have been off the Ambien itself for about three weeks now? How long did it take for the WDs to pass, other than not being able to sleep? I'm curious as to what point I can say that what I'm feeling is me, and not drug effects or withdrawals or otherwise some leftover from the ambien or trazodone.
I'm not sure how long it takes the brain to heal from what Ambien does to it. I guess it just takes time for our sleep to heal itself. Ambien seriously broke mine. I figure it will take me most of September, an entire month, to really get back to normal, get caught up on lost sleep, train my brain that it really is OK to sleep for 8 hours, get my head clear. Good nights, bad nights...I'm not over this yet but OMG I'M DRUG FREE!!!
You have been off the Ambien itself for about three weeks now? How long did it take for the WDs to pass, other than not being able to sleep? I'm curious as to what point I can say that what I'm feeling is me, and not drug effects or withdrawals or otherwise some leftover from the ambien or trazodone.
I'm not sure how long it takes the brain to heal from what Ambien does to it. I guess it just takes time for our sleep to heal itself. Ambien seriously broke mine. I figure it will take me most of September, an entire month, to really get back to normal, get caught up on lost sleep, train my brain that it really is OK to sleep for 8 hours, get my head clear. Good nights, bad nights...I'm not over this yet but OMG I'M DRUG FREE!!!
It's been six nights for me, and I've yet to sleep more then about 1 3/4 hours at a time. And by 4am, I seem to be pretty much done with what little sleep I'm going to get. Six days ambien free, and I don't sleep worth squat - the nausea and dizzyness is mostly gone, but the anxiety can be unpleasant and keep me awake. I try to close my eyes, and they twitch and I can't get comfortable. I drift off and then I jolt awake 10-30 minutes later. Does any of this sound familiar?
Just speaking for myself:
Last night was my 7th night sleeping on just me. No OTC, alcohol or scripts of any kind. I got about 6 hours last night. When I get 6 hours one night I get shorter hours the next night. I think it's my natural sleeper fixing itself. I saw a post on another site awhile back that mentioned that's what needs to be done to fully recover.
I'm still tired, but it's a drug-free kind of tired. Quite a difference. Now I feel that any kind of mind altering sleep medication, OTC or otherwise, will mess up my forward progress and send me back behind enemy lines.
I'm a recovering cross-addicted sleep-med addict and will always be one. The only daily reprieve for me is total abstinence from anything that will make me sleep differently than my body wants me to sleep. I'm not going to play God anymore.
Last night was my 7th night sleeping on just me. No OTC, alcohol or scripts of any kind. I got about 6 hours last night. When I get 6 hours one night I get shorter hours the next night. I think it's my natural sleeper fixing itself. I saw a post on another site awhile back that mentioned that's what needs to be done to fully recover.
I'm still tired, but it's a drug-free kind of tired. Quite a difference. Now I feel that any kind of mind altering sleep medication, OTC or otherwise, will mess up my forward progress and send me back behind enemy lines.
I'm a recovering cross-addicted sleep-med addict and will always be one. The only daily reprieve for me is total abstinence from anything that will make me sleep differently than my body wants me to sleep. I'm not going to play God anymore.
Six nights Ambien free...no sleep...lay in bed and twitch all night...like to take the good makers of Ambien, let them live off of their drugs for a few months, and then take the drugs away and see how they like going through this hell.
Ambien is a drug spawned in hell, as are those that make it and push it on unsuspecting people like us.
Ambien is a drug spawned in hell, as are those that make it and push it on unsuspecting people like us.
I have some Melatonin 3mg with theanine. I'm not sure it helps any or not, but melatonin comes so highly recommend by so many, and has so few and extremely rare adverse effects that I'll try it. By bedtime I'm so wiped that I pass right out, but I'm awake and twitching an hour later. Last night wasn't quite as bad, and I didn't get hit with any anxiety spells.
I'm so sick and tired of pills, I don't even take Valerian - I don't want anything that will slow down the process of getting my natural sleep back, and I'm not sure what Valerian would do. I've cycled through nine different medications this last year. Nine! Yesterday I flushed ALL of them. Then I took a four pound sledge to the bottles. I even destroyed my pill cutter that I used to quarter some of the pills. Gone! All of them, gone! I have zero drugs in my home...I'm even flushing the OTC pills.
I've said it before, I'll say it again - Ambien is a drug spawned in hell.
Sorry...its been four nights with minimal sleep and I'm a bit loopy today...
I'm so sick and tired of pills, I don't even take Valerian - I don't want anything that will slow down the process of getting my natural sleep back, and I'm not sure what Valerian would do. I've cycled through nine different medications this last year. Nine! Yesterday I flushed ALL of them. Then I took a four pound sledge to the bottles. I even destroyed my pill cutter that I used to quarter some of the pills. Gone! All of them, gone! I have zero drugs in my home...I'm even flushing the OTC pills.
I've said it before, I'll say it again - Ambien is a drug spawned in hell.
Sorry...its been four nights with minimal sleep and I'm a bit loopy today...
Hi Zootal,
Do you have any natural sleep aids like Melatonin and Valerian. They aren't magic bullets, but they can take the edge off, and slow the racing mind.
5HTP evenly taken over the day helps to allay anxiety, and Valerian can also be taken during the day for this.
Your short periods of sleep are quite normal, but you will find you sleep for longer periods each night.
Hope this helps.
Do you have any natural sleep aids like Melatonin and Valerian. They aren't magic bullets, but they can take the edge off, and slow the racing mind.
5HTP evenly taken over the day helps to allay anxiety, and Valerian can also be taken during the day for this.
Your short periods of sleep are quite normal, but you will find you sleep for longer periods each night.
Hope this helps.
Fourth night without ambien. Shakes not quite so bad. Nausea not quite so bad. Sleep comes in periods of 15-45 minutes at a time. I close my eyes, and my mind races and twitches and doesn't want to calm down or slow down to sleep. I usually jolt awake after a few minutes.
Is this normal? How long does this last? I seriously need to get some sleep....
Is this normal? How long does this last? I seriously need to get some sleep....
I used to take two 12.5 mg. CR tabs (per doctor) per night for unbearable insomnia for almost two years. Thankfully that doc. was forced to close his practice by quite a few other patients. During that time the worst symptom was moderate to severe depression but after I quit I experienced all of the same symptoms you are describing. These are similar to the withdrawl symptoms for the benzos which are similar chemically so it is a very good thing you are tapering. The longest symptom to linger (for me it was approx. 8 weeks) seems to be the rebound insomnia. Your body will eventually reset its circadian rhythm so hang in there!
This morning I took my remaining bottle of ambien into the bathroom and had a pill flushing ceremony. Then I took the empty bottles, put them on the bathroom floor and stomped them into little pieces. Then I stood back and made assorted rude gestures to them. By this time I'm in tears and my wife thinks I'm killing myself or something from all of the noise. Those of you that have been there know exactly how I felt.
I'm not sure what is causing what I am experiencing. It's been a bit rough ever since I dropped down to 5mg or so. Anxiety is elevated, breathing is sometimes difficult. Nausea and some dizziness kicks in at 4am every morning for almost a week now, and sometimes during the day. My Dr. had me on trazodone 25mg to help me sleep, and I suspected that was causing some of the problem because ever since I started taking it I would wake up nauseous. I quit that two days ago. I'm a bit twitchy still, anxiety comes and goes, breathing difficulty comes and goes. My mind races and I can't concentrate. I haven't slept worth crud for three nights, and I'm seriously out of it because of that.
But, I'm DRUG FREE!!! OMG I'M DRUG FREE!!!!
Ambien is truly a drug from hell. It will grab your mind and it will not let go easily. It will train your mind to not sleep without it, and what sleep you do get is never enough. Ambien should be banned - getting some sleep is just not worth the price you will end up paying.
How long after you completely quit the ambien did the WDs hang around?
But, I'm DRUG FREE!!! OMG I'M DRUG FREE!!!!
Ambien is truly a drug from hell. It will grab your mind and it will not let go easily. It will train your mind to not sleep without it, and what sleep you do get is never enough. Ambien should be banned - getting some sleep is just not worth the price you will end up paying.
How long after you completely quit the ambien did the WDs hang around?
Well, Not being able to breathe and having heart rate/rhythm trouble was the big one. My first cut on a taper program was a big one and I under estimated Ambien WDs. I got body jerks, metallic taste, no memory, disorientation, depression, anxiety, difficulty swallowing, buzzing in my ears, difficulty with balance, panic attacks, vertigo, high to low BP spikes... on and on. And the symptoms kept increasing. It effects your CNS. And cold turkey can lead to prolonged or permanent CNS damage. So, I took it very slow and had very little WD at the end. Last night I slept 6 hours without any drugs at all. Freedom.
I've thought about you a lot these last six weeks. Congrats to you too, I'm so glad you made it! How do you feel now that you have been off of it for a few weeks? Hang in there, it won't take long for your body and brain to reset.
It's only been one night for me and my brain hasn't fully reset, but I'm about to have a pill flushing ceremony - there is no turning back. I'll never take one of those again - I don't take any pills at all now - I won't even take over the counter stuff. Blood pressure meds - gone. Cholesterol meds - gone.
What is really cool is about two weeks ago, when I tapered down to about 5mg, I started to dream again and remember them. And I started to fall asleep naturally without the drugs, even though I didn't stay asleep for more than an hour at a time. I'd close my eyes and I'd be in dreamland just like that.
It's only been one night for me and my brain hasn't fully reset, but I'm about to have a pill flushing ceremony - there is no turning back. I'll never take one of those again - I don't take any pills at all now - I won't even take over the counter stuff. Blood pressure meds - gone. Cholesterol meds - gone.
What is really cool is about two weeks ago, when I tapered down to about 5mg, I started to dream again and remember them. And I started to fall asleep naturally without the drugs, even though I didn't stay asleep for more than an hour at a time. I'd close my eyes and I'd be in dreamland just like that.
Hey friend!!! Congrats!!!!!!! Isn't it great? We never thought it would end! I've been wondering about you and you're off! Me too! I got off 17 days ago. I'm so thankful it's out of my life now. I also had been taking over the counter natural sleep aids, like melatonin and valerian and stopped all of those 3 days ago. I only got 4 hours sleep each of the last 3 nights, but it was REAL sleep, brought to me by my very own natural body produced melatonin!
You and I are 1 pill away from the next nightmare. I'm a recovering addict, I will always be an addict. Ambien is poison to me and I can never take another one, ever. There is no graduation ceremony, no cap and gown; staying clean is a life long work in progress, one day at at time. Keep in touch zootal.
You and I are 1 pill away from the next nightmare. I'm a recovering addict, I will always be an addict. Ambien is poison to me and I can never take another one, ever. There is no graduation ceremony, no cap and gown; staying clean is a life long work in progress, one day at at time. Keep in touch zootal.
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