Last dose of Klonopin... Next on the list Ambien... Any ideas?

[[Et...]]

I finished my last dose 2 days ago and jumped off at .0625 mg.

 

Going down to .125 felt rough in December but I didn't really notice a change from .125 mg to .0625 mg ... I know I'm getting quite low in terms of doses. I could keep cutting but feel like I'm ready.

 

But - I'm still taking Ambien nightly. It's next on the agenda but I'd really like to go slowly with this one too. I take 15-20mg a night and I'm thinking of cutting 1mg every 2 weeks.

 

I rely so heavily on this drug that I'm more afraid of quitting this than the Klonopin.

 

If I tell myself that I'm never going to really give it up, just reduce the a tiny tiny amount at a time it makes it easier to handle.

 

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

thank you!

 

E

 

 

 

[[me...]]

Congrats on your jump!

 

I'm pretty sure I pointed out that you should get off the Ambien before completely finishing Klonopin (much easier to taper that way), but whatever, you are here now.

 

The thing about Ambien is that it is pretty much impossible to taper. Because of the short half-life, a taper is not necessary to avoid severe withdrawal effects. That is, once you are on more normal dose, and if you are not doing multiple dosing (creates more dependence). What you will find if you taper, is that at a certain point the Ambien will completely "poop out", and will actually begin to inhibit sleep, rather than allowing you to get the sleep you need, and then, what do you do? You're better off with nothing than that. 

 

So I would suggest tapering the Ambien down as low as you can (normal low dosage range--perhaps 5 to 7 mgs?), while still getting some decent sleep. Most find they can actually taper the higher doses down fairly quickly and easily to a normal dose. Get rested up, then jump. You will go through a period of awful sleep, perhaps a few days of zero or very little sleep, but things should rapidly improve after that point, until you can get enough sleep to function. Sleep will probably not be as easy and painless for a while as the body heals from both Klonopin and Ambien.

 

I also suggest that once you jump, make the Ambien very hard to get to (if not throwing out). It is super hard to not relapse and take a pill when you are battling days of severe insomnia. You will feel tons better when you are off all drugs!!

[[be...]]

Congrats on the jump. Think you'll be just fine. I'm familiar with zoplicon which is similar to ambien I think. A z drug. Yes easier if you had a buffer but still no need to even consider k again. Be done with it. My zoplicon stopped working completely. I was still on both Ativan and klonopin but no way could I sleep. I wanted off zoplicon so I took of 1/4 every 2 weeks so in your case 5 mg. still no sleep but oddly more alert in the mornings. I didn't sleep until roughly 2 weeks off of it and then  one night slept like a log. My sleep returned better than before. Way better. I don't know. I had zero sxs as well but that could have been my buffers. Still glad I got off it. Never took another one since after six years. B