Ambien/Zolpidem

[[Al...]]

Ok here is my into. I have been on Ambien for at least 8 years. For a long time the 10mg worked great. However the past 6 months or so I started using it for the wrong reasons. I went through a divorce, lost my home and my job due to the company I have worked for 3 plus years closed our office.

I started taking one around 5pm another at around 8pm and then the last one right before bed so around 11pm.

I ran out early and haven't had it for going on 2 weeks. The first 3 days were horrible but I feel fine now.

I'm hoping the info in this group can help me from going back to that awful habit.

Thank you!

 

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.  Ambien is a z-drug, which are similar to benzos in some ways.

 

You'll find plenty of information and support here.  Our members have gone through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to see  people who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.  For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a month or so after discontinuing the medication.  The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but these are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms in Chapter III, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

 

 

 

[[Al...]]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I am grateful to have come across this forum.

[[al...]]

Alliswell7,

I hope that you continue to feel fine. Ambien can be a real beast that causes huge problems for some people when they come off of it too fast. Are you sleeping okay? Coming off of Ambien virtually shut off my sleep for many months and it is still not what it should be almost 21 months later.