HELP!! Has anyone out there been on Ambien and switched to valium??

[[do...]]

Has anyone been on long term Ambien? Any support stories or comments? I have been on it for 8 years (high 25mg dose of the xr dr prescribed ugggh) I am now tapering off using valium. It has been rough. Thanks to all who reply

 

Dobbie

[[Pa...]]

Hi Dobbie,

 

I hate it when I see people switch to Valium to get off of Ambien, because I consider Valium to be more of a problem than Ambien.  While it's true that Professor Ashton mentions Valium as a possible way to get off of the Z drugs, she also says that Z drugs don't need to be tapered as do the true benzo's.

 

I took large doses of Ambien and quit it cold turkey, I didn't sleep for a week or two, but I actually felt better because I no longer felt the inter-dose withdrawal.  How much Valium did you cross over to and at what rate are you tapering?

 

Pam

[[do...]]

Oh gosh! I was afraid I was jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.I guess I have made a huge mistake. The doctor first tried to put me on xanax xr to get me off of the Ambien. Now I guess I am withdrawing off the xanax (1mg twice a day for 3 weeks). She has me on 7.5mg valium right now plus one ambien. She is trying to cut the valium then will work on the other ambien pill. I just don't know what to do. I had developed tolerance withdrawls even during the day. I feel like I am losing my mind. I am now holding at the 7.5mg valium with the 12.5mg ambien. The doctor wanted me on 20mg valium plus the ambien but it was just too sedating for me. Thanks for all of your help.

I am not even tapering the Valium yet. The dr. has not yet set up a taper plan. She wants me to hold at the 7.5mg for a week.

Dobbie

[[Pa...]]

Hi Dobbie,

 

You were told to take 2 mgs of Xanax a day to get off of 25 mgs of Ambien?    The equivalent of 25 mgs of Ambien to Xanax is about .625 mg, what was she thinking?  I know you only took it for 3 weeks, but that's plenty of time for your body to develop a dependence.  The amount of Valium you're on now is more in line with where you should be, 25 mgs of Ambien is roughly equivalent to 11 or 12mgs of Valium.  I'm very glad you opted not to take the 20 mgs she originally prescribed. 

 

What do you want to do now, what's your plan?  How long have you been taking the Valium?

[[do...]]

I am taking 7.5mg valium now and I have been on it for a week. I do not have much of a plan now. I am really confused and so is my dr as you can see!! I have to read my gut! I knew 20mg of valium was too much. When I came off of the xanax I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I seriously thought of checking myself into a hospital.  I was only on 5mg valium at that time. I upped it to 7.5 and I have been *ok* for a few days now. I am still on one pill of ambien cr 12.5mg. I guess my plan is to taper the valium at 1mg per week until it is done and then dry cut my other ambien (switching to the regular release). My doctor wants to taper me off of the valium and then take me off of the other ambien with another 7mg valium. I am rethinking that. I think I would be ok dry cutting it. What do you think of my taper rate and my dry cutting after? I have the liquid valium

[[Pa...]]

Hi Dobbie,

 

Since you started a thread on the Taper board, we should probably discuss this there, it gets confusing when we have too many discussions on the same issue.  Here is the link. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=32158.msg467013#msg467013

[[do...]]

Ok I will do that. I am not on the computer much. I am sorry for the bad etiquette. Thank you for your help!!

 

Dobbie