Is this a high dose?

[[an...]]

I was taking Lorazepam 2 mg for the last 3 years for insomnia. Last month, it stopped working well. So my doctor has added Zolpidem ER 12.5 mg to restore my sleep.

 

Is the above considered a high dose of medicines for insomnia?

 

At some point I will need to get out of my work if I want to taper down the benzo+hypnotic usage and regain my natural ability to sleep. I suspect it will take at least 1 year to achieve that. Not even sure if that is even possible to come out of the use?

 

Thoughts and Suggestions?

 

[[Pa...]]

Your doses aren’t terribly high but if you weren’t tolerant to the Lorazepam, that dose would likely put you to sleep and the Zolpidem wouldn’t be necessary.  I would imagine you’ll continue to build tolerance to the Lorazepam and Zolpidem so its probably a good idea to look into tapering off both medications before you have to increase the doses. 

 

It’s very possible to get your natural sleep back after these medications disrupt it but it won’t be easy, you’re probably right about the taper time, then you’ll need to add in recovery. 

[[Th...]]

Normally, when your current dose stops working by giving you the desired amount of sleep, you most likely reached tolerance?  That's the dose where, as you said, it doesn't work so well anymore.  Usually when you reach tolerance, you have to keep increasing the dose to get the same effect, or as you did, add a Z-drug.  Sleep does return on it's own, but the insomnia can be brutal at times until it does return.  Everyone is different, so your insomnia may not be as bad or last as long as what I experienced or what others experienced?

 

I'd read this post to prepare you for what you most likely can expect:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

 

I'd recommend tapering off as soon as you can.  I took Benzos for sleep too, but fortunately I only had about 10 months of very poor sleep then it slowly got better.