Help in Tapering Ambien!

[[La...]]

Hi All,

Need help in tapering Ambien.

I am on Ambien not for so long - about 51 days to be exact. This was given by my GP as I was not able to sleep for about 4-5 nights.  I wanted off of it but I am scared to to do the tapering on my own. I consulted a Dr who specializes in benzo withdrawal and she said I have to do a 2.5% taper every 10 days. Couple of days ago, I tried cutting the pills. I was able to get to half of the pill but felt I was shaking during the day. So I moved back to 3/4 pill. The Dr said not to do the taper on my own, or if I do, I have to do it very slow. I honestly did not know that I will end up this way. I stupidly took Ambien without even researching. I feel like this will ruin my life. I am only getting average of 4 hrs sleep every night. 

Anyone who did the tapering successfully? How did you do it and how long did it take?

 

 

 

[[Pa...]]

Hello Lala123, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

Ambien is a nasty drug, it doesn't take long for our bodies to get dependent on it, I'm sorry you're suffering.  Unfortunately, the only way out of this is through and that will mean withdrawal symptoms which may consist of a type of inner trembling, increased anxiety and of course, insomnia and possibly more.  

Your life isn't ruined, you can recover from this and get your sleep back and you're very lucky to have a doctor who understands the need to do this slowly.  We'll typically recommend reducing your dose by about 5-10% every couple of weeks but using your symptoms to guide you can be advantageous. 

I feel I do need to share my personal experience, I quit Ambien cold turkey and felt better within days, I couldn't sleep much the first few days but the inner trembling, dark thoughts and anxiety were gone.  I'm not advocating this method but I and a few others have been able to do this.  We're all different so its important to make the right choice for you.

I recovered completely, your life and your sleep aren't ruined, although I can understand why you're feeling this way, the drug altered my thought processes, I was depressed and fearful while taking it. 

Again, welcome and please keep talking to us, we're here to help.

Pamster

[[La...]]

Hi Pamster,
 

Thank you for your response. Wow, cold turkey, that's awesome! I probably would not be able to do it. But it's good to be done with it.

I asked the pharmacist yesterday how to wean off ambien, if I could cut the tablets- and he just said no, you just stop taking it. I honestly was surprised by his answer. My psychiatrist is the same, he just said to cut the pill and start taking 3/4 and then to half. 

Yes, I am probably just being overly dramatic about ruinging my life. I just did not know this will take a long time to taper. I thought it would be faster  as I was not on it for a long time. 

 

 

 

 

[[Pa...]]

Many don't realize that Ambien (z-drug) has a lot in common with benzodiazepines, they're officially classified as a non-benzodiazepine but they act on the brain in similar ways so you're wise to question the advice you've been given.  

What is your pill strength and shape?  We can help you figure out a way to cut them in order to achieve a slow, smooth taper, although it won't be symptom free I'm afraid.

You may want to check out this post, its full of helpful tips for getting through this. 

 

[[La...]]

I am now on 3/4 pill (so 7.5 mg) of round ambien white tablet. 

[[Pa...]]

Some members feel comfortable crushing or shaving their pills into little piles to reduce, others feel better being a bit more accurate, it boils down to symptoms but also your personality because confidence in a taper method is important.

We can explain liquid or dry titration if you're interested.

[[La...]]

Hi Pamster- 

Yeah, i am afraid right now.On the other hand, I believe I need to get off of it as soon as possible while im not too deep into taking it. 

I am also so shaken this morning as I have an online friend who also have started with sleep issue and started taking benzo. We were communicating regarding our struggles. I was wondering why she was not responding for a couple of days now, looked as her facebook and I saw that she passed away. Not sure what happened. 

I am so scared. Please tell me this is doable. I want to be confident but I am just to shaken right now.

Can you explain both liquid and dry titration?

[[Pa...]]

Your fear is a normal condition of taking, withdrawing and recovering from the drug, fear is one of our worst symptoms and losing your friend has to have heightened it, I'm sorry for your loss.

Here are some titration methods, do any of them appeal to you? Titration - BenzoBuddies Community Forum

 

[[La...]]

How about the pill splitting? 

[[La...]]

Hi Pamster- another question. How do I add message to the Z drug support group. I can't figure iut how to add a message.

[[he...]]

Hi, @[La...]. I'm simply amazed your doctor suggested a slow, percent-based taper. Just amazed. That's a very rare thing but hopefully becoming more common all the time. Ideally they just stop prescribing this stuff past a week or two or altogether. Wishing you the best in your taper! You can do this!

If you want the best pill splitter, see my profile. I have links to other tools for dry tapering there as well. And no, I don't get any kickbacks for recommending them.

[[La...]]

Hi Hereforhelp- is it uncommon for them to do this? But is her recommendation a good one? She seems to be a benzo expert though, I believer. Her fee is high though but I honetly don't want to do it without guidance so I am conflicted if I should go with her.She also has supplements to help along with the taper.

My psychiatrist does not seem to know what to- he just told me to cut and split the pill to 3/4 then to half then quarter. 

What was your case if I may ask? I need motivation/encouragement right now. 

I am scared and afraid. 

 

 

 

[[Pa...]]

6 hours ago, [[L...] said:

Hi Pamster- another question. How do I add message to the Z drug support group. I can't figure iut how to add a message.

The z-drug support group was not carried over to the new platform, its been archived.  We felt platform members would be better served with everyone posting to one central location instead of gathering into small groups.  This practice led to new members not getting the support they needed and older members missing out on insights and observations newer members provided. We're in this together. 

[[La...]]

I see. Thank you Pamster! 

Also, another question. I was prescribed Ambien because of sleep disturbances. 

I am about to taper and actually contaced a Dr/specialist to help me with the tapering. My question is, based on people's experiences, is it better to just get rid of ambien even though I have not established a good sleeping pattern.

I am doing sleep restriction. sleeping at the same time, usually 12 midnight and get up at 6 am or 7 am ( if i am exhausted). But so far, ambien is only giving me 4-5 hrs average of sleep. Sometimes 3 hrs. So it's pretty much inconsistent. 

Im thinking to just taper and be done with it because it does not seem to really hell and just deal with the sleeplesness that comes along during taper. Hopefully I recover my sleep pretty fast. 

Do you think this is the logical thing to do?

[[Pa...]]

I don't see how you can possibly improve your sleep patterns while still on the Ambien, the disruption its causing to your natural sleep rhythm will only get worse, I speak from experience.  I've heard from members that sleep restriction techniques won't work while still on  or recovering from the drug but I don't have personal experience.

I would taper the Ambien, and deal with your sleep issues in other healthier ways.  

[[La...]]

Hi Pamster - that's what i am thinking too. Because ambien is overriding my natural ability to sleep so it's kind of hard to do other things ubless im out of it.

Also, have you encountered other BB people here who developed anxiety because of the medication? 

I noticed that I developed anxiety a week after taking medication. I did not have historyof anxiety, just the normal worry from time to time. 

And so my psychiatrist diagnosed me with anxiety thus I was given amirtriptalyne too.Went to a different psychologist/therapist and he said I don't have general anxiety. I may have sleep anxiety though.

I am wary of psyhiatrists because of what I have read here. Don't trust psychiatrists anymore. 

 

 

[[Pa...]]

We get lots of unwanted and unwarranted labels while we're tolerant, withdrawing and recovering from these drugs because many in the medical profession have no clue.  More drugs to treat side effects and symptoms from another drug, hmm, glad you sought more advice.  I don't know if we should throw all psychiatrists in the same bucket though, there are some who know what we're all about. Josef Witt-Doerring, M.D. - Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (benzoinfo.com)

Oh yes, Ambien can cause anxiety, I developed it while taking it. When I stopped it, the anxiety along with the dark thoughts and inner restlessness disappeared. 

 

[[La...]]

Thank goodness I am not the only one who's experiencing anxiety due to ambien. I really suspected it's ambien. But my psychiatrist made me believe that I have generalized anxiety and I almost believed him had I not consulted the other psychologist.

 I have trust issue with my paychiatrist ( i know not all are bad)  He prescribed me mirtazapin in lieu of the amirtriptalyne ( because he thinks it's not helping my anxiety) and I did not take it. And so he increase the dosage of my amirtriptalyne ( which I'm thinking not to follow). I'll just keep my old dosage. We are always battling on the medications he's giving me because I keep rejecting them 😂 I am actually just staying with him because he's also doing paychotherapy (cbt) which might be helpful one I start withdrawing from ambien. 

My anxiety is pretty much revolving around my sleep and anxiety on taking ambien. 

So the sooner I get off my ambien I think I'll feel better. 

[[Pa...]]

Your relationship with your doctor sounds challenging, I hope it’s not contributing to your anxiety.  I can see the advantage of keeping him around but I wonder if its worth it, another doctor might be easier to work with.

Sleep has never been my best subject, hence all of the medications and alcohol I’ve used but even though its still challenging for me, the quality is so much better.  I actually feel rested, there is such a difference between drug induced sleep and the natural stuff.  

 

[[La...]]

Pamster - To be fair he is trying his best. But he is a resident dr, not a seasoned Dr that's why I have less trust. It's actually giving me dilemma right now. 

If you were me, would you go for the Dr who is well versed on benzo tapering than the psychiatrist who kept prescribing me medications? 

Also, does one to learn CBT-I techniques before tapering? Or you kind of just learn it as you go- the more important thing is just accepting it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Pa...]]

I can’t really say because I didn’t use a doctor to taper, I quit cold turkey so they were never part of my solution but its important to keep your stress levels low.  I consider stress to be a huge contributor to increased symptom severity so feeling confident in your doctor is a big part of this. 

I’ve never done CBT either but I’ve read some members say that it doesn’t stand a chance against benzo withdrawal symptoms, it may be different with z-drugs, I’m don’t know.

If you’d like to start another thread, maybe on the Health Matters forum with a specific thread title, you may get some feedback.