Direct Switch from Ambien to Klonopin

[[La...]]

Hi everyone,

 

Just want to hear your throughts. I an on ambien for sleep and amitriptyline for anxiety. I was switched from amitriptyline to mirtazapine as psych doc felt ami was not working. 

Now I have shaking and twitching i thinkg because of murtazapine. Been taking ambien for 3 months and mirta for 2 weeks. I told psych about the  body shaking and tremor and must be from mirtazapine. 

He is now prescribing me klonopin. direct switch from ambien and half of mirtazapine? I told him that i feel like my shakes are from mirra and he said possible but could be anxiety as well. I never had this reaction when I was on amitriptyline. 

 

Any thought on direcr switch from ambien to klonopin? Its like c/t of ambien. He's crazy. But he said i mught get relief from the shakes.

Help please? Thoughts? I am on 15 mg mirtazapine and roughly 3/4 pill ambien. 

 

 

 

 

[[...]]

I tapered from klonopin. I say taper from Ambien. Do not introduce klonopin it will ruin your life.

Wait for feedback from those who are familiar with Ambien too .

Figure out how to sleep drug and alcohol free.

 

[[...]]

Remeron is a bear for people to get off too. Slow taper that also.

[[La...]]

I am so lost. I am shaking. I feel like i'm going to lose my mind.

 

[[La...]]

Okay i won't take klonopin. I am just bothered by the shakes.

 

Is it akathisia?

[[La...]]

okay i won't take the klonopin. how do i get rid of the shakes? Can I reduce mirtazapin to half?

[[Hi...]]

@[La...]

I'm in a similar situation. I was told by the doctor to switch directly from zopiclone (a z-drug like Ambien) to estazolam (a classic benzo for sleep). I've been suffering frpm insomnia in recent years and zopiclone stopped working. I haven't made the decision yet.

Maybe you are shaking because Ambien has a very short half-life, of two hours. Or it may be some paradoxical reaction to two serotoninergic drugs. You cannot reduce mirt to half without first talking to your doctor.

[[La...]]

@[Hi...] I am butting heads with my psychiatrist. I feel like he is going to fire me soon lol

I was not shaking when I was in amitriptyline only when I was switched to mirtazapine. 

He already prescribed me Klonopin which I don't have the intention to take. I think it will be a hell on top of my ambien and mirtazapine. I would just taper down Ambien.

But when i was on amitriptyline- I had really bad chest pain and I was vomiting so hard everyday and it  went away when I switched to mirtazapine. I guess I just exchanged one sympton to another.

I am really afraid of akathisia so this shakes and twitches scares me so much. 

 

Pscyh even jusy mentioned that I can just stop everything since I am not in a high dose. That's so bad. I think he's  upset that I am contradicting him by saying that the shakes are medine induced and not just anxiety.

They all just label it as anxiety

 

 

 

 

 

[[...]]

Some people get external shakes, I had internal vibrations. I held out as long as I could before going to a doctor for it. I never went to the doctor for it.

Do your best to hold on try to distract from it.  It will fade. And wouldn't it be nicer than fooling around with other chemicals. When it lets up a little look for distraction tools, journaling, solitair ect.

Edited September 19, 2023 by [...]
Removed probably from in front of fade

[[Hi...]]

@[La...]

I wouldn't risk staying without a pdoc if there is not another pdoc available. Mirt has  tremors as a sxs, so maybe print the relevant article and show your pdoc. This may persuade them to reduce your mirt. If the shakes lessen, the case is obvious. Mirt is causing them. 

[[La...]]

@[...] the thing is I have not even started my taper of ambien and I am already experiencing this way. How much more if I start tapering. 

I had a benzo specialist who was opposed to switching to mirtazapine but I was just so desperate as my vomiting and my chest pain was so intense.

Yes i will hold out. Did it ever go away? your vibrations? I think if i hyperfocus on it it worsen but if i do something else I don't feel it so so much.

 

[[La...]]

@[Hi...] i know i acted out earlier during the call.

He did not refill my ambien because I am supposed to take klonopin. 

I still had few from last time so i'll use it.

I am so anxious.

Let me know how your durect switch go.

[[Hi...]]

@[La...]

Take the klonopin then. We are dependent on our primary caregivers and pdocs. They are responsible for our health and life if something happens. I don't think people here should give much psych med advice at all, as they don't have the necessary medical background.

They are speaking from their own experience. Worst case scenario, you change the pdoc. You cannot be left on your own with this site, sweetie. A friend told me it's biased against psychiatric community, although the rules don't say so.

You'd rather have a real person responsible if something happens to you. Than a perfect stranger online. There are courts, there are patient's rights. You can demand indemnity in case something happens. Don't rely on online peer support forums alone. People tend to go beyond peer support and it's dangerous.

[[Ch...]]

I disagree please don’t take the klonopin 

[[...]]

No good answer. So sorry. Your in hell. You will get out. Your goal is no chemicals. Keep your eye on the goal. But you have to deal with the taper some day anyway.

You have to tough it out. Just look for tools that help you. When you get stable enough.

Maybe start a new thread when your feeling better and ask the community for some techniques.

[[Hi...]]

@[Ch...]

Didn't want to sound prescriptive. Do you think you sound prescriptive? Are you a medical professional? I'm not. It all depends on how @[La...] feels. It's her life, not yours. Not mine. Well, I'm out of here. I feel like in a doctor's office. I hope the OP will be okay😭

Edited September 18, 2023 by [Hi...]

[[...]]

I you have to take the k. That's sucks. Sorta stupid. If you can get another doc before you have to take k I think it would be easier in the long run.  (Just opinion/guess I never took anything besides k ). If you have take k just, go for it and start your taper. Even if you think you like it. Get off.

[[...]]

Sorry hamari and Chantel. If I crossed some line. I'll just read a while....

[[Hi...]]

@[...]

No, you didn't cross any line. You envision life without chemicals for her. Idk what life will be the best for her. You know, chemicals are scary. But what goes on in people's minds can be much more scary sometimes.

 Everything depends on whether @[La...] is able to wait and find a pdoc, who'll give her, let's say, the diazepam, whatever. Sorry for the photo, it has haunted me all my life. Admins feel free to remove it. I cannot watch it myself.

I'm deeply sorry. Please tell me to remove the photo and I'll do it ASAP. I happen to be working with such patients.

Edited September 19, 2023 by [Hi...]

[[Hi...]]

@[re...]

Do you want me to remove the photo or are you mad at what I wrote.

[[re...]]

@[Hi...] - That whole reply is unnecessary. Certainly the picture and the story that goes with it are of little or no help, but very triggering. I think you should delete that part of the reply at least.

Edited September 18, 2023 by [re...]

[[...]]

I didn't see the photo. Thank goodness, I don't need to be triggered today.

It's hard as I'm getting better I am trying not to say anything triggering, even amounts of time in my withdrawal. But yah have to say something. Reading BB is certainly a good source for understanding that these crazy symptoms are the bezos.

Edited September 18, 2023 by [...]

[[Hi...]]

@[re...]

We just happened to disagree. You have your opinion, I have mine. Let's respect our differences. Yes, what I posted was def too triggering.

All the best to you @[La...]. Sorry @[...]

Some things just make me too emotional. I'm happy you didn't see the photo. I didn't mean to trigger anyone. I really didn't.

Edited September 18, 2023 by [Hi...]

[[...]]

I would been fine... just chatting .  Have a nice evening all.

[[Pa...]]

Hi @[La...], are your shakes like internal vibrations like @[...] mentioned, or are they outward, as in real shaking?

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you could hold off tapering the Ambien anymore until you can get your other medications figured out.  But, if your doctor has cut off your Ambien supply, this won’t be possible.  Do you think you can find another doctor before you run out? 

I’ve quit both Klonopin and Ambien and Klonopin was the worst experience of my life, benzodiazepines are tough for some of us to recover from.