Ambien withdrawal

[[Le...]]

Been on ambien for 2 years and started having strange medical problems like anxiety and fatigue, feeling hot all the time.

Turns out it was the ambien so Im currently on a klonopin taper. Down to 0.25 daily. No Dr. ive found will hear me out. Psych says no to valium so klonopin is all i have to work with. Neck stiffness, shoulders, anxiety, panic, and depression and severe hypochondriasis as I am a nurse and can only think (what if its not the ambien)

[[me...]]

Hello Lee RN,

 

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  You'll find a lot of support and information here from our members who have been through a variety of benzodiazepine withdrawal experiences.  I don't know whether ambien is the original source of your problems, but I'll give you a few links to get you started here:

 

The Ashton Manual is a great resource on what to expect in withdrawal.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.

 

Members discuss their symptoms on The Withdrawal and Recovery Support Board.  We also have an Other Medications Board, where you can post questions about Ambien.

 

Lastly, please take the time to Create a Signature.  Again, welcome!

[[ea...]]

Been on ambien for 2 years and started having strange medical problems like anxiety and fatigue, feeling hot all the time.

Turns out it was the ambien so Im currently on a klonopin taper. Down to 0.25 daily. No Dr. ive found will hear me out. Psych says no to valium so klonopin is all i have to work with. Neck stiffness, shoulders, anxiety, panic, and depression and severe hypochondriasis as I am a nurse and can only think (what if its not the ambien)

 

Hi LeeRN,

Im eastcoast, and Im an RN too, 30 long years of that! Its unbelievable that they put you on Klonapin to get off Ambien! Medically insane, really. Ambien can be tapered like any other med. I gather you are worrying that your symptoms are not Ambien-withdrawal stuff, that you've gotten some horrible disease...? We ALL think that, it seems to be an extremely common thing in withdrawal and withdrawal from a Z drug is pretty much like benzo wd. And we nurses...well, you know how we are. We self-diagnose all the time. I remember so clearly, when I was a new nurse, reading about some disease and starting to believe I had it! Once, I became convinced I had Lupus, and trotted off to get a bunch of testing done. And did NOT have lupus, of course.  Ambien acts very much the same as a benzo and has very much the same tolerance and addiction. Many people develop "paradoxical reactions" to it, and are suddenly so wired they cannot sleep at all. Other consequences of taking a Z drug are  balance problems, falls, memory trouble. Anxiety, fear, fatigue...all are quite common. Did they switch you to Klonapin without tapering the Ambien at all??? Unreal...but here you are, and please trust that you will get through this. Im so glad you found BenzoBuddies. The people here will do their best to guide you and answer any questions you have.Dont be shy, just start posting. You'll soon be armed with knowledge and suggestions to help you get through this.

  Everything you mention can be a symptom of withdrawal, be it from a benzo or a Z drug. Anxiety is very, very common and you will find many people who suffer from it. And most of us worry a lot about our symptoms, think we're much sicker than our doctors say, etc. I dont know why this is so common but it is.

  Have you read The Ashton Manual yet? Thats where a lot of us start our education. Sorry to hear your doctors dont "get it" but thats been true for a lot of us here.  Do you have family or friends to help you out??

    For anxiety and fear, one of the best things to help is doing simple deep breathing. "Abdominal breathing". Cant tell you how often Ive done that! Theres YouTube videos on it, plus also they have relxation music and videos... . even subnliminal ones. You will also hear about a lot of different supplements people try... be careful there. As an RN, you know that supplements, even the "natural" ones, can have side effects.

    I wish you best of luck in your journey. We nurses are tough. You can do this...with a little help from your friends.

eastcoast

[[De...]]

Hello LeeRN,

 

Welcome to the forum from me too 

 

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering. All of the symptoms you are describing do sound withdrawal related. How fast are you tapering ? General tapering guidelines are to reduce the dosage by between 5% and 10% every 10 to 14 days according to how you are feeling. We always advise listening to how your body reacts to the cuts. If you are feeling a little too symptomatic it can be an indication that you are tapering too quickly in which case we would suggest slowing the taper rate down, basically let your body dictate the taper rate.

 

There is a support blog here dedicated to members who are tapering from klonopin. I will give you a link to it. I'm sure the members there will be happy to assist you with good tapering advice to ensure that the final part of your taper is as smooth and as comfortable as possible.

Here is a link to The Klonopin Klub :

 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=57791.msg996225#msg996225

 

 

 

I'm glad you found us and I wish you well with the taper.

 

Debbie

[[Le...]]

Thanks for the replies. My situation is more complicated than just the ambien. I first started taking it 2 years ago shortly before I had back surgery at age 27 from an injury. I got hooked on Lortab on and off for the last two years as well. 

Anyway, I convinced my GP to give me tramadol when I started feeling anxious throughout the day and fatigued (this was this past october). In my typical fashion I took it whether I had pain or not. I became very constipated in nov and started vomiting so I quickly tapered and essentially CT the tramadol. Got much sicker but didnt understand why. Thought I had strep throat or something. So in efforts to feel better I would try to taper the ambien so started by decreasing slowly. But I immediately started having panic attacks, shortness of breath, and neuro problems too....dyskinesia. So went back to GP. DX anxiety. RX: zoloft this was a friday been off tramadol 12 days still on ambien. took zoloft fri sat sun and following mon huge panic attack at work with convulsions and nearly lost consiousness neck stiffness, back, confusion, multiple er visits and no dx. Tested me for everything under the sun icl. hiv, hep, flu, mono, everything anyone could think of incl spinal tap. Everything come back normal except mildly elevated bilirubin which i followed up on and has since come back to normal. Finally er doc gave me ativan. Like a miracle it gave me relief as I was up for 60 hours straight and was very delirious. Since then I was dx severe serotonin syndrome. Dx made by GP num 2 who told me not to come back! GP num1 who Rx the meds told me impossible and sent me to psych. He Rx the klonopin and seroquel. Klonopin was amazing and didnt take the seroquel. This was 2 weeks ago. Since then i went to GP num 3 who took the time to listen but said he wouldnt RX or do anything and referred me back to Psych who just wants me on meds and won't listen to anything i have to say so im tired of doctoring and do it myself. The symptoms are mostly gone but anxiety depression, facial numbness, week arms and hands, cramping in back of neck and burning sensations on neck face and shoulder like ive been sunburned feel hot temp 98.7 every time i take it, nightmares, night sweats. I think the motor symptoms are attributed to the stiff neck. most symptoms i attribute to ss but the original sx and problems no doubt mild ss and ambien wd. My plan: get off as quickly as poss to sort this out. I cant make a logicle decision until i can surely say its not wd symptoms. Thanks in advance. Looking back now I can see how ive been in tolerance wd for a long time. THe anxiety, nausea. Crazy how a sleeping pill can start so much.

[[in...]]

Sorry Lee, you're having such a rough time. I am new here as well, looking for info. Im on Ativan and ambien.

I don't understand Ashton on ambien. What is the V. equivalent..10mg? She also talks about short acting Z pills like halcion, don't even

have to wean. So Im confused on this. Any direction would be appreciated. I don't even know which thread to go to or how to start my own.

 

 

[[Ji...]]

as someone who is also on a Z drug and planning on coming off, I would be interested to hear how this is going for you guys?

 

[[ea...]]

Wow, youve been thru a really awful experience. I just checked on SS and it can happen when a person takes an SSR (antidepressant) along with another durg. One article mentioned migraine meds, and narcotics. Since Tramadol is "very much like" a narcotic, it probably can cause SS along with the Zoloft. You are undoubtedly right about the tolerance withdrawal!

    Ambien is a sleeping pill in a class known as "Z drugs." (Called that because they all start with the letter Z-). They are additive, lose their effectiveness fairly quickly usually (I presume they really mean tolerance!) and have their own withdrawal.

  Im confused about something - are you still taking the Klonapin? Thats a benzo, as you probably know, and is famous for having a wicked withdrawal. Like Valium...very addicting and can cause tolerance withdrawal, tho some doctors do not believe tolerance wd even exists! I strongly believe it DOES.  Also, if you're on Klonapin, you're no longer on the Ativan...?

    I sure know how frustrated you're feeling with the doctors. May I ask, do you live in the US? There seems to be more ignorance here....

      You mention you tapered the Anmbien, but are you still taking it in a lower dose? I can help you better if I know the answers to these questions.

      Look, dont beat yourself up..."in my typical fashion"...Youre only human and all humans want relief from pain, whether its physical or emotional. You are wise, tho, to understand that its not healthy to "self medicate"...But believe me, this is very, very common. You have found your way to this site, and that alone says some great things about your desire to make better, safer decisions about your health.

eastcoast

[[Le...]]

I interpreted the Ashton Manuel as describing tapering ambien as optional. According to the person's own situation. I was on it for 2 years along with opiates which enhance the effects. I also had liver impairment due to the meds. After 2 years I started having anxiety and weight loss. I needed a benzo to help me through the SS. I decided to go on klonopin as Rx by psych and then wean off and be done. Yes all this happened at the same time. I guess the tramadol withdrawal is what elevated the serotonin. When I went to my GP he interpreted my anxiety as pathological and RX zoloft. I took 3 doses before my seizures. I guess the ssri is exactly the drug i didnt need at the time. So the ativan saved my life. switched to klonopin and weaned off. burning, numb face neck arms. parasthesia in arms hands legs  feet. Triggers for anxiety jokes, rock music, sugar, milk and/or cereal, loud places. neck stiff and sore spine feels like its burning, and heartburn.        I would go on a long acting benzo and wean off it that way. Weaning off ambien sucks because as soon as you take it you wd due to short half life. If you are not having symptoms of wd from ambien then I would recommend just do a fast taper and take something otc for sleep or maybe betablocker if your doc is ok with that. If you are having wd symptoms from ambien such as anxiety nausea than its too late, switch to a regular benzo and do a taper but do it as fast as reasonably possible. BTW never had anxiety in the first place so it was foreign to me when the tolerance wd started and it freaked me out prompting every medical test known to man. Plus side, I have proof i am the healthiest sick person alive. Hypochondria getting better now.

[[No...]]

Valiums will often be used in place of Z Drugs because it has a much longer half-life. Trying to taper while on Z drugs is nearly impossible-I tried for years, but they are out of your system so quickly that the interdose withdrawal is intolerable. Z Drugs are incredibly dangerous long-term. I was up to an average of 20 7.5mg Zopiclone per day! And I was still "functioning" though not as well as I thought at the time. I would cook, clean, drive, etc. I would also drink a great deal of alcohol to try to get them to put me to sleep. My addictions counselor has worked with a woman half my size who was taking 90 x day! Though Benzos are highly addictive, they are preferred for taper for these reasons. It will get better, and I really feel that Clonidine is a great drug to help you through the worst of the W/D.

[[Ji...]]

Sadly I dont have the option of going back on a benzo. It sends me into hell (paradoxical reaction?)

 

I am tapering the zopiclone now even tho I really wanted to remain stable on it whilst doing my exams this term. It seems that the inter withdrawal effects are hitting me too badly anyway. I have no option but to do a straight taper off of it.

 

On the plus side I have never upped the dose. I have remained on 7.5mgs for 8 years now. It wasnt until I took diazepam that I noticed any REAL withdrawal problems. (although now I see that my breathlessness, exhastion and muscle fatigue before the benzo's was all related to the zopiclone)

 

Z drugs are HELL. I have no idea how I am going to cope with this every day.

[[lk...]]

Hi guys!

 

Just some good info. I tapered my ambien while taking my xanax and it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I am still working on the xanax taper but its possible. I think these drugs cause soooooooooooooooooo many side effects that make us think we need more and that we are sick and crazy and something else is wrong. I have noticed a huge difference coming off the ambien and now dropped my xanax dose considerably. I don't have near as many headaches and stomach issues and my neck doesnt burn like it use to. I had the hot scalp that felt like it was sunburned for a while during the beginning of my taper. It was just plain annoying. It flares up sometimes now but not anywhere near how it was. I get hot at night too and its not menopause yet.... Usually its my feet.....weird.

 

Just know you can do it!!!!

 

Lisa

[[Le...]]

congrats on your recent victory over substances. I must say, I never considered myself a drug abuser until the drugs started ruining my life. Coming off nearly killed me IE convulsions, seizures. I expect it out of lortab, other opiates, alcohol, but sleeping pills! I never saw that one coming and its been by far the worst. Ambien is definately underestimated. I am a successful RN and know the published adverse effects. The pharm have completely pulled the wool over the med community's eyes. I have been off of everything now for 9 days and feel better and more like my old self every day. Praise our Lord.

[[Le...]]

JigglyJo, its too bad your not able to switch to a regular benzo. Which ones have you tried? Also what reactions do you have. If your forced to go at this with only the z drug. Taper down as quickly as you can because your gonna be in acute wd no matter how slow you taper. Talk your doc into something else for the anxiety which will be severe. Propranolol works well or any other beta blocker IE metoprolol atenolol. clonodine works too. Also, symptoms are not always imagined new research attempts to explain the bizarre nature of benzo wd. Many of them may have to do with muscle tension on the spine. Try lots of relaxation exercises. Moist heat to muscles and message, hot showers. Also SAIDH can play with your hydration status so drink AND eat salty foods to keep your body from depleating your water sources causing isotonic dehydration and drop in blood volume which could also explain dizziness, weakness, muscle cramps, confusion, orthostatic hypotension. This has worked for me as the symptoms have dramatically gotten better. I repeat, this is much much easier and safer done on regular benzos as I tried to go off ambien by taper and landed me in ER after ER with severe panic attacks, seizures and convulsions. Good Luck and God Bless you on your journey.

[[Ji...]]

JigglyJo, its too bad your not able to switch to a regular benzo. Which ones have you tried? Also what reactions do you have. If your forced to go at this with only the z drug. Taper down as quickly as you can because your gonna be in acute wd no matter how slow you taper. Talk your doc into something else for the anxiety which will be severe. Propranolol works well or any other beta blocker IE metoprolol atenolol. clonodine works too. Also, symptoms are not always imagined new research attempts to explain the bizarre nature of benzo wd. Many of them may have to do with muscle tension on the spine. Try lots of relaxation exercises. Moist heat to muscles and message, hot showers. Also SAIDH can play with your hydration status so drink AND eat salty foods to keep your body from depleating your water sources causing isotonic dehydration and drop in blood volume which could also explain dizziness, weakness, muscle cramps, confusion, orthostatic hypotension. This has worked for me as the symptoms have dramatically gotten better. I repeat, this is much much easier and safer done on regular benzos as I tried to go off ambien by taper and landed me in ER after ER with severe panic attacks, seizures and convulsions. Good Luck and God Bless you on your journey.

 

Thank you so much for this reply.

 

I have tried to go back onto diazepam in order to try and taper the zopiclone. The first one I took sent me through the roof and it didn't stop for two days. It was UNBEARABLE. I didn't know what was happening and then I read about the 'paradoxical reaction'. this is most definitely what I had.

 

I have no idea how I am going to do another cut to the Z drug. I am on 3.75mg per night now and it gives me 2 hours sleep. I'm suffering horrible W/d effects all through the day the worst of which is the anxiety, terror, intrusive, obessive thoughts and crying rage fits.

 

I know that my final jump of the Z will likely cause ALOT of distress. I can not jump or change anything now until the end of march at least. I am in the final year of my degree and I CAN NOT FAIL.

[[lk...]]

Jiggly...........I think if you give yourself some time you might stabilize a little. Your body is just trying to play catch up. I also found my thought process around sleep had a huge effect on the whole situation. You will definitely have physical symptoms no matter what the doctors say.... but you can help yourself if you get your mind in the right place about how you think about sleep. Its not an easy task either. "The Effortless Sleep Solution" is a good book if you are interested!

 

Hang in there. There is another guy that tapered down all the way from the ambien with no benzo and he is doing well!!! You can look for his story on here. Redeemeds Blog. I would look for it but I am running out right now and can't at the moment.

 

Good luck....keep posting!

 

Lisa

[[Le...]]

I was having the exact same problems with ambien. I am not sure how I would have done it without the klonopin but if I were you, I would try atenolol for anxiety and panic attack control. Benedryl and melatonin for sleep to try and hasten your taper. The longer you drag out the z drug taper the harder it is. Of course discuss this with your doctor before trying any new medication as they all have side effects and can interact with other meds you may be on. Good luck and God Strength. Also discuss maybe an antidepressant. If you do take antidepressants don't do melatonin or benedryl as they can cause adverse effects that make benzo wd seem like a child's game. Low dose serequel works great for sleep too especially if you are continuing the z drug as they work well together with little side effects. BTW if your GP is the one doing the RX I would try a psychiatrist as they are much more capable of rx the right drugs.

[[Ji...]]

Jiggly...........I think if you give yourself some time you might stabilize a little. Your body is just trying to play catch up. I also found my thought process around sleep had a huge effect on the whole situation. You will definitely have physical symptoms no matter what the doctors say.... but you can help yourself if you get your mind in the right place about how you think about sleep. Its not an easy task either. "The Effortless Sleep Solution" is a good book if you are interested!

 

Hang in there. There is another guy that tapered down all the way from the ambien with no benzo and he is doing well!!! You can look for his story on here. Redeemeds Blog. I would look for it but I am running out right now and can't at the moment.

 

Good luck....keep posting!

 

Lisa

 

This is GOOD news to hear and most welcome today! Im gonna look up the blog. Thanks Lisa x

[[lk...]]

Just stopping in to see how you are doing??

 

Lisa

[[ea...]]

Boy, this is confusing. I think its crazy to go on a benzo to wean off a Z drug. But thats just my way of thinking and Im pretty foggy. Z drugs are eliminated quickly. It IS possible to wean off them but its a helluva lot faster than a benzo taper.

    When I did it, I had a limited supply left, so started cutting them in half (Ambien 10 mgs).  I was already in serious withdrawal from Klonapin so its hard to say what symptoms the Ambien caused. I highly doubt it was anywhere near what the benzo did! No proof of this, tho.

  If you can get on a beta blocker, they seem to help many people. They are given to people who have a public speaking anxiety and they do work. Not a cure, just a little help. Ive been on Atenolol for several monthes. For some reason, clonidine and Inderal are usually the ones mentioned. Dont know why.

    I hope this all works out for you, Lee. You're a tough person, ALL RNs are! We have to be. Unfortunately, tho, we also have that " alittle too much knowledge" thing going on with us. It can make things more confusing, I think.

eastcoast

[[Ji...]]

I wonder how Ambien differs from zopiclone?

 

My system is racing today. I started off productive this morning and I am in akasthasia hell now. Ive just taken some magnesium which a lot of people have said helps with this.

 

JJ

x

[[ea...]]

Well zoplicone is a z drug, and its closest cousin here in America is Lunesta. Z drugs do have a tolerance and a possible withdrawal. They cause the same trash benzos do, memory loss, balance problems, anxiety, insomnia, etc., the very symptoms they are prescribed to "help". Not always safe to take at all.

eastcoast

[[lk...]]

Jiggly..............I took all three....the lunesta, ambien and ambien cr. I feel they all have a little different composition but at the end of the day I think the sx from the wd is almost identical.

 

Hang in there!!! Just don't cut again right now. You need to stabilize!!!

 

Lisa

[[ea...]]

Ok, Im confused...what do you guys mean by "a regular" benzo? A benzo is a benzo is a benzo, or so I thought.

[[Ji...]]

Eastcoast,

 

Z drugs are 'marketed' here in the UK as NON addictive and NON benzo. Techinically they are not the same as Diazepam or other drugs branded as benzodiazapine derivatives. I will need to look into it more when my every waking minuite isnt devoted to either getting through withdrawal or focusing on my dissertation.

 

Z drugs are different to Benzos but should be treated as the same is the message I am hearing from what Ive read.

 

In some cases they may actually be worse than a traditional benzo (diazepam, lorazepam, klonazapam, all the PAMS and some of the Vans) Their short half life and their ability to induce memory loss and night terrors is a special feature I think.

a few more nasties the drug reps wont tell dr's about.