Z-Drug Support Group (Lunesta, Imovane, Zimovane, Ambien, Sonata, Zopiclone)

[[Jo...]]

Hi Basten. So sorry for the pain you are in. This all happened as a result of your most recent reduction? If so, then that’s a pretty good indicator for why your symptoms have increased. This too will pass. Believe it and you will weather the storm. So good we have this place to share miseries that nobody that does not have firsthand experience can really understand. Stay the course and praying for you.

[Guest [Ba...]]

Oh ok im sorry i aound so negative on here. I thought saying how we feel was allowed but you are much younger than me and i write as i  find re issues but yes positive is good if youve not had issues that have worn ne down a s now all this which ive no idea whats causing what and i write in hope that naybe someone ekse may have same  symptoms but noone seens too. I know reducing a bebzo can incease acid.

 

And no there is no doctor. My own is hardly around we cant see face to face unless they need to examine etc and then tou have to put up with a duty gp one who maybe barely knows you and we only get 10 muns here in UK. Sime can get to soeak their usual doc but even before c19 youd have maybe a 3 week wait to see or again duty dic some are foreign never heard of as some retired. No they wouldnt understand at all trying to explain i know them and attitude.  I have been discharged months now from psych back to gp but ive a label.of anxiety and somatisation so it will all be put down to that. I tried one gp i said i go high eating carbs fruit ...eat a carrot was his reply. You have to be really sick to be taken seriously and he once said you need your sleep dont stop the zop. Maybe he was right.

 

You cant just get ensure etc on NHS as GP would prescribe and im overweight due to mirtaz. Yep i guess the zop and stuff has[redacted] my body up and the way i feel now i dont know id it can handle a benz taper.

The psychs and GPs here have no clue about withdrawal symptoms but they were happy to keep prescribing years . Ive had zop on off since before 1997 short term but never this long.

 

Well thank you for your support. I wish you all good health to come

 

Edit: Profanity

[[Ka...]]

Dear sweet Basten, it is not you, it is not who you are, it is what the drugs have done to your brain and your body. So glad you at least have the Benzo and Z charity support, please use their help all that you can. To suffer as you are and not sleep on top of it is hell and we understand that.

 

Blood sugar issues could be part of why you can't sleep. I also get hungry during the night if I don't sleep. It definitely messes with our blood sugar if we don't sleep, I feel that too. I use intermittent fasting to regulate mine. I hope you'll get help with yours. Keep going, keep trying and you are TOTALLY allowed to say how bad you feel, that IS why we are here because we understand, many of us go through similar things. People will share ideas and hope with you. As Deanna says, you are healing and it's a process. We all need hope and it's hard to find it with such severe symptoms. I'm glad you are here and you tell us what you're going through.

 

John:  you sound very good, on course, so I look forward to hearing how the days pass for you. I have an intuition that you will be feeling better and better little by little as you go along!

 

All others: how's your week?

 

My friend passed away this week. Probably many, or all, of you have had loved ones pass away but I've not had many at all. I loved him very much, well I still do of course. I took a Benadryl last night and then tonight I tried to sleep without one but just took it again now because I have a big day tomorrow and I am feeling so bad already that I couldn't lie there awake for hours. But I'm just being honest here. I don't want to say I took it again tonight because it's not how I want to live. But I did. At first I just said, well, if I don't sleep then I'll deal with it ... death has always scared me. I visited him and said goodbye and have never before seen a person after they died. So of course that would keep me awake.

 

I feel really crappy, just exhausted, run down, lonely, tired ... hungry and sort of a feeling of dread and dullness.

 

I just wish I could have something that would make me sleep. I wanted to write that in all caps. I want to cry. My husband falls asleep about 2 seconds BEFORE his head hits the pillow!!! I want to call my son and be with him, I want my people close to me. So I'm writing to you. I guess I should go rest now. Thank you.

KB

[[De...]]

Oh Kachina I am so sorry for your loss.  Grief is an overwhelming emotion, and losing a loved one comes with so many conflicting emotions.  It's an exhausting roller coaster.  There is no way to temper what you are going through right now, you will just need to bear the cross of all those emotions.  I don't know if you have all the typical activities like a wake, funeral etc., but those are so stressful for those in our situation because there are the obligatory interactions.  Again, I am so sorry for you and your family.

 

I guess the only advice I can give is just let it all wash over you and accept any symptoms if and when they come. Resistance is futile.  Life happens.  Hold your dear ones close and live life.

[[Jo...]]

Basten I hear your pain, I so wish I could wrap you in my arms and take it away. Please continue to share and we’ll be here to listen, and with hope, offer you support. Kachina, so sorry to hear about your friend. Whatever you do, please resist going back to Ambien. I was off longer than you are now when I went back on, and I can tell you it’s worse the second time around. Stay the course.

[Guest [Ba...]]

Bless you all for your kind replies even tho you are struggling too.

 

I dread no sleep but whilst still on mirtaz and clonaz i do. I once stopped a spell.of clonaz in hospital. I didnt sleep fir a week. It drove me nuts as they were discharging and still in pain. Looking back this was also pain too from stooling benz but i o d. On 30 of them. Well i slept well but was lucky. I didnt take again for ages didnt get panics or seizures but felt awful naively not realising it was stopping bs and then later had all sorts of pain.

 

Katchina i know it is awful losing someone so dear. I too have a fear of death. I think it is the unknown but life can be just as fearful. Seeing someone for the first time is hard after theyve died  i kept expecting my father to wake up and they are so cold and i knew his spirit had gone and all thats left is the flesh. I felt as if he were looking down on me. My husband died 1997 aged 50. Not pleasant but i knew he was going and i.lay my head next to his and said its ok you can go now..and he did. Then i nursed mum.

Then my good young funny friend died 54.  Now my son 43 has cancer which they are optimistic about.  I know he is scared of chemo and radio to come abd hes got to be tube fed.

You had wonderful times with your friend. It is a shock to the system and very hard to accept. But you will and you  have just had one of lifes tough experiences so you are not alone yet you feel alone empty and sad. I am learning to try and accept what we will all have to face and cant eacape but i am scared i admit as my teenage friends some my age have gone and noone wants to leave loved ones yet we can only remember the good times the fun.

Its awful to watch hubby sleep when you cant. I tend to eat if i cant must im not supposed to as with reflux you shouldnt lie down after eating but a bowl of porridge sends me to sleep. When we are digesting blood goes to stomach from brain. I do hope your friend has a nice send off and you will be able to go.

 

John i wish you could give me a big hug too...i live alone and certainly could do with it as cant walk much after a hip op Feb which isnt healing and digestive issues and drug issues.

I do hope you are healing and are you tapering the z still?

A huge thankyou for being here and i know im a bit grumpy !! Now my next taper is the benzo which i dread the most!!!

[[La...]]

Kachina I'm sorry for the loss of your close friend. May you be comforted! I know that's difficult to not see them anymore. Please keep in mind, craving something to put you to sleep is part of your symptoms. Please allow your brain the space to heal if you can. As you said before, if you don't sleep well that's ok and won't kill you. If it takes you awhile to fall asleep then that's ok too. I wish I could give you and Basten a big hug!

Basted I also had silent severe reflux while on Ambien and it's not so severe now but I still have it. When you get off the Ambien you'll feel better in many ways. I agree with Deanna that you're in tolerance and I would bet you're also interdose withdrawal too. I'm sure this is so tough living alone. Your story made my heart go out to you. This is a very challenging debilitating in most cases and sometimes long road to travel to recovery. Nobody should have to go through it alone. We are here for you! I agree with Deanna that your doctor should be informed. You pay him so stand up for yourself and make him take the time to listen. Although I'm sure the end result wil be to give you more crap medication to "fix" you. Only time and going through the WD will do that. Sometimes during that process people need other medications. Dr Ashton and other benzo wise physicians says to take another medication ONLY if your life is in danger. Those other medications will be just more crap messing up your already injured brain and most of them have to be tapered. I just wanted to put that out there. Do you have anything that comforts you? Knitting, puzzles, etc? Does anyone come to your home to check on you?

Also I'm so sorry your son is sick with cancer. I know you as a mother is worried. I hope he can recover. I think you said you're 72? Do you qualify for any home services? An assistant or adult sitter that could come a few times a week to help?

John your plan sounds a bit rough to cut that much Ambien per week. But it's your body! Even though you don't feel the Ambien anymore, your brain is still used to a certain dose. These big chunks may accumulate into a massive wave. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't warn you. I'd hate to see you in worse shape. Either way, we are here to support each other. I wish you well and I'm rooting for your success.

Deana how are you feeling? Any new symptoms? Any went away? You're at a milestone so there's always changes around those times. I'm so very proud of your 1 year!!!

As for me, I'm still having waves and small short windows. Still in bed mostly all day. Still can't tolerate walking around, standing up for no longer than few minutes and can't tolerate sitting up for long. I named this pulling symptom Davy Jones from pirates of the Caribbean movie LOL and my boatiness is Jack Sparrow LOL Damn bloody pirates!!!

If you all named your symptoms what would it be?

[Guest [Ba...]]

Ladyden

You are very kind . I am sorry to hear you are in bed most days. When i reduced diaz same here. I was very tired weak .etc. yes severe acid doesnt help .maybe ive read that anti anxiety meds abd blood pressure meds can cause too. Which i have. I have a long road ahead. Ive spoken to my doc and she agreed to prescribe the liquid clonazepam which someone told me abiut so i can reduce slowly. Of course being NHS they try to avoid costs so she mentioned it costs £70 a bottle!! I am pensioner so get free. I am dreading it but i believe the clon and mirtaz have made me brain dead very depressed (accident and son hadnt helped) and i have kind of given up on everything. I have a daughter who is wonderful and sees me when she can she is 45 still single and has tried fertility 4 times and it faiked so she is struggling with her job too. She has always looked after me and tajen me out. But needs to concentrate on herself more. I used to go out to a couple of groups but they closed down. Im not a good mixer. I know what you say re more drugs. Ive been on 30 in 30 years all ok for a while. My psych discharged ne and said they not the answer and i have personality disorder but i can ask to be referred back but its a long process here Uk. I will see how i go i told GP it will be hard. I have contact with a benzo abd z charity support helper . No i get no visitors. I have asked my surgery. There is no local befrienders and anyway i am too down to talk. I have a young ckeaner once week and she is nice. I have no hobbies. Ive tried all sorts over time but have no stickability and reading is hard. I am talking to a nice counsellor once a week. I dont know what to do re meds. I am prediabetic and high cholesterol from over eating due to the mirtaz. Now i just sit all day or stay in bed till late which isnt good as i cant go shops walk far drive so no exercise.

My life has changed a lot. I was an alcoholic until 2000 from 14 up hosoitals for that and mental health were so much better way back when. I was given Trazadone  sept 2019 with zop clonaz amitrp and it sent me loopy...ended up mental ward where they cut my clonaz added meds and where i experienced my first awful panic attacks. Never had in life. I admit im struggling like we all are and I wish i could help and cheer you up all here. You have been kind . I told my gp my daughter wanta me to see psych again but i aaid theyll only want to put me on more meds and theyve said ive tried them all but i did feel happier on some at times

My issue as old if on too many i can be refused my licence as older now at present ive onkybbeen renewed 3 years but i cant drive due to bad leg anyway.

John i dont know if Ambien is a sleeper. I think listen to those here that have been on it.

Katchina here to listen . I am glad i have met you all

[[La...]]

Basten  we are glad to have met you too. So what is your taper plan for the Zdrug? What dose are you on?

How can we help you?

[[Tw...]]

When I got down to 5mg the interdose w/d reduced by a lot.

 

Sometimes I think I'm a little out there with all the things I'm doing to taper off ambien. but I'm doing most the these below that LadyDen mentioned:

 

ditto to "This is why you may be adding insult to injury. Also it is my suggestion that you began coping skills TODAY! This should be in the form of meditation, soothing relaxation music, self pampering tools such as relaxing baths ( skip the bath salts), taking gentle walks, slow breathing techniques ( I like the 7/11-slow 7 seconds in and slow 11 seconds out through the mouth), entertaining distractions such as games or hobbies or start something that you've always wanted to do."

 

Its a tough journey, but it helps so much not doing this alone and knowing there are others on this journey. We are getting bether one night at a time

[[Jo...]]

Hey Basten, I wouldn’t characterize your posts here as grumpy. Nice to have a place where you can share with people that know what you’re going through. I visited a psych doc on Monday and he did not make the connection to the symptoms I described and my history of using meds to sleep. He said I was “depressed” and gave me a prescription of Remeron (Mirtaz) to sleep and reduce anxiety. I have yet to take it and probably won’t. It sounds your experience with this drug is not positive. Please keep reaching out here and connecting with people and the world. Praying for you.

 

LadyDen, sorry to hear you are still in bed. Are you seeing any improvement? I take seriously your advice on the size and pace of cuts. I’ll listen to my body. I cut again last night to 12.5 mgs. To tell the truth, while being far from great, I’m feeling better on these lower doses. Certainly being at home with my family and without the immediate pressures of work helps.

 

Kachina, thank you for your support! I hope your intuition is correct!

 

Twbd1lia, I’ve been following your progress and it gives me comfort. Please keep sharing.

[Guest [Ba...]]

Ladyden

Well only reason i want off mirtazapine/remeron 15mg is the constant hunger weight gain.

It did help with sleep but ive always had it with benz . The sedating effect can inthink wear off. But think its forvanxiety too. You could tey but obviously you may inittially get side effects.a while.

Hard decision.  Im sorry the psych doesnt believe recognise your symotoms reducing z the same here. They dont cos they have no idea!!! Easier to tell you your depressed anxious etc. I am totally drugged up now onnmirtz and ckonaz bt 10. Its good to sleep but i have a feeling i may be diabetic and what i eat in the day affects my sleep...crazy i know. I may cut my mirt in half tonight as have hospital appts 2 this week abd gotta be up by 8.30 so have to put alarm on abd even then i slump. If you are still reducing your z or isvit anbien i would try carry on.

Mirtaz and benz make me very flat depressed cry . Doc wanted to increase my mirtaz but i said no.

Keep us up to date. I dont kniw how you all manage work etc. Im retired and even if i wanted to i cant walk out. My gp has agreed to give me clonazepam liquid to try taper at own oace i realky realky dread it after all the horrors ive read.  My leg is alresdy painfuul which coukd get worse!!  Thankyou fir your comments.

[[Ka...]]

Wow, Team Z!!! You're ALIVE with conversation and I really love it. Thank you for sharing and helping--it all helps all of us I believe.

 

I THREW AWAY ALL MY AMBIEN. I had 3 bottles, 2 were of little pieces from breaking off my dose. One was big fat whole 10mg pills. I threw out the first 2 last night but couldn't do the whole ones. Then my senses cleared and I thought, there's always Benadryl if I feel I need something in a crisis. So I woke up quite early this AM, came here to read posts, got up from my desk and chucked it. However, its next week when trash pickup occurs that will be the final departure of that evil pill that stole so much quality of life from me while seducing me with sleep.

 

Twbd1ila so glad to see your post, rooting for you and encourage you to hold until you're ready, there's no hurry.

 

John, congrats on the taper. One thing I noticed a lot is that when I'd drop down my little 0.50mg is that I'd have disturbed sleep but then a few days or a week later I would sort of sink into exhaustion and rest and sleep more deeply. Glad you're hesitant about Remeron and glad you have support here to contrast the annoying docs that want to push meds and can't honor the truth of the damage these drugs do.

 

Lady, again and as always, I love your dedication and sound advice! You're a great example to us all. How are your windows?

 

Deanna, did the dizzy go away?

 

Basten, so glad to know you have support of a counselor. I admire your dedication to the process of getting off the meds and I hope you'll be hit with a big reward and it will be easier than you expect. Also good to get to know you more, it's been rough and it rough now. You are not the only one who loses interest in some hobbies or activities with age and health challenges, but hope you find relaxing and soothing music or things online to listen to. I wish healing for you and for your son and am glad his prognosis for treatment is hopeful. ---also a suggestion for your daughter, a medicine I'm taking has helped many people conceive who otherwise could not. It is naltrexone at a very low dose (LDN, low-dose naltrexone), an off-label use of a very old drug. There is a big nonprofit foundation in the UK about this medicine as a woman there healed herself from MS with it and started: the LDN Research Trust. She should be able to find a doctor that treats infertility using it.  https://ldnresearchtrust.org/search-condition?field_type_of_video_target_id=460

[[Ka...]]

PS.  Twbd1ila: Had a thought, I wonder if you want to consider doing a 0.50mg drop next for a less scary and more gentle drop down, heading toward zero. Thought I'd share that thought! I wish I'd do pilates exercises to music, sounds lovely!

[[Jo...]]

Hey Katrina, congrats on throwing that poison away. Don’t be tempted to go dig it out of the trash. If you do, crush it to powder and bury it. You’re free! To others here keep fighting. Basten I really feel your pain. Please keep sharing with us and I pray for you all.

[Guest [An...]]

Hey Katrina, congrats on throwing that poison away. Don’t be tempted to go dig it out of the trash. If you do, crush it to powder and bury it. You’re free! To others here keep fighting. Basten I really feel your pain. Please keep sharing with us and I pray for you all.

 

I still have half of my Zopiclone pills. I have zero desire to try them again.

[[Jo...]]

Chuck them. Avoid any temptation. 

[Guest [Ba...]]

Kachhina WELL DONE CONGRATS TO YOU . YOUVE SUCCEEDED

im soo pleased for you.

Thankyou very much for your best wishes. I will tell my daughter that.

I dont know whats causing my insides to burn soo bad on eating. My daughter says its the drugs mum!

But ive no idea if so...which one or where ive sstopped zop after 2 half years in 10.weeks.

 

Andros throw them away.

 

 

[[Ka...]]

Thank you friends! I can't believe it's been 3 weeks. I got here because you helped me.

So, onward! Yes, glad I threw them out and will tell doc buh bye on Monday!

PEACE ALL

[[Ka...]]

Found this and I just might try it:

 

While we often think of a glass of warm milk as the go-to sleep aid, it's not a magical rem edy. In reality, the combination of fat plus lactose (a form of sugar) in the milk stresses the pan creas, triggering insulin resistance, which in turn causes a false sense of sleepiness. It's just like the reaction you'll have after Thanksgiving din ner: the combination of high fat from the turkey plus processed sugar from the pumpkin pie not the turkey's tryptophan-is what makes peo ple's eyelids heavy after the holiday meal.

The real miracle sleep aid is mango. When you eat mango before bed, phytochemicals from the fruit, along with amino acids such as glycine, glutamine, and cysteine combined with fructose and glucose, travel to the brain and quickly restore depleted neurotransmitters. This allows most insomniacs a chance to finally get some true rest during the night.

Mangoes are also beneficial for a whole slew of other aspects of health. Wonderful for stress assistance and . . .

[[le...]]

Kachhina WELL DONE CONGRATS TO YOU . YOUVE SUCCEEDED

im soo pleased for you.

Thankyou very much for your best wishes. I will tell my daughter that.

I dont know whats causing my insides to burn soo bad on eating. My daughter says its the drugs mum!

But ive no idea if so...which one or where ive sstopped zop after 2 half years in 10.weeks.

 

Andros throw them away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried ringing the Bristol Tranquilliser  Project, can be hard to get through but I found them very helpful when I first came off zopiclone, got links to other things, about the only help I could find for coming off meds. The NHS is totally useless, absolutely clueless, stick you on them then abandon you when you come off, was my new GP made me go cold turkey off zopiclone. As you say they won't even see you face to face. Do you have a U3A  where you are, I find any distraction can help, used to go to a few groups all stopped with lockdown, but things gradually starting up again. I find it really hard to be positive as my symptoms are largely mental, so don't beat yourself up about feeling down

[[De...]]

Hi Everyone!! Seems like our group is busy with healing and supporting others!  Love to see that!

 

Kachina - a BIG Congrats for throwing away the Ambien!! You will not miss it.  I'm almost one year off (July 31st) and I'm feeling like 90% healed most days.  Keeping stress to a minimum really helps.  I've been cheating on my Gluten free diet and seemingly ok, I would like to go back to wheat products again, so will be working on that.

 

I have gained a few pounds though, and losing weight is not a high priority right now, but Kachina I'm interested in your intermittent fasting.  I tried it 3 years ago and did great on it but then this situation emerged, and going without food had made my symptoms worse.  Willing to try it again  - how many hours do you go without eating each day?

 

My dizziness only lasted a few days, no big issue.  Still have left leg achiness at the end of the day when I've been very active.  Def tolerable, but I'm ready to see it go bye-bye for good.  Also tinnitus not letting up yet.  Random skin irritations popping up now.  I think I'm in the home stretch but very careful to not call this over yet as I know so many stories where big waves hit in the 13th month, etc.

 

Glad to see so many of us moving forward.  Hang in there everyone!!!

[[Ka...]]

Leann, I like what you wrote to Basten and yes, mental symptoms can be so oppressive because we believe those negative thoughts!

 

Deanna, Glad you're well! I hope there's no surprise for you on the year or month 13, etc. I have some little fleeting symptoms that I think, oh, probably the detox ... and they don't stay around much. Not sleeping enough does bring dizziness with it, lightly though, nothing like our friend LadyD.

I like having an eating window as it balances my blood sugar. I try to keep it to 6 hours or less but some days I throw it to the wind and some days it's shorter or longer. I eat a lot and enjoy it. Lost weight when I first did it and drank coffee with cream during my fast although I read it should be only black ... sometimes with the worst physical symptoms I had before the taper and curable I'd get blood sugar issues doing it under a lot of exertion or stress. Not anymore though. Feel free to send me a PM if you want to talk about it!

 

Hoping others are well, getting through the nights and days. I had a very emotional evening grieving my friend. Also woke up at 3:30 but accepted it and went out and lived my life---after being tempted to cancel the plans due to lack of sleep. Hit me on the other end of the day. But for a moment today I did sort of panic, omg I threw them out?!!!!

[[La...]]

Hugs Team Z! Kachina congrats on "THE DUMP" lol got d riddance to those pills! Evil little things!

I'm sooooo proud of you. 

Mangos? I'll have to check that out.

Deanna you're getting close to the 31st. Oh I can't wait! I hope you don't get the milestone wave. Experiencing it myself I don't want anyone to be in this hell. I'm like enough already please stop! Lol

I'm still not in my new place, still having ugly waves, still having magnet pulling, still feeling like crap most of the day....still in this bed. Some way some how I've got to get back out of this bed prison.

Warning: I'm about to vent...

You despicable nasty deceitful relentless evil low down dirty Zolpidem!!! I've had enough of your BS!!! I don't deserve this! I wish I would have known about you! I wish I never would have trusted the incompetent Doctor that gave this to me and told me it was not a benzo and very safe to take even for long periods. I hate you Zolpidem! You've ruined my life! Not just for a short time but years! I'm still suffering every day. You are the king of cruelty because you hold tight with your debilitating misery then you let go for awhile making your victim think they're home free. Then without warning you slammed them hard again back into the lonely painful darkness chained to despair. You laugh as you try to convince your victims that they'll never be healed, that they should reinstate and that it's hopeless! Guess what you sack of onion nuts!  You're a damn lie! If I can get out of this bed before then it'll happen again. Point. Blank. Period! I don't NEED you! I don't want you! I'm going to be made whole very soon. You took away years of my life but I have way more to live. You WILL release your nasty grip of withdrawals very soon because my brain is working hard to heal. And keep your damn lies to yourself! I'm not entertaining your crap! The day I took your last crumb is one of the best days of my life. Yes this is hard to endure but I'm not hopeless! When I'm well, I'm going to tell everybody who will listen about you. You're no different than a benzo. In many ways, you're worse! 

Wow that felt great!!!! Sorry everyone I needed to get that out!  I'm having one of those days where my symptoms are pissing me off. I'm so tired of being in this bed prison. I wish each of us had a clock that runs down to let us know when we will be healed. Wouldn't that be great? I'm seeing out my window beautiful sunshine, birds playing, people out enjoying themselves, walking their dogs, etc and Im back to can't even walk to the mailbox again. I'm a little pissed. Sorry.

How's everyone doing.

[[Be...]]

Sorry, LadyDen that you're still bedbound.