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

[[Jo...]]

Nice vent LD! It made me feel better reading it. Hang tight, I’m sure you’re closer to the finish than the start. Praying for you.

[[le...]]

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is zolpidem like zopiclone? Have read it's harder to get off than benzos, as it's got a short half life, ie leaves the body quickly. They recommend people switch to diazapam as easier to get off. But no doubt lot people still have problems with that. I only ever took zopiclone sporadically, and only every night for about 3 years and tiny dose, but still done plenty damage.But agree sleeping meds just as bad as benzos. Try getting a punchbag I've often thought of it! Hope you soon improve x

[[Li...]]

Ha zz-people,

It is a while ago that I was here. I am still holding my taper. It is now summer here, for me to warm to do a taper. Even though until now the weather has been mild. We hardly have any lockdown rules here. So I can swim in the pool close by here. I have been following the European Championships football. Italy is the winner. And I have been following Wimbledon too where Djokovic became the winner. His 20th grandslam titel. Have a good week!  Jerry

[[Ka...]]

LadyDen, very well said!!!!! You said it to that evil pill. And, yes, we all loved it. Good job. You keep keeping' on and keep telling it how it is. Closer every day to healing deeper and better. You are on your way and I celebrate your acceptance!

 

Jerry! Good to hear from you, glad summer has some good things in it!

 

I'm just really happy this taper actually worked. I fall to sleep, but do take herbs often. Passionflower is the one right now. Wake up quite early at times ... too early ... feel somewhat run down during the day. Exercise helps a lot.

 

Have a good week. Thanks for being here. We Rock.

KB

[[De...]]

LOVED your rant LadyDen!!! I bet it was cathartic to get that off your chest and onto printed words.

Hoping you try again soon to get to your new place.  I think the evil drug is messing around with your confidence.  Show them who is the BOSS!

[[Tw...]]

amen LadyDen, you were speaking how I feel about this insidious little peel. What a deceitful, full of promise with a very heavy large price to pay.

 

I'm still treading water at 2.5 mg and with fair to good sleep. I'm heading to NYC for a week to see family so will wait until I get back to attempt the next taper. 

 

The burning pain that I had for years (interdose withdrawals) is almost gone now. What a miracle, I spent 5+ years thinking I had nerve neurotrophy, just to find ou tthis one little pill was causing all this pain. I'm enjoying my nights for the first time in 10 years again.

One night at a time.

 

 

[[Ka...]]

Team Z,

 

Yes, I want the world to know how much pain that pill can cause. But people are pretty sure bout their diagnosis sometimes ... anyway, lucky me and lucky us here on BB.

 

Team, I'm missing your updates and hope summer fun is distracting you.

 

I've had a couple of bad nights, many short nights and some good nights in the last week. Heading out for a 2-night overnight so bringing Benadryl, honestly, but forgot that until just now. I'll report back on how I do sleeping in a hotel. Back in the day, traveling for work, I did not sleep well in them and that was one reason for getting on this med.

 

I'm hoping you're getting through and making progress~~do let us know!

 

Kachina

[[De...]]

Hi Everyone, Hope you are all doing better and making progress.  I am trying to get over a chest cold which has triggered my fibro-pain again UGHHHHH!!!!!!  Not as bad as before, but this is one old friend I no longer want to have visits from.  My energy level had been doing better and I felt like I was hitting about 90% healed, but alas I have slipped far back down the slope.

 

Kachina, I do not sleep well outside my bedroom either.  I figure I will just have to make do and when I get home get back into the groove.

 

Oh I dream of the day when I can weather most storms without batting an eye.  Or will I never recover that well?  Who knows, but I will keep trying.

[[Tw...]]

Hope you are feeling better Deanna.

 

I am currently on a family vacation. Its been great to see family I love.

Started vacation July 15 and will return to Atlanta on July 23.

Did great the first 2 nights. I have been staying up late having fun with my family but it totally messed up my sleep schedule.

 

I feel embarrassed and disappointed to write that the last four nights I have taken 5mg instead of  the 2.5.

I'm on vacation....right, so felt like its ok to sleep in till 9 or 10 am. I'm still learning and can now confirm how important it is to keep a sleep schedule. Will start again tonight my regimen that has worked. In Atlanta, I biked, did palates with music, went to my NA meetings every day. Wow, this vacation while relaxing, has woken me up to how important my daily routines are. On next trip, I need to plan some sort routine because I'm nervous about getting back on track. Really hope I can just get on the 2.5 mg again, then start my taper down again.

I'm rambling; now; really thought that I would sleep better in  very tranquil vacation spot, but have not. 

 

Really hate how I relapsed back to 5 mg for 2.5. Will start again tonight the 2.5. Really miss my bed at home and now cant wait to get home. Just 2 more nights in this beautiful little village on long island sound. Sorry to sound down, but feeling like I'm somewhat a damaged person. 

 

This bb has been a place where I am honest. Sorry to report the short term failure, and will incorporate some of my nightly routines tonight.

Healing is not always a straight line, DANG IT          The taper has been going wonderful until I get on vacation at a beautiful, tranquil place, who would have thought my routines were so important.

Oh well, here is to another day/night. What an adventure my benzo buddles bb has been. I have to remember I've gone from 20 mg to 2.5, then briefly to 5 I hope,

 

I congratulate each and everyone of on this board. We realized the extreme challenges of getting off ambien/z drug. I hate this pill, and love myself into continuing my healing journey.

 

Thanks to all for being there and sharing your journeys.

Twbd

 

*Zolpidem/Ambien, 21 years 15 to 20 mg Ambien; Interdose Withdrawals for 5+ years w/o knowing.

03/06/2021 stabilize to 15 mg

03/13/2021 to 13 mg

03/17/2021 to 12.5

03/23/2021 to 11 mg

05/21/2021 to 10 mg

05/24/2021 to 7.5 mg

05/30/2021 to 5mg

06/14/2021 to 2.5 mg

07/16/2021 to 5.mg hoping to get to 2.5 again tonight,

[[De...]]

Twbd - I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling a bit on vacation.  Please do not chastise yourself for updosing for a few nights.  It is very understandable how such a disruption to your routine would throw you off in this way.

 

As you know zolpidem has such a short half-life, so I don't think you've done much harm at all.  It is just going to be a challenge for you until you get back home and nestle back into your controlled environment and routine.

 

Most of my waves that I experienced during withdrawal are induced by visiting with relatives, or going to different places and sleeping away from my home.  People drink and stay up late and dinner gets served at 9:30pm instead of my senior-special favorite time of 6pm.  Nobody wants to eat at 6pm!!!  One time when dinner was held over until a certain person was due to arrive I just went ahead and ate a turkey burger at 6pm while everyone was having cocktails.  Dinner that night was at 10pm!  I go to bed at 10PM!!!!!  I hate being that person who is obviously so inflexible.

 

Anyway you will indeed get back on track.  And we will eventually find our way to enough healing that we can be flexible about these things again. 

 

P.S.  I have learned that when I vacation with others and I am socially stimulated until the moment I go to bed I do not fall asleep for hours afterwards.  It will probably always be like that and we must accept that as part of our new drug-free life.  Perhaps someday I can drink camomile tea again as well.

 

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!! 

 

[[La...]]

Twd it’s good you’re able to go on vacation. I wish I could. So enjoy those beautiful scenery for me too. Even though you updosed please don’t feel bad. You can easily go back down once you’re home. I didn’t realize you were so close to me. I’m in SC.

Deanna is right about this. And I’m sad Deanna that you’re going backwards in your recovery. I’m sure it’s because you’re sick. My setback had stress to fuel it. It’s funny how at milestones you can have setbacks even out of the blue. No reason at all just BAM! I was the same as you.., thought I was about 85% healed 3 months ago. Sucks! Recovery from this is crazy and have no rules and no respect of person. I’m having this setback for nearly 2 months now. I’m like “ok enough already please!” I’m so tired of this! But I know I just have to keep going each day distracting and staying positive as best as I can.

Kachina sorry to hear you’re having a tough time sleeping. I know it’s hard to deal with. Hopefully you’ll break through it soon and get several nights in a row of wonderful ZZzs. Happy belated birthday to you sweetie!!!

All other Team Z know that I love y’all and sending you hugs and get well wishes. Remember everyone…it doesn’t have to be easy, just have to be possible! 

[[La...]]

Okkkkkk where is everyone? Jerry? Twd? Deanna? Kachina? John? Leann? Basten? Becks?

Hello? Are you all ok?     

[[Ka...]]

HELLO TEAM Z!!! So glad to see some of you here and wondering how others are??!?!!

 

Twbd1ila, so glad you're honest here. Sorry you're feeling so bad about it, I do think you did what you needed to do. That is what we're doing here. Self guided with the support of a team. Wow, to have a family you love and enjoy and getting together with them is a fun thing. I wish.

 

Being honest helped me a lot and I had to hold for longer a couple of times. Being here helped me SO MUCH. I'm still here with everyone!

 

Keep going!!! KEEP GOING everyone, it's a long journey off these drugs. We're going to be okay!

 

DeAnna, well said about the truth of the matter and social events at night ... and our special needs. I really love my new normal and see how easily it is disturbed by variances in life. Hope to get better.

 

Lady Thanks for always caring for everyone on here and helping us. Your waves are the pits and you do not deserve this. But we're glad you're here hanging in with us.

 

Jerry? John? Baston? Becks? Others?

 

For me, this was the worst week yet, 4 bad nights but I don't want to obsess on insomnia. Yesterday I went on a big hike, for me, and did other things to dial down my energy and was able to have a good night sleep thankfully.

 

I'm still thinking pinch me is this real I don't take that A drug any more!?!?!?! What does my ticker say?!?!?! I can't see it when I'm writing on here.

 

I told the doctor, I'm done, I'm off. I threw out my pills. I don not have a safety net of pills. So good night, bad night, this is it. Self care is the new daily med.

 

I missed being here ... was out of town for 3 days and then couldn't access the site---somehow my IP address was being turned away but it showed how to email someone and either that worked or Lady contacted an admin for me, not sure which worked but I didn't like not being able to check in.

[[Tw...]]

Thanks Deanna LadyDen and Kachina,

 

Its amazing sometimes to see how similar routines help us. I also eat dinner by 6:00 pm. If I eat later, I have double trouble with sleeping.

While on vacation, that was the primary issue for me. Eating with family at 8 or 9 pm was disruptive. The other was sleeping till 9, 10, or even 11 in the morning.

 

For better or worse, my body needs routine.  I'm back in Atlanta and have been back to the 2.5 mg dose for 3 nights now. the first two nights were very difficult, but last night I slept ok.

 

Kachina, its good to see you continue to live ambien free!!!!

I came to this board in march 2021, and got to witness your last month/weeks/days count down to stopping Ambien.  How has your nights been since coming off? Do you still have waves/windows. I'm feeling a little discouraged since my updose during vacation.  Back to my dose of 2.5 and will stabilize here before going down on my dose again.   

[[Jo...]]

Hello All! So nice to see everyone reporting in from their respective battlefields. I guess I need to update my signature box. On July 24 I reduced to 7.5 mgs. That’s down quite a bit from where I was in June. I still feel quite awful a lot of the time but really no worse as a result of the taper. My main symptoms are anxiety, depression, worry of the future, and physical things like burning feet, fingers, and gums. My sleep is so-so and Valerian has been helping. My fingers also twitch but maybe that has reduced a bit as I tapered. I went to an acupuncturist last week and my feet are so bad that I could not feel the needles. He said my nervous system is out of whack and needs to “wake up.” That sounds about right and makes more sense that the docs I have spoke to so far. I’m very sorry to hear that many of you are suffering but are continuing to fight. I’m so happy I found this group and wish you all a better week ahead.

[[Ba...]]

Hi, feeling crummy so won't say much now.  However, sleeping has long been major prob for me.  Am on about 5 mg ambien.  Usually it gets me a little sleep, or add a bit of lyrica or something over the counter.

 

The other night, tho, I took more ambien (probably about 8 mg) and felt so  hung over and sick the next day.

 

If only I could figure how to get some sort of sleep and dump the ambien.

sigh.

I'm old and feel so worn out. 

[[De...]]

Hey BarbaraAve - I know how the Ambien can make you ill.  Do you think you have hit tolerance?  If so then taking more rarely helps and I found that I felt better the lower I went on my taper.  Learning to be OK with not sleeping is the key.  I looked at it as the side effect of not taking the drug anymore, but that getting off the drug was of paramount importance.  It was more important to me than sleeping because the drug was causing my physical pain and symptoms.  Now of course I'm still struggling with those symptoms as I heal but I'm sleeping pretty well so by not focusing on the sleep it just came back when it was time.

 

I wish you success in your taper off this poison!!!

[[La...]]

Hey Barbara! Welcome to this thread. We know how you feel. Deanna is right. I think you’re in tolerance withdrawal and interdose withdrawal. It’s best to taper it. 1/2 mg every 10-14 days until you have a crumb left. Then stop. For awhile not that long, you’ll have some sleep disturbances or insomnia as your brain heal. But accept it and plan things to do at night when you can’t sleep. Get early morning sunlight each morning if you can to help reset your natural sleep cycle/circadian rhythm. If you don’t get off the Ambien things will get worse. You’ll have to keep updosing and seeking other drugs to help. This is a vicious road that I wouldn’t suggest you travel on. Especially at your age. Once you’re off, if you become too sleep deprived then we can try to help you find a solution… possibly a natural one. If you don’t already, when you start tapering please vegan a strict sleep routine. Have a certain time that you religiously go to bed, bathe, calming music before bed, a little reading time etc.

we’re here to help you in your journey!

[[Tw...]]

John,

Way to go on the 7.5. It is a battle ground with the pills.

Identified with the  "physical things like burning feet, fingers". I had extreme burning, tingling down my right hip, leg, and feet. When I first started my journey off the meds, I started getting massages to help relax. At first, I could not feel anything in my leg and feet.

When I got down to 5mg, the burning sensations started going away. I was in a lot of pain in the evenings and can now enjoy hanging out with friends or family at night. I did not do this for many years until I got to 5mg.  I also experienced some shaking when I got to 2.5; I'm guessing it was part withdrawals and have heard that is how our bodes release is through the tremors. 

 

We are all strong and brave to do this journey; its one of the hardest things I've gone through. These pills are very cunning/baffling. 

[[Tw...]]

Welcome to the thread Barbara.

 

I have taken ambien for 20+ years. Started my taper in March 2021. Ambien for me is such a cunning little pill. I did not understand interdose withdrawal until I got to this BB. I'm 62 and learning how to sleep for the first time in my life. This BB helps. We are all people like you looking for a better way of life with out ambien.  I experienced burning sensations, extreme anxiety, and updosed on ambien to where I was doing 20 to 30 mg of ambien. The side effects were horrible and did not realize the side effects were due to ambien till I got here.

 

What is helping me is to have a strict routine with bed-time. "Attempting to go to sleep" at the same time each night. Eating natural unprocessed food, started taking vitamins, even did NAD+ IV to help with withdrawals, and doing light exercising (walking, bike, or just stretching). 

 

You are not alone with this journey.  Its not a straight line, but sharing your story is part of the solution. keep coming back

[[Tw...]]

Barbara, starting my taper in the first 60 days was the most difficult.  Healing energy on your journey

[[Jo...]]

Welcome Barbara, I feel your pain! These drugs are so nasty and make you feel miserable. So glad you joined us so you don’t have to suffer alone. Thanks Twbd1ila for sharing your symptoms. Has the feeling returned to your feet? I’m not sure but it seems my finger twitching has gone down as my dose has been reduced. I’m not convinced a slow taper is the way to go for me off this crap. I’ve been taking big chunks and am not feeling worse as a result. Sleep is getting a bit more choppy though. If one is in Tolerance Withdrawal and the drugs are making you sick, I believe a slow taper will only continue to do more harm. Of course if someone is relatively stable on the drug and just wants to get off it, then a slower taper makes the most sense.

[[Ba...]]

Hey BarbaraAve - I know how the Ambien can make you ill.  Do you think you have hit tolerance?  If so then taking more rarely helps and I found that I felt better the lower I went on my taper.  Learning to be OK with not sleeping is the key.  I looked at it as the side effect of not taking the drug anymore, but that getting off the drug was of paramount importance.  It was more important to me than sleeping because the drug was causing my physical pain and symptoms.  Now of course I'm still struggling with those symptoms as I heal but I'm sleeping pretty well so by not focusing on the sleep it just came back when it was time.

 

I wish you success in your taper off this poison!!!

 

Thanks.  It may have turned on me.  I can't not think about sleep tho.  Had this prob all my life...  trauma probably started it.  I will need to find something to help but what help many others doesn't help me or I can't take, it seems.

How fast did you taper off?

[[De...]]

Hey BarbaraAve - I know how the Ambien can make you ill.  Do you think you have hit tolerance?  If so then taking more rarely helps and I found that I felt better the lower I went on my taper.  Learning to be OK with not sleeping is the key.  I looked at it as the side effect of not taking the drug anymore, but that getting off the drug was of paramount importance.  It was more important to me than sleeping because the drug was causing my physical pain and symptoms.  Now of course I'm still struggling with those symptoms as I heal but I'm sleeping pretty well so by not focusing on the sleep it just came back when it was time.

 

I wish you success in your taper off this poison!!!

 

Thanks.  It may have turned on me.  I can't not think about sleep tho.  Had this prob all my life...  trauma probably started it.  I will need to find something to help but what help many others doesn't help me or I can't take, it seems.

How fast did you taper off?

 

Hi Barbara, I was using 10-15mg Ambien in divided doses throughout the night which really caught up with me.  I started having panic attacks at 4am when the drug wore off.  My doc finally told me time to get off, and to start tapering down to 7.5mg but only take once per night at bedtime.  I felt because of the way I took it (very variable) that I could go to 5mg once at bedtime so I did a very sharp and quick taper over 5 weeks.  It isn't advocated but I was able to tolerate going that fast and I did start to get relief from the anxiety right away.  Acute was tolerable for me because I don't work - I was definitely disabled with the "benzo flu" when I stopped.  Still struggling with waves and windows and physical symptoms like tinnitus, nerve pain, exercise intolerance, fatigue, etc.

 

I'd would never tell you to go that fast, but find a taper plan for you that you can handle 

[[Jo...]]

Hi all, just wanted to share, since I reduced from 25-30 mgs. to 7.5 mgs over a period of five weeks, I am feeling a bit better. Those large doses must have been responsible for all those dark thoughts. Sleep is getting choppier and I’m still burning and anxious, but my outlook has improved quite a bit over two days. Hope it’s not just a window. Do Zolpidem users experience waves and windows like our Benzo using buddies do?