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

[[De...]]

Wow LadyD I can't believe we made the same mistake with the grass fed beef hot dogs.  Amazing.  My stomach is still not right but getting better.  I stopped using the Apollo Neuro until I'm back at baseline.  I've felt quite ill for almost a whole month now.

 

Hope everyone has a good WE!

[[Ka...]]

Hello Team Z,

 

Checking in to say hi, good to see the conversations. John Hunter how are you? Where/how is Basten?

 

A funny thing, I take thyroid med and my doctor suggested I take half the dose in the am and half in the pm. I think it is helping me sleep better. Not sure, but I think so.

 

I'm doing my best on the self care, getting up by 7am so I can be sleepy at the end of the day ... going for a walk. Not sure why I didn't feel like getting up or walking this morning, so I slept in and luckily the rest of the gang here where I live got me out on a walk---four leggeds and husband. Now it is 8pm and I'm supposed to get off line soon and unwind. But sometimes when I've had a busy day reading stuff online is unwinding.

 

So, not a lot to say, just sleeping is SO MUCH BETTER than not sleeping and last time I think I checked in on a very bad night. So here's to your sleep, your healing ... and mine.

 

No more hot dogs. I'm not into them anyway.

 

Keep on tapering; keep healing and finding solutions and feeling loved and supported here.

 

hugs,

Kachina

[[De...]]

Congrats Kachina! I am happy that you are sleeping better - a key milestone for sure in our healing.  I wish you and all of us so many more to come to finish our healing.

 

Yes - NO MORE HOT DOGS!!!  If I were to write a book on this experience, that is a good title.  I think I have finally settled after that hot dog incident, and finally had a good night's sleep myself and have woken up feeling less anxiety which had really come back in force these last several weeks. Taking a deep breath and it feels GOOD!  I also have my good friend here staying with me which is good for distraction, bad for over-stimulation.  Tomorrow she leaves and I can just try to get back into my rigid routine.

 

 

[[De...]]

Hey Kachina - I just noted your doc suggested for you to divide your thyroid med each day - could you elaborate on why he/she suggested that?  I take Synthroid for hypothyroidism too. On it since I was 26YO, never have felt quite right on it but my lab tests are always fine.  If there is a benefit to splitting the tablets I would love to know about it.  Thanks!!!

[[La...]]

Deanna and Kachina got me laughing about those hot dogs! 😂 I’m glad it’s settled down Deanna. I know this is going to sound…. Racy… but we gotta leave those weenies alone! 😂

Kachina how awesome that you’re sleeping better. Keep it up.

How’s everyone else doing? Ready for summer to end?

[[Ka...]]

Hey Deanne, well an endocrinologist suggested I take my med at night saying that it sometimes helps people sleep. I was thinking NO WAY DUDE, you don't know me. This was before my taper when miserably dependent on ambien.

 

Then a different doctor, functional med person, who I saw recently---still trying to feel comfortable with my thyroid RX as I want to take both T3 and T4 and traditional doctors don't agree---simply suggested taking half my dose in am and half in pm because my heart races after I take it in the morning. SO, I have been doing that, but unfortunately even with an alarm set I've forgotten half the time. I have noticed, however, that when I remember and take the 2nd half 2 hours after dinner that I've slept very well that night. So, it is a research project and I don't know if it's related to all thyroid med but if your dose can be split in half why don't you try it and see if you sleep better. I'd love to hear!

But I think you sleep okay don't you?

 

I must say I like the idea of regulating my thryroid by taking it twice a day, and today I woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back asleep. Later I wondered about this as I did forget to take it last night. So, am planning on taking notes to track sleep and taking it to see if it is a coincidence or if it really does help. I just googled it and found some studies saying it optimizes it and increases thyroid hormone level when taken at night.

 

Cheers, Kachina

[[Ka...]]

My my Lady, spoken like a true lady, lolol. It seems this hot dog discussion happened last Fall or Winter too didn't it? Ladies?!!

[[De...]]

Hey Deanne, well an endocrinologist suggested I take my med at night saying that it sometimes helps people sleep. I was thinking NO WAY DUDE, you don't know me. This was before my taper when miserably dependent on ambien.

 

Then a different doctor, functional med person, who I saw recently---still trying to feel comfortable with my thyroid RX as I want to take both T3 and T4 and traditional doctors don't agree---simply suggested taking half my dose in am and half in pm because my heart races after I take it in the morning. SO, I have been doing that, but unfortunately even with an alarm set I've forgotten half the time. I have noticed, however, that when I remember and take the 2nd half 2 hours after dinner that I've slept very well that night. So, it is a research project and I don't know if it's related to all thyroid med but if your dose can be split in half why don't you try it and see if you sleep better. I'd love to hear!

But I think you sleep okay don't you?

 

I must say I like the idea of regulating my thryroid by taking it twice a day, and today I woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back asleep. Later I wondered about this as I did forget to take it last night. So, am planning on taking notes to track sleep and taking it to see if it is a coincidence or if it really does help. I just googled it and found some studies saying it optimizes it and increases thyroid hormone level when taken at night.

 

Cheers, Kachina

 

Wow Kachina this is very interesting indeed....I never heard of this.  I'll research it further too.  So are you only on levothyroxine or do you take T3 as well? 

 

I do sleep OK - considering how most ppl on this forum struggle with sleep I can't complain but I have my fair share of 3am awakenings and sometimes issues falling back to sleep.  My real issue is that if I could just sleep through the night I wouldn't be prone to these flares I get in the middle of the night.  I awaken to use the bathroom, get back into bed and comfortable but within about 5 minutes my nervous systems ramps up and either I have pain, or I get some chemical anxiety and now experiencing GI upset as another option during these flares.  Sp strange!!  Morning yuck still an issue too.

[[Be...]]

If you want to take a thyroid med that has T3 and T4 in it, then try desiccated pig thyroid, like Armour, Nature-throid or Westhroid, or NP Thyroid.  I take NP Thyroid now.  Synthroid is s synthetic T4 and it made me feel horrible.  Synthetic T3 gave me serious heart arrhythmia's. 

[[Ka...]]

Becks, I've always taken armour ... then tried the Synthroid and had heart palpitations, went back to armour and still have the palpitations. But cutting my dose in half so I take less at a time seems to be helping. I didn't notice too much difference but glad to know your experience. I hate the mixed messages on this topic but that will never change. I've always had holistically oriented doctors who recommended the armour, or others in its class.

 

thanks!

[[Be...]]

I adjust my dose so I don't take too much.  I split my pills. 

[[Ka...]]

I now take nature-thyroid actually, that's what's available in the pharmacy.

 

Deanna, can you take part at night and part in AM and see if it helps you sleep better? I'm going to start recording and see if it does me consistently! Had to set an alarm to remember to take it. Sorry you're struggling with yucky night time symptoms!

[[Tw...]]

Hey Z-Team,

 

Glad to hear about that some of you are having other issues other than z-drugs with life like hotdogs.   

That was cute to read about.

 

With those of you who have completed your taper and no longer take a z-drug; did you have any doubts about your taper when you got certain dose. I'm down to 2.5 mg but am having some doubts I will can stop totally. I'm not giving up but wanted to air some of my negative thinking.

 

I guess what I was hoping to hear is how you got through the negative doubting thoughts when you getting close to the end of your taper.

 

Thanks for any and all experience with getting through and keep the stepping.

 

 

[[De...]]

Hey Twbd - I have to say that I was very determined in my decision to get off the Ambien.  I was so astonished that my suffering could be attributed to this drug that I thought was a little miracle.  But when I was told it is probably the cause of the things that were happening to me I couldn't get off it fast enough.  I was told to taper and read up all about it but that very first night O went from 10mg to 5 mg!  I wanted to cold turkey, but ended up doing a pretty fast taper.  Only 5 weeks and when I got to 2.5mg I was ready to jump.  For me there was never a look back.  The pill was my enemy and I still can't believe I let this happen to me.  At that time I was looking for what was wrong with me, so after nearly 2 years of escalating torture, it was a relief to know I had the solution.

 

What kind of negative thoughts are you struggling with?  Concerns about sleep? Afraid to not have the pills to lean on?  These are very natural and others have dealt with them successfully.  It is part of the dysregulation of the nervous system....

[[He...]]

Hey Twbd - I have to say that I was very determined in my decision to get off the Ambien.  I was so astonished that my suffering could be attributed to this drug that I thought was a little miracle.  But when I was told it is probably the cause of the things that were happening to me I couldn't get off it fast enough.  I was told to taper and read up all about it but that very first night O went from 10mg to 5 mg!  I wanted to cold turkey, but ended up doing a pretty fast taper.  Only 5 weeks and when I got to 2.5mg I was ready to jump.  For me there was never a look back.  The pill was my enemy and I still can't believe I let this happen to me.  At that time I was looking for what was wrong with me, so after nearly 2 years of escalating torture, it was a relief to know I had the solution.

 

What kind of negative thoughts are you struggling with?  Concerns about sleep? Afraid to not have the pills to lean on?  These are very natural and others have dealt with them successfully.  It is part of the dysregulation of the nervous system....

 

This is a good question. I was not on Ambien but both Lunesta and Sonata at high doses for about 16 years. I had gotten done with the Lunesta and had been tapering the Sonata for a few years. I was down to a measly 5mg of Sonata and stayed there for a LONG time because I was so afraid of living my life without a sleeping pill.  Finally, I just thought, "forget it, if I'm ever going to heal, I have to stop". So I jumped.  My sleep wasn't much worse without that barely perceptible geriatric dose I was taking.  I'm SO glad I did it. But yes, I was afraid and it was hard to imagine but now that I'm free of them, I feel so pleased with myself.  Take your time but remember at some point, it has to stop.  I hope this helps. It's a hard journey, isn't it?

[[Tw...]]

Thanks Deanna and Helen,

The biggest fear I have is loosing the crutch of that small 2.5 mg and being a little afraid of who I'm going to be with out the drug.

Ambien has been in my life over 21 + years.

The 1st 10 years, it worked and I loved it, then the next 10+ years, I hated what I became, the pain, and loosing night after night.  I hear both of you saying that at some point, I will have to make that decision to stop. Its just fear, almost like jumping into cold water, at some point, I will have to jump in fully.

 

Last, night, I went down another .5 to 2.0 mg.

My taper has been similar to kachina, very gradual; I plan to jump, once I'm down to 1mg....almost there

 

Interestingly, my sleep is better today, than when I was on 20 mg. I just have the super doubter that does not want me to let go of the drug. 

I will continue to exercise, eat healthy non processed foods,  and teaching myself how to sleep (amost like you would treat a child ). Slowly teaching myself that bedtime can be a relaxing part of my day (sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, I will continue this journey)

 

I've been going to NA (12 step), which is helping me with the addiction part of taking Ambien for so long. What a nasty drug.

 

Thanks to all of you who share the journey, experience, and where you are.

 

 

 

 

 

[[He...]]

Good luck to you. You are going to be fine without Ambien once you make that decision and only you can decide. I was SO attached to my sleep meds so I totally understand your apprehension. You're doing it right and you will know when to jump off.  Take good care.

 

[[Ka...]]

Really nice conversation, I enjoyed it ... Twbd1ila's inquiry and others' responses ... the thoughts and topic and encouragement.

 

Twbd1ila!! I totally remember feeling that way so just checked my signature and see I did go a lot slower than you, took me 7 months to do what you've done in 3! But I also see that once I got below 2.00mg I went fast. I remember that the piece of the pill was SO TINY. You must have the oblong 5mg pills you are cutting down, as did I. It was sort of like coming to a dead end. Funny to look back, I thought I held it at the end for a long time but I didn't. I didn't want to give up the little bit until that little bit got too darn small that it seemed ridiculous! YES I WAS SCARED. Even now I feel like saying, pinch me!!!! Am I really off, do I really have none in the house, would I really NEVER take it again? YES I will never take it again. The pain I had in my body for all those years was HELL. No one will ever understand it, I didn't ... and Twbd1ila, it was YOU who helped me realize that my pain was worse at night due to ambien withdrawal of the last 20 hours. Without you being here and talking about that I don't know if I'd ever realize. AND there are some bad nights for me ... similar to what you went through visiting family ... things can amp me up or whatever.

 

LadyDen and Deaanna thank you for being ambien sisters ahead of me on this journey, helped me SO SO MUCH.

Helen, you're awesome, love hearing your experience!

Others, we have to keep going, one day at a time, toward healing, but imperfectly as we are human! I think anyway.

 

EVERYONE:  Keep sharing here how you're doing, the good, the bad and the ugly!!

 

My ugly is that I've used benadryl probably once a week for the last few weeks to take the edge off and re-set after some really hard nights. Honesty works for me. And honestly there are times I miss being able to count on sleep with a drug. BUT the hard now is NOTHING like the hard for years, the hard of not knowing what was causing so much bad symptoms and the hard of taking RX pills and thinking I could never stop.

[[Do...]]

Is tempazapam part of this support group.  I am addicted and can't stop taking 1.5 or 2 pills a night until I run out.

[[La...]]

Hey Z-Team,

 

Glad to hear about that some of you are having other issues other than z-drugs with life like hotdogs.   

That was cute to read about.

 

With those of you who have completed your taper and no longer take a z-drug; did you have any doubts about your taper when you got certain dose. I'm down to 2.5 mg but am having some doubts I will can stop totally. I'm not giving up but wanted to air some of my negative thinking.

 

I guess what I was hoping to hear is how you got through the negative doubting thoughts when you getting close to the end of your taper.

 

Thanks for any and all experience with getting through and keep the stepping.

Hey TWD the doubt or hesitation is common when tapering especially when you’re down to the lower doses. I simply pushed the thoughts aside telling myself that I had a goal and the only way to accomplish that goal is to keep going down. If you think about it, at the lower doses it’s not doing much anyway. At that point it’s a nuisance. When I got to that dose it was paradoxical every night. Made me so sick! But I kept going down because I wanted off so bad. Do your best to ignore those thoughts… it’s that evil pill not wanting to let you go. Fight it!!!!

[[La...]]

Is tempazapam part of this support group.  I am addicted and can't stop taking 1.5 or 2 pills a night until I run out.

No Dom but all are welcome to join any threads to get support and help. The proper place to help you is to go to the taper threads. Best of luck

[[He...]]

Kachina Birdsong,

 

I know what you mean about just every now and then missing the assurance that a pill will put me to sleep but I don't miss it MUCH! Those things were killing me.  I'm 10 weeks off now and I can sleep for a few hours every night which I never thought I'd be able to do.

 

The hard part for me is that I was hoping my migraines would have let up by now with the working assumption they will mostly tied to the sleeping pills. They have changed but they are still coming for a few days each week with loud ear ringing.  Does anyone else have bad headaches and/or migraines.  Are they improving?

 

Thanks for any comments on that.

[[Be...]]

Is tempazapam part of this support group.  I am addicted and can't stop taking 1.5 or 2 pills a night until I run out.

 

No, temazepam is not part of this support group.  That's a benzo and not a Z-drug.  There are plenty of topics on this forum about tapering and getting off benzo's.

[[La...]]

Kachina Birdsong,

 

I know what you mean about just every now and then missing the assurance that a pill will put me to sleep but I don't miss it MUCH! Those things were killing me.  I'm 10 weeks off now and I can sleep for a few hours every night which I never thought I'd be able to do.

 

The hard part for me is that I was hoping my migraines would have let up by now with the working assumption they will mostly tied to the sleeping pills. They have changed but they are still coming for a few days each week with loud ear ringing.  Does anyone else have bad headaches and/or migraines.  Are they improving?

 

Thanks for any comments on that.

Yes I get a bad migraine about every 2-3 weeks. Matter of fact I had one all day yesterday! They’re common.

[[He...]]

Lady Den,

 

thanks for your response. I get mine much more frequently but maybe the further away I get from the meds, they will switch out more. Sorry you get them too.  Do you take anything for yours? Anything that doesn't aggravate your system?