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

[[bl...]]

Hi Bluelady - Welcome to the thread.  I see you are on gabapentin and ambien right now.  I was on both of those too at one time and I decided to wean off the gabapentin then the ambien.  I had always wondered whether I would have done better going the other way around, the ambien first then the gabapentin?  Is that what you are planning to do?  I'm thinking that would be better than what I did.  I'm thinking now that the gabapentin helps mask the interdose withdrawal of the ambien, and would have helped a lot to have that on board while healing from the benzo damage.

 

 

Good luck to you and will be here to cheer you on!!!

Hello Deanna, and thank you for the welcome. I'm going to taper off the ambien first. I'm going to stay on the Gabapentin a while. Right now it's saving me by covering the waves of terror that engulf me   It definitely masks the interdose withdrawals.  I had gabapentin during my benzo withdrawal and I believed it helped.

Thank you for cheering me on! I hope you are well today!

Blue

[[Tw...]]

Welcome Bluelady to the journey of making your life better.

 

I'm been on this bb for 6 months and have learned more than any doctor or nurse has ever told.    Learning the interdose w/d were not me going crazy, but a wicked bizarre little pill I've been taking for 21+ years.

 

I"m tapering from 20 mg and down to 2.5 mg.    The miracle for me has been the burning pain/numbness in my right hip/leg is almost gone. So is the extreme anxiety experienced each day starting around 5 pm.  People sharing their experience strength and hope has given me the strength to continue my taper off of ambien.

 

I drank way to much for years, stopped that 21 years ago without much of any problem compared to coming of ambien. This drug has kicked my a.... for years and did not know all the side effects of the drug that were causing me mental and physical anguish.

 

welcome new comers!

[[La...]]

Hello Team Z! This thread is kind of quiet. Hope all is well. Love you guys.

What's happening?

[[De...]]

Hi LadyDen and All - yes it has been quiet on here...I think everyone is just doing their thing.  I have finally settled in at baseline again and that is giving me hope that this nightmare will indeed be over someday.  It's just that I live holding my breath waiting for the next wave to hit.  I'm definitely traumatized by this experience.  How are you doing in your new place LadyD?

[[Jo...]]

Hello friends, hope you are all getting by. I'm on my final push. Reduced to 1.25 mgs. Zolpidem last Friday and plan to "jump" this week. Aside from messed up burning feet, tingly fingers, and occasional burning tongue, teeth, and gums, I'm not feeling too bad. Sleeping so-so with my mix of Valerian, Calmes Forte, and Pure Potent Relax CBD oil (and nightly beers). Still on a break from work but optimistic I'll be able to go back. If you would have asked me six weeks ago I wouldn't have believed it. I wonder if my daily Ashwaganda supplements have something to do with that. Everyone says they take awhile to kick in and that seems to be the case. I feel pretty darned good. If you take them for anxiety, I would give them a good five to six weeks to take effect. I hope you are all well. I think about you often and cheer for you in your battles. Stay strong!

[[Ka...]]

Hello Team Z!

 

Good to see your posts, old timers, new people and those who are more quiet---all here and I love seeing how you are!

 

Twbd1ila and John Hunter:  YAY YOU, yay yay yay, it's absolutely fabulous to watch your journeys. Do keep us close, we're your group, we're your support team. You're coming to the finish line of taper!!! You've improved SO MUCH!!!! Wow, I remember how that felt, like standing on the tip of a diving board---but the pool I was diving in to was unknown, I couldn't see it just knew I wanted it. I did take Benadryl several times a week the first couple of weeks, it was my training wheels I guess. Have not taken it recently but had about once a week since the first two and would not hesitate if needed to reset from sleepless ness. Thanks for the suggestion of Ashwaganda John, another friend recommended it too. I hope it makes all the difference for you when you go back to work.

 

What does my ticker say!?? I know I passed 2 months off of Ambien. WOAHHHHHH!!!! I can't see it while writing a post. Anyway, here I am, awake before 5am but that's okay! I do surprise myself by falling asleep almost every evening. I am careful in regard to stimulation in the afternoon and evening. Very much sugar will have me up as will very much excitement, so low key on both. I don't like waking up so early but I surrender. I have a lot on my mind to get up and take care of!! Like checking in here.

 

I'd say I'm not really having post-withdrawal symptoms that I'm aware of, other than little whispers of things here and there that I think may be but nothing that stays around. I'm very happy about that. I cannot believe how much pain I used to be in and now know that the tramadol I took just made it worse. Why do doctors give that?! Crazy.

 

So in one month it will be a year since I joined BB and began this journey. THAT alone is a huge accomplishment of the last year. Everything else is just gravy and in fact there were some other good things I achieved! SO HAPPY AND GRATEFUL that's all I can say. I HAVE MY LIFE BACK. I take the sleep routine, from light and a walk in the morning, to low on the caffeine and sugar, to unplugging in the evening, very seriously. I am committed. I was soooo scared to taper. So scared to live life without that pill. I do not look back too much, but if I did I'd say I do regret that it took me so long to begin my taper, that I stayed on that med so long.  It's like an abusive relationship you can't leave, ambien is. Deeply sad about that but there is no point in looking back. The present moment is all we have and it's a gift.

 

 

[[De...]]

Wow Kachina, you are doing FANTASTIC!!  John, so are you!!  So happy for both of you!  It's so amazing how different our experiences can be.  I am just about to complete 13 months off, and am doing better now that I'm fully recovered from a nasty chest cold last month.  I hate to jinx it but I feel absolutely NORMAL today....(well only some mouth sores today - it's always a little something isn't it?).  I have been sleeping well, eating well, and I awoke with energy and no major pain today despite gardening all week long.  It feels good to be active again!!  I even took a walk today which has usually spurred symptoms on so let's see!  I am afraid to think I may be out of the worst of withdrawal. Could I be that lucky???

 

I am so grateful for this site, for all of you, and for the chance to become normal again!  No matter what still lies ahead, I will remember today 

[[Tw...]]

Kachina,

 

ditto to your words " I was soooo scared to taper. So scared to live life without that pill. I do not look back too much, but if I did I'd say I do regret that it took me so long to begin my taper, that I stayed on that med so long.  It's like an abusive relationship you can't leave, ambien is."

 

that was me back in march.  watching you in your last months before quitting was and is an inspiration.

[[He...]]

All of you are doing so well! This gives me great hope.  I'm 3 months off of heavy doses of Lunesta and Sonata both that I was on for about 16 years or so.  I'm like Kachina Birdsong in that I couldn't imagine my life without sleeping pills (I even took sonata for naps.....YIKES).  I take my schedule fairly seriously but end up blowing it right at bedtime sometimes. Kachina, I'm going to remember you when bedtime comes from now on and be more committed. I never thought I'd sleep without pills but I do!  I don't usually get much more than 5 broken hours it's something! I feel awful almost every morning but that burns off by about mid day, thankfully.  How much do you all sleep?  Is it decent quality? 

 

 

[[Ka...]]

Deanna and LadyDen, both of you having passed a year and staying here with us to give support and share experience is MUCH appreciated!!! I am sorry you both have had such struggles and yet, this week you are having good windows! Deanna NORMAL you deserve that! Lady, walking, making your new home, you deserve that!!

 

Twbd1ila & Helen, it's wonderful not being alone in this isn't it? Thank you Twbd1ila!!! It's really satisfying to be heard and to be cared about and part of this group ... to be seen on my journey and to see others. Important, healing and so good with the other world issues.

 

Helen, it's nice to read what you wrote----seems I'm around 5 or 6 hours a lot and that is okay if I take good care of myself when awake! It's wonderful to have you here as well, we're all comrades on that taking a pill to sleep carnival ride ... and I know we all had good reasons for getting on that ride but once on, hard to get off!!! 3 months is new Helen, look forward to hearing your journey as you improve. AND I DO THINK OF THIS GROUP AT BEDTIME and it gives me comfort and strength ... taking a pill gave comfort. I still have the very pretty little dish on my bedside table where the pill would wait for me as I brushed my teeth, etc. Some nights I look at it and think about the fact that it's empty and has been and will be.

[[De...]]

Deanna and LadyDen, both of you having passed a year and staying here with us to give support and share experience is MUCH appreciated!!! I am sorry you both have had such struggles and yet, this week you are having good windows! Deanna NORMAL you deserve that! Lady, walking, making your new home, you deserve that!!

 

Twbd1ila & Helen, it's wonderful not being alone in this isn't it? Thank you Twbd1ila!!! It's really satisfying to be heard and to be cared about and part of this group ... to be seen on my journey and to see others. Important, healing and so good with the other world issues.

 

Helen, it's nice to read what you wrote----seems I'm around 5 or 6 hours a lot and that is okay if I take good care of myself when awake! It's wonderful to have you here as well, we're all comrades on that taking a pill to sleep carnival ride ... and I know we all had good reasons for getting on that ride but once on, hard to get off!!! 3 months is new Helen, look forward to hearing your journey as you improve. AND I DO THINK OF THIS GROUP AT BEDTIME and it gives me comfort and strength ... taking a pill gave comfort. I still have the very pretty little dish on my bedside table where the pill would wait for me as I brushed my teeth, etc. Some nights I look at it and think about the fact that it's empty and has been and will be.

 

Kachina it is so funny that you mention the little dish where you used to place the pill before you took it at bedtime.  I did the same thing!  I use a face cream that had a lid that is concave and it was the perfect little spot each night to place my ambien while I awaited the magic hour to take it.  I still use the face cream and the lid is now empty, and I smile to myself and thank God I am off that poison. 

[[He...]]

I had the cute little dish too.  Sigh. I'm glad the dish is empty now. 

[[La...]]

Hi LadyDen and All - yes it has been quiet on here...I think everyone is just doing their thing.  I have finally settled in at baseline again and that is giving me hope that this nightmare will indeed be over someday.  It's just that I live holding my breath waiting for the next wave to hit.  I'm definitely traumatized by this experience.  How are you doing in your new place LadyD?

Hugs Deanna that's great news that you're hanging out in your baseline. I'm sorta doing the same. I'm still having waves but go back to baseline quicker.  I've had a shift of now having morning wave that last a couple of hours. I'm told this shifting is a good sign of progress. So I'm happy! I'm adjusting well to my new place. I'm nearly finished unpacking and decorating it. It's so lovely. I've decorated in a way that it looks and feels like a house. New washer and dryer was installed yesterday evening. I've been sitting on my patio when I have a window to sip a little decaf coffee, listen to the birds, watch the squirrels and butterflies and just enjoy doing something so small or normal. The people above me are pretty quiet!!!! Thank God! Because I'm still having sound sensitivity although it's much better. Mostly I have it when I'm in a wave. I'm walking outside a bit now. Not far but it's a start. 

Wonderful to hear from you as always. I'm 14 months and 1 week tomorrow. My birthday is coming up on the 1st. Wouldn't it be a blessing to wake up on my birthday completely healed!!!!! WISHFUL PRAYER!!!! 

[[La...]]

Hello friends, hope you are all getting by. I'm on my final push. Reduced to 1.25 mgs. Zolpidem last Friday and plan to "jump" this week. Aside from messed up burning feet, tingly fingers, and occasional burning tongue, teeth, and gums, I'm not feeling too bad. Sleeping so-so with my mix of Valerian, Calmes Forte, and Pure Potent Relax CBD oil (and nightly beers). Still on a break from work but optimistic I'll be able to go back. If you would have asked me six weeks ago I wouldn't have believed it. I wonder if my daily Ashwaganda supplements have something to do with that. Everyone says they take awhile to kick in and that seems to be the case. I feel pretty darned good. If you take them for anxiety, I would give them a good five to six weeks to take effect. I hope you are all well. I think about you often and cheer for you in your battles. Stay strong!

Great job on your taper John! High five!!!! I'm sure you'll feel better each day that you're off. A word of caution....alcohol ( beer) might turn on you and it can slow your healing because it acts directly on gaba receptors. If you start feeling terrible after having a beer then you know why. The other things you're taking may or may not bother you. You're taking a combo so it would be hard to tell which one is the culprit. Be prepared for a sharp hit of symptoms after you jump. That's the acute phase. It can be pretty rough for most people. Mine was a delayed hit. I felt pretty good except for dizziness/unbalanced for nearly two weeks after jumping. Then it hit me hard. I thought I had escaped acute because I tapered slow and felt pretty good....NOPE! Lol I went back to the manual and this thread and sure enough some have a delayed acute. If you run into symptoms reving up then stop your supplements one by one to see which one it is. Give each one a few days ( up to 3) without taking it and see.

John I'm really proud of you! I knew you could do it. Hang in there and don't reinstate! 

[[La...]]

Hello Team Z!

 

Good to see your posts, old timers, new people and those who are more quiet---all here and I love seeing how you are!

 

Twbd1ila and John Hunter:  YAY YOU, yay yay yay, it's absolutely fabulous to watch your journeys. Do keep us close, we're your group, we're your support team. You're coming to the finish line of taper!!! You've improved SO MUCH!!!! Wow, I remember how that felt, like standing on the tip of a diving board---but the pool I was diving in to was unknown, I couldn't see it just knew I wanted it. I did take Benadryl several times a week the first couple of weeks, it was my training wheels I guess. Have not taken it recently but had about once a week since the first two and would not hesitate if needed to reset from sleepless ness. Thanks for the suggestion of Ashwaganda John, another friend recommended it too. I hope it makes all the difference for you when you go back to work.

 

What does my ticker say!?? I know I passed 2 months off of Ambien. WOAHHHHHH!!!! I can't see it while writing a post. Anyway, here I am, awake before 5am but that's okay! I do surprise myself by falling asleep almost every evening. I am careful in regard to stimulation in the afternoon and evening. Very much sugar will have me up as will very much excitement, so low key on both. I don't like waking up so early but I surrender. I have a lot on my mind to get up and take care of!! Like checking in here.

 

I'd say I'm not really having post-withdrawal symptoms that I'm aware of, other than little whispers of things here and there that I think may be but nothing that stays around. I'm very happy about that. I cannot believe how much pain I used to be in and now know that the tramadol I took just made it worse. Why do doctors give that?! Crazy.

 

So in one month it will be a year since I joined BB and began this journey. THAT alone is a huge accomplishment of the last year. Everything else is just gravy and in fact there were some other good things I achieved! SO HAPPY AND GRATEFUL that's all I can say. I HAVE MY LIFE BACK. I take the sleep routine, from light and a walk in the morning, to low on the caffeine and sugar, to unplugging in the evening, very seriously. I am committed. I was soooo scared to taper. So scared to live life without that pill. I do not look back too much, but if I did I'd say I do regret that it took me so long to begin my taper, that I stayed on that med so long.  It's like an abusive relationship you can't leave, ambien is. Deeply sad about that but there is no point in looking back. The present moment is all we have and it's a gift.

Well said dear lady! It's a gift. Our lives. We don't have to be chained to a little evil pill to function. You're so right. I'm proud that you were brave to taper. You're doing great as Deanna said. Keep up the good work. Your sleep...all of our sleep will improve more each day. I don't look back either. All I can do is press forward, learn my invaluable lesson of not taking whatever a dr prescribed without much caution/research and live my best life now! I'm looking forward to the day I'm completely healed and go wherever I want, do whatever I want and enjoy whatever I want with no waves. I can feel that healing coming soon. Wow I have so much appreciation for little things I once didn't blink an eye at. Like sitting up or hearing a noise or eating Chinese. WOW!!!!

[[Ka...]]

Ahhhh, the dish brigade!!!! Funny and fun, aren't we just cute with out pills beside us! THANKFULLY that is over!! We did it!!!

 

LadyDen, so nice to hear of you enjoying your patio and new home and heading toward healing and wellness and FREEDOM!!

 

John, how's it going?!?!? Are you off? Did you jump? Thinking of you! I had no bad symptoms from stopping and from what you said about what you achieved last summer I think you'll do FINE!!!! I got the Ashwaganda and started taking it 2 days ago, I feel really good about it as I've read about it helping as a cancer preventative too.

 

Twbd1ila, how are you doing?

 

Others?

 

Fall is coming and it feels sort of like a relief! A time to be more restful and less active. But, still got to do my whole routine!! I pull out the happy lamp to get bright light in the morning when I wake up so I make melatonin. And started using the hot tub again, nothing makes me sleep as good as that does! 

 

 

[[Jo...]]

Hello friends, just wanted to share that I jumped two nights ago. Sleep broken but got some. No big deal as I’m still off work. Have two months before I must return so hopefully I’ll figure out how to sleep during that time. Gotta figure out how to attach one of those counters to my signature. How do I feel? Really good mentally and dealing with the physical symptoms. I really think the Ashwaganda helped with my anxiety and dark thoughts. I almost feel normal. I’m cheering for you all in your journeys and think about you when I crack my nightly beer. Aaahhh…

[[Ka...]]

JohnHunter:    Congratulations!!! A success story in front of our eyes, that was fast!!!! I hate ambien. I like how you did your signature, I should add the bad symptoms I had while on it to my signature too. When I started here I didn't realize they were from the ambien but rather had diagnosis and symptoms that made my life so small and painful and, at many times, too much to cope with.

 

Look forward to hearing about the burning fading and your sleep adjusting back to regular ... and then your journey back to work!

 

How to add the ticker:

 

https://www.tickerfactory.com

Go to the tickerfactory, select the ruler and the look you want for your ticker, then put in the date you want it to start and the time zone you're in,  it will then display multiple codes. Select the one for bbcode (bulletin boards) and copy and past it into sig line

[[De...]]

Hello friends, just wanted to share that I jumped two nights ago. Sleep broken but got some. No big deal as I’m still off work. Have two months before I must return so hopefully I’ll figure out how to sleep during that time. Gotta figure out how to attach one of those counters to my signature. How do I feel? Really good mentally and dealing with the physical symptoms. I really think the Ashwaganda helped with my anxiety and dark thoughts. I almost feel normal. I’m cheering for you all in your journeys and think about you when I crack my nightly beer. Aaahhh…

 

John so happy to hear this!!!!  Way to go - you really did it!!!  Very interesting about the Ashwaghanda....you may have hit on something in that starting it BEFORE you got to the "oh so sensitive stage" really made a difference.  Once you are in that stage NOTHING seems to have its intended effect.  May you cruise peacefully to your full healing. 

[[bb...]]

Hello all!

 

Just wanted to intro around my current Zopiclone hell

 

I've used zop on and off over the years but only short periods (a few days max) - I found even after a day or two i'd get a rebound insomnia effect where my body would tremble and do something very odd as I fell asleep without the drug.. it felt like dying to be honest. Sometimes I could cross the sleep threshold - and be glad and even surprised to wake up alive. I think I have a degree of PTSD around sleep by this stage. Other times I had to take zop, usually cutting it to the minimum dose needed. Even on zop I don't sleep more than 1.5 - 2 hour blocks as most.. a combined night of 5-6 hours would be a good night's sleep and I'll wake with a startle and in sweats.

 

Anyway now in a mess as I've been using it continuously over the past 3 months - initially because I was struggling with a shoulder injury, but very quickly found myself taking small amount of zop through the day just to cope with work. Before I knew it I couldn't back out of it. I then developed a strange 'gastritis' thing - stomach cramps and severe pains that no one could diagnose, I had a super thorough work up with a gastroenterologist, and a few times presented to the emergency room - they gave me buscopan... and then opiates as it was so severe, even morphine (!), which I very quickly realised was a bad idea although it's the only good day I've had in months and I walked for miles in the countryside afterwards. Funnily the pain settles, as soon as I take zopiclone. I even put myself through an un-sedated upper endoscopy yesterday to prove I didn't have an ulcer etc. (I turned down the midazolam IV as I didn't really want to be throwing another benzo in the mix and just had a throat numbing spray - lidocaine I guess). That was NOT fun.

 

What I'm trying to figure out now is if I should consolidate all the zop I take? - which to be fair is not a large amount - but there's some diazepam too. So I'm interleaving diazepam (2.5mg, 2.5mg) and zopiclone (1.875mg, 1.875mg) in the day and then zopiclone at night - generally part of a 3.75mg keeping some back incase I wake in the middle of the night. And am I better to move to equivalent diazepam or zopiclone and just deal with one of them?

 

Anyway loving reading back over the old posts on here and seeing there is hope and something to anchor myself to! Thank you!

[[La...]]

Way to go John! Team Z is very proud! 

My birthday is tomorrow Sept 1 I’m still hanging on to my bday wish to wake up healed! If it doesn’t happen then it still is my everyday wish.

Hope all are doing well and happy healing! Go out today and enjoy something that makes you happy!

[[De...]]

LadyDen I will be thinking of you tomorrow when I wake up - I wish this for you above all else!! Here's an early happy birthday to you!!!!

[[Ka...]]

Hi bbking, welcome to our group! Glad that reading our thread has brought some comfort. We're here for you!

 

Hopefully someone who has been here longer will have a suggestion for a starting point on your taper. You have to start somewhere, it would seem that consolidating the daytime dosing into the evening could be it. I did take ambien during the wee hours of the night in addition to at bedtime and stopped that when I started on my taper. You're on a different med and a second med. You'll need to develop a slow do-able plan and start when ready! I had to add in lifestyle changes to deal with starting mine...including waking same time, early, getting out for a walk in the daylight asap, then getting off computer/tv brighlights and taking a bath and resting and singing to calm myself down for sleep!!! Kinda funny writing it down, but still when I stay up late on the computer, like now, I can mess my sleep up!!!

 

Zop is not an easy one from what I've seen on here. But you only have one direction to go, off!!! Slow taper. Let's see who has an idea for you.

 

You can also post your request for feedback here if you haven't already:

Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans) Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans)

 

Glad you're here!

 

Cheers, Kachina

[[Ka...]]

LADYDEN!!!!

 

:happybday: :happybday: :happybday: :happybday: :hug: :yippee: :mybuddy:

[[He...]]

Happy Birthday, Lady Den!!