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

[[Jo...]]

Hey Twbd, congrats to you. It only gets better from here. Do not ever go back no matter how tempting. I did that last year and a huge mistake. Hang in there. Hey all the rest of you, I’m 2.5 months med free and doing fine. Working full time and not doing bad. Functioning at a pretty high level and very grateful. Sleep is still not the best and neuropathy in feet that I may have to live with, but I’m rocking it. Stay strong on your journeys.

[[La...]]

Thank you Kachina! I needed that. I’m the same about my ticker scale too. Can’t believe it’s 17 months. Speaking of that….it says 16 months and 4 weeks…lol why doesn’t it just say 17 months?

Your sleep will get better and better..everyone’s sleep will.

 

John I’m so glad you posted. I’ve been wondering about you. Wonderful to hear you’re still free of the med and doing all you can towards a normal life. Remember to be gentle to yourself and take important rest breaks. Very proud that you’re doing well. You deserve a medal for your hard work 🏅

 

This morning was a little rough for about an hour and half but not as bad as yesterday morning. So I’m so grateful for this. Still not a full picnic but these sandwiches will do! If you know what I mean 😆 In this recovery we take all the little reliefs we can get. I’m praying I remain like this the rest of the day. This is bearable. 🤞🤞🤞🙏

Hugs and love to you all.

[[De...]]

Hey LadyDen I am glad to hear you started off better today!  May you rock your afternoon!!!

 

[[La...]]

Yes ma’am Deanna I’m trying and I hope you’re feeling ok too. Thank you for that sweetie. 

[[Ka...]]

Hey Team, well for some of us this is the cold and dark time ... yikes! I do like to lay in my bed even if I'm not sleeping! Cozy and warm. It's one thing waking up at 5am when the sun is up ... but on ambien I never woke up at 5am. I was drugged asleep and these last years, many of them, there were other drugs in the mix as I desperately chased sleep and tried to run away from all the really crazy and awful side effects that I didn't know were caused by the ambien. I just thought I was sick. How did I deny that for so long and how did doctors??? Grrrr.

 

LadyD: Hope your weekend is full of yummy sandwiches and sand wishes, lol!!

 

John:  Love your strength and empowerment!! Very happy you're doing so well. Wow, I read your signature and you sure got off that S@#! fast!!! Agree with LD, you deserve a medal! Glad you're checking in and letting us know ... you sure went through it and got back out of it again!!!

 

ALL others here:  we need each other! Keep saying hi, checking in, its nourishing in our journeys through the life out there! 

 

[[He...]]

Kachina Birdsong,

 

Your experience with chasing the symptoms caused by the Ambien matches mine. I wasn't on Ambien but was on high doses of two other Z Drugs (Lunesta and Sonata). I'd "treat" those symptoms with OTC pain killers, triptans for migraines, phenergan, wine and  anything at all to soothe the awfulness.  I think I knew what was causing the symptoms after a while but no one could help me figure out what to do.  I kept trying to get off the sleeping pills but failed time and time again because my life didn't allow the luxury of going through even more withdrawal than I was already experiencing with Intradose.  But here I am now and I'm DOING it.  You are too.  We're going to get better.  Hope you sleep well tonight. 

 

 

[[La...]]

Kachina I agree with you too about Ambien. When I took it, it always made me feel weird. I’d wake up so suddenly in the morning with a false sense of good sleep. Wow what an illusion. Now that I’m sleeping naturally it’s a huge difference. I remember being so disoriented when I took it. Doing things I didn’t remember. When I did remember parts of things I did, it was like a bad dream. Scary now that I think about it! So glad to be rid of it! Oh the damage it caused!

Yes we need each other. Love to you all

Starting another wave….

[[Li...]]

Hi Zzers,

It’s quiet here! At the moment I am stable, I am not changing medication. After a little break, I started re-using my daylight lamp today. Yesterday I had a saxophone lesson, we played Doxy by Sonny Rollins. And jammed on it too.

Sorry, I have not much else to share.. have a nice day! Jerry

[[La...]]

Hugs Team Z.

Jerry yes it’s quiet in here. I guess everyone is keeping busy. Good to hear from you. I am also looking into a sun lamp so I can correct my vit d levels. I’m not sure which one to get or what to look for??. Also are there any side effects to look out for when using it?

Wow great song you jammed to. That’s awesome. I hope one day that you make an album. 

[[Li...]]

Hugs Team Z.

Jerry yes it’s quiet in here. I guess everyone is keeping busy. Good to hear from you. I am also looking into a sun lamp so I can correct my vit d levels. I’m not sure which one to get or what to look for??. Also are there any side effects to look out for when using it?

Wow great song you jammed to. That’s awesome. I hope one day that you make an album. 

 

Ha Ladyden,

You can’t correct vitamin D levels with it. That happens when the sun shines on your skin (because of ultraviolet light). I use vitamine D pills for that purpose. I haven’t got real side effects yet, but I am using it in the morning for 20 minutes on the lowest level. I am planning a slow increase of the time and level. Today we have a day of rain here, but I am inside, so its fine with me. Huggs Jerry

[[La...]]

Jerry I read about those Vitamin D lamps. It showed in testing that it increases levels in the body. Also the reviews from customers says so. YouTube has many of them that verified that it increased their levels. Am I missing something? I know there are two different kinds of lamps. I was referring to the one that increases vitamin D. Some are even used on pet reptiles because they’re supposed to be in the natural sun. What kind do you have?

[[De...]]

Hey Jerry and LadyD, I just ordered that Sperti Vitamin D lamp.  It was out of stock but just came back in.  As far as I can tell it's the only lamp made that increases vitamin D. It's expensive!  But there is a 60 day return guarentee.

 

I aim to get my levels checked then start using it.

[[La...]]

Yep that’s the name of it Deanna serti vit d lamp. I’m probably going to order one too. Thanks Deanna 

How are you feeling? Anything new? Any shift in your symptoms? Mine is starting to get better. My mornings the past few days have been better.

 

How is everyone doing? Really quiet in here.

[[Li...]]

I have got an EnergyUp lamp of Phillips. It is very small, it has a blue light with three brightness settings… this lamp can’t create vitamin D….

 

Btw I have started tapering again yesterday… I am planning for a very slow taper, with very small steps…

Hugss Jerry 

[[De...]]

Congrats Jerry on restarting your taper!  We are all here in this together.

 

Hey LadyD - I rested all day yesterday and although I started feeling less rough by dinnertime, I found my mood very unstable and sniped at my hubby (and he was tired and in a bad mood too, so that was hard to avoid....).  But we agreed to go to bed early and we both feel better today.  The 48 hours of intense socializing along with the work involved with hosting definitely put me over the "stress" tipping point.  But I do notice that mornings aren't as yucky lately.  I have also started drinking one cup of regular coffee again in the morning only.  I can feel the caffeine doing its magic, but it doesn't rev me up terribly, just a normal revving like caffeine is supposed to do.  I think I feel a teeny tiny bit more like myself with the morning coffee, so let';s see if having that back on board take me in the right direction.  I've been a coffee lover since I was 14, and in my highly caffeinated days would drink it all day long!  I'll never do that again, just want to be a little more like a normal person.

 

My next challenge is taking a probiotic - I'm choosing the Culturelle - that strain (L. Rhamosus) has been found to increase GABA receptors in the mouse model.  So let's see how that goes.  I've been drinking kefir which has about 12 strains, so hoping it's a no brainer.  Then going to try the lamp to increase vit D.  Trying not to be aggressive here but want to move things along.

 

Hope everyone is resting on this Saturday afternoon.

[[Ka...]]

Great to read everyone's comments. Helen, we were in it together and here we are. Amen. I'm glad you had an inkling, I didn't!! Doh! as Bart Simpson would say!

 

Jerry, right on, low and slow, congratulations on feeling ready and getting through your recent transition.

 

D and LD; vit D lamp, wow, was just reading that sun tanning lamps can provide vitamin D, I'd like that!

 

LD: wooooo hooo your mornings are better!! That is GREAT news!

 

D:  congrats on the excitement of your cup of coffee! I relate to how tiring hosting is.

 

I'm just plugging along. We went away for an overnight on thanksgiving and when I took out my toiletry bag guess what I found in it?!?!!?!? OMG the POISON AMBIEN. Trashing that. Our week has been hard with a family crisis that took a lot out of me. Some short nights, including awake from midnight until 5am today, then 1.5hrs sleep ... so grateful I can be smart and do very little but relax all day today to restore myself. I even took a nap.

 

Dark cold gloomy Winter, we're getting through it!

Love to all,

Kachina

[[La...]]

Kachina I laughed when you said you found that poison Ambien. Lol I’m so glad you thrashed it. Hope your getaway was great. I’m sorry you’re struggling with sleep. It will improve. Keep with your routine and sleep hygiene. Take naps when you can is a good idea. I miss you.

[[Li...]]

Hi Zzers,

Even though I did a small taper step (same two steps last two days) , I feel it is heavy. Mentally. I feel more lightheaded too. Luckily I slept well last night .

Huggs, Jerry

[[La...]]

Jerry that’s how reductions will do. You already know how that goes. None of it is easy. Rest up and give it a few days to settle. Good hearing from you.

[[Li...]]

Jerry that’s how reductions will do. You already know how that goes. None of it is easy. Rest up and give it a few days to settle. Good hearing from you.

 

Yes, and the mental feeling is the same too, I recognize it.

[[kc...]]

I wouldn't be surprised if your former Ativan use is why your body developed dependence so quickly, you're smart to recognize the signs and take steps to get free sooner rather than later.

 

I like your taper plan, but of course if you run into problems you can slow it down. 

 

I’ve on day 4 of first leg of taper from becoming physical dependent after only two weeks at 10 mg of zolpien per day. This first leg is at 5 mg (planned for 7 days) and I have been noticing a lot of intra day withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, anxiety and mood swings. Nothing too severe, especially since I know what they are, but uncomfortable and annoying nonetheless.

 

When I tapered off ativan 5 years ago, I split my daily dose into three equal parts to ease intraday symptoms. i don’t think I should do that with ambien as it hits so hard so fast I might end up in a sedated state all day, but not enough of one to sleep at night. I guess only solution is to stay at 5 mg nightly until the w/d side effects are more manageable, and then make my next cut. Luckily I still have my Gemini 20 scale from my ativan tapering days.

 

Any thoughts or am I on a reasonable path? Thank God I retired early this year so I don’t have pressure of work.

 

Hello All. It’s been a couple of months since I last posted. I finished my ambien taper toward end of Sept., jumped off and all was good. Then the Saturday before Thanksgiving caught a bug. Went to urgent care twice..was tested for covid, flu and strep. All negative.

 

Feeling shitty, sleep was difficult. Tried Nyquill but the antihistamine made me wired and edgy and anxious. Felt horrible Thanksgiving day so knew I needed sleep. So I thought, how much harm could 5mg of ambien for one night be so I did it.

 

Slept well and felt a lot better next day. Didnt take ambien that night, slept ok, but the next day (Saturday) I had the most hellacious panic and anxiety attacks the entire day. I felt sick and was sure something major was wrong. I couldn’t believe one night’s use of 5 mg ambien followed by one night without could cause withdrawal, but what else could it be! So I took 5 mg ambien that night, slept well, and by late morning the next day I felt no anxiety, just fatigue from recovering from cold virus. The day was pretty good, so I decided to start a mini taper and take 2.5 mg ambien that (didn’t want to go through the one day cold turkey disaster again). So I took 2.5 mg ambien.

 

That was last night. Slept well. But this morning I felt very fatigued and the anxiety set in pretty bad and wouldn’t go away till mid day. I feel like I’m recovering from my illness but still feel very fatigued. Not sure what to do tonight. Take nothing, take 2.5 mg ambien again, 1.25 mg? Do you guys think its even possible to suffer ambien withdrawal from 1-2 days use. I’m really confused. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

 

Ken

[[La...]]

Hi Ken. Welcome back. Sounds like your body is talking to you to leave the Ambien alone. Symptoms are going to happen but as you found out, they’re worse if you go back and forth on taking it. I think you should take the 2.5mg  for a week then 1.5mg for a week then 1mg for a week then half of 1mg for a couple of days. Then never take it again. What you’re experiencing is interdose withdrawal. Because you started introducing it to your brain again. You don’t want to have kindling. You will feel symptoms so expect that it won’t be easy. But you can’t just turn to Ambien. You must get some coping skills as an alternative. You don’t want to be tapering over and over.

Hope this helps.

[[kc...]]

Hi Ken. Welcome back. Sounds like your body is talking to you to leave the Ambien alone. Symptoms are going to happen but as you found out, they’re worse if you go back and forth on taking it. I think you should take the 2.5mg  for a week then 1.5mg for a week then 1mg for a week then half of 1mg for a couple of days. Then never take it again. What you’re experiencing is interdose withdrawal. Because you started introducing it to your brain again. You don’t want to have kindling. You will feel symptoms so expect that it won’t be easy. But you can’t just turn to Ambien. You must get some coping skills as an alternative. You don’t want to be tapering over and over.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks.  But ended up feeling less anxious towards end of day and not taking anything but 3 mg melatonin to facilitate sleep. Slept well. Feel pretty good except for lingering cold symptoms. No anxiety. Here’s hoping worst is behind me. No more ambien for me!

[[La...]]

Great decision Ken! Your body is talking. All you have to do is listen and comply. 

[[Li...]]

Hi Zzers,

Today I feel a bit better, I even went to the swimming pool and had a sax lesson. Less lightheaded too. My sleep i still fine.  I also used my daylight lamp in the morning. Huggs Jerry