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

[[La...]]

Hey Team Z! Happy 500 and 5000! We are all awesome!

Sleepyjo that’s good news. You are on your way to increasing that sleep time. You’re doing great. Keep the faith. Have a good sleep routine and don’t fixate on how much sleep you didn’t get. Celebrate the quality of what you did get. You’ve got the right idea. I think you’ll do very well. 

 

Thanks Jerry for pointing that out! Hugs and hope you’re doing better today.

 

Kachina yes you’re a working woman. I’m loving your positivity. I’m so proud of you being Ambien free and claiming your new happy life. You’re an inspiration!

 

Sab I’m glad it exists too. It really helped me through my worst times in my tapering and acute days. Zdrugs have a bad habit of trying to plant the thought that we’ll never sleep again without it. That’s such bull. 😆 all of us are proving that wrong. Even Sleepyjo with getting an hour or so….that still proves sleep happens. I hope you’re doing good, Sab. You are strong so believe that!

 

Love to everyone! Those of you being affected by the snow storm that’s arriving please prepare as best as you can. Stay safe and warm. It’s going to be ugly!

[[He...]]

Yes, it's true! We can sleep even after YEARS of HEAVY Z drug usage. I am proof of that.  I don't think anyone took more Lunesta and Sonata that this gal right here.  Not proud of it but it's true. I never thought I would sleep but I do manage between 5 and 7 hours a night.  Sabitzer and Sleepyjo, sleep will come.  Proud of each and every one of us. 

 

 

[[Be...]]

I'm getting the snow storm here in PA and it won't be too bad.  We're only supposed to get about 3" of slushy accumulation.

[[Ka...]]

SleepyJo, wishing you more sleep, good rest, happy healing!!! I hope you are able to take time off or lay low as much as possible as you go through the transition. Keep going!!! Good for you!!!

 

Happy Weekend All, I took a benadryl last night. I do it every now and then when I feel I need to but I'm not completely comfortable with taking it. Just want to be able to say it here instead of thinking I'm a bad girl and shouldn't tell anyone!!! Ohhh so hard on myself at time! That alone is a reason I need a good night sleep. Perfectionism is hard on the Self so going to do my best to be gentle, loving and kind in my thoughts toward me today!!

 

How is everyone???

[[La...]]

Becks stay warm and dry. It’s bitter cold here too. Very windy as well.

 

Kachina. It’s ok because it’s your body so your decision. If it’s not causing you an issue and every now and then….ok. You’re a working woman and need your sleep. You’re smart not to take it often.  Today I’m resting up. I’m in boaty waters and waves. Yesterday was a nice window most of the day so I’m grateful. Another window is coming soon. That’s my pattern now. Few days of rough and a day or two of window. They’re definitely getting better. Big hugs my dear friend.

 

Hugs all around to Team Z! Hang in there, it does get better. That’s a common saying around here but it is true! Distract from your symptoms. Accept that you won’t feel good for awhile. Expect the symptoms to happen. Distract distract distract preferably something to keep your hands busy. If you aren’t getting the amount of sleep you’d like then don’t fixate on that! One thing is for sure….NOBODY died on here from very little sleep. It will improve with time. It’s frustratingly hard to be awake in the middle of the night. So have a plan! If you can’t sleep then do a jigsaw puzzle or read something positive. The Bible is a good book to focus on in the quiet of the night. Knitting, crocheting, looking through family pictures, etc. Also you can just lay there relaxing to soothing music. Make peace with your situation. It keeps the stress away. Love, hugs and healing wishes. 😘♥️🌹

[[Be...]]

This snowstorm today in PA was terrible.  I can barely walk and had to go outside about 3 times and shovel the snow from the 2-car driveway, deck and path to the water meter and also try to clean the car off since I have no one here to help me and my nabe never came and helped me like he said that he would, and I did get wet from all the darn blowing snow on me.  I was in my evening nightgown outside and lost my urine too outside.  I couldn't help it.  I've got incontinence problems now from my diagnosed Lupus encephalitis, but I had to get the snow shoveled outside.  Then, tonight I was freezing cold outside trying to shovel the snow.  I have no one here to help me and the snow was heavy and wet too.  I guess it's good for me to walk and shovel snow and get exercise, because it's not good for our bodies to not move.  Especially for me since I have a diagnosed blood circulating disorder and if I don't walk and move my legs I could be at risk of getting a DVT or blood-clot in my legs and that's very serious and it could kill me.  Plus, if I don't walk I get RLS.  Thanks ladyDen.  I'm now inside where it is warmer and dry and the furnace works good too, but it's still a bit cold in here, but I do have the space heater on here in the living room. 

Edit: Removed questionable content.

[[La...]]

Team Z! Hope y’all got some nice zzzzs last night. I slept decently after my night wave. I’ll be glad when I don’t have those anymore. When we shift to something different in our recovery journey we’ve got to keep in mind that it’s part of the process. None of the steps can be skipped. Got to go through to get through! 

Happy healing everyone!

Love ❤️ love 💕 love 💗 to you all.

[[Li...]]

Hi Zzzzers,

It is quiet here. I am busy with my next taper step. It is tough, but doable. In a half hour I’ll go swimming. My father is almost Corona free. So after a week of isolation, we can see each other again. I think tomorrow. I am still busy with making music on my computer. It is fun. Huggs to all of you!  Jerry

[[La...]]

Morning Team Z! Good to see you Jerry. I’m glad your dad is recovering nicely. Keep jamming to your music and way to go on your step down. 

 

Hope everyone is doing well. Happy healing!

[[am...]]

Hello,

 

Has anybody got tinnitus just from using Ambien, and not withdrawal?

After a few days of use a new tone appeared besides my old tinnitus.

I have been using for a month and want to get off it because o interdose withdrawal and it not working anymore very well, but it still quiets the tinnitus.

Would taking another benzo to help sleep while tapering Ambien be a mistake?

[[Pa...]]

Hello,

 

Has anybody got tinnitus just from using Ambien, and not withdrawal?

After a few days of use a new tone appeared besides my old tinnitus.

I have been using for a month and want to get off it because o interdose withdrawal and it not working anymore very well, but it still quiets the tinnitus.

Would taking another benzo to help sleep while tapering Ambien be a mistake?

 

Benzo's are sometimes prescribed for tinnitus but it seems to make it worse when we become tolerant to and dependent on it.  I never had tinnitus until I was recovering from Klonopin, thankfully it left when I recovered but for those who have this pre-existing condition it seems to ramp it up to excruciating levels.

 

In my opinion, benzodiazepines are a 1000 times worse to stop than z-drugs, it scares me to read you asking about taking a benzo to help you sleep. 

[[De...]]

Team Z! Hope y’all got some nice zzzzs last night. I slept decently after my night wave. I’ll be glad when I don’t have those anymore. When we shift to something different in our recovery journey we’ve got to keep in mind that it’s part of the process. None of the steps can be skipped. Got to go through to get through! 

Happy healing everyone!

Love ❤️ love 💕 love 💗 to you all.

 

Hey LadyDen, Sorry about your night waves.  What are they like?  Are they just night-time versions of your daytime waves or something different?  I ask because I have middle of the night waves that ramp up and hang around 45 minutes, then ramp down.  Have had them from the beginning of withdrawal and they've ebbed over time but can be just plain insomnia, nerve pain (the worst!), hot flashes, or sometimes just restlessness like a whole body restless leg syndrome.  Always worst when I've had a challenging day, like my body is rebelling from the recent activity.  Just wondering....hope you are feeling better tonight!!

[[Lo...]]

Hello,

 

Has anybody got tinnitus just from using Ambien, and not withdrawal?

After a few days of use a new tone appeared besides my old tinnitus.

I have been using for a month and want to get off it because o interdose withdrawal and it not working anymore very well, but it still quiets the tinnitus.

Would taking another benzo to help sleep while tapering Ambien be a mistake?

 

Benzo's are sometimes prescribed for tinnitus but it seems to make it worse when we become tolerant to and dependent on it.  I never had tinnitus until I was recovering from Klonopin, thankfully it left when I recovered but for those who have this pre-existing condition it seems to ramp it up to excruciating levels.

 

In my opinion, benzodiazepines are a 1000 times worse to stop than z-drugs, it scares me to read you asking about taking a benzo to help you sleep.

  Ambien messed me up worse than Valium.

[[am...]]

How long have you been on Ambien?

[[La...]]

Team Z! Hope y’all got some nice zzzzs last night. I slept decently after my night wave. I’ll be glad when I don’t have those anymore. When we shift to something different in our recovery journey we’ve got to keep in mind that it’s part of the process. None of the steps can be skipped. Got to go through to get through! 

Happy healing everyone!

Love ❤️ love 💕 love 💗 to you all.

 

Hey LadyDen, Sorry about your night waves.  What are they like?  Are they just night-time versions of your daytime waves or something different?  I ask because I have middle of the night waves that ramp up and hang around 45 minutes, then ramp down.  Have had them from the beginning of withdrawal and they've ebbed over time but can be just plain insomnia, nerve pain (the worst!), hot flashes, or sometimes just restlessness like a whole body restless leg syndrome.  Always worst when I've had a challenging day, like my body is rebelling from the recent activity.  Just wondering....hope you are feeling better tonight!!

Deanna my night waves started back in October at my last setback. They contain my day symptoms that are ramped up and new mild symptoms that show up for a few minutes then die down. These night waves start when I began going to sleep. Just like you, if I’ve had a challenging, stressful or day of being upright doing tasks then they’re worse. Wow so similar. I do wake up maybe once in the middle of the night but very quickly go back to sleep. When I wake up in the morning I have morning dread followed by a wave. The dread has gotten milder and shorter. The wave that follows is also milder and shorter. In which I’m starting right now 😂  I hope that answered your question dear friend. I’m 21 months now! Woooohooo! We don’t have long. And strangely I feel my healing happening. I’m loving it! It’s been long enough.

Love you and hugs ❤️🌹

[[La...]]

Hello Ambien free. Welcome to Team Z!

I’d like to let you know that Dr Ashton stated in her manual that taking Zdrugs for sleep while withdrawing from benzos is not advised. And vice versa. The reason for this is because Zdrugs have similar components that act on the SAME gaba receptors in the brain as a benzo. So it’s the same as continuing to take a benzo. I haven’t had a benzo but I’m a living witness that Ambien ( zolpidem) messed me up bad! IMO it is just as injurious as a benzo and in some ways worse. From my personal experience, I’ve seen other BBs take more than one benzo or benzo AD combos with other meds and physically I’ve been in worse shape than them. All I ever took was Ambien. Dr Ashton said they cause the same WD as benzos…..she’s right! I posted a list of my symptoms a few weeks ago if you want to scroll back to read it. Absolutely awful WD journey for me. I’m not the only one either. So, IMO I think you should stay clear of the Ambien to save yourself some serious hardships. Seeing you’re having interdose wd, that’s your brain warning you. If I were you , I’d listen and taper off it. I’m with Pam….it’s scary to hear you asking about taking a benzo for sleep. And yes zdrugs and benzos are ototoxic- damaging to the ears/ vestibular system. Tinnitus is it’s number one manifestation of that. Highly highly common. So please don’t rob peter to pay Paul by starting a benzo. You eventually will have your sleep restored once you’re off the ambien. It takes a little time, patience and sleep hygiene.

Best wishes!

[[am...]]

Did you get tinnitus from the Ambien use or during withdrawal?

Does it go away after you get off the drug?

[[Lo...]]

Hello Ambien free. Welcome to Team Z!

I’d like to let you know that Dr Ashton stated in her manual that taking Zdrugs for sleep while withdrawing from benzos is not advised. And vice versa. The reason for this is because Zdrugs have similar components that act on the SAME gaba receptors in the brain as a benzo. So it’s the same as continuing to take a benzo. I haven’t had a benzo but I’m a living witness that Ambien ( zolpidem) messed me up bad! IMO it is just as injurious as a benzo and in some ways worse. From my personal experience, I’ve seen other BBs take more than one benzo or benzo AD combos with other meds and physically I’ve been in worse shape than them. All I ever took was Ambien. Dr Ashton said they cause the same WD as benzos…..she’s right! I posted a list of my symptoms a few weeks ago if you want to scroll back to read it. Absolutely awful WD journey for me. I’m not the only one either. So, IMO I think you should stay clear of the Ambien to save yourself some serious hardships. Seeing you’re having interdose wd, that’s your brain warning you. If I were you , I’d listen and taper off it. I’m with Pam….it’s scary to hear you asking about taking a benzo for sleep. And yes zdrugs and benzos are ototoxic- damaging to the ears/ vestibular system. Tinnitus is it’s number one manifestation of that. Highly highly common. So please don’t rob peter to pay Paul by starting a benzo. You eventually will have your sleep restored once you’re off the ambien. It takes a little time, patience and sleep hygiene.

Best wishes!

I'm not an expert, but Ashton did say you could switch from Ambien to Valium, V is a long acting drug , while Ambien is short acting. That's why I made the switch following her advice. I had more success weaning down the Valium. The crossover helped, I was a mess on Ambien.

[[La...]]

Yes for some they have to cross over to V. Depending on the situation. For me fortunately I did a dry taper over 10 months. Thanks for the post. Hugs and happy healing.

[[Li...]]

Is lightheadedness also a tolerance or taper symptom?

Jerry

[[De...]]

Hi Jerry, I would think it most certainly is.  I get slightly dizzy, and if I move my head around too fast almost disoriented. 

It comes and goes. 

 

It is very possible that the lower you go you may experience some new symptoms that you haven't before.

 

Hang in there!

[[Li...]]

Ha Deanne,

Thank you for your answer! I think it must be zopiclone related, because my bloodpressure is normal. I have a machine here to test that.

[[Li...]]

Is het ok to drink milk in the evening…. I wonder if this habit makes me feel bad the next day… I know milk contains tryptophan, which transforms in melatonin, the sleep hormone. I normally feel really bad the next day when I take melatonin in pill form…Jerry

[[wh...]]

Hello,

 

Has anybody got tinnitus just from using Ambien, and not withdrawal?

After a few days of use a new tone appeared besides my old tinnitus.

I have been using for a month and want to get off it because o interdose withdrawal and it not working anymore very well, but it still quiets the tinnitus.

Would taking another benzo to help sleep while tapering Ambien be a mistake?

 

Hi Pam

 

Can you give advice re tapering from Zolpiderm, I'm at 2.5mg?

 

Benzo's are sometimes prescribed for tinnitus but it seems to make it worse when we become tolerant to and dependent on it.  I never had tinnitus until I was recovering from Klonopin, thankfully it left when I recovered but for those who have this pre-existing condition it seems to ramp it up to excruciating levels.

 

In my opinion, benzodiazepines are a 1000 times worse to stop than z-drugs, it scares me to read you asking about taking a benzo to help you sleep.

[[La...]]

Did you get tinnitus from the Ambien use or during withdrawal?

Does it go away after you get off the drug?

I got the tinnitus from Ambien use. It started when I started having interpose WD….a year before I started tapering. Back then I didn’t connect it to Ambien. I just thought it was because I moved to a different state that my body wasn’t used to. I blamed it on allergies but silly me didn’t consider that it happened when it wasn’t allergy season.

For most people it does gradually go away once you’re off. In my case, so far, I recently had the left ear ringing go completely away! Yay! It’s only in my right ear now. It’s mild except when I start a wave. It’s always my indicator that a wave is beginning. When my wave is over, it goes back to a mild ringing that I easily can ignore.