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

[[La...]]

Love you Team Z! Hope you’re doing well.

[[Li...]]

I also send my best wishes to team Z…      I am about to leave for a meal with my dad…

 

I just discovered that it is going to freeze here during the night, we had rain here during the day. So I am afraid the plank bridge at the front door will be very slippery tomorrow. I have 1 kilo of salt here which I want to use. And I ordered ice spikes which I can put under my shoes….. hugggg Jerry

[[La...]]

Jerry did it freeze over there? Please be careful when going outside….you and your dad be safe. How are you feeling

Sending you hugs my friend.

[[Li...]]

Ha LadyDen,

It freezes a bit in the night, luckily it was not slippery on the streets. I received the shoe spikes this evening, so I have them here in case it will get seriously slippery. My day was quite ok, went swimming, I did this three days in a row. I am still watching the World Cup. Holland is out, but I am not really bothered. Tomorrow my father will be here…. hugggsss Jerry 

[[Li...]]

I am now three weeks without zopiclon. I am still not feeling great. Am I too impatient? 

J.

[[wa...]]

Jer

Yes -- you are understandably impatient.  Hang on -- you'll feel better.  You know from being on BB that is can take time.  Try not to be tempted to take Zop again.

WBB

[[or...]]

Jer, it does take awhile for your body to adjust to no zop. It took me about 3 months to feel like a human being. But it's worth it! I felt ever so much better once the zop was gone. Try to hang in.

 

 

Katz

[[He...]]

I am now three weeks without zopiclon. I am still not feeling great. Am I too impatient? 

J.

 

Jerry,

 

I'm sorry you don't feel well.  It does take some time to get past that early stage after jumping.  Hang in there.  Better days are coming.

 

Helen

[[Li...]]

Ha Wbb, Oregonkatz and Helen,

Yes, you are right! I must be patient, it needs time to heal. I used it for many years, luckily a very low amount, but still long. I should also be happy that I can do all things I have to do in my life. Like shopping, saxlessons and going to the swimming pool. Or family related things. Huggsss, Jerry 

[[La...]]

Team Z  :smitten: :smitten:

 

Sending big hugs and love!

 

Jerry everyone is right. It takes time. Be patient and it will pay off. Keep distracted with your dad, tv, sax, etc.

 

Sorry I’m absent for couple days at a time but I’m just living life and working on improving things. Please know that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of everyone. Love you all ! ❤️💕💗

[[Li...]]

The short freezing period here is almost over, but this evening it was really treacherous, on a still frozen street an ice rain shower fell, and so it became very slippery. I had to go from my father’s house to my house. Luckily it went well. I saw several people walking next to their bikes…. I could see ice crystals on the roads.

I am thinking of ordering my groceries online till the freezing perils are over. I never did this before, but it is a good reason. Huggs Jerry 

 

[[La...]]

Jerry I order my groceries online too and they deliver them with no problem. That’s a good idea to do that. 

 

Love to Team Z,

[[ac...]]

Hoping to post to the Z-Drug group but trying to navigate this forum.  I hope it finds you all.  I hope to taper Ambien 10mg in 2023.  Im trying to determine the safest way to this but I know the short half life can be a challenge.  I’d prefer not to have to switch to a longer benzo and honestly don’t know if a doctor in Memphis TN would write the prescription.  Also in 300mg Gabapentin and 50mg Trazadone. All of this began after a Covid hospitalization that brought the inability to sleep once I returned home.  This happened 3.5 months ago and all docs say my brain isn’t ready to taper yet but I’m trying to think ahead to when it is.  Thank yall.

[[Li...]]

Hoping to post to the Z-Drug group but trying to navigate this forum.  I hope it finds you all.  I hope to taper Ambien 10mg in 2023.  Im trying to determine the safest way to this but I know the short half life can be a challenge.  I’d prefer not to have to switch to a longer benzo and honestly don’t know if a doctor in Memphis TN would write the prescription.  Also in 300mg Gabapentin and 50mg Trazadone. All of this began after a Covid hospitalization that brought the inability to sleep once I returned home.  This happened 3.5 months ago and all docs say my brain isn’t ready to taper yet but I’m trying to think ahead to when it is.  Thank yall.

 

Ha Acs504,

You are at the right spot for your (possible) taper. People can help you here. I just finished my taper and was very glad to get support here. As you can see in my profile I tapered zopiclone. I did it in very small steps with the use of a file. I did this over a period of two years. I didn’t switch to Valium.

Good luck! Jerry 

[[ac...]]

Thanks Jerry.  I don’t know much about Zopiclone.  Were the inter dose withdrawals tolerable during the taper?

[[Li...]]

Thanks Jerry.  I don’t know much about Zopiclone.  Were the inter dose withdrawals tolerable during the taper?

 

In my case they were more or less acceptable. My sleep was and is ok. I got height anxiety during my use of zopiclone, I think this is interdose withdrawal and I am also lightheaded. I am just a month done with my taper, so I still have these symptoms. Zopiclone and ambien are both z-drugs. If I am right zopiclone has a longer ‘working’ time than ambien.

 

If you want to know more about z-drugs, check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonbenzodiazepine

 

 

[[Li...]]

Ho ho ho…  :smitten:

One month since I finished my taper…. 

Even though I am not feeling great, I can manage the situation…

Jerry!  :thumbsup:

 

[[ac...]]

I curious what you did or didn’t do differently on this final taper that’s made it more manageable.  I also forgot to ask if you always took one dose per day or did you split the dose up throughout the day.  Thanks

[[Li...]]

I curious what you did or didn’t do differently on this final taper that’s made it more manageable.  I also forgot to ask if you always took one dose per day or did you split the dose up throughout the day.  Thanks

 

The small steps made it more manageable. I took only one dose per day, just before going to bed….

[[Li...]]

I curious what you did or didn’t do differently on this final taper that’s made it more manageable.  I also forgot to ask if you always took one dose per day or did you split the dose up throughout the day.  Thanks

 

The small steps made it manageable, I took only one dose per day, just before going to bed.

[[He...]]

Ho ho ho…  :smitten:

One month since I finished my taper…. 

Even though I am not feeling great, I can manage the situation…

Jerry!  :thumbsup:

 

Hooray for you Jerry! You are doing this and doing it well. I know you still don't feel great but I like how you are accepting that as part of the progress.

 

Stay warm,

Helen

 

[[He...]]

Hoping to post to the Z-Drug group but trying to navigate this forum.  I hope it finds you all.  I hope to taper Ambien 10mg in 2023.  Im trying to determine the safest way to this but I know the short half life can be a challenge.  I’d prefer not to have to switch to a longer benzo and honestly don’t know if a doctor in Memphis TN would write the prescription.  Also in 300mg Gabapentin and 50mg Trazadone. All of this began after a Covid hospitalization that brought the inability to sleep once I returned home.  This happened 3.5 months ago and all docs say my brain isn’t ready to taper yet but I’m trying to think ahead to when it is.  Thank yall.

 

Welcome acs,

 

I'm glad you are going to wait a little while before you start your taper.  That sounds smart. I'm sorry Covid started all of this for you.  You are probably best off tapering off one med at a time and starting with the Ambien seems right.  You are thinking right about not adding a benzo.  The interdose withdrawal might be tough but you can likely handle it without adding a benzo which could open up a whole other world of misery for you in the long run.  I'm not going to be helpful with tapering advice as I was on Lunesta and Sonata and my taper was pretty sketchy and random.  I think there is a thread devoted to tapering advice.  I'm glad you found this thread for support.  I admire your strategy to start planning for your taper now.  In the meantime, get your diet as clean as possible and start working on meditating and setting a sleep schedule if possible.  With those things in place, you'll build a strong foundation for the tapering process.  Things may go well for you!

 

Take care,

Helen

[[Li...]]

Thank you Helen, for celebrating with me.

It is a bit of a pity though that I have catched a cold since yesterday. My head is full with ‘cotton wool’ as we say in Holland. I have a lot of slime in my nose and my throat is not feeling well.

I am glad my cat is sitting next to me a lot. That is cosy. Also I had the woman here today who cleans my house.

Normally I would go to my father, but today I stay home. I hope that I can do the saxlesson tomorrow.

Lots of virtual hugs, Jeroen

Outdoors the freezing period is over…

[[He...]]

Thank you Helen, for celebrating with me.

It is a bit of a pity though that I have catched a cold since yesterday. My head is full with ‘cotton wool’ as we say in Holland. I have a lot of slime in my nose and my throat is not feeling well.

I am glad my cat is sitting next to me a lot. That is cosy. Also I had the woman here today who cleans my house.

Normally I would go to my father, but today I stay home. I hope that I can do the saxlesson tomorrow.

Lots of virtual hugs, Jeroen

Outdoors the freezing period is over…

 

Oh Jerry, I'm so sorry.  I had a TERRIBLE cold back in September and it made the withdrawal so much harder. Hopefully you will get well quickly. Take good care of yourself. I'm glad the freezing is done for now.

 

HUGS back!

Helen

[[La...]]

Ho ho ho…  :smitten:

One month since I finished my taper…. 

Even though I am not feeling great, I can manage the situation…

Jerry!  :thumbsup:

 

Hooray for you Jerry! You are doing this and doing it well. I know you still don't feel great but I like how you are accepting that as part of the progress.

 

Stay warm,

Helen

Awesome Jerry!