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

[[Hu...]]

Hi guys,

 

Lady Den, I enjoy baseball too. What's your favorite team?  I know you are going to get a game in person and maybe even this summer! How are you doing?  We have the same weather as you. 

 

Jerry,

 

I'm watching A LOT of Roland Garros right now.  Who are your favorites? I like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek and many others on the women's side.  For the men, I'm enjoying Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz and more. There are so many great players. Did you see Gael Monfils yesterday?!! Holy cow, that was incredible.  I hope you start feeling better soon. 

 

I'm a bit better these last couple of days but man oh man, I've been wavy since the end of March.  Tomorrow is my 2 year anniversary!  We are going to the beach for 4 nights and I'm excited about that.  I hope to feel good enough to stroll gently on the beach some.  I've been busy at home but also resting a lot.  My part time job is much busier in the spring and summer so I have to pay attention but I enjoy it. 

 

To anyone else reading here, I hope you are progressing well. 

 

Helen

 

Just saw this Helen, we have more in common than we thought. I've really gotten into tennis in the past year and have been really enjoying several of the players you mentioned. Swiatek's dominance of female tennis is astounding.

 

What Djokovic is doing at 36 is astounding. The first two sets of him and Alcaraz at the French Open were incredible, but then Alcaraz seemed to cramp up and falter. You'd think it'd be the older man slowing down, but Novak is like a tennis cyborg haha. I really like Alcaraz. And even though he's a bit of an a-hole, I can't help but love watching Nick Kyrgios play. Whatever else he may be, his style of tennis is enthralling. He was in incredible form last year, would have been world number 3 I think if the points from Wimbledon were counted. Beat Medvedev twice towards the end of the year, then got injured just before the start of this season. He should be back in time for grass season.

[[He...]]

Hurricane,

 

I'm also a big fan of Alcaraz. What he can do is just freaky. He's not a normal human!  It's so much fun to watch.  I miss Rafa though!  The women's side has become so exciting in recent years too.  Lots of great players and Iga is very cool. We in the states love young Coco Gauff. 

 

Jerry, 

 

Did you watch the finals?  How are you feeling? 

 

I keep popping in and out of waves some of which are brutal.  But I still feel the healing.  it's happening. 

 

LD, hope you are doing great! You can start a baseball thread or jump on board with the tennis! 

 

Hugs to all,

Helen

[[La...]]

Helen good to see you post. I’m doing good. Meaning compared to my worse days. I drove further yesterday with my daughter in the car with me! It was AWESOME! She brought to my attention that it’s been over 2 and half years since she’s been in a car with me. Especially me as the driver. And the last time she wasn’t old enough for the front seat. It was nice 👍🏼

I hope you’re doing well today. Father’s Day plans?

I’m having a luncheon with my beau, some of my family and some of his family on that Sunday. Yay!

Love and hugs 🤗

[[Ya...]]

Hi My dears. I was prescribed lunesta on December 18th, 2022, after the first dose I had memory problems and everything was unreal and then I developed depression but this unreality really persisted. I called my doctor and he told me these meds wouldn't do anything like that, so I kept taking it and I got crazier and crazier until I finally blew my brains out. i also could not sleep due to lunesta only worse. I was having such insane nightmares just walking back and forth had a bad headache and was confused all unreal like I'm out of my body. really creepy. it won't leave me alone for a second. I cry all day here because my memory has gotten so damn bad. I haven't taken anything for 3 and a half months. but the symptoms are still there. , memory disorder, everything is unreal I can't describe it it just scares scares scares. Insomnia nightmares totally confused, the worst headaches. everything in my head is tingling. please what can i do help. Help.

[[Ma...]]

@[la...]

 

My most horrific symptom is severe dystonia

Its not only muscle tightness, it’s definitely visible pulling and spasms

Will this get better too?

All the other things I have windows from which en encourage me but The muscle dystonia is now in this severity from March 2022 no break. Never.

 

Did u also have that?

[[Li...]]

Hurricane,

 

I'm also a big fan of Alcaraz. What he can do is just freaky. He's not a normal human!  It's so much fun to watch.  I miss Rafa though!  The women's side has become so exciting in recent years too.  Lots of great players and Iga is very cool. We in the states love young Coco Gauff. 

 

Jerry, 

 

Did you watch the finals?  How are you feeling? 

 

I keep popping in and out of waves some of which are brutal.  But I still feel the healing.  it's happening. 

 

LD, hope you are doing great! You can start a baseball thread or jump on board with the tennis! 

 

Hugs to all,

Helen

 

Ha Helen,

Yes I watched the finals, these were not the most exciting games I watched during the tournament. I love 5 setter games. Furthermore I do my regular things in live.

 

Huggs Jerry

[[Ma...]]

Hello

 

For the people who suffer from z drug induced muscle issues ( in my cases even diagnosed with dystonia )

 

Did it get better over time?

Mine was better in month 5 and is now worsening each week

 

I am completely bedridden from it and all my muscles are so tight that it feels like my muscles turned into concrete

 

F up is also that I have chronic dystonic posture so my upper back is deformed from it and my lower back too.

 

I cannot even button up or something

 

People told me it will get better but seriously I am only worseing

[[La...]]

Hi My dears. I was prescribed lunesta on December 18th, 2022, after the first dose I had memory problems and everything was unreal and then I developed depression but this unreality really persisted. I called my doctor and he told me these meds wouldn't do anything like that, so I kept taking it and I got crazier and crazier until I finally blew my brains out. i also could not sleep due to lunesta only worse. I was having such insane nightmares just walking back and forth had a bad headache and was confused all unreal like I'm out of my body. really creepy. it won't leave me alone for a second. I cry all day here because my memory has gotten so damn bad. I haven't taken anything for 3 and a half months. but the symptoms are still there. , memory disorder, everything is unreal I can't describe it it just scares scares scares. Insomnia nightmares totally confused, the worst headaches. everything in my head is tingling. please what can i do help. Help.

Hello Yansan nice to have you here. Welcome! Sounds like you’ve been having a tough go as we all have. Congrats on 3 and half months free. So….

You are early in your healing of this. Yep, I said healing because that’s what your brain is doing. That’s why you are feeling the way you do. But in time, it will settle down and you’ll begin to see the normal you emerge. Now, don’t be surfing you feel like you got better then took a couple of steps back. That’s normal in this process. Benzo Bully can’t dance so well . 

I know you probably feel many things…fear, anger, disbelief, etc. Those are also normal and expected. So the best mentality to take is firstly, believe in your healing. Then accept that you have these symptoms but know they’re temporary. Then expect them to go in a rollercoaster like pattern. So distract yourself everyday as much as you can…me personally I made myself a daily schedule ( what I was doing every hour). Self love, sunlight and eat well. Let your brain heal itself with time. 

[[Be...]]

Mascha, I was really bad at six months off and it will get better for you.  It just takes time.

[[Ma...]]

@[be...]

 

Did u also have dystonia and muscle contractions

 

Accute akathasia and a few weeks later dystonia after starting a benzo

 

I never knew what was going on and didn’t relate anything to a benzo cause I was so extremely confused and suffering aka I had no idea.

 

I am getting worse each day . 7 months off

 

I am pulled so violently throughout my whole body that all my tissue and fascia is deformed

Even my bone structure in the shoulders is painfull and deforming. Feels like it’s breaking in 100 pieces from the dystonic postures

 

I have no choice but to suffer until the day that my life is over

 

It feels like driving a car with damaged wheels waiting for the wheels to stop working and crash harder.

[[Ya...]]

Hi My dears. I was prescribed lunesta on December 18th, 2022, after the first dose I had memory problems and everything was unreal and then I developed depression but this unreality really persisted. I called my doctor and he told me these meds wouldn't do anything like that, so I kept taking it and I got crazier and crazier until I finally blew my brains out. i also could not sleep due to lunesta only worse. I was having such insane nightmares just walking back and forth had a bad headache and was confused all unreal like I'm out of my body. really creepy. it won't leave me alone for a second. I cry all day here because my memory has gotten so damn bad. I haven't taken anything for 3 and a half months. but the symptoms are still there. , memory disorder, everything is unreal I can't describe it it just scares scares scares. Insomnia nightmares totally confused, the worst headaches. everything in my head is tingling. please what can i do help. Help.

Hello Yansan nice to have you here. Welcome! Sounds like you’ve been having a tough go as we all have. Congrats on 3 and half months free. So….

You are early in your healing of this. Yep, I said healing because that’s what your brain is doing. That’s why you are feeling the way you do. But in time, it will settle down and you’ll begin to see the normal you emerge. Now, don’t be surfing you feel like you got better then took a couple of steps back. That’s normal in this process. Benzo Bully can’t dance so well . 

I know you probably feel many things…fear, anger, disbelief, etc. Those are also normal and expected. So the best mentality to take is firstly, believe in your healing. Then accept that you have these symptoms but know they’re temporary. Then expect them to go in a rollercoaster like pattern. So distract yourself everyday as much as you can…me personally I made myself a daily schedule ( what I was doing every hour). Self love, sunlight and eat well. Let your brain heal itself with time. 

Hello and thank you for your answer. But I really have every imaginable symptom, dr/dp dizziness, severe headaches, psychotic states, I'm so weak I can't even stand because of the dizziness. Keep fainting, my blood pressure is so low under 80/50. memory disorder, brain fog, racing thoughts. loss of reality. and this is all normal and will go away???? I'm so afraid 24/7 of the most banal things without a trigger my whole head is tingling. and I'm just crying. promise me i'll heal please please please. i have 3 children I can't distract myself at all, only sometimes I can eat something at night. does my memory come back? I feel like I've lost all my memories. please please help

 

[[Be...]]

Mas, I didn't have problems until I went into tolerance w/d in 2012.  I had a seizure at work, and it damaged my brain.  I also had trouble walking too at work since my left leg wasn't working right.  I haven't been able to work a day since then.  That seizure damaged my brain and now I have memory problems, etc.  I also had some dystonic type symptoms too, such as, jerky movements and said repetitive things and stuff.  Also my arm would fly up in the air for no reason at all.  A man who used to get on this forum named Joey has really bad TD.  I also have incontinence problems now too and also have Lupus vasculitis too.  I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2012 and I am truly a mess.  I don't think I have too many more years to live.     

[[Ma...]]

Beckyblue

 

It’s insane how these meds destroyed our lives

 

I had seizures too and I think that’s what caused my permanent state of Dystonie posture and muscles so rigid that all my muscles are currently twice the size as how they were before this all.

 

I am sorry you are going through this all too.

It’s a nightmare.

 

I haven’t found anyone with my issues who got beter over the years so I also think this was it,

Life is over….

I can not walk because of the Dystonia and weakness for 20 months now.

Just laying flat to prevent my body from severe Dystonic movements

 

What can we do

[[Be...]]

Mascha, if you start a blog, I'm sure many people will read it and reply and help you and give you support.

[[Pa...]]

Keep fainting, my blood pressure is so low under 80/50. memory disorder, brain fog, racing thoughts. loss of reality. and this is all normal and will go away???? I'm so afraid 24/7 of the most banal things without a trigger my whole head is tingling. and I'm just crying. promise me i'll heal please please please. i have 3 children I can't distract myself at all, only sometimes I can eat something at night. does my memory come back? I feel like I've lost all my memories. please please help

 

Have you seen your doctor for this, medication can help.

 

What you’re experiencing is normal for this process, we all go through it and we can recover completely, its amazing when you think about how much this wrecks us but we do.

 

 

[[wa...]]

Dear Yan

"Hello and thank you for your answer. But I really have every imaginable symptom, dr/dp dizziness, severe headaches, psychotic states, I'm so weak I can't even stand because of the dizziness. Keep fainting, my blood pressure is so low under 80/50. memory disorder, brain fog, racing thoughts. loss of reality. and this is all normal and will go away???? I'm so afraid 24/7 of the most banal things without a trigger my whole head is tingling. and I'm just crying. promise me i'll heal please please please. i have 3 children I can't distract myself at all, only sometimes I can eat something at night. does my memory come back? I feel like I've lost all my memories. please please help

Yeah - 80/50 sounds a little low but don't panic -- some athletes have low BP.  Lunesta is a b**ch and you sound like you are in withdrawal. 

You are OK and you will feel better.  If you are concerned about you low BP -- maybe go to an urgent care just to be sure you don't have something that requires meds.  They may want your to increase salt and liquids.  You'll be OK

 

[[Ma...]]

@[be...]

 

All people who are currently dealing with my symptoms I think I am in contact with.

 

Not much for them healed…

Some of them little better.

[[La...]]

Hello Team Z. May you all have a great weekend. I hope you’re feeling better and hold on to hope with all your might!

 

[[in...]]

Advice needed desperately.  I posted this in a different area but have had no luck with any advice about my severe Ambien withdrawal snd Valium reinstatenent due to 2 recent heart surgeries.  Any dialogue would be most gratefully appreciated!

 

I posted:

 

“I posted a while ago trying to get advice about Ambien post withdrawal symptoms but have not heard from any moderators.  Is there another place I should be posting for a Z drug question?  In the meantime I have had no choice but to reinstate with Valium for a few weeks but have not found a level that helps enough cause I’m only at 8mgs per day of Valium.  I’m having to guess my way along right now and I would be so very grateful for advise!

 

To explain I previously posted this:

 

 

“Last September I stopped Ambien cold Turkey after taking it intermittently for 7 months.  I usually only took 2.5 or 5 mg 3 times a week.  I only averaged 1.3mgs per day but it was enough to cause severe withdrawal.  I stayed off it for four solid months but suffered greatly.  After 4 months I developed severe unexpected health problems requiring 2 stomach surgeries and 2 heart surgeries.  The heart surgeries used Versed anesthesia (a Benzo) equaling a total of the equivalent of 45 mgs of Valium.  I begged the doctors to not use benzos because I was not fully healed from Ambien.  All my heart arteries had 90% blockages and required 6 large stents over 2 operations.  Due to the severe stress out of desperation I also used some low intermittent doses of Ambien over 3 months averaging about 1 mg per day.

 

Now I’m back in  severe Benzo withdrawal and suffer daily.  I am considering if I should try to water titrate Ambien or go reinstate Valium and do a taper with it.  I would not be alive today without the heart operations and the stress of it all has really destabilized my CNS and it is very depressing to be back here again. I just can’t seem to get stable after all that I have been through.

 

I have tried going cold Turkey again with the Ambien but it is unbearable now.  I would be most grateful for  any thoughts any others with experience may have!

 

Michael“

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[[He...]]

Advice needed desperately.  I posted this in a different area but have had no luck with any advice about my severe Ambien withdrawal snd Valium reinstatenent due to 2 recent heart surgeries.  Any dialogue would be most gratefully appreciated!

 

I posted:

 

“I posted a while ago trying to get advice about Ambien post withdrawal symptoms but have not heard from any moderators.  Is there another place I should be posting for a Z drug question?  In the meantime I have had no choice but to reinstate with Valium for a few weeks but have not found a level that helps enough cause I’m only at 8mgs per day of Valium.  I’m having to guess my way along right now and I would be so very grateful for advise!

 

To explain I previously posted this:

 

 

“Last September I stopped Ambien cold Turkey after taking it intermittently for 7 months.  I usually only took 2.5 or 5 mg 3 times a week.  I only averaged 1.3mgs per day but it was enough to cause severe withdrawal.  I stayed off it for four solid months but suffered greatly.  After 4 months I developed severe unexpected health problems requiring 2 stomach surgeries and 2 heart surgeries.  The heart surgeries used Versed anesthesia (a Benzo) equaling a total of the equivalent of 45 mgs of Valium.  I begged the doctors to not use benzos because I was not fully healed from Ambien.  All my heart arteries had 90% blockages and required 6 large stents over 2 operations.  Due to the severe stress out of desperation I also used some low intermittent doses of Ambien over 3 months averaging about 1 mg per day.

 

Now I’m back in  severe Benzo withdrawal and suffer daily.  I am considering if I should try to water titrate Ambien or go reinstate Valium and do a taper with it.  I would not be alive today without the heart operations and the stress of it all has really destabilized my CNS and it is very depressing to be back here again. I just can’t seem to get stable after all that I have been through.

 

I have tried going cold Turkey again with the Ambien but it is unbearable now.  I would be most grateful for  any thoughts any others with experience may have!

 

Michael“

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Michael,

 

I wrote a response but then removed it once I realized I has misread your post so I will try again.  Gosh, you've been through some very challenging times with the surgery and heart problems which are major life events.  I'm so very sorry for all of your suffering.  if I'm understanding this correctly, you are on 8mg of Valium now and very uncomfortable but not taking Ambien?  This is tough because I tried multiple times over the years to substitute one med for the other in terms of benzos or Z drugs and never felt really satisfied with my level of symptomology.  I hear you that you are miserable and barely coping with your current level. If at all possible, I would try not to also add back in the Ambien as that complicates the issue. I'm by now means an expert so please just take this as an opinion but I'd vote for continuing to come down off the Valium since that's what is in your system now.  If you cannot handle the symptoms, I'd suggest getting solid advice from one of the coaches like Jennifer Leigh, Baylissa Fredrick or Angie Peacock.  I really wish I knew better how to advise you.  My personal experience was that I kept trying to find a "comfortable" level and ended up ping ponging between benzos, Z drugs and white wine and it all added up to a BIG MESS in my brain and I'm getting better now but I assume all that finagling and trying to get to a place where I felt good is why my recovery has been glacially slow.  The less time on the meds the better is my perspective now.  But if you truly are too miserable, I'd talk to one of the experienced and wise coaches. 

 

Wish I could be more help...

 

Helen

[[La...]]

Michael I agree with Helen that you should consult with Jenn Leigh or Baylissa. I also agree that you should not reinstate the Ambien. What these drugs will do when you go on and off them is called kindling. With you having heart surgery, I wouldn’t tinker back and forth with these drugs. The Valium is in itself going to cause some dependency and tolerance issues. Ambien does too. So then you’d be having wad from Ambien and tolerance symptoms from Valium at the same time….which is what I feel is happening to you. If you have stayed off ambien then I’d say leave it alone. Your body needs some time to get stable on the Valium. Then you can go from there in deciding if you want off of that too.

My best regards to you and wishing a speedy recovery.

Hugs 🤗

[[Li...]]

Ha team Z,

Recently not much news from me. The weather is good here, summer days. I do my normal things. Swimming and saxlessons. Last weekend 3 paintings of mine were exhibited at an art weekend.

That was nice. For the first time in my life I rode on an electric bike. Great experience.

Huggs to Helen and LadyDen….

Jerry  :thumbsup:

[[La...]]

Great hearing the good news Jerry! I’m so proud of you! 

Were you scared of the bike? Will you do it again sometimes?

Hugs to you too

[[Li...]]

Great hearing the good news Jerry! I’m so proud of you! 

Were you scared of the bike? Will you do it again sometimes?

Hugs to you too

 

Ha Lady Den, it was not scary to ride on the bike, here in Holland we ride bikes all the time. And yes I will do it again when riding long distances. Do you have a bike?

 

At the moment the Wimbledon is on. So I watch a lot of tennis. My days are still not great, mornings/noons are tough. I recently did a new taper step of anti depressivant citalopram.

 

How are you doing at the moment LadyDen?

 

Hugggs, Jerry

[[La...]]

No Jerry I don’t have a bike but enjoyed riding them as I grew up. The last time I was on a bike was about 5 years ago playing around with my daughter. I’m glad you’ll go riding again.

I’m doing fine still. A couple of days rougher than the rest of the week. But bearable to handle. So I’m grateful. I’m enjoying my short driving sessions. It’s nice to be in a car again. I’ve been doing it off and on for about a month now and each time I get in my car I’m immediately happy regardless of how I’m feeling. This teaches us not to take little things for granted.

Sending you my love! ❤️🤗