I finally quit Ambien... and am now sleeping better

[Naquis]

Hi,

I didn't list them before because many products are just available in one country. I am in the US, so these are mostly US formulas: Deep Sleep, Kavinace, then some generics--melatonin, GABA, 5 HTP, extra California Poppy if necessary (it is in Deep Sleep). I dose as needed but I need to be hit over the head with a hammer full of herbals to get to sleep!

Sushi

Thanks for the information. What dose of 5-HTP do you find to be effective? And do you take it around the same time you would normally take melatonin?

 

[Sushi]

Thanks for the information. What dose of 5-HTP do you find to be effective? And do you take it around the same time you would normally take melatonin?

I am taking 100 mg of 5-HTP and, yes, same time as melatonin--about an hour before bed.

Sushi

 

[Alanshu]

Hello Soxfan,
I am new for this forum. I really have sleeping problem from the beginning of this year. I am looking for solution. Are you still working on getting rid of the sleeping medication? Have you found a better solution?
In the first two months, I only got 1-2 hour sleeping. Sleeping doctor prescribed me Ambien. I got serious depression from using it. The doctor also prescribed me cpap machine. I did not get any sleeping for several night by using it because it really distracted my sleeping. Finally I stopped going to doctor office. I started doing research for sleeping medication in CVS and Walmart. I found Somnapure and Melatonin are good for me. In the first two days, they did not work. After two days, they started work. In the first month, I can keep sleeping for 5-6hours everyday. But after the first month, I started having hard sleeping for two night every week. Now the situation is even worse. From Somnapure information, the more you take this natural medication, the more benefit you can get. But now, I do not believe it. I am still doing research to improve my sleeping problem.

 

[Deby56]

Hi I am new to this forum. Tonight will be night 2 of trying to get off Ambien. I have been on it for at least 8 years. Lately I have started getting more frequent bouts of dizziness and the past year significant memory loss. What prompted my desire to quit? I was driving and it started to rain. I completely forgot how to turn on my wipers. I had to pull over and try various ways to get the wiper on which should be automatic memory. I decided this was the worst memory loss and I need to get this drug out of my system. I'm in my late 50s so am worried I could accelerate dementia or worse. I have such awful insomnia I never can sleep without ambien, I never can fall asleep even for a nap. Usually I get about 3 hrs of good sleep then on and off all night.

I was always on 10mg, last year I got down to 5mg. Last night I took 2.5 mg and Benadryl. I also tried reading instead of any tv in bed. I slept pretty good. I am wondering how you manage when I read you may only get a few hours of sleep. How can you wean off this drug and maybe be up so much at night and still hold down a FT job? In about a week or two I plan to cut out the 2.5 dose. Any good suggestions ? I read a lot maybe I should see a sleep specialist .

 

[Sushi]

@Deby56

I weaned off the 10 mg of Ambien that I had taken for many years. The hard part for me was going lower than 2.5 mg. I added in a very big dose of an herbal remedy called Deep Sleep and that helped. I had been taking a low dose of clonazepam for years to and I have continued that. I have been off it for over a year now, so it can be done!

Good luck! From my experience with sleep specialists they were not much of any help but maybe you will get lucky.

Sushi

 

[*GG*]

@Deby56 I use an anti-depressant for better sleep. It's caller Remeron (mirtazapine).

GG

 

[Alanshu]

Hello
I used Ambien for two weeks, I found I got serious depression then I stopped it. I took Somnapure and Melatonin. In first two nights, they did not work, I kept taking them. Then the third nights, they started working. I kept telling myself not touch Ambien and asked my wife to put Ambien somewhere I can not find. After one week, I can sleep for 5-6 hours by taking Somnapure and Melatonin. When I was in the sleepless nights, I just kept closing my eyes and thinking my breath, sometimes I got some very light sleep, I believe this way at least I can get rest. In the morning, I go out for jogging, then I go to work, I feel less sleepy in this way. I do not take nap daytime. I believe after two sleepless nights then I can get one night sleep. Now I still have two sleepless nights everyweek. I try the nature sleep aids that Sushi said. I find 5-htp and gaba are good for me. I still need to try some more to see any better things.

 

[Rich D]

I took a couple of weeks off work when I quit. I just sort of plowed through that time. I slowly got better, but it was difficult for quite some time, and still is.

As far as other things to try, do you have access to medical cannabis? I believe that can be very helpful if you can tolerate it.

 

[Deby56]

I doubt I could get medical pot, would be nice to try. I have done 3 nights on 2.5 mg ambien with Benadryl. I am feeling a little less foggy in the morning. I am going to stay on this lower dose for about a month. I have to take care of a relative at their house after they have major surgery so no sense trying to quit completely while in a different house. I will try those suggestions provided, I fell better I am trying. I guess 2.5mg still isn't going to be a help until I don't take any. I so regret the day I starting taking it.

 

[Seven7]

I think the main issue is that people take hipnotics (i think they are called) the type of meds used to make you fall sleep VS the type that helps you stays sleep. IF you do a sleep study and you do not go to stage 4 sleep then you need a stage 4 inducer NOT a fall sleep pill.

In my case I had issues w both, falling sleep and staying a sleep. I got rid of the fall sleep one, but I still take a stage 4 inducer (trazadone). Trying to get off of it slowly now. The worse my dysautonomia the worse my sleep.

It 's just surprising to me when I read stories about people waking up every hour or in the middle of the night but taking the wrong kind of meds.. Just a note to keep in mind since most studies suggest stage 4 issues in CFS.

 

[Alanshu]

I took a couple of weeks off work when I quit. I just sort of plowed through that time. I slowly got better, but it was difficult for quite some time, and still is.

As far as other things to try, do you have access to medical cannabis? I believe that can be very helpful if you can tolerate it.

Hello Rich,
As far as I know, my place does not allow to take cannabis. The next thing I want to try is L-tryptophan with Melatonin. I bought L-tryptophan in Walgreen with good customer review.

 

[Aln5322]

HI Rich,

Thanks for replying. I too am still very happy that I've come this far with quitting Ambien. Today is my 9 month mark quitting Ambien and Ativan all together. It's seems to me now that I'm in a "rebound" like situation and have been for a week and a half with last night being the first night I got about 6+ hours of sleep without over the counter meds (Benedryl). Do you think that this is as good as it's going to get for us as far as sleep goes? You think this could be a multiple year recovery? I never had problems sleeping before Ambien. I use to fall asleep with heavy metal on my headphones! I was prescribed it for anxiety keeping me awake during college. Not sure what your sleep situation was like before Ambien. I look forward to hearing what you think or have heard. Also, I see that you take 5mg of melatonin as well. Not sure if that's all your doing but I can share what's working for me with anyone that's interested:

• 5mg of melatonin 20-30 minutes before bed.
• No TV or computer 1 hour before bed. If TV, lower backlight of TV to 0.
• Read until you feel comfortable with trying to sleep
• Meditation MP3 playlist that continues throughout night which I will provide links for
• Not to get too personal but masturbation has really proven quite effective for relaxing right before bed.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/I Can Make You Sleep/8109646
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Resolving-Insomnia-Tonight-innervision-Wellness/dp/B002L64HE6
http://www.brainsync.com/sound-sleep.html

Hi everyone,
I am brand new to this site and am hoping to get some feedback from people who understand. I developed sleeping problems a long time ago and just couldn't sleep at all other than a very light sleep for about 2 hours a night. I've now been on Ambien for 12 years (daily use) and am now 32. I hadn't really ever thought of the long term side effects until recently. Doctors always wrote the prescriptions and didn't question it. Now I would like to stop using it but am nervous about it. I don't take any other medications and take the regular Ambien 10 mg-never took the CR. I know that the Ambien doesn't really even work that well anymore but I am sure it's a psychological problem at least. Last night I cut the pill in half and took 5 mg and didn't sleep well. Do you guys recommend cold turkey or tapering the dose? I bought some Melatonin and Benedaryl for when I am done with Ambien. I tried Melatonin in the past and it never helped but I figure anything that will help that's natural is worth a second try. After reading online I am worried about withdrawals so any input you guys have would be very appreciated.
Thanks,
April

 

[helen1]

@Aln5322

I highly recommend that you taper very slowly and carefully as withdrawal symptoms can be debilitting for many though not everyone. I've found excellent information on tapering strategies and supplements to help with withdrawal on this website:

http://www.theroadback.org/contact.aspx

I have an unfortunate amount of experience with developing tolerances to different sleep and psych meds and then getting myself off them, always with difficulty. At the moment, I'm tapering off trazadone, once again with difficulty. I've promised myself it's the last time I ever take psych or sleep meds.

Wishing you the best.

 

[Rich D]

Hi April,

So glad you are finally taking the plunge! I decided to quit cold turkey, but I know many prefer to taper. I had serious withdrawl for about 2 weeks. You may go through a longer process if you taper. The withdrawl was surely partly psychological. It took a while before those thoughts of 'I will not be able to sleep' to dissipate. Be very patient with yourself and this process. And I suggest trying to prepare yourself to not sleep well for a while and just go with it as best you can. The more you can accept that this will be part of the process, the better.

Another thing to try is marijuana. I believe it can be extremely helpful as a sleep aid, even in very small doses. But that is not for everyone, and it might be better to try it after you've been off Ambien for a while.

Good luck! And hang in there, this is not easy stuff.
Rich

 

[physicsstudent13]

which of these medications increase slow wave sleep? I know that trazodone is supposed to but used alone it wasn't effective to my sleep apnea. I'm curious if a klonopin+trazodone combination might be better for me personally.

 

[Alanshu]

Hi April,

So glad you are finally taking the plunge! I decided to quit cold turkey, but I know many prefer to taper. I had serious withdrawl for about 2 weeks. You may go through a longer process if you taper. The withdrawl was surely partly psychological. It took a while before those thoughts of 'I will not be able to sleep' to dissipate. Be very patient with yourself and this process. And I suggest trying to prepare yourself to not sleep well for a while and just go with it as best you can. The more you can accept that this will be part of the process, the better.

Another thing to try is marijuana. I believe it can be extremely helpful as a sleep aid, even in very small doses. But that is not for everyone, and it might be better to try it after you've been off Ambien for a while.

Good luck! And hang in there, this is not easy stuff.
Rich

Hello Rich,
Since the last my post, I have tried many ways, I want to share some with you.
1. 5 HTP 100mg with grape juice 15min before bed, and 5mg Melatonin in bed, this combination worked for me for one week good sleep and two bad sleep days.
2. 5 HTP 50mg 4 times in day time for every 3 hours, 50mg 5 HTP with 500mg gaba 15min before bed and 5mg Melatonin in bed, this combination worked for me for two weeks good sleep and two bad sleep days.
Then I found that 5 HTP increased my cortisol level. Then I changed to L-tryptophan with Melatonin.
3. L-tryptophan 1500mg 15min before bed, 5mg Melatonin in bed, this combination worked for me for two weeks good sleep and one day bad sleep.
4. Relora 250mg to low cortisol level 45min before bed, L-tryptophan 1500mg 15min before bed, and 5mg Melatonin in bed, this combination worked for me for longer time. I also used Seriphos and Lactium for lowing my cortisol level but not often.
I still have some other combinations to try. I will let you know the results after I try them.

I hope everybody has good luck for their sleep.

Alanshu