Insomnia and Cancer

I was on Ativan for years and could not come off not sure if it did me any good but could not come off. (That is a bit difficult to understand!}1 Some years ago I started a new job. in a new city a very stressful time but realized that I had to come off. So I stopped. cold turkey. This time I succeeded I think is the expression

My problems with sleep started some years ago during 10 weeks of radiotherapy when I was surviving on 3 hrs a night. Things did improve but recently am back to 3/4 hrs a night. Have no faith in the medical world.

Hi, what side effects did you experience with Ambien? What dose were you taking? I am curious because I have been on Ambien 10mg for years. I have started waking up and eating in the middle of the night.

Permit me to insert my experiences with Ambien 12.5 mg, which has been insomnia medication for over 16 years. I started taking Ambien 12.5 mg because of an insomnia struggle that I had been experiencing for quite some time. Other methods and medications were unsuccessful. I continue to use Ambien ER 12.5 mg because it has allowed me to obtain sleep and rest successfully without experiencing any side effects. There is no drowsiness on waking and no other signs of taking this medication. I wake in the night when I need to relieve my bladder and find no difficulty in finding the bathroom, whether at home, someone else's home, or at hotel rooms; I am aware of where I am. Following, I return to my sleep until the typically wake up time. This, and its generic form Zolpidem ER 12.5 mg, have been a successful benefit to sleep health.

I don't read or watch TV in bed, I have blackout curtains and even cover my clock radio to block the light, I turn the thermostat to 66 degrees, don't use electronics and don't drink. I have also experimented with different bedtime routines, but nothing has helped. Sleep medications just make me feel hungover the next day, no matter what the med or dosage they have tried over the years. AND I have several female coworkers (ages 50-60) that also have sleep difficulty and have been unable to resolve their issues through doctor visits, medications, sleep studies, etc. So, I guess we'll just keep looking for answers and hope for sleep.

My parents in their late 60's developed insomnia, I've wondered if it is genetic or bad luck? I have no other close relatives to ask.

@doncampbell Did going “cold turkey” help in the long run? Are you able to sleep now?

@fmdadvocate, you may also be interested in the discussions in the Sleep Health group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/sleep-health/
In particular, this discussion:
- Weaning off zolpidem (Ambien) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/weenoff-ambian-with-melatonin/

Did this waking up and eating in the middle of the night only start recently?

{t is 40 years since I stopped Ativan. I am British so I do not know if your drugs are the same thing and since my experience ended 40 years ago I do not remember the strength,I took this drug for at least 5 years, When I tried to come off my body tended to seize up, I found it difficult to walk and generally everything slowed down, These were largely the symptoms I suffered when I started taking the Ativan. I realized that I must stop these pills when I started my new job.I only changed job when my employer shut down. So here was i with wife and 3 kids.When I stopped I had no ill effects. My original problem was Anxiety. I was a very unhappy guy. OK now.

HI Becky. I was OK with everything I have belatedly replied on my experience somewhere else. This all took place 40 years ago and any disturbance to my sleep I would blame on my other real worries about job and money. I am sure I had no problem sleeping. I was more worried about l paying for our new house and coping with my new job. I had tried to stop pills before
fore unsuccessfully. Could it be I had so many real problems and they were real my brain changed gear! Good luck