Need advice how to stop ambien

I’ve tried many things for sleep over the past ten years. I don’t sleep because I worry instead.
About many things.
The thing that has worked the best has been Benedryl. I took that for years, then decided that it wasn’t meant to be used that way.
I sleep better on weekends because I’m not worrying about the workday.
After trying lots of drugs and melatonin, I finally got around to Ambien. It made me feel terrible in the morning. Also, it didn’t restore my sleep as much as I’d hoped.
Now, I’m on Trazadone and it works great. I only take half of the dose.

Susan, if you'd like some personal experience shared by me, I am not a great sleeper in terms of duration. I sleep well enough, just not long enough. And, I seem to drift toward shorter durations over time unless I 'whack it' with a good night or two. I use melatonin and zopiclone sparingly....like about once, maybe twice a week....at most. I tough it out the rest of the time. This way, the two keep their potency for my system to react to. Our bodies are designed to habituate, to adapt, to stressors and other influences (it's formally called the hormetic effect). Our bodies will adapt to drugs the same way, and the drugs soon lose their efficacy. We must increase the dosage or find a substitute that actually does the same thing for us in the way we need it to (those last seven words are important). So, I tough it out for two, three, four nights, and then take the relief. Amazingly, this has worked rather well for me. In fact, I haven't resorted to a zopiclone, usually a 1/4 pill works well enough, for well over a year.

About your overactive brain/imagination (only you know the balance that exists there between your ears 😉 , I hope you don't need some advice at your stage of life about dealing constructively with real and imagined fears. Leaving aside those imagined, which is a whole nuther problem and way of treating, the real fears must be faced and dealt with with the same determination that you use to tackle spring cleaning; purposefully, determinedly , and ruthlessly. Get them behind you!!

Be thankful that trazodone works. I’m happy for you that you didn’t have to go down the Ambien route.

No one likes to be dependent on medication. However we have to carefully, with our physicians, determine what we need to be healthy and have a good quality of life. I have to take 3 medications to keep my blood pressure in the normal range and that’s fact. I also have a lifetime of insomnia. I started treating it medically in my 40’s. Started with ambien and later switched to Xanax then Klonopin. Klonopin was very effective for me and I never developed tolerance. 1mg at bedtime consistently resulted in a solid nights sleep. However, as I approached 65, doctors would no longer prescribe it, so I did a slow taper, followed by 9 months of terrible insomnia. I tried CBT-I and it was hell. There are very strict guidelines about not being in bed for more than 20 minutes if awake. I was up and down all night every night. No matter how exhausted I was, I kept getting more agitated and anxious. The doctor was willing to let me try Vistoril and Remeron and neither worked. I eventually got a referral to a sleep medicine doctor and she affirmed to me that not sleeping is harder on our bodies and minds than taking a sleep aide and Lunesta works well for me to shut off my thoughts and allow me to sleep. For me, it only lasts about 4 hours, so when I wake around 3, I take a half pill and sleep the night. Discuss your reasons for wanting to get off ambien with your doctor. Some of us just need help and accepting that.

No one likes to be dependent on medication. However we have to carefully, with our physicians, determine what we need to be healthy and have a good quality of life. I have to take 3 medications to keep my blood pressure in the normal range and that’s fact. I also have a lifetime of insomnia. I started treating it medically in my 40’s. Started with ambien and later switched to Xanax then Klonopin. Klonopin was very effective for me and I never developed tolerance. 1mg at bedtime consistently resulted in a solid nights sleep. However, as I approached 65, doctors would no longer prescribe it, so I did a slow taper, followed by 9 months of terrible insomnia. I tried CBT-I and it was hell. There are very strict guidelines about not being in bed for more than 20 minutes if awake. I was up and down all night every night. No matter how exhausted I was, I kept getting more agitated and anxious. The doctor was willing to let me try Vistoril and Remeron and neither worked. I eventually got a referral to a sleep medicine doctor and she affirmed to me that not sleeping is harder on our bodies and minds than taking a sleep aide and Lunesta works well for me to shut off my thoughts and allow me to sleep. For me, it only lasts about 4 hours, so when I wake around 3, I take a half pill and sleep the night. Discuss your reasons for wanting to get off ambien with your doctor. Some of us just need help and accepting that.

I desperately need to get off Ambien, I need a success story.

I have been on zolpidem (5MG) for over 20 years. I was prescribed it to help me sleep through chronic neuropathy pain. It works - gives me 5-6 hours sleep, sadly though my neuropathy pain is getting worse as I age. I am 75 years, and I do feel zolpidem makes me lethargic next day, which apparently I didn’t notice when I was full time working, and so busy during the day, plus my neuropathy has worsened over the last five years. I figure I won’t know if I don’t try to wean off if the lethargic , tired, just want to sleep feeling will go away. Possibly all aging and the result of dealing with chronic pain. Any natural or holistic approaches to better sleep? Melatonin - open to suggestions and comments. I would like to have a plan, an alternative aid before I attempt this. Thank you.

I have been on zolpidem (5MG) for over 20 years. I was prescribed it to help me sleep through chronic neuropathy pain. It works - gives me 5-6 hours sleep, sadly though my neuropathy pain is getting worse as I age. I am 75 years, and I do feel zolpidem makes me lethargic next day, which apparently I didn’t notice when I was full time working, and so busy during the day, plus my neuropathy has worsened over the last five years. I figure I won’t know if I don’t try to wean off if the lethargic , tired, just want to sleep feeling will go away. Possibly all aging and the result of dealing with chronic pain. Any natural or holistic approaches to better sleep? Melatonin - open to suggestions and comments. I would like to have a plan, an alternative aid before I attempt this. Thank you.

There is a 12.5 mg extended release zolpidem available - maybe cut those in half?? I have been on zolpidem (alternate between 10 & 12.5 mg, but mostly 10mg) and don’t see any reason to quit - it works better than anything I’ve tried and I see no side effects. IMO, the idea that “natural is always better” is comical - some of the most deadly known toxins occur naturally 😬