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Need advice how to stop ambien

Posted by dorsalispedis @dorsalispedis, Jun 19, 2024

So basically around April 23 i was diagnosed with a peptic ulcer which caused me to undergo antibiotic therapy which led to severe anxiety and i was unable to fall asleep at all for 5 days. I consulted a psych and he recommended Ambien 5mg which i was able to reduce to half till 3 days ago.

Three days ago my sleep was disrupted by a powercut whole night and i had to take full ambien to sleep and now it has been happening from 2 days where i go to bed at 12am then lay awake even after taking half(till 4 am day before yday and and 5 30 am yday) and wake up around 9-9 30am. I can’t quit this medication because i have a massive exam coming up on next sunday and i can’t afford to be sleepless for even a day.

My question is how do i tackle this situation where i lay awake in bed 3-4hrs. should i take the full dose of ambien at the start?. i am anxious about that not working and then i would lay there the whole night. i usually try to sleep 2 hrs without any ambien at all till 2 am then take half and even then if i can’t fall asleep then i take full. i don’t want to exceed my dosage.

Would it be a good idea to cold turkey this dose and duration after sunday?

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blueskies1530 | @blueskies1530 | Oct 26, 2025
In reply to @patriciaschulz1950 "I have been on zolpidem (5MG) for over 20 years. I was prescribed it to help..." + (show)
Profile picture for patriciaschulz1950 @patriciaschulz1950

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.

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According to my psych, Trazodone improves sleep architecture.

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laura1970 | @laura1970 | Oct 26, 2025
In reply to @blueskies1530 "@laura1970 Nope. I used to take Ambien CR split in half along with Trazodone and they..." + (show)
Profile picture for blueskies1530 @blueskies1530

@laura1970 Nope. I used to take Ambien CR split in half along with Trazodone and they worked beautifully. Now I take Seroquel with my Trazodone. My needs have changed, hence the Seroquel. My psych said Trazodone benefits sleep architecture.

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@blueskies1530 from what I’ve read trazadone decreases rem sleep which may be beneficial if you have depression, which is often associated with long rem times. Trazadone has had many studies done demonstrating better sleep efficacy

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blueskies1530 | @blueskies1530 | Oct 27, 2025
In reply to @laura1970 "@blueskies1530 from what I’ve read trazadone decreases rem sleep which may be beneficial if you have..." + (show)
Profile picture for laura1970 @laura1970

@blueskies1530 from what I’ve read trazadone decreases rem sleep which may be beneficial if you have depression, which is often associated with long rem times. Trazadone has had many studies done demonstrating better sleep efficacy

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@laura1970 Thank you for the article. Yes, Trazodone has often increased my sleep time as your link says and often led to me remembering my dreams. Overall, it makes me feel more rested. I'm currently recovering from a total hysterectomy so I'm not sleeping as much but HRT helps some.

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