← Return to Weaning off zolpidem (Ambien)
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Replies to "I have been taking ambien for over 17 years. 10 mg once nightly. I first started..."
I too have taken ambien for maybe 20 years now but generally not the full dose of 10 mgs. I have weaned myself down to about 2 mgs per night as more than that triggers Periodic Involuntary Limb Movement (PILM) which won't allow sleep even with the ambien. However, I cannot get below the 2 mgs. I am able to get to sleep on most nights without ambien but wake up 2, 3 or 4 hours later and am wide awake and unable to get back to sleep. I would love to no longer need ambien to sleep. I would be willing to just tough it out if I knew that after a week or so I could sleep through the night but I cannot find any medical literature indicating that to be the expectation. I fear I am stuck with Ambien for the rest of my life.
@justsleepplease, good for you for posting to this community. The first step is recognizing that this drug is no longer helping you and is harmful for you. I'm tagging fellow members like @bernese53 @blazytracy @robbinr @mickie75 @lpole @maryshipley @sussan @sndishpr @sundance6 @jeffkboyce who can share their experiences with tapering off of Ambien (zolpidem).
JustSleep, are you working with your doctor to develop a tapering schedule that's right for you?