Weaning off zolpidem (Ambien)

@rosa66
Both of those drugs have
the potential to cause seizures so combining them may increase the possibility of seizures. Even so the seizure risk is very infrequent.
Why does Mayo Clinic say not to take them together?
Jake

Please don't misunderstand what I am about to say. The less drugs we all take, the more our bodies would function as they were meant to, but some people don't have bodies that function in a normal method when unmedicated. My mother never wants to take anything that she could become "addicted" to. An addiction typically drives the need for more of something because you are getting something other than simply the medicinal benefits from the substance. My mother if 76 years old and if she needs 10 mg of ambien for the rest of her life, she will have a much better quality of life for what I hope are at least 20 more years than if she were passing that time groggy and half asleep because she did not take her ambien. Unless God decides to rewire my brain one night, I imagine I will be on a cocktail of 3-4 meds for anxiety and depression for how ever long I am still on this earth. without them, my quality of life would be far worse than current and I can't imagine a friend who would still be within shouting distance if I were unmedicated. Am I addicted top them? My answer would be no because I get no sense of euphoria from them and don't want to know if I would if I took a couple of extra one day. Am I dependent on them? Absolutely. I will turm over the soapbox to someone else at this point, but that is my take on meds that help us live better lives.

I generally agree with what you wrote. The sleep problem is vexing. I took zolpidem regularly for insomnia for many years, but also read a lot of medical experts about sleep and had a sleep study done. What this accomplished is that I had more sleep tools in my toolbox than just a drug. In other words, I was able to continue to use zolpidem in certain circumstances at a lower dose, but the other sleep tools I used helped so much that they became my main go-to for sleep issues.

I am not implying by this that others can, or should, do what I did, but only saying what worked with me with the possibility that it may work for someone else. For purposes of full disclosure, I found Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia very helpful. I also was diagnosed with sleep-interfering restless legs syndrome (RLS), which thankfully is under good control.

I just don’t sleep been going to CBT and my sleep issues aren’t related to negative thoughts. I’m very very scared and depressed.

Maybe working with a sleep specialist to sort out what is going on medically would be helpful. I'm sorry to read that you are scared and depressed. I hope that you can find a solution.

I took /take Ambien AKA: Zolpidiem and used to be Rx’d 10 mg doses Q @ pm. Then came a change about 6 yrs ago... I was told the max allowable for females is/ was 4 mg and men 5 mg. Sooo that was a hard shock on my system... all I can say is ask your MD if you should be detoxing period. If soo... buy a pill cutter... take it down slow and lower q @ week... ie 1/2 the pill for 2 weeks... then 1/4 the pill q 2 wks.. then 0!! I tried to take melatonin but I had bad nightmares & got no sleep. I know humans need sleep to reboot... so at least 5 hrs guaranteed is valued. I wear a memory foam sleep mask.. no nightlights.. or Computer w/ o blue blocker glasses.. I dim my screen... & sip in Camamille (sp?) tea.. also warm shower that allows my body to cool down to signal my body it’s sleep time! Also, I exercise... to try to tire my body... to boost the chances I will fall asleep. A tip I use.. I sprinkle baby powder inside my pillowcase... it comforts me... let’s me chill to go to sleep! Do NOT take Benadryl! It is an anticholergenic which hastens dementia/Alzheimers! Look up this class of Rxs... I won’t take them and ask my MD if she forgets!!

Good Luck!!

Do NOT go cold turkey!! Could cause a medical emergency... ie Heart attack!!

I have been using zolpidem 10 mg for sleep every night for the last 15 years. I am an insomniac and I have anxiety, depression and panic disorder. I take Effexor for the panic etc and have started slowly withdrawing from that. I also want to stop taking zolpidem. My doctor has no problem with me staying on it, but I want to be able to sleep normally without taking drugs. Has anyone had any experience with zolpidem dependency?

I posted this reply when I first started to withdraw from Effexor and looking forward to the day when I could eliminate ambien from my daily cocktail of drugs. After 6 months of gradual withdrawal from Effexor, I'm back on it. Severe withdrawal and decreased levels of serotonin are to blame. Therefore, I am still dependent on ambien for sleep. I don't know if I can even attempt an ambien withdrawal until and if I can get myself back to some sense of sanity from the effects of withdrawing from Effexor. I am very upset and depressed right now so I don't plan to change anything else right now.

I am in exactly the same meds as you..except I takec5mg ambien every night and have been for 10 years. I too have tried to wean myself off effexor, to no avail. I've also tried stopping ambien gradually as it never gives me restorative sleep. I'd love to go back to the days I could sleep without meds but I'm not sure when that will be.