I've been taking 10 mg Ambien for 15 years and it usually works well for me. I make sure I take it right before bed so I have no problems with doing things and not remembering, falling, etc. I have no drowsiness the next day with Ambien, whereas over-the-counter sleep stuff makes me feel terrible the next day. My sleep issues seem to be a generalized anxiety/active mind for which I take Celexa. I don't like taking medication so I've tried to taper off the Ambien a few times, usually with the help of a sleep psychologist. It always involves having some short nights where I feel horrible the next day, so I end up going back to knowing I can get adequate sleep every night.

My doctor did have to file an appeal with my insurance company in order to have the Ambien covered by them. Recently, a new GP reduced my dosage to 5 mg because that's the FDA recommendation. I returned to my former GP and she continued the 10 mg. However, I'm hearing more and more about doctors, like yours, not wanting to prescribe Ambien long-term. It's very concerning but I'll just have to find a way to deal with it if docs stop prescribing it. I should say I've tried many other things for insomnia -- acupuncture, meditation, Chinese herbs, melatonin, etc.

2.5 mg is a very low dose of Ambien. Do you really feel it's having a physiological effect or do you think it's kind of a psychological addiction. I think mine is partially psychological but not completely. I wish you luck in explaining your situation to your doctor and getting a result that allows you to sleep.