Ambien: How can I sleep without it?

Long term insomniac here, Ambien, Ativan, Belsomra. I got off the Benzo'a because of possibly damaging side effects, finally lo dose of Belsomra and I couldn't finish my sentences in conversation. I was advised and got a medical marijuana card which isn't perfect but I typically get 6-7 hrs of sleep at a cost of $75mo for a tincture oil. DO NO STOP TAKING benzos outside of a doctor's care, it can be life threatening.

I m sorry to hear that you went through such painful experiences. I hope that you are doing better now. Good Rx is a wonderful discount program to use when your prescription plan does not cover a prescription.
@dustycat I have prescription Medicare and it covers zolpidem. So does my secondary insurance. Maybe it's different in California than Maryland but I cannot imagine that.

@sundance GoodRx is certainly is a great insurance discount card. Prescriptions that normally sell for for $475 at Walgreens can be gotten for l$140 some dollars at a pharmacy that accepts GoodRX. What a difference in price!

@lioness with all that I drink you would think that I would already have flushed it out of my system. The amount of water The amount of water I drink lowers the level of sodium in my bloodstream. A medication of mine does this too so my neurologist can have difficulty knowing what is lowering the level. I can remember my internist saying to me are you still drinking your 20 glasses of water a day.

It doesn’t cover it in California nor will the pharmacy accept discount cards any more. They were just told this last week. But that’s okay because I need to taper way down on it anyway. I’m down to a third of a five mg. tag and actually sleeping better than I was on it. I keep getting brain zaps though going down in it. They are so annoying.

Ambien has a "black box" warning- meaning it can be hazardous to seniors 65+. I had been taking it for years. Last year I started sleeping hours and hours per day. I became dis-oriented. Then I started hallucinating- seeing people or things that were not there. I went to the hospital for this and they could not figure anything out. So I googled Ambien and learned it could cause disorientation and hallucinations in those over 65! It was a miracle that I could just get off it suddenly. The company that makes Ambien should be held accountable.

Ambien (zolpidem) is a two-sided coin with its benefits and side effects. It should generally be used briefly and in smaller doses for elderly patients. There is so much good information out there about non-drug solutions to sleep problems. I've read plenty of them and one of the best is one I recently read, Sleep Through Insomnia, by Brandon R Peters, MD.

I hope you are doing better off the Ambien and sleeping well.

How did you get off Ambien "suddenly?" I've been unsuccessful getting off of it gradually or any way(after many years on it). I have no negative side effects from it; in fact, it's been very helpful. However, I realize doctors are being encouraged not to prescribe it long term and so have been trying to anticipate that and get off of it myself. Everything I've tried involves a lot of sleep deprivation which triggers my depression and anxiety. Not fun.

Hi. I've been on Ambien since 2011, in various degrees. Started out needing 5mg only while on vacations. Eventually needing it every night but only 2.5mg. Recently my refills were denied because I'm 70 yrs old and my insurance is obligated to deny coverage because of possible side effects at my age (mainly sleepwalking and/or falling). I have never had a problem with any of that and Ambien works great for me. My husband would prefer me to get off of it and I've tried but, like you, I can't get to sleep. I have been diagnosed throughout the years with generalized anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's, so sleep is very important. So my doctor prescribed doxepin. I have not tried it yet because I still have some Ambien. If the doxepin doesn't work for me, the insurance company says my doctor can send an appeal to continue the Ambien. Alternatively, my pharmacy says I can bypass the insurance and pay out of pocket for the Ambien but the doctor still has to order it. The pharmacy would charge me $11.30 for a 30 day supply - not bad if that's the route I have to go. I hope you have luck being able to continue the Ambien if that's what works for you. Good luck.

As I've gotten older I find I wake up during the night and can't go back to sleep. I've been taking half of a 5 mg of Ambian for more than a year along with half an allergy pill and this works for me so far.

I have taken Ambien 10 mg off and on. First I got headaches and stopped taking it and then I got a white noise machine which helped for a while. Then I started back on Ambien after taking numerous other insomnia medicines which didn’t work. Then Ambien just stopped working altogether. Went off again on Ambien and stayed awake almost every night until lack of sleep started really affecting my general health in other areas. Went back on Ambien and it started to work again and now I am addicted to it to go to sleep. I also take Xanax just to relax but I don’t take it with Ambien. By the way, the Ambien affected my memory. I can’t take melatonin because I have symptoms of a hangover the whole next day. So I had to choose between never sleeping or my memory. I chose the Ambien. Seems like no doctor I have gone to can help me. They throw their hands up in the air with no solution. These are the decisions a 73 year old person must make sometimes in their life. At least my anxiety has subsided for a while.