1. < Sleep Health

Ambien stopped working

Posted by lilybell @lilybell, Oct 25, 2022

Hi everyone. I’m hoping to get some advice as I feel a little lost and the doctors I’ve spoken to so far haven’t been able to come up with a solution to my problem.

I’ve had insomnia and also wake up a lot for year. It started with noisy neighbours and construction work (before then I had no issues). During this time I also developed chronic pain that made it even harder to sleep.

My dr prescribed “light” sleep medications to begin with. Some didn’t work, some gave side effects, and some did work for some time. But since I had no control over the noise in the area, eventually I had to move on to Ambien (and gigantic ear plugs).

So, I was on Ambien for a few months, started at 5mg but then noticed I had to take 10mg as my body was getting used to them. Eventually I moved and got rid of the noisy neighbours, but my body was so used to my crazy sleeping habits that I couldn’t go back to my regular hours. I would still wake up the hours my neighbours used to wake me up.

I tried my very best to stay at 10mg of Ambien but eventually I found myself waking up every second hour or so, having to take more to fall back to sleep. I got scared and called my dr, who gave me diazepam (5mg) and told me it should help me break this vicious cycle.

It did. The very first night I slept all night and only needed one Ambien. It stayed like this for a few months and my plan was to taper off everything, but then bad things happened in my life and it didn’t feel like a good time. I was too afraid to not get any sleep while going through so many struggles.

And now I’m kinda back to where I started. My body is so used to Ambien that sometimes I can’t even fall asleep on 10mg (even tho I’m still on diazepam as well). If I do fall asleep, I wake up after 4 hours, sometimes after only 1-2 hours, and it’s impossible to go back to sleep (my chronic pain isn’t helping).

Since I’m already on Diazepam I can’t use this to control the issue this time. My dr told me to try 7,5mg Diazepam and even 10mg but for some reason it’s not working. Quite the opposite. So I’m staying on 5mg.

What can I do? Has anyone been in a similar situation? I really want to get off both Diazepam and Ambien, but at the momemt my goal is to just find a safe way to sleep through the night because I haven’t slept in months!

Could I maybe slowly taper off Diazepam and add something else so that 10mg Ambien will be enough to sleep through the night?

Sorry this got so long. I’d be so grateful for any ideas or advice.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sleep Health Support Group.

cincin3 | @cincin3 | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @cindisue "May I ask the dose of Lunesta you were taking?" + (show)
@cindisue

May I ask the dose of Lunesta you were taking?

Jump to this post

3 mg

REPLY
1 reply
cindisue | @cindisue | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @kawanhee "No longer have the anxiety, I just needed to sleep! (I was prescribed lorazepam when I..." + (show)
@kawanhee

No longer have the anxiety, I just needed to sleep! (I was prescribed lorazepam when I received an upsetting medical diagnosis. I was a mess. )
I do feel like my body became dependent on lorazepam and the .5 mg was no longer helping me sleep. Last December, I was not sleeping, had loss of appetite, was barely able to function and was depressed. I cried in my doctor’s office at least once a week. Once I started weaning lorazepam, while taking mirtazapine, I started sleeping and feeling better. By February/March, I finally started feeling like myself.
I have been off lorazepam since early June and haven’t looked back,
I hope you’ll find something that helps you.

Jump to this post

I think mirtazapine might be the answer for me too....

REPLY
cindisue | @cindisue | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @cincin3 "3 mg" + (show)
@cincin3

3 mg

Jump to this post

Wow...that's the highest dose...and you're saying it didn't work? I just don't get these companies who make these medications that are supposed to help you sleep....and most of them don't work or have bad side effects.....SAD

REPLY
1 reply
ripley | @ripley | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @cindisue "Does 50mg Trazodone work for you?" + (show)
@cindisue

Does 50mg Trazodone work for you?

Jump to this post

Sometimes. Some nights I take 75-100mg. Taking it at the same time as my melatonin (2.5mg) helps.

REPLY
misssusie0625 | @misssusie0625 | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @cindisue "Missusie0625, you need to get a new doctor! Oh my gosh....they just keep giving you crap..." + (show)
@cindisue

Missusie0625, you need to get a new doctor! Oh my gosh....they just keep giving you crap that doesn't work! And it's making your life a living Hell....DO NOT PUT UP WITH THIS...go back to your doctor and ask them to prescribe you either Clonazepam or Lorazepam......they are truly the only meds that help some people. And who cares if they are in the "benzo-addictive" class.....all those other sleep meds are addictive too....but they DO NOT WORK! Don't give up....please keep going back to your doctor and demand they give you a benzo medication. And if they won't. then go to a psychiatrist....they will help you....

Jump to this post

I do ser a psych. I have ativan but I can't it doesn't work if I take it every day. There isn't anything I've not tried

REPLY
1 reply
cindisue | @cindisue | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @misssusie0625 "Unfortunately I'm not able to sleep much. I have been on ambien 10mg until it just..." + (show)
@misssusie0625

Unfortunately I'm not able to sleep much. I have been on ambien 10mg until it just stopped working. Lunesta, hydroxizine, 1mg ativan, melatonin, magnesium, thc, all the herbs for sleep. I might get 2 hours of sleep during the night. Chronic pain doesn't help. Usually about 2 nights I just lay awake all night and don't sleep at all. I even paid 600$ at the advice of my dr for a hypnotist. Seroquel works for about 4 hours of sleep but only once a week. But it's a bad med: increased my blood sugar and cholesterol. I'm 55 and so frustrated because its been over 3 years of this and it's really starting to affect me negatively. I used to get up and stay busy even tho I didn't sleep. Now I walk around like a tired zombie. I hope we can both get some help!

Jump to this post

I will pray for you to and I also pray you find something that helps you...

REPLY
2 replies
cincin3 | @cincin3 | Sep 8, 2023
In reply to @cindisue "Wow...that's the highest dose...and you're saying it didn't work? I just don't get these companies who..." + (show)
@cindisue

Wow...that's the highest dose...and you're saying it didn't work? I just don't get these companies who make these medications that are supposed to help you sleep....and most of them don't work or have bad side effects.....SAD

Jump to this post

I have a friend that takes 2 mg and it works great for her but Ambien doesn’t work at all. There just seems to be no rhyme or reason why some meds work and some don’t. It’s all about finding what works for you and hoping that it continues to do so. Good luck!

REPLY
cindisue | @cindisue | Sep 9, 2023
In reply to @kawanhee "No longer have the anxiety, I just needed to sleep! (I was prescribed lorazepam when I..." + (show)
@kawanhee

No longer have the anxiety, I just needed to sleep! (I was prescribed lorazepam when I received an upsetting medical diagnosis. I was a mess. )
I do feel like my body became dependent on lorazepam and the .5 mg was no longer helping me sleep. Last December, I was not sleeping, had loss of appetite, was barely able to function and was depressed. I cried in my doctor’s office at least once a week. Once I started weaning lorazepam, while taking mirtazapine, I started sleeping and feeling better. By February/March, I finally started feeling like myself.
I have been off lorazepam since early June and haven’t looked back,
I hope you’ll find something that helps you.

Jump to this post

How much mirtazapine do you take daily?

REPLY
1 reply
cindisue | @cindisue | Sep 9, 2023
In reply to @misssusie0625 "I do ser a psych. I have ativan but I can't it doesn't work if I..." + (show)
@misssusie0625

I do ser a psych. I have ativan but I can't it doesn't work if I take it every day. There isn't anything I've not tried

Jump to this post

Wow....that's weird the Lorazepam doesn't work if you take it daily.....I started it and after 10 days, it quit working as good as it was....want to maybe try Mirtazapine

REPLY
lilybell | @lilybell | Sep 9, 2023
In reply to @cindisue "Fala, you need to tell your doctor to switch you to a different sleep med.....so you..." + (show)
@cindisue

Fala, you need to tell your doctor to switch you to a different sleep med.....so you can stop taking the evil Ambien....worst medication ever!

Jump to this post

I don’t know what fala is…Anyhow, it’s been a while since i wrote this. But no, my dr didnt give me endless supply of course.. ive seen a specialist nowc and have a plan for me so i’m hopeful i will get off them completely!

REPLY
1 reply
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.