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I thought I was ready to drop to 5mg from normal 10mg ambien.

Posted by lilly17 @lilly17, Dec 6, 2022

I thought I was ready to move from my normal prescription of 10mg to 5mg. I normally wouldn't even take a full 10 and half the time, only slept with 5mg from breaking the 10 in half. It was my fault, I thought I was ready, and my doctor sent in for 5mg per tablet and I'm not sleeping on them. Been cutting into the next days dose and I'm going to run out right before Christmas. I am so stressed out. Part of me thinks it's in my head because I slept on 5mg half the time anyways. But Im really here for support and advice. I wanted to get off ambein so my husband and I can start trying for a baby. I texted negative this year for Huntingtons, so I'm ready to taper off and get on with my life. But I'm really struggling.

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degarden_girl | @degarden_girl | Dec 7, 2022

I struggled to sleep for years, waking after about 2 hours of sleep and not being able to get back to sleep. I took about 5 mgs of ambien but I started to have these weird periodic involuntary limb movements (PILM) of my legs and feet. The solution for that was 100 mgs of gabapentin. Then I reduced the amount of ambien as the PILM came back. Then the solution was 200 mgs of gabapentin. I finally realized what a dangerous drug ambien is and didn't want to take drugs to offset the side effects of the ambien. I stopped it, cold turkey, about 10 months ago. Sleep was elusive for about a month but then it started to get better. I still wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes I struggle to get back to sleep. I often have to count backwards from 100, multiple times, or get my paper white kindle for some middle of the night reading. However, I am so glad I stopped taking Ambien. It is a serious drug and causes serious and weird neurological responses. Darn scary.

I wish you good luck in your attempt to get off ambien. I expect you will have a bad month but then things might settle down.

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bernese53 | @bernese53 | Dec 7, 2022

Do NOT try to quit Ambien cold turkey. The dose needs to be titrated downward with a doctor’s help. The withdrawal effects can be severe!

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bettersleep68 | @bettersleep68 | Dec 7, 2022

I will never get off ambein..after years of little sleep ...trying to make it thru the day just to lie awake most of the night..I am grateful for the ambein and it had made the world of difference ...I wish you all the luck in making your decision....

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bernese53 | @bernese53 | Dec 8, 2022
In reply to @bettersleep68 "I will never get off ambein..after years of little sleep ...trying to make it thru the..." + (show)
@bettersleep68

I will never get off ambein..after years of little sleep ...trying to make it thru the day just to lie awake most of the night..I am grateful for the ambein and it had made the world of difference ...I wish you all the luck in making your decision....

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I feel the same way. Ambien helps me sleep and after years of chronic insomnia I am grateful!

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