Weaning off zolpidem (Ambien)

@jeffkboyce Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like you have a positive and collaborative relationship with your provider. I am sure you are grateful for the slow taper.

I'm wondering if you would be interested in the Hearing Loss and Brain & Nervous System groups.

- Hearing Loss https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/hearing-loss/

- Brain & Nervous System https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/brain-and-nerve-diseases/

You did not mention hearing loss but there are discussions around tinnitus in the Hearing Loss group. You did however mention a head injury.

May I ask how long ago your head injury and tinnitus occurred?

Thanks Erika I will look into them. Yes to hearing loss and ringing for 20 years. Head injury caused something new that is settling down - it was about a month ago. Mild injury that has mostly healed

Thought I’d update on my quest to wean off ambien. It’s now two years that I’m off ambien, You can check my threads from August ‘18 on. I still take 50 mg Trazadone for sleep but that’s it. On a rare occasion (if I can’t fall asleep) I take .25 Xanax. I’m thrilled to be able to sleep well. The substitution of Trazodone for ambien really worked for me. Hope this helps someone.

I just picked up a prescription for Trazodone for insomnia. How long does it take to work? Like, does it start to help the first night or did it take a few days to help? Any weird side effects I should be aware of? Thanks in advance.
J

Members @hopeful33250 @128128terry11t @sandytoes14 @brucearoo @gloriajean @maryshipley @januaryjane @johnhans are active members in sleep health but do not necessarily have experience with Trazodone.

Below I have linked a few discussions related to insomnia, in hopes that you have find the information you seek through member support.
- Quality of sleep: Is it better without the aid of medication? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/quality-of-slee/
- Insomnia. Nothing seems to help. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/josephene-i-am-having-terrible-insomnia-as-well-nothing-seems-to-help/
- Can’t sleep or stay asleep https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cant-sleep-2/

May I ask what your provider and/or pharmacist said about the medication?

I think it took a few days to really start working. When I substituted the Trazodone for Ambien, I was still taking .25 Xanax. at bedtime. I gradually weaned off the ambien. No side effects from Trazodone. I still take the Trazodone nightly with no other sleep aids. Usually I sleep through the night.

So I've just seen this post! I've taken Ambien for many years, with switching to Lunesta ocassionally! Talk to me about Trazodone! You say no side effects? Depending on my activites during the day I sometimes add a sleep aid to the Ambien to help me get to sleep.
I've gone back a little oon this thread, but if someone could add a bit more info I would appreciate it!
Thanks,
Sundance

If you could go back to my posts (fall 2018], you’ll see my journey to wean myself from Ambien. With the help of a sleep therapist and my internist, I weaned off Ambien and now just take Trazadone (50mg). I basically went cold turkey, but was still taking Xanax. , Before I started this process, I was taking 5 mg Ambien, .25 Xanax, 1 melatonin,and, 2 Benadryl nightly, Any questions, feel free to ask.

Hello @stout79,

I see that Erika, @erikas, tagged me on this discussion about sleep and the use of Trazodone. I used Trazodone for a number of years to deal with sleeplessness as well as pain. It really did work quite well. It seemed to work quite quickly after I started taking it. It helped me with both the pain as well as sleep. I changed about 2 years ago to Cymbalta and that works well too. As I've never taken Ambien, Lunesta or other sleeping pills so I have no way to compare it to them.

The only problem with Trazodone was the foggy feeling in the morning. I only took 25 mg at night, but I found that the fogginess didn't lift until about noon. If I took it an hour earlier than when I actually went to bed, the fogginess in the morning lifted sooner. However, remember that each person's reaction to medication is different since our bodies metabolize meds in different ways.

Once you start taking the Trazodone, I'd like to hear how it works for you. Will you post again and share your response to it?

Thank You so much! You say you weaned off of Ambiem? I've not had a problem when I have switched from Ambiem to Lunesta. I do 10mg of Ambeim a night plus usually 100mg of Diphenhydramine at bed time!(50mg tablets)
Forgot to ask, are there any side effects you've had on the Trazadone??
Sometimes it's good sometimes not. Have had sleep problems since probably 40 years ago! Problem now is I've had Late Stage Chronic Lyme Sisease for the last 2 1/2 years.
So if I'm haveing a "Lyme Episode" some night I may add another one of the 50mg.
I'm going to do some more research on it! I have a very good PCD! He's always open to help me, even tho he alwalys refused the other diagnoses from other doctors that I have Lyme! Says because we live in New Mexico and we don't have those kind of ticks! Have tried to show him research but he still dosen't believe me! So I just let it go and we don't talk about it!
Thanks Again!
I'll get back with you with any other questions.
Sundance (RB)