I've been taking zolpidem 10 mg for about 18 years and I sleep great but I hate the idea of dependence. I should be able to sleep without it. I don't even remember why I started!! There HAS to be an off-ramp to take that is safe. I am otherwise very healthy. I am 72 years old and still working as a psychotherapist! I have never had to increase the dosage but recently I have been doing stupid sh*t after the zolpidem starts working, like calling people - emailing/texting people at midnite, buying stuff from amazon and having NO memory of doing it. I have read that chronic use of zolpidem puts one at higher risk of developing Alzheimers. Please ...is there anyone who has successfully weaned off zolpidem without going to a residential addiction center????? My doctor says don't worry about it. He doesn't "get it"
I have tried many different "solutions to get a full night's sleep! I finally decided to go back to Zolpidem. I worked pretty well for about 2 months... I would wake up about 5:00 or 6:00.
Now I wake up at 3:00, every single night, when I go to bed at 11:00. What strength do you take?
I tried staying up until Midnight, but that did not help. It's like I have an internal alarm clock!
Any ideas?
Thank-you. I took medrol when I had Covid and I haven't been able to sleep since without meds. Also my mild anxiety turned into severe anxiety. Thanks for your well wishes. I’m grateful.
Hello cmd....I took Paxlovid when I had Covid and since then have had more sleep problems and more worse anxiety....I really dont want to be dependent on Ambien...but I took it 5 or 6 nights in a row and then the 1st night I didn't take it I woke up with bad anxiety and kind of sweaty...like you'd get with withdrawal.....I don't want to take ambien if it causes this....I took Flurazepam for many years... but only once or twice a week....and never had bad side effects or had to increase dosage.....Ambien is a way far more addictive drug.....I sure hope Flurazepam comes back
Trazodone does nothing for me, not even 400 mg. Ambien caused trouble. Keep trying until you find a doctor who will prescribe Xanax. I take 2 mg of Xanax about once a week for sleep, but my doctor knows I'm careful and I don't abuse it. On rare occasions, I may take it two nights in a row, but not more than that even if it means lying awake for what seems like years. Although I am petite, I have always needed elephantine doses of everything. I finally stopped trying to sleep every night, so only slept every other night. Now I'm at a point where I may only sleep every third night. It's a horrible situation, but I don't seem to have any sleep deprivation symptoms. When I simply MUST sleep, I take the Xanax. I have read very recently that the FDA may ease some of their absurd restrictions on opiates and other drugs like Xanax, but it always takes them years to act on anything.
I meant....I got severe anxiety today after taking Ambien for 1 week and then not taking it last night....luckily I got to sleep without it.. but woke up feeling withdrawal symptoms
I too take ambein 10mg for over ten years..I have no desire to stop.I remember how horrible it felt not to sleep..had sleep study..results were I had the worst results ..I will continue the ambein ...sleep is better then no sleep....
Do you take the whole 10mg at bedtime or split it in half and take half when you wake up in the middle of the night? That's my problem with it....my doctor will only give me 5mg pills so I take 1 at bedtime and 1 more when I wake up after 4 hours....
I've been taking zolpidem 10 mg for about 18 years and I sleep great but I hate the idea of dependence. I should be able to sleep without it. I don't even remember why I started!! There HAS to be an off-ramp to take that is safe. I am otherwise very healthy. I am 72 years old and still working as a psychotherapist! I have never had to increase the dosage but recently I have been doing stupid sh*t after the zolpidem starts working, like calling people - emailing/texting people at midnite, buying stuff from amazon and having NO memory of doing it. I have read that chronic use of zolpidem puts one at higher risk of developing Alzheimers. Please ...is there anyone who has successfully weaned off zolpidem without going to a residential addiction center????? My doctor says don't worry about it. He doesn't "get it"
If you want to quit taking it....just gradually start taking less and less of it every night. Probably have some sleepless nights....it's horrible (Ambien) it is BY FAR the most addictive sleep med out there! I took Flurazepam twice a week for over 10 years and never got addicted. Please bring Flurazepam back!!!
Hello. I took Zolpidem (5mg) on a regular basis for 20 years. It didn’t help me in later years as it had earlier on. Last spring my dr said I should taper off because it is now linked to dementia. Last June I started tapering off at two week intervals. One every other night, then one every 2nd night, then one every 3rd night and on like that until I was off. I’m actually now sleeping fairly well. I get to sleep but wake up 2 or 3 times. It’s not perfect but I’m not feeling sleep deprived. I do feel that my mind is clearer since stopping. However I never found that it helped with anxiety.
What? Zolpidem associated with Dementia? I have been in "Sleep studies", gone to different Doctors to find new solutions...and Zolpidem ( with a couple other drugs,) is the ONLY solution I have found to get even 5 hours sleep! I stopped saying, "I'm getting older"... I AM old!!
I have new headaches...hmm, could Zolpidem be the cause? I have another Neurologist appointment coming up...it is so difficult to know what is OK, and what works for me.
I do count on this site to help me through a bunch of things. I will try anything!!
NO SLEEP STINKS!!
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I've been taking zolpidem 10 mg for about 18 years and I sleep great but I hate the idea of dependence. I should be able to sleep without it. I don't even remember why I started!! There HAS to be an off-ramp to take that is safe. I am otherwise very healthy. I am 72 years old and still working as a psychotherapist! I have never had to increase the dosage but recently I have been doing stupid sh*t after the zolpidem starts working, like calling people - emailing/texting people at midnite, buying stuff from amazon and having NO memory of doing it. I have read that chronic use of zolpidem puts one at higher risk of developing Alzheimers. Please ...is there anyone who has successfully weaned off zolpidem without going to a residential addiction center????? My doctor says don't worry about it. He doesn't "get it"
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1 ReactionDoes anyone get severe anxiety when going off Ambien?
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1 ReactionIt is for sure waking you up prematurely....I am trying to stop taking Ambien....It isn't worth it
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1 ReactionHello cmd....I took Paxlovid when I had Covid and since then have had more sleep problems and more worse anxiety....I really dont want to be dependent on Ambien...but I took it 5 or 6 nights in a row and then the 1st night I didn't take it I woke up with bad anxiety and kind of sweaty...like you'd get with withdrawal.....I don't want to take ambien if it causes this....I took Flurazepam for many years... but only once or twice a week....and never had bad side effects or had to increase dosage.....Ambien is a way far more addictive drug.....I sure hope Flurazepam comes back
Hello Judithjoy....so Xanax helps you sleep? Isn't it an anxiety medication? I need something different than Ambien....
Yes, I get very anxious about sleeping.
I meant....I got severe anxiety today after taking Ambien for 1 week and then not taking it last night....luckily I got to sleep without it.. but woke up feeling withdrawal symptoms
Do you take the whole 10mg at bedtime or split it in half and take half when you wake up in the middle of the night? That's my problem with it....my doctor will only give me 5mg pills so I take 1 at bedtime and 1 more when I wake up after 4 hours....
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1 ReactionIf you want to quit taking it....just gradually start taking less and less of it every night. Probably have some sleepless nights....it's horrible (Ambien) it is BY FAR the most addictive sleep med out there! I took Flurazepam twice a week for over 10 years and never got addicted. Please bring Flurazepam back!!!
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Hug
3 ReactionsWhat? Zolpidem associated with Dementia? I have been in "Sleep studies", gone to different Doctors to find new solutions...and Zolpidem ( with a couple other drugs,) is the ONLY solution I have found to get even 5 hours sleep! I stopped saying, "I'm getting older"... I AM old!!
I have new headaches...hmm, could Zolpidem be the cause? I have another Neurologist appointment coming up...it is so difficult to know what is OK, and what works for me.
I do count on this site to help me through a bunch of things. I will try anything!!
NO SLEEP STINKS!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction