Ambien/klonopin CT insomnia

I was on ambien 10mg for around 3 years. Summer of 2022 it basically stopped working for me. Spent the summer in drs office and was thrown every kind of prescription for sleep including off label meds. Didnt take them as I didn't want to be on any pills. Looking back I believe I reached tolerance to the ambien and in turn developed sleep anxiety. In November 2022 out of desperation I got on klonopin for 18 days to try to sleep.GP said 2 weeks for any ambien withdrawal so thats where the K came in. Insomnia is my only symptom. Been off ambien since nov 9, 2022 and then 18 days of klonopin after that. So no Z or Benzo since Nov 27 2022. Im looking for recommendations or tips to help with sleep. I've accepted the fact that my gaba has to repair and will take time but 1-2 hours of sleep  is taking its toll. Just looking for some ideas to offer some relief. I can fall asleep but wake up at the same time every night (130am) regardless of what time I go to sleep. I've read the ashton manual and have had coaching sessions with a couple of people. Magnesium was mentioned but I thought from the ashton manual that it should be avoided. CBD/CBN?  Looking into CBT therapy at the moment. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

I don’t have any suggestions but this member took the time to compile quite a few. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

Thank you so much for the link. So informative and exactly what I was looking for.

Mr10x10,

I have been there and done that in spades and know firsthand what damage benzos and Ambien can cause. I also know firsthand how little the average doctor really knows about withdrawal insomnia. Prescribing a benzo to treat Ambien withdrawal insomnia is a very good example of a doctor venturing into territory that they know nothing about.

 

My takeaway from years of post-Ambien insomnia along with countless hours communicating with others on this site once upon a time has taught me that there is no silver bullet to help sleep return. Staying off the pills and allowing time to do its thing is the only thing that really works in the long run.

 

I could not help but to cringe when I read about your wanting to try CBTi (insomnia). It is an understandable reaction, but I assure you that it can hurt a lot more than it can help. I tried it and the sleep deprivation aspect of the therapy was pure torture. To this day my wife and I are both amazed that we bought into actually depriving me of any little sleep that I may have gotten when I so badly needed it. CBTi may work for normal behavioral or psychological based insomnia, but it does nothing for withdrawal insomnia and the damaged GABA receptors that go along with it.

 

Depending upon your circumstances, sleep may take a long time to smooth itself out, but there will be periods of decent sleep along the way. When sleep seems elusive my advice would be to stay in bed and rest rather than get up in hopes of getting sleepy later. I promise you that you are getting sustaining microsleeps even if you are totally unaware of them. My wife would always report snoring coming from me when I insisted that I was wide awake the whole time. A sleep study offered proof that this was happening. Stay calm and rest. The ideal attitude would be to not give a damn if you sleep or not because the rest feels so badly needed.

 

You are tougher than you think, and lack of sleep will not harm you (otherwise I would have been dead years ago). You will learn a lot from this experience and will probably be in a position to assist the endless stream of others who keep falling into the same trap and find their way to this forum.

Alohafromhawaii,

Thx for your response and time. Acceptance and fear of the unknown is the hard part. Glad to hear you've recovered and hopefully are enjoying life. Thats where I will get as well. It is so frustrating and disheartening the lack of knowledge our system has for these medications.  If I only knew then what I know now. Holding on to the idea that my struggles and season of pain will put me in a position to help someone else, just as you have. Once again thank you and take care.