Have a sleep study coming up. Doctors prescribed Ambien. Pretty worried.

So I have been on 3 MG of Klonopin for two years now along with some Gabapentin daily. I haven't started my taper plan yet but I hope to get off these awful drugs in the future. As you all know, the drugs don't do ANYTHING for me anymore. Because tolerance.  I have bad anxiety as it is and going out to the doctor is like having a terrible panic attack to me.

 

So you can imagine my fear of being told I have to go to the doctor, but stay and sleep all night... 

 

Saw my sleep doctor once and she ordered the test immediately (she thinks I have apnea). I then immediately asked her if I could be knocked out for the procedure, because there's no way I'm sleeping on my own, and she said she would give me something. 10MG Ambien. So I was happy to hear that the doctor agreed to give me something. Didn't know anything about Ambien and I've never taken it before so I looked it up a few days ago.

 

My face kinda fell when I saw that it acts on the same receptors as Benzo's. So I put in a note to the nurse asking the doctor about it. The doctor says not to worry...... But I am, I am extremely worried that Ambien will not make me sleep for the test  because Benzo's already do nothing for me. I called the pharmacy today and the pharmacist was pretty honest about it. He said it's possible that it won't work but that he thinks it's different enough to put me to sleep. "In Theory" he said. 

 

So I'm posting this for a few reasons. I know you guys aren't doctors and I'm not looking for official medical advice, but you all know the pain of anxiety and not being able to sleep(among being on Benzo's). Is there anyone here who can give me their thoughts or maybe even experiences of taking Ambien while being on a Benzo? I'm absolutely terrified that it won't work and im pretty shook up. My test isn't this Sunday but the one after.

 

Any input at all would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also Mods. If this question is in an inappropriate place  please tell me. I created this account a while back but have only ever used it like once. Thank you.

Not a doctor here, but I think the Ambien should knock you out, it works on slightly different receptors than other benzos. Especially since you have never used it, your body won't have built up tolerance to that specific drug. A one time use like that also will not hurt you, just don't continue it.

 

But there is a bit of cross-tolerance. I went in for a colonscopy and they had to use 3 times the normal amount of Versed and Fentanyl, and even with that I watched the whole thing and chatted with the doctor! Then went home and slept for 14 hours.

 

I wouldn't be so nervous about sleeping, it doesn't take much to diagnose sleep apnea. Even if you nod off a bit it will show up, and that WILL happen, especially with the Ambien. Don't sweat it and it will all be fine. People say all the time that they never slept during a sleep study, but their recordings show a much different story.

 

Now about that klonopin---can we get you off that stuff?

 

I would like to thank you for your opinion and such a kind response. That was exactly what I was looking for.  Although I hope to get other opinions and more responses(not being rude but I like to get multiple experiences and opinions, I'm a nut  ).

 

Have you ever taken Ambien? What Benzo's were you on and what dose when you had your colonoscopy(if you don't mind me asking). I'm glad to hear it went well for you in any case.  , as going to sleep can be frightening.

 

I have had 4 of those procedures at the ripe old age of 22. But that was before i got addicted to Benzo drugs. Yes, I'd love to get off them. I keep planning on trying but I get cold feet and chicken out.

 

 

Hi Fishels,

I would like to share my experience with you. For years I took Ambien as needed without any problems then I found myself slowly starting to take more and more. In time I developed what I thought was really bad insomnia, but did not realize that I had grown tolerant to Ambien and that was keeping me from sleeping. The Ambien became the problem and not the cure.

 

I started experiencing the hypnic jerks that is common with Ambien and Benzo withdrawal insomnia and mistook them for possible apnea issues. I went to a "sleep specialist" who happily scheduled me for an overnight sleep study. I told the doctor that I was taking a double dose of Ambien and would need to do so for the study. He just smiled and half-joked about not wanting to hear about my intended abuse of the medication . He also told me that he successfully diagnosed apnea with patients who only slept for very brief periods during the study.

 

The sleep test indicated that I had mild to possibly moderate apnea so I allowed myself to be prescribed CPAP therapy. All the time still taking 20 mg. of Ambien a night and only getting a few hours of crappy sleep on it. I had since learned that Ambien and other sedating medications can increase the incidence of apnea because they loosen the throat muscles.

Let me tell you that learning to sleep with a CPAP device is very difficult and next to impossible while messed up with Ambien or benzos. I finally gave up on it as I continued to sink into my Ambien problem (still unaware of what was actually going on).

 

I think that most "sleep specialists" are really only pulmonary doctors who really only have CPAP devices to offer as treatment. My doctor did offer me the services of a contracted therapist who administers cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia. I knew that it would be a very hard treatment plan, but I was excited to have a chance to overcome my worsening sleep problem. I told the therapist my story, but the connection between my rapidly growing use of Ambien and worsening sleep issues just went over her head.  Instead she put me on a rigorous sleep restriction program that only ensured near zero sleep for me night after night. After a few weeks of reviewing my sleep logs, she declared that the therapy was only creating cruel and unusual punishment for me and took me off of it.

 

It was around this time that I began to learn about Ambien/benzo tolerance and withdrawal. Suddenly it all made perfect sense to me so I simply did a very rapid taper (10 days) and threw out all of my pills for good. I heard about seizures that can occur from cold-turkey stops, but I did not know about the acute and protracted withdrawal problems that can happen from tapering too fast. I paid the price, but got off Ambien for good.

 

Now here is my advice to you. You need to complete a withdrawal from Klonopin and give your mind healing time for sleep to start to return. Then maybe you can revisit the sleep study issue. Until you do this, sleep studies, apnea treatment, sleep restriction therapy, etc. will do nothing except aggravate your problem and delay healing. I really mean this. I'm not a doctor, but I had a pretty intense experience and learned from it. Perhaps the most profound thing that I learned is how little most doctors know about tolerance/withdrawal related insomnia issues. My "sleep specialist" actually wrote me a prescription for Lunesta when I told him that my Ambien was not working so well any more! He even had me try an anti-depressant thinking that anxiety was keeping me from sleeping, when in fact, the anxiety I started displaying was the result of lack of sleep and inter-does Ambien withdrawal symptoms.

 

Be careful not to dig yourself into a deeper hole than the one that you already have to climb out of. Good luck to you.

Thank you very much. And don't worry. I definitely won't ever be taking Ambien as a regular med. this is a one time only thing, don't want to get hooked on another sleep med. Never had too much trouble sleeping, but I'm scared I won't feel the dose.

 

I appreciate your advice and will take the sleep study delay into consideration. I even thought about delaying it like you said. But lately the symptoms have gotten unbearable. I'm waking up gasping every night. I wake up at 9 Am and it takes till 3Pm for me to even be functional. So I feel like these symptoms are really holding me back. Especially holds me back from trying a Benzo taper. So I feel like it's something that just can't wait for too much longer. I wish Benzo's were a drug you could  just jump off of but you know that sadly, it isn't the case(seizures).

 

Idk if it's worth mentioning but I also have Autism, so I've got sensory issues.

 

Anyone else who has taken Ambien with Benzo's who would like to share its effectiveness?

Hi Fishels,

I would like to share my experience with you. For years I took Ambien as needed without any problems then I found myself slowly starting to take more and more. In time I developed what I thought was really bad insomnia, but did not realize that I had grown tolerant to Ambien and that was keeping me from sleeping. The Ambien became the problem and not the cure.

 

I started experiencing the hypnic jerks that is common with Ambien and Benzo withdrawal insomnia and mistook them for possible apnea issues. I went to a "sleep specialist" who happily scheduled me for an overnight sleep study. I told the doctor that I was taking a double dose of Ambien and would need to do so for the study. He just smiled and half-joked about not wanting to hear about my intended abuse of the medication . He also told me that he successfully diagnosed apnea with patients who only slept for very brief periods during the study.

 

The sleep test indicated that I had mild to possibly moderate apnea so I allowed myself to be prescribed CPAP therapy. All the time still taking 20 mg. of Ambien a night and only getting a few hours of crappy sleep on it. I had since learned that Ambien and other sedating medications can increase the incidence of apnea because they loosen the throat muscles.

Let me tell you that learning to sleep with a CPAP device is very difficult and next to impossible while messed up with Ambien or benzos. I finally gave up on it as I continued to sink into my Ambien problem (still unaware of what was actually going on).

 

I think that most "sleep specialists" are really only pulmonary doctors who really only have CPAP devices to offer as treatment. My doctor did offer me the services of a contracted therapist who administers cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia. I knew that it would be a very hard treatment plan, but I was excited to have a chance to overcome my worsening sleep problem. I told the therapist my story, but the connection between my rapidly growing use of Ambien and worsening sleep issues just went over her head.  Instead she put me on a rigorous sleep restriction program that only ensured near zero sleep for me night after night. After a few weeks of reviewing my sleep logs, she declared that the therapy was only creating cruel and unusual punishment for me and took me off of it.

 

It was around this time that I began to learn about Ambien/benzo tolerance and withdrawal. Suddenly it all made perfect sense to me so I simply did a very rapid taper (10 days) and threw out all of my pills for good. I heard about seizures that can occur from cold-turkey stops, but I did not know about the acute and protracted withdrawal problems that can happen from tapering too fast. I paid the price, but got off Ambien for good.

 

Now here is my advice to you. You need to complete a withdrawal from Klonopin and give your mind healing time for sleep to start to return. Then maybe you can revisit the sleep study issue. Until you do this, sleep studies, apnea treatment, sleep restriction therapy, etc. will do nothing except aggravate your problem and delay healing. I really mean this. I'm not a doctor, but I had a pretty intense experience and learned from it. Perhaps the most profound thing that I learned is how little most doctors know about tolerance/withdrawal related insomnia issues. My "sleep specialist" actually wrote me a prescription for Lunesta when I told him that my Ambien was not working so well any more! He even had me try an anti-depressant thinking that anxiety was keeping me from sleeping, when in fact, the anxiety I started displaying was the result of lack of sleep and inter-does Ambien withdrawal symptoms.

 

Be careful not to dig yourself into a deeper hole than the one that you already have to climb out of. Good luck to you.

 

Hey there fishels,

 

I was ready to give you my experience. but I gotta say, aloha said it all! Just don't take it longer than 1 night. and PLEASE!! Nix the Klonopin!! Do a slow taper. You're going to go through some withdrawal, of course, but it will be so worth it, you'll see!

 

Good luck to you!

 

~CeCe 

I just hope the 1 Ambien works for me. Otherwise I'll have to do it again.  :'(

I agree with Aloha for the most part. Klonopin could have a lot to do with your sleep apnea problems, and you really should pursue getting off it. A daily microtaper would be just the ticket, the amount you drop every day is tiny, so tiny you don't feel it a bit, but it adds up over time. I also agree that those sleep studies are kind of a crock and all they ever do is put you on drugs and CPAP machines.

 

But I've seen how life-changing getting on a CPAP machine can be for many people with sleep apnea. It may not work for you, like in Aloha's case, but it also could work very well and give you the solid base you need to get off Klonopin. Do the study and don't worry so much about it.

I agree with Aloha for the most part. Klonopin could have a lot to do with your sleep apnea problems, and you really should pursue getting off it. A daily microtaper would be just the ticket, the amount you drop every day is tiny, so tiny you don't feel it a bit, but it adds up over time. I also agree that those sleep studies are kind of a crock and all they ever do is put you on drugs and CPAP machines.

 

But I've seen how life-changing getting on a CPAP machine can be for many people with sleep apnea. It may not work for you, like in Aloha's case, but it also could work very well and give you the solid base you need to get off Klonopin. Do the study and don't worry so much about it.

Who would I need to talk to about a micro taper? My doctor is really nice. But he just kinda hands me papers that deal with Benzo tapering every time I mention getting off. He doesn't give much personal input, or guidance if that makes sense.

I wouldnt do a sleep test most likely your sleep issues are benzo related and not sleep apnea at all.  Dr's dont realize what these benzos do they ruin our sleep receptors then they want everyone to take a sleep test.  Yea right they just want to prescribe the sleep apnea machine as they dont think benzo WD exist.

 

Good luck trying to sleep at the lab I hope you can do it, not trying to be negative but I couldnt imagine sleeping at some random room with stuff hooked up to me. 

You can do the micro-tapering on your own, if your doctor is still supplying Klonopin, just say you are tapering off and I'm sure it will be fine with him. We can set you up with a liquid daily micro-taper (titration). I'll paste some links to get you started. I would check it out, get set up with the materials you need, and wait until after the sleep study to get started. Most who use this method don't even notice any withdrawal at all.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=154392.0

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=57791.0

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9522.0

Thanks man. I hope to get off them one day and use them as a "as needed basis ". Never had problems then. I would take one pill once a month at most. Does tolerance go down?