Benzo free 5 years...now addiction to Ambien.....crossover to valium to taper?

After going through a long Valium taper from 15 mg (rid of 1.5 mg Ativan and 5 mg Ambien) and being benzo free for almost 5 years.....I am so disappointed that I got frustrated enough with insomnia to start again with Ambien last summer.

Because it acts on the body just like a benzo.....it is now flaring up withdrawal symptoms of the past. I will see the Doc who helped me with the last taper on the 22nd to get enough pills to begin a new taper. The scary part is whether to crossover to about 3 or 4 mg. of valium or taper directly from Ambien.  The one thing I remember from the Valium taper is that I was able to sleep.....although suffered many other withdrawal symptoms.  The short acting Ambien is hell and worse now because of the past taper. I should never have tried it!

I cut the 5 mg. last night to about a 4 and have had what I remember as the "benzo" flu......chills off and on.

I would appreciate any suggestions or thoughts about how to taper properly!

After going through a long Valium taper from 15 mg (rid of 1.5 mg Ativan and 5 mg Ambien) and being benzo free for almost 5 years.....I am so disappointed that I got frustrated enough with insomnia to start again with Ambien last summer.

 

Because it acts on the body just like a benzo.....it is now flaring up withdrawal symptoms of the past. I will see the Doc who helped me with the last taper on the 22nd to get enough pills to begin a new taper. The scary part is whether to crossover to about 3 or 4 mg. of valium or taper directly from Ambien.  The one thing I remember from the Valium taper is that I was able to sleep.....although suffered many other withdrawal symptoms.  The short acting Ambien is hell and worse now because of the past taper. I should never have tried it!

 

I cut the 5 mg. last night to about a 4 and have had what I remember as the "benzo" flu......chills off and on.

 

I would appreciate any suggestions or thoughts about how to taper properly!

I wouldn’t do a crossover to V.. Ambien is not as nasty as Valium. If you fail the crossover, you end up on both a z-drug and a benzo. That is pure hell. I would dry cut and ask pdoc for some non-addictive sleeping aid. Like Remeron, Sinequan, Phenergan. Going back on benzos after a successful taper is a nightmare. Valium doesn’t leave your system for 24 hrs, so you get permanently depressed and demotivated. There are many non-addictive sleep aids that may help you taper Ambien. If you only have problems with sleep, a crossover to diazepam would be a nonsense, IMO. Ask your pdoc. I’m speaking from experience.

IMO,

Taper the Z drug your on.......and taper in the same fashion as a benzo.

IMO,

Taper the Z drug your on.......and taper in the same fashion as a benzo.

I second that.  Valium is notorious for causing severe depression in some people.  I'm not saying it would happen to you, but why risk it. 

IMO taper Ambien. I tapered from 10 mg to zero AFTER my valium taper. I wanted to be able to sleep and I'm glad I did it that way. Tapering the Ambien was nowhere near as hard as valium. I made 50% cuts every month or so over a 6 month period.

I sleep quite well now using an MMJ tincture. 

Hope this helps.

Katz

Thanks to all of you who replied! I appreciate hearing your point of view and will explain why I have crossed over to 4 mg. of Valium.

I took Ambien for 10 years before I ever did a benzo taper and functioned well enough to get through a stressful job. My insomnia was so bad it was the only thing that kept me somewhat sane and working. However......after getting hooked on 1.5 mg of Ativan without realizing the danger......I crossed to 15 mg. of Valium and also got rid of the Ambien I was still taking at the time. I did a slow taper and cut about once a month....finally getting down to 5 mg. I did suffer depression during the taper and other withdrawal symptoms but found that at 5 mg. I was very functional. Valium worked well for me and I stayed at 5 mg. for a long time.....before finally getting off completely. What I can't remember is whether I used anything for sleep.....maybe just Benadryl. The insomnia became worse after being benzo free. So.....after 4+ years.....Benadryl wasn't working and I decided to try Ambien again....even while knowing this would screw up the gaba receptors. I am in my 60s, divorced and living alone.....was hoping not to be homebound with insomnia. At any rate.....it was still a mistake.

What I have experienced is that Ambien is now acting just like a benzo. I see no difference. I started to have benzo chills and occasional muscle spasms....all former withdrawal symptoms. When my Doctor didn't give me enough pills and I had a couple nights with nothing....it was misery. Ambien reminds me of the short acting Ativan....inter-dose withdrawal happening. I was a total wreck. I went back to the Doctor who helped me with my original taper and he agreed about crossing over to Valium. It may not be the answer for most.....but I am now feeling better and even though fighting fatigue....not having the anxiety that Ambien was causing. I am done with Ambien and now stabilizing on Valium while exploring what might help with sleep.

After researching on the forum I discovered a few others who also crossed over to valium. I am at a much lower dose than my last taper so I'm hoping that I will be successful with another slow taper. People react to medications differently and what works for one may or may not work for another. So.....now another journey begins and I'm trying to face it with a positive attitude.....knowing that healing does happen at the end. I've battled insomnia for over 30 years.....just hoping to find more natural solutions when finally free of the drug.

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts and suggestions!

IMO,

Taper the Z drug your on.......and taper in the same fashion as a benzo.

 

I second that.  Valium is notorious for causing severe depression in some people.  I'm not saying it would happen to you, but why risk it.

Very good point, Ginger Valium makes ppl terribly depressed. I’ve never been as depressed in my whole life as on Valium. And I used to take different benzos. They’re just much less safe. A "safe" BDZ alternative to Valium could be clorazepate. If pdoc agrees and the OP can get pills easy to split. It has a long half-life [20-360 hrs]. Here is the benzo equivalence table. But still, I think a dry cut taper is a much more reasonable option. Especially that kindling may be disastrous in this case. I’m speaking from experience.

Thanks to all of you who replied! I appreciate hearing your point of view and will explain why I have crossed over to 4 mg. of Valium.

 

I took Ambien for 10 years before I ever did a benzo taper and functioned well enough to get through a stressful job. My insomnia was so bad it was the only thing that kept me somewhat sane and working. However......after getting hooked on 1.5 mg of Ativan without realizing the danger......I crossed to 15 mg. of Valium and also got rid of the Ambien I was still taking at the time. I did a slow taper and cut about once a month....finally getting down to 5 mg. I did suffer depression during the taper and other withdrawal symptoms but found that at 5 mg. I was very functional. Valium worked well for me and I stayed at 5 mg. for a long time.....before finally getting off completely. What I can't remember is whether I used anything for sleep.....maybe just Benadryl. The insomnia became worse after being benzo free. So.....after 4+ years.....Benadryl wasn't working and I decided to try Ambien again....even while knowing this would screw up the gaba receptors. I am in my 60s, divorced and living alone.....was hoping not to be homebound with insomnia. At any rate.....it was still a mistake.

 

What I have experienced is that Ambien is now acting just like a benzo. I see no difference. I started to have benzo chills and occasional muscle spasms....all former withdrawal symptoms. When my Doctor didn't give me enough pills and I had a couple nights with nothing....it was misery. Ambien reminds me of the short acting Ativan....inter-dose withdrawal happening. I was a total wreck. I went back to the Doctor who helped me with my original taper and he agreed about crossing over to Valium. It may not be the answer for most.....but I am now feeling better and even though fighting fatigue....not having the anxiety that Ambien was causing. I am done with Ambien and now stabilizing on Valium while exploring what might help with sleep.

 

After researching on the forum I discovered a few others who also crossed over to valium. I am at a much lower dose than my last taper so I'm hoping that I will be successful with another slow taper. People react to medications differently and what works for one may or may not work for another. So.....now another journey begins and I'm trying to face it with a positive attitude.....knowing that healing does happen at the end. I've battled insomnia for over 30 years.....just hoping to find more natural solutions when finally free of the drug.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts and suggestions!

Well, haven’t read your reply, Birdgirl1. Sorry. Following too many threads here. Just please be careful with Valium. And good luck with your taper IMO, Valium is much more addictive than Ambien. Unfortunately.

Ambien acts on selective GABA receptors in the brain. Zopiclone, another z-drug, acts on more and is more addictive. Valium just acts on every possible GABA receptor and the physical dependence is

a nightmare.

Just do your best to taper V. before you hit tolerance. In a month... My starting dose in 2014 was 0,5 mg. Won’t tell you the dose I ended up on in the beginning of 2016. It would upset you too much.