Last Sliver of Ambien

Dear Buddies,

 

After a too-short taper with Ativan and years of 10 mg nightly use of Ambien, I am ready to leap off the sliver of Ambien.

 

I need your help.

 

Mid-December, I went down to 5 mg. Ambien, but would seesaw between 5 and 7.5. I finally got to 5 mg.

Jan 7, I went to 2.5 mg. and it just wasn't working, so on Jan 21 went back to 4 mg and stayed till Jan 26.

Jan 26 went to 2.5 mg.

Feb. 2 went to 1.75

Feb. 7 went to 1.25

Feb. 15 went to .625

 

All this time, I've had panicky wakenings like cortisol spikes (if that is a real thing) and it seems the less I take the less the panic (for the most part).  I've been getting either no sleep or 6 hours (more so the 6 hours) and so the small dosages are not helping sleep.

 

I'm ready to heal. No one has ever had a seizure from jumping off this small a dose, but I'm still apprehensive after such a quick taper from Ativan. What do you think? Could I just hop off? I'm so ready to be done with this CR*P~ 

 

 

 

So, since I have had no advice here, I'm just going to hop off tonight.

 

Thanks, Benzo Buddies! Good luck to you all in your tapers and your WDs! I wish you LOVE and PEACE!

Oh, Fish and Ship,

 

Just saw your post.  I'm in australia, different time zone, idk. 

 

Hop and heal Fish & Ship.  Now is the hour, and I wish you every success. 

 

Wish I was hopping with you. 

 

Dee

 

Dee! I wish you were, too! As great as my Buddies are, I wish we could all be FREE!

 

We are heading in the right direction. I watched a documentary about DuPont and Teflon last night, and it didn't surprise me what corporations are doing to the people in the world. It's their world, too. I don't know why they don't get it...

 

Oh, Fish & Ship,

 

Oh, to be free, currently I'm just sitting in garbage can't do anything.

 

From what I know about Teflon and DuPont they had huge war contracts during the Vietnam War. 

 

They're a slippery mob alright 

 

I think we had a criminal here whose nickname was Mr Teflon because he was so slippery. 

 

I don't get why people don't get it either F&S, but given our experience with Benzodiazapines it does not surprise me. 

 

Keep getting better Fish and Ship. 

 

Dee

Dear Buddies,

 

After a too-short taper with Ativan and years of 10 mg nightly use of Ambien, I am ready to leap off the sliver of Ambien.

 

I need your help.

 

Mid-December, I went down to 5 mg. Ambien, but would seesaw between 5 and 7.5. I finally got to 5 mg.

Jan 7, I went to 2.5 mg. and it just wasn't working, so on Jan 21 went back to 4 mg and stayed till Jan 26.

Jan 26 went to 2.5 mg.

Feb. 2 went to 1.75

Feb. 7 went to 1.25

Feb. 15 went to .625

 

All this time, I've had panicky wakenings like cortisol spikes (if that is a real thing) and it seems the less I take the less the panic (for the most part).  I've been getting either no sleep or 6 hours (more so the 6 hours) and so the small dosages are not helping sleep.

 

I'm ready to heal. No one has ever had a seizure from jumping off this small a dose, but I'm still apprehensive after such a quick taper from Ativan. What do you think? Could I just hop off? I'm so ready to be done with this CR*P~ 

 

Only consider it, if you are stable, if not , no don't jump, it's taken all this time , a little more to be safe and come out the other side with few withdrawals is totally worth the time.  Good luck, no matter what you do! 🍀 Mary

Thanks, Mary5588. I didn't sleep last night when I went down to the next little piece. I read the success stories about how people get their life back. When I get back my life it's not going to be the same life. This experience changes us, doesn't it? I read where people have been free of BZWD and kind of forget the hellish parts, but I don't think my life will ever be the same. I worried over things that now seem so insignificant. I just truly don't care whether people like me or whether I impress anyone. I've got to give a speech at a conference in May, and I'm optimistic that I'll be up for it. I used to get nervous about that sort of thing, but it seems so trivial now after going through this misery.

 

People on here talk about taking Benadryl or melatonin, but it seems like the best way to really get our sleep back in WD is give our brains what they need to heal. I spend too much time on my phone or online and too little time in the real world and taking care of my body and spirit. If the sliver of Ambien doesn't let me sleep, well, the 1.25 was not really doing much anyway.

 

Why aren't researchers studying our brains? They've known about benzo WD for decades now (although not made it public). Surely, someone has done studies on whether melatonin does this to our neurons or whether vitamin D does that to our GABA receptors. We have MRIs and CT scans and all this brain imaging equipment, yet no one is studying us! Doesn't that seem suspicious?

 

Well, regardless, I'm taking the red pill tonight and hopping off the Ambien train for good! 

 

Love and hope to my BBs!

Congratulations Fish and Ship - let us know how it goes - I know you will do great! You will be Rx-free and you will do an amazing job with your presentation in May. Very excited for you!

Thanks, Mary5588. I didn't sleep last night when I went down to the next little piece. I read the success stories about how people get their life back. When I get back my life it's not going to be the same life. This experience changes us, doesn't it? I read where people have been free of BZWD and kind of forget the hellish parts, but I don't think my life will ever be the same. I worried over things that now seem so insignificant. I just truly don't care whether people like me or whether I impress anyone. I've got to give a speech at a conference in May, and I'm optimistic that I'll be up for it. I used to get nervous about that sort of thing, but it seems so trivial now after going through this misery.

 

People on here talk about taking Benadryl or melatonin, but it seems like the best way to really get our sleep back in WD is give our brains what they need to heal. I spend too much time on my phone or online and too little time in the real world and taking care of my body and spirit. If the sliver of Ambien doesn't let me sleep, well, the 1.25 was not really doing much anyway.

 

Why aren't researchers studying our brains? They've known about benzo WD for decades now (although not made it public). Surely, someone has done studies on whether melatonin does this to our neurons or whether vitamin D does that to our GABA receptors. We have MRIs and CT scans and all this brain imaging equipment, yet no one is studying us! Doesn't that seem suspicious?

 

Well, regardless, I'm taking the red pill tonight and hopping off the Ambien train for good! 

 

Love and hope to my BBs!

 

Wishing you lots of luck!!  Keep us posted❤️💜💕Mary

Hi, Buddies! I didn't take any Ambien last night, and I was so tired from no sleep the night before that I zonked!

 

Today, I am taking all meds to the CVS and putting them in the safe cannister for proper disposal. I asked my hb to take a photo.

 

No matter what life throws me, I am NOT ever going to take this kind of med again. Although I know the WD is far from over with the Ambien-Ativan mixture, it seems like a victory today, and I want to celebrate with you all. 

 

We are a brave group on here, and we will feel normal again. It will happen. It IS happening!!! And at some future date, I hope we can all be a beacon of hope and support for someone who just began withdrawing.

Hi, Buddies! I didn't take any Ambien last night, and I was so tired from no sleep the night before that I zonked!

 

Today, I am taking all meds to the CVS and putting them in the safe cannister for proper disposal. I asked my hb to take a photo.

 

No matter what life throws me, I am NOT ever going to take this kind of med again. Although I know the WD is far from over with the Ambien-Ativan mixture, it seems like a victory today, and I want to celebrate with you all. 

 

We are a brave group on here, and we will feel normal again. It will happen. It IS happening!!! And at some future date, I hope we can all be a beacon of hope and support for someone who just began withdrawing.

 

Really nice post Fish and Ship

Hi, Buddies! I didn't take any Ambien last night, and I was so tired from no sleep the night before that I zonked!

 

Today, I am taking all meds to the CVS and putting them in the safe cannister for proper disposal. I asked my hb to take a photo.

 

No matter what life throws me, I am NOT ever going to take this kind of med again. Although I know the WD is far from over with the Ambien-Ativan mixture, it seems like a victory today, and I want to celebrate with you all. 

 

We are a brave group on here, and we will feel normal again. It will happen. It IS happening!!! And at some future date, I hope we can all be a beacon of hope and support for someone who just began withdrawing.

 

 

AWESOME post! Congratulations Fish and Ship!!!!

Yay, Fish! I just saw your posts. I jumped off at 1.25 (approx. 1/8 th) and said "to hell with it". It really wasn't doing me any good.

 

Yeah, I had some miserable nights when I first jumped, but at least I was done with the bloody Ambien.

 

Again, congratulations!!

 

 

Katz

 

OregonKatz,

 

Did the Unisom give you much relief? I'm still Zero Ambien (took all meds to CVS and put in the drug bin), but some whacked out sleep. I've been missing about one day of work a week now, and that has me down. Tried melatonin last night. I honestly don't have a clue as to how much/little sleep last night brought. It's just dismal. I think of all I've been through the past few months: the stomach issues, the ear problems, the throat and tongue problems, and the muscle clenching... Maybe this is the last symptom!

 

Here's hoping!

I've never taken Unisom either and wonder about it too...anyone find it helps with sleep?

Unisom works like a charm. I only ever took half a 25 mg tab. I got a good 8 hours sleep with it with no wake-ups. BUT . . . you do feel groggy in the morning. Not so groggy that you can't operate . . . coffee always fixed that for me. I never took it for an extended period of time but I'm told you develop a tolerance to it. Makes sense. I believe you develop a tolerance to most things. I spelled off Unisom with hydroxyzine (prescription). Melatonin never worked for me, but it does for others.

 

Don't neglect camomille tea. It works well also. As does youtube sleep music.

 

I know the (fervently expressed) opinion of some on here is to just wait and sleep will return . . . but everyone's different. I have to drive 150 miles a day for work . . . and I HAVE to work. Sleep obviously lost my address. So I helped sleep along. If you're missing days of work due to no sleep, it's serious imo.

 

Now I sleep without those "big gun" aids. Except for camomille tea.  And sometimes a few drops of indica mj tincture. 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katz

 

 

Thanks Katz - I am going to try some Unisom and also Hydroxyzine when I see my doctor later and alternate between the two when I need them.