Almost 53 months off Valium & Ambien and sleeping 8 hours per night!

In two weeks I will be 53 months off Valium and Ambien. I used both drugs only as a sleep aid. I am writing this positive success story for those members who had sleep issues prior to using either drug; or any members who are not sleeping due to their taper or c/t.

 

After I c/t off both drugs (never c/t off either drug) I was very fortunate to have found a knowledgeable PDOC who taught me how to sleep on my own. My PDOC explained to me that sleep is SO powerful that with good sleep hygiene it will be restored in time. Once I c/t off both drugs I NEVER took anything for sleep. Sadly, I see so many members looking for something to help them sleep and IMO this is not prudent. One must learn how to sleep on their own without being dependent upon taking anything. Please believe me when I know how hard this is but please believe me when I tell you this CAN be done and YOU can achieve it.

 

I recall my PDOC telling be about Belsoma and I told her I didn't want to try it. She agreed that coming off Valium and Ambien and trying Belsoma was a bad recommendation. We both agreed that I had to learn how to sleep on my own. Reflecting back to all of the years that I used Valium as a sleep aid (at 3:00 AM when I couldn't fall back to sleep) or popping an Ambien when I slept out of my house or traveling to Europe was by far the biggest mistake that I ever made. When I was on Valium I always woke up exactly at 3:00 AM and now I know it was my brain waking me up for Valium. It was almost like my brain craved it and 3:00 AM.

 

I suppose that I experienced some sort of sleep anxiety because I always felt that I could not sleep out of my own environment, my own bed. If I knew that I had a big night planned the next day instead of going to sleep on my own, my brain told me that I needed to pop an Ambien to get a good night sleep. 53 months later I now know that thought was the benzo devil aka a benzo lie.

 

I am living proof that if you stay off of everything and practice good sleep hygiene sleep will be restored. I currently sleep 10:30 PM-6:45 AM straight through the night and I can sleep out of my bed without any problems. I no longer have the benzo demon thought pop into my head that I need to take something to sleep. 98% of the time I sleep straight through the night (I'm 55 years old) however, if I wake up to go to the bathroom I can always fall back to sleep on my own within a matter of seconds.

 

I hope those suffering from insomnia or any sort of sleep anxiety read my post. You owe it to your brain and yourself to stay off everything and let your brain learn how to sleep on your own. IMO the worse mistake would be to come off Ambien or any benzo and become dependent upon using something else for sleep.

 

At almost 53 months off life is great and I am out living my life to the fullest. The hell that I went through is a distant memory and coming off a benzo was by far the hardest thing I ever had to endure. Please keep going because you will make it. Always remember that the brain is a complex organ however, never doubt for one second it doesn't know how to revert back to homeostasis.

 

Best,

Always Frantastic

 

 

 

 

 

yeeeeee one more success story. Thank God!

Ok it wont be easy 

I was on much more dose and definately abused my meds. First of all i never needed them.  :'(

Congratulations to you on your wellness!  I'm so happy to hear that you are living life to the fullest and that the memory of benzo withdrawal keeps fading and fading away.

 

PG 

Congratulations on healing! What were some of the other mental symptoms you endured along the way? What was the progression of those symptoms like?

I’m 52 months off as well and only took the benzo for sleep. I had horrific insomnia once I c/t’d as well. Your story sounds just like mine! I do occasionally take something over the counter as I still suffer with some insomnia. Thank you for the reminder that our bodies do heal and if I stay off all sleeping drugs, I will sleep naturally again❤️. I’m super happy for you and congratulations on your success! Best wishes always.

Congrats, Frantic.

 

Um... I have the sleep anxiety but had it and circadian rhythm prob (inherited) and insomnia prior to benzos.  What do you think in my case. 

Um, and have been on them 40 Syears.  no they don't work at this point and also not on that much.

 

It has been a lifetime for me and nobody around at all, period, to even talk to let alone encourage me.  Anyhow, lied your story....    and yes there were reasons for frearing sleep in childhood,, just throwing that in should someone else with maor slleep prob read this. you never know

 

Congrats, Fran, from a fellow "class of 2015" graduate. Good to hear you're still doing so well.

Hey AlwaysFrantastic, that's a great success story. I did successfully get off benzos 20 years ago too, it took a bit longer than you to get back to 8 hrs but I did. Now I am going through menopause, had my final period 10 months ago and will be in post menopause in 2 months. The problem is, it triggered a worse insomnia than I had during withdrawal! Have you been though menopause and had any problems with sleep because of it?

What a great report, AF!  So glad you are doing well.  Your advice and experience with med free sleep will help many.  Thank you!

This is amazing to hear. I'm so glad you got your sleep back. Mine is coming back too, but I'm still waiting for the drowsy feeling I used to get before Benzos. Do you get drowsy when it's time to go to bed?