Can I take Ambien after 4 years. Need some help.

I have went through the hell of Benzo withdrawal almost 4 years ago. I battled through it came out the other side differently. The myoclonic jerks where the worst symptom I think. I have been clean and I have been working on myself since. My mind spins more and probably due to covid and feeling of being out of control I have not been able to sleep. Trazadone is not cutting it. I want to take an ambien but I am scared, scared cause they hit the GABA receptors and scared of another withdrawal. Can anyone give me some guidance from experience or what a doctor said. I just want to reduce the anxiety of sleep so I can get back to normal again.

I have went through the hell of Benzo withdrawal almost 4 years ago. I battled through it came out the other side differently. The myoclonic jerks where the worst symptom I think. I have been clean and I have been working on myself since. My mind spins more and probably due to covid and feeling of being out of control I have not been able to sleep. Trazadone is not cutting it. I want to take an ambien but I am scared, scared cause they hit the GABA receptors and scared of another withdrawal. Can anyone give me some guidance from experience or what a doctor said. I just want to reduce the anxiety of sleep so I can get back to normal again.

I made the mistake of doing this, now I am back on a bigger dose of valium than I was before, please please don't be tempted.

Valerian is a good sleep aid, ashwagandha is also.

Totally safe.

Doctors will probably tell you it's ok but trust me it isn't, you will regret it.

You would be surprised at how effective some of the herbal sleep aids are.

Would not be going on any benzo. Was wondering about taking ambien for a few nights to get make on track. Did you think I meant jumping back on a Benzo?

Look at the big picture. After a few nights of sleep using Ambien what are you going to want to do if sleep problems continue. I went through one hell of an Ambien withdrawal and am still having some off and on sleep issues that were similar to what I experienced during the withdrawal and it has been 5 years since I was off. Do yourself a HUGE favor and forget that you even considered taking Ambien! Don't kid yourself into thinking that Ambien is safer than a benzo because it sure as hell is not.

I would NEVER go back to a benzo or a Z-drug like Ambien. My worst symptom has been insomnia and I’m over 5 years off a cold turkey. Have you tried any of the over the counter sleep aids? In emergencies I will take 1/2 tablet of Diphenhydramine. Also I’ve tried melatonin (doesn’t help me) but helps some. I am currently taking tryptophan which is an amino acid which seems to help. I  meditate  and pray which also help.

Look at the big picture. After a few nights of sleep using Ambien what are you going to want to do if sleep problems continue. I went through one hell of an Ambien withdrawal and am still having some off and on sleep issues that were similar to what I experienced during the withdrawal and it has been 5 years since I was off. Do yourself a HUGE favor and forget that you even considered taking Ambien! Don't kid yourself into thinking that Ambien is safer than a benzo because it sure as hell is not.

 

How long where on the z drugs?

Look at the big picture. After a few nights of sleep using Ambien what are you going to want to do if sleep problems continue. I went through one hell of an Ambien withdrawal and am still having some off and on sleep issues that were similar to what I experienced during the withdrawal and it has been 5 years since I was off. Do yourself a HUGE favor and forget that you even considered taking Ambien! Don't kid yourself into thinking that Ambien is safer than a benzo because it sure as hell is not.

 

How long where on the z drugs?

 

That is outlined in my signature, but the point that I am trying to make is that Ambien can be a slippery slope because it works so well (until tolerance is reached). If you have a prescription in your drawer and find yourself experiencing a hard time falling asleep, what are you going to do? I successfully managed taking Ambien at a low enough frequency without any problems for years, but once extra stress was added to the equation I fell into the trap and did not even know that it was happening. Having gone through a benzo withdrawal might make you even more prone to problems. I believe that you stated that you would not go back to a benzo again, but you don't seem to realize that Ambien and benzos are way too similar.

Having taken Ambien for 10 years (until it stopped working) and then taken 3 to get off the damned drug, I would never advise anyone to take it. The w/d was every bit as bad as the w/d from valium. It's a "kissing cousin" to benzos.

 

andy, you've been given a couple of good ideas for sleeping aids. Here are a few more, which I tried off and on. Unisom sleep tabs -- I took half a 25 mg tab. Works great . . . until it doesn't. Some people take Benadryl. Then there's hydroxyzine/vistaril, which requires a prescription. Another sedating antihistamine. Works well but you feel groggy in the a.m., at least I did. Melatonin -- perfectly natural. But take it in a small dose -- 1 mg. Bigger doses are useless. Tryptophan worked for me for awhile, too. The best sleep aid I tried, though, was indica marijuana. If you want to, try it in edible form, and start small. I now take a half-and-half CBD and indica marijuana edible and sleep very well. (Don't make a mistake and take a sativa mj, though. Indica makes you calm and relaxed; sativa jazzes you up).

 

I feel for you. Insomnia really sucks. Having waited patiently and fruitlessly for sleep to come back after my taper, I decided I'd rather go after it with a club. Hence my chemical pursuits.

 

Good luck,

 

Katz

If you are feeling overly stressed about COVID-19 I would recommend not fixating over the news (if you are). With so much going on it is pretty easy to get all worked up by spending too much time watching CNN, MSNBC, Fox or whatever. Try curling up with a good book before bedtime instead. Also going to bed and waking up and more or less the same time every night works for me.

Would not be going on any benzo. Was wondering about taking ambien for a few nights to get make on track. Did you think I meant jumping back on a Benzo?

Ambien is cross-tolerant with Benzes, it acts on GABA-A, it is effectively a benzo in this sense, please don't take it and make the same mistake as me.

I would avoid Benzos and Z drugs (Ambien) like you would avoid RAT POISON!

 

You know the reason for your sleep issues.  Drugs don't fix sleep issues long term.  I would try CBT-I or OTC. 

 

Lack of sleep won't kill you...it does suck, but Benzo WD induced insomnia is like a Hurricane compared to the "gust of wind" you get from regular insomnia.

 

You can get past this without reaching for another Rx drug, especially a Z-drug or Benzo.

 

Melatonin is supposed to reset your sleep cycle and is safe.  Look at something like Herbatonin that can reset your sleep cycle in 3-7 days

https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/products/herbatonin-3mg

If I ever come off this poison I'll never touch a benzo or z drug again. I remember now my younger days pre benzo with insomnia. Nothing was as bad as bwd. I wish I'd never started.

as wondering about taking ambien for a few nights to get make on track.

 

NO! NO! NO! Reaching for the Ambien will not get you back "on track". Throw that stuff away! So many of us got in trouble with benzos because we were anxious. Taking Ambien for insomnia is the same thing. You/we need to learn how to address our issues without reaching for a pill.

 

You've been given a few ideas in this thread. I know there is another big thread about help for insomnia. Maybe someone can find it for you?

 

But the first step is to just say no to Ambien.

 

 

Katz