Free of ambien

Yellow everyone..

 

I just wanted to join a community for some support. Long story short my bother suddenly died a little over 2 years ago and I didn't sleep for a week.. My doctor gave me some ambien 10mg and the rest was history, I eventually couldn't sleep without them, I would double up on the pills as well, all does we're taken at bedtime...

 

Well eventually my life turned upside down and the culprit was ambien... I found the Ashton method and crossed to Valium and tapered from there.. I was on ambien and Valium for a total of 2 years...

 

Well I am roughly 3-4 months clean from any kind of benzo, sleeping about 7 hours a night, sometime broken but hey atleast I am sleeping and it is ambien free....

 

Looking fwd to the support and hope to contribute as much as I can..

Hi Dude,

 

Welcome to BB! I'm so sorry about the loss of your brother. I don't know how I would manage if I lost my sister, bratty as she is.

 

I'm glad that you've begun to regain control of your life though. Congratulations on being benzo free and your sleep coming back! We are glad to have you here

 

-P-

Thank you princezz:)

 

Yeah I wouldn't wish losing a sibling on anyone. He was only 30 years old, his wife found him in the bed(she works night shift as a RN) when she got home.... I was only 33 at the time, he was my best friend, someone I talked to every day multiple times a day, he was such a great person and young man, he had the world by the throat, intelligent electrical engineer... His heart became enlarged without knowing it, heart stopped now he is gone forever...

I miss that kid sooooooo much it hurts to even think about it, I can't imagine in 20 years and have to say dam my brother is gone, we were suppose to grow old together and golf and retire and travel with our wives .... Life is crazy

 

So I had to deal with depression and grief while getting off these damn medications,if I can do it so you, it won't be easy by no means, next to losing my brother it has been the hardest thing to ever deal with..

 

Can't believe I let that little pill hijack my life.... Still fighting to keep my life from those pills hijacking it again, won't happen though cause I have an angel on my shoulder telling me to " suck it up you sissy" that's what my brother would really tell me lol..

 

Hope to help and thank you for the warm welcome..

Listening to your story reminds me of my friend on here, AmyA, who also lost her little brother a couple of years ago. I think he was 28 when he died. There are many stories of grief and loss around here, but also many stories of triumph. You have already come such a long way on your own. Clear sailing to total recovery now!

Thank you so much princezz, we all shall prevail over this demon!!!!

my prayers are with AmyA

Best wishes

Heya Dude

Sorry about your brother.  Welcome to BB.

 

There are a few of us here that are trying to get off Zolpidem (Ambien)so Congratulations on being Benzo free.

It is encouraging to know that you are sleeping naturally again.  I have not slept a single night in almost 13years without Ambien and was taking up to 50mg a night with a Benzo.  I c/t in Sept and had zero sleep for 21 nights till I reinstated.  Its great to have you on board.

Hi there Dude,

 

Congratulations on being benzo free.  I took Ambien for 3 years, been off of it for a year now, and feel so much better than I ever did when I was taking it.

 

Lots of support here from many really neat people.

 

the best to you

 

pj

 

 

Thank you everyone..

 

Meee, have you considered crossing over to diazepam? I can't imagine not sleeping for 21 days...

When my brother passed, I had  7 days no sleep and i was gonna go insane!!!!!!!!

Keep your head up and I and others are a testament that it can be done, you can do it!!

 

Pj, how is your sleep? I am amazed on how I feel in the mornings now, such a refreshing feeling that the zolpidem robs from you... As we know using zolpidem you don't get that much needed rem sleep and you become walking zombie, I know I did and it almost ruined my life..

Stay strong and keep up the fight..

Dude,

 

Thanks for asking.  My sleep is real good now, seven hours most nights.  When I cold-turkied the Ambien, I did not sleep for almost 30 days, as my mind would not stop racing.

 

I can definitely relate to being a walking zombie. 

 

later

 

pj 

Pj,

 

Man I could not imagine not sleeping for that long. Atleast your on track noe and Getty some much needed sleep..

 

I still find myself when I lay down to sleep hyper concentrating on getting to sleep and before you know it I am out...

Hi Dude

 

I had considered crossing over to Valium but my Doc (and trust me I have seen many in the last 8months) - is not keen.  At the moment I am directly tapering and while it has been ok till the 14mg mark the last few nights have been dreadful.  I am falling asleep quite quickly but wake after about 3hours and can not go back to sleep.  I then take a mountain of supplements (magnesuim, glycine and theanine awa Tryptaphan, melatonin) I also have Atarax 100mg and GABA tropin as well as Trepiline. These do knock me out but I cannot take them especially the Atarax, GABAtropin and Trepiline too often for tolerance build up.

 

When you crossed over to the Valium did you find it as sedative as the Ambien?  How was your sleep during your taper and when you finally jumped?  Did it get better gradually till the 7hour mark or has it been rather constant since jumping.  So many questions I know but I could never survive those 21nights again.

 

I see you state you crossed over 10mg Zolpidem to 20mg Valium - I was told 20mg Zolpidem = 10mg Valium?

 

Take Care

What I did for my support from my doc was I printed a few pages from the Ashton manual, typed up a latter of commitment to the plan and signed it and gave it all to the doc when i went in to get some help....he was very very supportive of me once he became aware of the Ashton method and understood it, so give your doctors a lesson he might need it..

 

Valium didnt sedate me as much as I thought it would during the day as all does we're taken at bedtime it didn't ever knock me out like the ambien did but I slept very good on the high dose of Valium and during the taper until the end of course then my sleep became broken and once I jumped it stayed broken and built up to a solid 6-7 hours over a few weeks to a month or two....

 

Yeah my doctor wanted to start me on a hire dose to curtail any crossover sxs and I did a rapid taper too about 10 mg of Valium and then did the normal cuts the Ashton method provided...I was just happy the doctor was willing to help so I did what he said and it worked..

 

I wish you the best and if you need any help just ask I am here..

Trust me Dude I tried giving my GP and two psych Docs the Ashton manual but where I live I was told her methods are not supported.  One even told me if I take Valium being a very addictive Benzo I will be going down a "slippery Slope"  The fact that I also took Dormonoct for almost 4years was conveniently overlooked.  

Hi there. You have been through a lot and aim sorry about your brother. Good to know you are sleeping better and that it only took a few weeks or months.

Thank you Tina..

 

Meee, that too bad. Some doctors just have no clue IMO.... Maybe you can try what I did with the letter of commitment, just type a letter stating your position, your will to be free of these drugs, I quoted the ashton method in my letter to the doctor, but since the ashton method isn't supported I would quote it lol keep fighting the good fight and stay strong..