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Would taking Ambien set you back from Benzo withdrawal?


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Iam 6 months out from Klonopin withdrawal but I still have the burning skin and flushing on my face, back, arm, shoulder. Would taking  1  Ambien set me back? I know Ambien isn't  a benzo but I heard it hits 1 of the benzo receptors but not all in the brain.

 

Does anyone have had experiences about the subject. Will this hinder me to get better if I took 1? I mean takes Ambien once in awhile, not like everyday.

 

Thanks.

 

Scottybenzo

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Don't do it is my opinion. Ambien is one of the Z drugs and even though it is not a Benzo it may as well be one. If u haven't started it yet don't. IF u have read the ASHTON Manuel which is all about getting of the Benzos it has a whole part in there for Z drugs. I myself am on Ambien I got of my Clonazapam and now need to figure out getting off my Ambien. I'm sure I wont be the only one who will tell u this. And most likely a moderator has a bunch of links for u to read on why not and what a Z drug is (Ambien is Zolpidem btw)

 

Hope this helps

Tanya

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Hi there,

 

I have no personal experience of Ambien but I do know it is a z drug and as such has a similar effect on the brain cells as a benzo. It would also have similar long term usage problems, I think you could be substituting one dependence for another if you go there.

 

I'm sorry to hear you are still suffering but personally I think ambien would interfere with your recovery.

 

Hopefully others will chip in who have had a personal experience with ambien.

 

Debbie x

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Thanks Tonya-

 

Even if its a small does for sleep maybe once or twice a week if that.  Iam not withdrawing right now off of Klonos. I have been off about 5 months but still not great. My only man sxs is the skin burning which I had through out my withdraw and up until now. So I am wondering since I am not fully healed, I was wondering if I can take an Ambien for sleep maybe one night a week or something. I mean will that really hinder me from healing and would it set me back..

 

Thanks,

 

Scott

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What else have u tried for sleep? Have u been to the health food store. If u look me up today I posted a bunch of things that have helped me. I take a Valerian-passion flower-hops-skullcap-wood betony  mix my family has made for years. I have had sleep insomnia problems since I was a kid so I am a hard nut to crack when it comes to sleep but I do know alot of non pharmaceutical ways to get it. Let me know if u want some help.

 

Tanya

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Tanya, I will check it out. I just wanted to know if I take the Ambien 1 a week will it really hinder the healing process. I mean would I be at square 1.

 

Thanks

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No one can predict the future and tell you for sure what is going to happen, but I think that what you should do is regard ambien exactly the same as you would any other benzo.  After everything you've gone through to get off klonopin, would you be willing to take klonopin once a week to help you sleep?  It's almost definitely just going to prolong your misery by delaying your healing.

 

Best wishes.

 

:)

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Hey Scott,

 

In my EXTENSIVE experience, STAY AWAY FROM AMBIEN!!!  That stuff, to me, was much more dangerous and MUCH, MUCH harder to get off of than benzos. I got off benzos (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin) all pretty easily compared to Ambien. Opiates were much easier than Ambien too.  The sleep you get with Ambien is just doped-up not very good sleep anyway, so why bother?  The problematic part about Ambien is that it's SO addictive, it won't be long before you cannot sleep at all without it. Then you'll need more and more of it. It's a creepy drug and has significant withdrawal symptoms, which were, for me, at least 10X worse than benzos. In the end, when I c't'd off Ambien, I was in detox and went a total of 7 days and 6 nights without one single minute's sleep. Not one minute... not even one second. Then I got 45 minutes horrible, nightmarish sleep on the 7th night. I took months to get back up to 5+ hours sleep and then it took years to get back to 8 hours sleep.

 

So that's my 2 cents. I wouldn't toy with this drug, even on an occasional basis. It messes up the brain badly. I can see that more clearly than ever now that I am 95% healed, at 2-1/2 years clean.

 

Good luck and yeah, try melatonin or a little Benadryl to make you sleepy. Pretty much anything besides Ambien or other benzos.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Albie

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Ambien is one of the z-drugs and acts very much like a benzo.  It is very addictive and can cause all kinds of w/d symptoms.  It is the reason I am here on benzobuddies and I NEVER abused it.  I took it (5-10 mg) nightly for about one month and then hit tolerance - hard!  Vertigo, dizziness, panic, depression, stomach issues etc.  It took me some months (and lots of doctors' bills) to finally figure out that I did not have a virus, inner ear issues, MS or a brain tumor (or for that matter general anxiety). . . the only thing that had changed in my life was this drug.  I know some people can tolerate it, but given that you are on this forum for benzo issues I would suspect this drug could be problematic for you.  I would stay away from it completely!!!  Your body will right itself in time.  Be patient.  I know it is scary, but adding more benzo-like drugs to the mix could be really dangerous and put you in a more precarious spot than you are in now.  I just passed my one year anniversary of being off the Ambien and while it has been a long, tough, scary year, I am doing sooooo much better!  It will improve, it really will.  Read the Ashton Manual (you probably already have) and buy the benzo-wise book written by Bliss Fredrickson.  Use this forum for support, take care of yourself and accept that it will take time, but your body/brain WILL heal.

 

Good luck!

 

TG

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I took Ambien, along with Klonapin, for 12 years...all prescribed by my former shrink. I cold t'd off the Klonapin, but tapered myself off Ambien. I have no idea what symptoms are from benzo wd or Z drug wd. Z drugs behave like benzos....They have a withdrawal....I know you said you'd only take them once a week or so, but believe me, they can be quite seductive and yes, they are addictive. Why take the risk??
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I personally would avoid Ambien like the plague. My wd from Ambien was almost worse than that of Ativan and I only wish someone had warned me of the danger. It's not something that can easily be taken once or twice a week.  It's highly addictive and the effects were horrific.  I had the worse nightmares of my life and it quickly destroyed my sleep to where I was lucky to get 1-2 hours a night!!!  I want to urge you to read intensively about Ambien and wd/ side-effects before you ever begin this nasty course of action.

 

 

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