If you use it to help with withdrawals such as insomnia, that's what it sounds like you asking, you're only substituting another drug in place of the other(s) . Then again, it's probably worked as a 'bridge' for some people to make the withdrawal easier. But as mentioned above, it is addicting and often just prolongs the process more.
m taking the Ambien CR and THANK GOD FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!! I tried regular Ambien and had 2 nights in one week that I only got 2 hours of sleep... which didn't help with the depression or Riba Rage. I still wake up often, but am able to go back to sleep now. I have no problem with feeling bad the next day. I'm on Effexor for the depression.
My feelings about the sx: Right now the most important thing is to kill this dragon... whatever it takes.
I started taking Ambien & Prozac in Oct 2009. I started building a resistance so my doctor prescribed for me Restoril, that didn't work so she started me on Lunesta. After I started building a resistance to the Lunesta my doctor prescribed for me Ambien CR 12.5mg. It's now March 2010 and I need 4 or more Ambien CR to sleep. I can't sleep without it!!! I haven't taken the CR 12.5mg in 24hr and I have the common addiction symptoms.
I started taking Alprazolem for anxiety 15 years ago. Since then I only take .5mg at night to help me relax and fall asleep. I now find the the 1 pill at night is not helping me sleep. So I started taking Ambien CR and stopped taking the Alprazolem. I'm sleeping great, but feel terrible in the morning. I feel nausea and tingling numbnest in my arm and face. Do you think its from the Ambien or from me stopping the alprazolem. Any advice?
Then a visit to my PCP for the Orthostatic Hypotension and he told me to go off those two drugs and gave me a script of 3 days with 1 refill of Ambien CR to see how I would react to that. After the 3 nights I started sleeping 18 to 20 hours of a 24 hr. period plus felt completely out of it. A call back to him and he said he just didn't know why I was doing that and suggested I should talk to my psyche about it which he was supposed to have done.
Exactly as Plymouthgirl has told you. Regular Ambien is not to be prescibed to take more than 10 mg or Ambien CR 12mg per night and should NEVER be used more than 7-10 days as per the Ambien Website. Ambien is highly addictive and even used for a short period of time can mess your sleep up for months.
t said if he is taking Ambien or Ambien CR. The Ambien CR helped me MUCH more than the regular Ambien. Of course I never slept the whole night through but a few hours then I'd wake up about 2 but I was able to go back to sleep usually even if it was several times a night.
Good luck, I've never been much of a good sleeper but if it gets that bad I would seek out a sleep clinic doctor place - he could have sleep apnea or something that is compounding the situation.
Ambien CR costs $200 versus $6 for the regular stuff. We did talk about it, and I wanted it, but at $200 a month it just ain't gonna happen. So I'm sticking with the Ambien for now. I don't really want to take higher dosages of temazepam. And like you say, getting off of ambien isn't that difficult, just a bit time consuming as you ramp down the dosage.
Then, 30 minutes before actually going to bed I give him Ambien CR. The regular Ambien was not working at all. Ambien CR on the other hand seems to calm him down and there has been less action. I also placed a body pillow between us and that seems to curtail some of the aggressiveness. It gives him less space to move around and I feel safer. Yes, he speaks while he is asleep, (more of gurgutal sound than words) but it has come down a bit.
I can tell you from experience, both Ambien and Ambien CR are notorious for causing odd behavior. I had to quit taking Ambien CR after it stated causing anxiety and pacin attack issues. Regular Ambien caused my husband to rise an hour after going to sleep and go down to our garage and work on his bike until 3:30 AM, when I realized he wasn't in bed and found him downstairs asleep.
I'm no doctor, so I definitely can't give you any medical information on Ambien, but I can relay my personal experience with it.
I've been on Ambien (currently 10mg) for SEVERAL years now (5 or more). I have many chronic pain conditions, including fibroymalgia. One of the major symptoms of fibro is insomnia - which I definitely suffer from!
a few years ago. Ambien CR has to be tapered with some regular ambien that you can adjust the dose on. The CR doesn't need to be halved or broken. The doc can help you with that.
I agree with what vicki said too. You have to decide, do it and then find something else to help the pain. It takes a strong resolve no matter how you decide to do it. Having your mom help will be a great way to do the taper. Save the ambien for last.
The highest recommended dosage of regular ambien (not CR) is 10 mg daily at bedtime. That doubling of the dose is a troubling issue since once that runs its course, where do you go from there? I would attempt to begin a tapering down with the cooperation of your doctor otherwise eventually you may have to go to a detox facility. The fact that you aren't taking any other medications (or are you?) should make the tapering a bit easier.
I can relate, years before I was diagnosed with hep C my sleep patterns went crazy. I would always wake up between 2-3 am, I finally read (in a health book) that with some people with liver disease, it seems there is a period when the liver changes function.....from digisestion/ body toxin clearing, During this stage.. you can wake right up. Well now I take 4 mg of clonazepam, right before bed, and that usually works. The stress of being sick is enough to keep my awake.
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