map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Marz, in my expereince. I went from the regular Ambien to the Ambien CR. The regular Ambien quit working for me after a year of taking. Little did I know that it really never worked well, because I still experienced so many wake-up during the night.
Ambien CR, been on it for the last year and it has truly made a difference in sleeping without any wake-ups and sleeping more deeply.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6479 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Marz: I started at a third of a 10 mg tablet and now take on average three-quarters of one over the whole night.
what do you mean by this? do you cut it in quarters and take it several times a night?
I am confused. the purpose of sleep medicine is to sleep through the night, not wake up several times a night and take a quarter of a pill.
is it scored to be cut in quarters? my pharmacist said to never cut any medicines unless they are scored for it, otherwise you can't be sure you are getting the right amount.
I take one 10mg ambien every night and sleep like a baby. I work rotating shiftwork, so it has been a lifesaver for me. I am also on narcotics for pain, so I am not really worried about it. being in pain and insomnia is far worse than any effects from the meds. they help me to be able to function.
I feel sorry for my husband when he can't sleep and then has to get up and go to work the next day, or drinks too much coffee and can't fall alseep.
i personally would not try to go off anything like that on my own. i would get professional help, I would be too afraid of seizures or withdrawals.
do you feel you need the medicine? what are your reasons for going off?
quote:Originally posted by Marz: I am now NEVER sleepy, have black holes in my short term memory and have a lot of anxiety.
these sound like lyme disease symptoms to me. I have been on ambien since april, was on xanax before that. I don't have any of those symptoms, but I did have them bofore antibiotics.
Posts: 615 | From maryland | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Roro, I agree that those sound like Lyme symptoms ... I had those symptoms prior to starting Ambien.
I also break my Ambien (it's okay as long as it's not Ambien CR).
I tried Ambien CR, but STILL woke up in the middle of the night. If I break a 10 mg in half, I take the larger half when I go to bed, then the smaller half when I wake up four hours later. This way I get 8 hours sleep with only one interruption.
My PA said she could prescribe the 5 mg to be taken twice ... but I fall asleep easier in the middle of the night and need more when I first go to bed.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I have taken Ambien in stretches of up to a year and never had any trouble going off. None.
That said, I would also suggest melatonin and see if that helps. Actually, I'm taking both right now and Trazodone to boot.
Lyme has destroyed my ability to sleep unaided.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96227 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
I wouldn't suggest doing it without any supervision.
I cold-turkeyed a 15 or 16 year benzodiazepine on my own (Klonopin), and I'm surprised I lived to tell about it.
I honestly think the medication was just correcting a couple of neurohormones that sedated me to the fact that I had systemic infection and electromagnetic sensitivities/microwave sickness.
Chances are if you needed that medication to sleep, your house has high electromagnetic field levels, too.
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Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who can't sleep without the help of ambien.
Roro, the pill is easy to break roughly into thirds because it's long and straight, not round.
And like sixgoofykids said, I take the biggest piece at bedtime and the smalles third when I wake up. I do this only once in the night and go back to sleep quickly too.
I've tried taking a whole 10 mg, but still wake up, so this way I can take the lowest dose possible.
Roro, I'm wondering if the narcotics in combination with the ambien helps you sleep through the night. Also, am wondering how long you've been on it.
I've read by googling that eventually people have had to up their dose and this is what I'm afraid is happening. That's why I want to get off it.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Ambien...wow..I had black outs and was told I ate meals and other things during those times. It worked for awhile, but it did eventually cause a lot of anxiety with me as well. I tapered off slowly and the anxiety went away. I now take one or two benedryl if I have trouble sleeping. Maybe try a couple benedryl while your weening yourself off of the ambien. Ambien can mess with the chemical levels in your brain and it takes a little while to stabilize after you stop taking it. Good luck with everything!
Posts: 20 | From Philadelphia PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
quote:Originally posted by MaryOH:
Ambien...wow..I had black outs and was told I ate meals and other things during those times.
That's the reason my LLMD wouldn't even consider putting me on it. He had heard of people actually waking up in different places outside their home without any knowledge of how they got there.
My dad's been on the Ambien-CR for quite a number of years. One night he took vinegar peppers out of the frig & apparently ate some, left the jar open on the counter & went back to bed. When he woke up he thought someone must have been in his house.
It's not very likely someone would have come in just to steal a vinegar pepper & leave a mess.
LLMD had me try Rozerem. It didn't really do anything. I read that it worked on the melatonin receptors, so I took a little melatonin. He told me not to take more than (?I forget how much, sorry, but I recall thinking it wasn't very high).
I think I slept the first night I tried that, then no sleep again after that. I think it was coincidence since I had't really slept for two nights before.
I remembered that calcium & magnesium used to help me sleep. I took two before bed & it worked like a charm.
I think taking too much calcium at once can cause kidney stones, so be careful with dosage. I wouldn't take more than the recommended for a lengthy period of time. I think they recommend 1 3x/day w/meals?
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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