Ambien withdrawal

[Olivia]

I have been on Ambien for several decades. I stopped cold turkey about 4 weeks ago and am now having major insomnia. I also stopped using my BiPap about the same time as I had surgery on my chin and had a big bandage and unable to use my mask. I can only use a full face mask as I can’t breathe out of my nose.. Then I was on two courses of antibiotics due to wound infection then I had to have several areas incised and drained. I only sleep about 3-4 hours a night and then unable to sleep more, thus fatigued but not sleepy. I am committed to not take any more Ambien. I’m also borderline hyperthyroid (TSH .4) as I had Thyroid Ca and the theory is it stops a reoccurrence. My doc did adjust my meds as I was experiencing tachycardia, heart rate around 200 in short runs. any advice on how long this insomnia lasts. I have read a lot of good info on this site about insomnia. I did have insomnia since I was a child but not like this. I can go to sleep once I am sleepy at night for a few hours.. Any ideas to help. Thanks

[Respirator99]

I've been on zolpidem for many years also. Some time ago I asked one of my doctors (who also specialises in addiction management) about getting off it - his advice was not to bother. Although Z is dependency-causing it is otherwise pretty benign. But few people manage to get off it without a major struggle.

[RNeil]

I tapered off Ambien successfully. I had been using 10 mg. Then I went to half the 10 mg pill, then every other night. But I was not on it as long as you.

Cognitive behavior therapy also helped.

[Olivia]

Thanks for the responses. I think I am almost sleeping normal again. I have done CBT in the past, but I became very hypothyroid due to a bad batch of medication. Then I couldn’t stay awake but the therapist thought it was the CBT. I am sleeping 6-8 hours a night and it took over 4 weeks and a lot of intentional habit breaking. Every sleep doctor I saw said the rebound insomnia should only last about two days after stopping Ambien but that was not the case for me. Next I will be improving the cpap compliance and awaiting my new Hybrid mask tomorrow.

[lazarus]

improving the cpap compliance

A worthy goal.

It is my opinion that PAP therapy begins to help solve other sleep issues only when used 100 percent of the time one is asleep. I believe that is because the nervous system and brain must learn to relax and trust the entire sleep process as not being dangerous. Once the body stops having to reserve and release the panic/wake-up juice at night, the runway to sleep smooths out and it is easier to stay airborne all night. But that process took several months for me.

Occasionally sleeping without PAP can cause someone to miss out on all those meaningful, overall , long-term benefits of the therapy, as I see it. The compliance numbers are about insurance. Using PAP for all sleep can be particularly helpful to any with sleep quality issues, such as insomnia, both initiation troubles and maintenance troubles--but that can take almost as much effort and commitment as CBT. It does, however, often pay off in the long run, from what I've seen, heard, and experienced.

I wish you all the best both with your sleep and with your waking hours.

-Jeff