Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches

[Meowfish]

For quite sometime I have felt that something was not right with me anymore. I have been sick with upper respiratory problems this last year, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, H1N1, you name I think I have had it.I have been taking Ambien for two years, I started because I was starting a job with "normal" hours and I wanted to make sure I got myself on a regular sleep schedule. Before taking ambien I took tylenol PM or benadryl for almost ten years, but had horrible restless leg syndrome, and the hangover the next morning.

So I started Ambien, and like everyone else it seemed to be miracle drug, lots of almost instantaneous sleep, no worrying...just simple sleep. The problem has become now the terrible anxiety of thinking of quitting. But I did three nights ago....

So I am sweaty and hot at night and during the day. I have bad heart palpitations the minute I get into bed. I can eventually fall asleep after being in bed for about two hours, I sleep about 3 hours and then wake up for another two and then kinda doze for the next three. I have had the headache, but thankfully...no night terrors.

Anyone else had upper respiratory problems? My husband and kids could always tell when I took my pill, because I just totally zoned out, and could not focus on them when they talked to me. My family is being very supportive, and I know I will get through this.....

This board gave me the courage to take that first step, thank you. Please keep the stories coming.....we all need to see the success. Also, for everyone that backslides, it is OK, just pick yourself up and try again.

[fins]

What I don't understand is why people take Ambien and then stay up and try and talk to someone. It should be taken when you've gone to bed for the night.

[Meowfish]

fins wrote:

What I don't understand is why people take Ambien and then stay up and try and talk to someone. It should be taken when you've gone to bed for the night.

I didn't stay up on purpose, I waited for the pill to take affect, which sometimes took awhile. Wow, judgmental.

[Rosamystica]

fins wrote:

What I don't understand is why people take Ambien and then stay up and try and talk to someone. It should be taken when you've gone to bed for the night.

This did not happen to me. But from what I heard people take then go to bed, but don't fall asleep, then the drug takes effect and the are no longer in control, that is when they get out of bed and call people. You really need to not be so critical of people.

[Zander]

Hi
this is my first time here. Im Irish and have been on Zopliclone (which is the European equivalent of Ambien) for 3 years (im 27 y/o). I've withdrawn myself successfully twice but always relapsed. I smoked a lot of pot during withdrawal which helped but i definitely dont recommend going down that road. last 3 months i've been a zombie, barely getting through work. So i've decided to go into rehab next monday for 6 weeks. I hope and pray I'll be better after it. Was wonderfully, for a person on it 3 years, how long is the normal withdrawal period? The last time i tried, it was endless and i relapsed. Sometimes i feel i've damaged my brain beyond repair with these pills. Im hoping 6 weeks pill free can do it. The Rehab clinic recommend 3 months but i cant afford that

[Zander]

wondering not wonderfully* shows where my head is at!

[Sleeping drug free]

Meowfish wrote:

For quite sometime I have felt that something was not right with me anymore. I have been sick with upper respiratory problems this last year, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, H1N1, you name I think I have had it.I have been taking Ambien for two years, I started because I was starting a job with "normal" hours and I wanted to make sure I got myself on a regular sleep schedule. Before taking ambien I took tylenol PM or benadryl for almost ten years, but had horrible restless leg syndrome, and the hangover the next morning.
So I started Ambien, and like everyone else it seemed to be miracle drug, lots of almost instantaneous sleep, no worrying...just simple sleep. The problem has become now the terrible anxiety of thinking of quitting. But I did three nights ago....
So I am sweaty and hot at night and during the day. I have bad heart palpitations the minute I get into bed. I can eventually fall asleep after being in bed for about two hours, I sleep about 3 hours and then wake up for another two and then kinda doze for the next three. I have had the headache, but thankfully...no night terrors.
Anyone else had upper respiratory problems? My husband and kids could always tell when I took my pill, because I just totally zoned out, and could not focus on them when they talked to me. My family is being very supportive, and I know I will get through this.....
This board gave me the courage to take that first step, thank you. Please keep the stories coming.....we all need to see the success. Also, for everyone that backslides, it is OK, just pick yourself up and try again.

"I didn't have upper respiratory problems but did have repeated sinus infections that required antibiotics. I've been off ambien for 5 months and haven't had sinus issues.
Other side effects that have disappeared are depression, anxiety (no more Lorazapam!), blurry/double vision, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain, aggression, sinus issues and the biggest one was memory loss. All of these things have pretty much gone away. Sleep is such a tricky thing. What we eat, think, or do prior to going to bed has an affect on our quality of sleep. I sleep a good 7 to 8 hrs. a night without any meds. Is it the same quality of sleep as on Ambien? No. I wake up a few time and the moment my brain starts to question whether I'll be able to fall back to sleep, I say a few prayers that I've memorized. It works every time. I think it would work with a favorite poem. It keeps my brain from swifting into crazy mode.

I can barely stay awake past 10:00 - my natural sleep pattern has returned.

Good luck to you!"

[Waves]

Does anyone else have ringing ears from reducing the mg. of Ambien?

[fins]

Rosamystica wrote:

<quoted text>
This did not happen to me. But from what I heard people take then go to bed, but don't fall asleep, then the drug takes effect and the are no longer in control, that is when they get out of bed and call people. You really need to not be so critical of people.

I'm sorry if I sounded critical. I did not mean to be. I too have been on ambien for almost 4 years. I hate the drug and I have tried many times to quit. I guess I'm trying to understand the drug. I know that I hold off as long as I can before I take it. Usually when everyone in the house is asleep because I know how the drug works. Once again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

[Crystal]

1 month Ambien free on the 5th of November and life is good. The sleep is becoming more and more manageable and although I still have bad nights I can not complain as all other side effects and withdrawals are pretty much a thing of the past. I decided to read my past post and it pains me to remember the hard time I went throgh getting off this darn drug.
I want to encourage anyone who is thinking about quitting. There is a reason you want to quit and I will promise you that reason will go away once the drug is out of your body. The side effects are horendous this drug is meant to be taken 7-10 days for insomnia and I am convinced that if you take it any longer than intended use you will have complications.
The sleepless nights will happen and they will eventually lessen with time. Find support from anyone and everyone who will listen. Be patient and be strong this will be a struggle but in the end you will be so very thankful I promise you this much.
Thank you for your support and God Bless our Veterans
Sincerely
Crsytal

[kev]

started using this while in iraq. never had a problem til now. bad headaches dizzy. just stop in last 24hrs dont know if this is the cause of my headaches but i hope so...

[sleep deprived]

My doctor writes me an RX for 21 Ambien a month. He doesnt want me to take it every night?? So, I get a few hours of sleep 21 days a month. The other days I eat Tylenol PM like candy...which I know is not good either.

I know none of these things are good for me, but I am desperate for at least a few hours sleep.

Anyone have any ideas??

[sleep deprived]

Heather wrote:

you could try melatonin it is a natural sleep supplement...there may be other herbal meds you could try...

Melatonin had no effect what so ever on me. Good luck.

[Ray]

fins wrote:

What I don't understand is why people take Ambien and then stay up and try and talk to someone. It should be taken when you've gone to bed for the night.

I was on this site over a year ago because of my problem with this drug. I started taking multiple pills a day. Not to sleep but to escape from whatever was going on in my life at the time.(Hi Supermom!) I couldn't have stopped my abuse without the great support from this site. I am clean and feel great now. With that said, Fins, you really pissed me off. Did you ever think that people are on this site because they have a problem and are trying to reach out for advise and help? Not everyone takes Ambien When they've "gone to bed for the night". There are people on this site who are taking multiple pills a day and are destroying there lives in the process. This is a serious problem. So before you start judging people, why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror. I can guaranteee YOU won't like what you see!

[fins]

Ray wrote:

<quoted text>
I was on this site over a year ago because of my problem with this drug. I started taking multiple pills a day. Not to sleep but to escape from whatever was going on in my life at the time.(Hi Supermom!) I couldn't have stopped my abuse without the great support from this site. I am clean and feel great now. With that said, Fins, you really pissed me off. Did you ever think that people are on this site because they have a problem and are trying to reach out for advise and help? Not everyone takes Ambien When they've "gone to bed for the night". There are people on this site who are taking multiple pills a day and are destroying there lives in the process. This is a serious problem. So before you start judging people, why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror. I can guaranteee YOU won't like what you see!

Well Ray, as I said before, I am not judging anyone. It is the people that this drug during the day or for recreational use that tick me off. This drug is a serious problem for so many people.
This forum has helped many people including me. So I don't mind looking in the mirror - as I stated before, I have a problem with this drug as many others do. So before you lecture me or pass judgement on me, you take a look in the mirror.

[JBass]

Haven't been on this thread for quite sometime. It's still amazing to me the number of people addicted to Ambien. Well, it's been 5 months since I started my withdrawal from Ambien. I still have some difficult nights. And I still wake up after the first two hours of sleep. But, I'm at least going to sleep soon after my head hits the pillow. And I go back to sleep after my first two hours and sleep until morning most nights. It's been a long withdrawal. Never give up. All of you will be free from this drug evenutally. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!I couldn't have done it without this site though. Thanks to everyone who kept encouraging me. Thanks to those who shared your stories. I finally realized I wasn't alone. Somehow that comforted me. I guess I realized I wasn't going nuts...that I had a real serious problem and that others worked through the withdrawal. It gave me hope.

[skygirl]

I've been on Ambien for about three years. I've always been a horrible sleeper. That combined with being a flight attendant who flies to Europe six times a months and the sleeping problem is making me nuts. Last night I tried to take Unisom instead of Ambien to try to wean off...HA....I broke down and took 5mgs at 4AM....off to Europe tomorrow. How horrible will this be??

[Sarah]

I have taken ambien on and off for about 4 years - 10-30 mg a night and can not believe what it did to me. I feel like my life has been in a haze and I havent been able to connect with it for a very long time. I have read through all the comments here and it is clear that I became addicted as well. The drug started out as a miracle and then became something terrible. My hair is thinning, I have high anxiety, my confidence is long gone, and I no longer care about life. No one around me knows about this and thinks I have gone off the deep end. Seeing what everyone else has been going through makes me realize that it is time for a change. I am on day 8 of withdrawal and the symptoms have been drastically reduces. I still have HIGH anxiety, but the palpitations, night sweats, and weird pains have stopped. The withdrawal has been pure hell, but I know it is going to be worth it. My only hope is that I dont relapse. I dont want to go through this again and I want to get my life back. It looks like I havent faced myself for a very long time. I hope that my confidence, security, and love for life returns. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It makes me realize that I am not crazy and there actually is a reasonable explaination for who I have become.

[Crystal]

Hi Sarah,
Congrats on going 8 days without ambien. You are by no means crazy or alone in your thoughts. This drug will make you go crazy and do things that you never would have imagined.
The withdrawals will be difficult and the roller coaster ride seems endless but you have no choice but to ride it out. The alternative as you know is not acceptable. I am almost 8 weeks ambien free and although it has not been easy and I imagine I still have many sleepless nights ahead the alternative to me is so much worse.
Please fight the good fight do not give in and you will make it though this hell. I would recommend a good support group and lean on people let them know how hard it is to go through the withdrawals. 4 years is a long time to depend on something to get you to sleep it will take sometime to learn to fall alseep on your own again but it will happen I promise.

[Sleeping drug free]

Sarah wrote:

I have taken ambien on and off for about 4 years - 10-30 mg a night and can not believe what it did to me. I feel like my life has been in a haze and I havent been able to connect with it for a very long time. I have read through all the comments here and it is clear that I became addicted as well. The drug started out as a miracle and then became something terrible. My hair is thinning, I have high anxiety, my confidence is long gone, and I no longer care about life. No one around me knows about this and thinks I have gone off the deep end. Seeing what everyone else has been going through makes me realize that it is time for a change. I am on day 8 of withdrawal and the symptoms have been drastically reduces. I still have HIGH anxiety, but the palpitations, night sweats, and weird pains have stopped. The withdrawal has been pure hell, but I know it is going to be worth it. My only hope is that I dont relapse. I dont want to go through this again and I want to get my life back. It looks like I havent faced myself for a very long time. I hope that my confidence, security, and love for life returns. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It makes me realize that I am not crazy and there actually is a reasonable explaination for who I have become.

"That's the sad part of ambien addiction. You don't know what caused the changes but they are real and you don't know what to do about it. It really does get better. I'm 5 months without ambien and every day gets better for me. I'm seeing a dr. on Thurs. for the first time in 3 years. I'm frightened because of just the things you described. Thinning hair being the worst. I'm one of 3 sisters and not one of them has my problem. I was on ambien for 2 yrs.- went off for 6 months and took 5 mg. one night and was hooked for another 3 yrs. I feel like I lost those years. I've decided to look to the future and put the past behind me. Once you've been addicted to any drug; nicotine, cocaine etc. you can't ever take it again. Ambien is no longer an option. The good news is that once you've been off it for a few months your body will get back to its normal sleep patterns. Some night are not that great for me, but there's no anxiety associated with it. I deal with it. The next night I usually fall a sleep in front of the tv. Good luck to you! You've taken the first step to becoming the person you were before Ambien stole your spirit!