[leomama]

I'm wondering if anyone else here has been prescribed ambien for insomnia and then found it's lost it's effectiveness? I know it's only supposed to work for 7-10 days.

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Yes, although I was prescribed it for nightly use....I would say after about eight months I switch it with trazodone.....
It's sad when it no longer works because there's a rebound effect. You really CANNOT sleep until it gets out of your system, or you switch to something else.

[leomama]

Yes I use trazadone now too

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[unaluna]

Gee ive been taking it for over ten years. Who are you calling a zombie??! Sometimes i lay off a week, or cut them in half for a couple of weeks. I cant sleep without them. I never could fall asleep without them. Yes my work life has been heck.

[Webgoji]

Originally Posted by hankster

Gee ive been taking it for over ten years. Who are you calling a zombie??!

Lol, the local radio station sometimes has a doctor come on and a guy called in once:

"So, I took an Ambien on Thursday and I woke up Saturday afternoon with scratches and scrapes all over me. What the heck happened!?"

I've never taken Ambien, but I love the stories!

[Denman]

I have been on Ambien for 2 years .... and yes, now I find that it is losing its effectiveness, and I end up waking up at 3-4AM most mornings.

[misskrome]

I'm on it, but have been on it for over a year. Let's just put it this way: I took my dose last night at midnight. I'm still awake. It's 9am. Not even slightly tired. Once, I was prescribed Trazodone but found out the hard way that I was highly allergic to it. I'm also allergic to Diphenhydramine, so no OTC for me, either. Doxycycline works well (Nyquil) but I don't like to make a habit of taking it unless I'm actually sick.

Although Ambien is not a benzodiazepine, it is possible to develop tolerance (granted, it's less likely than with benzos). Usually tolerance develops within a few weeks.

I've never taken Ambien. However, it's not that Ambien is only supposed to work for 7-10 days, or that benzos shouldn't be prescribed for more than 2 weeks. Doctors generally use those guidelines to prevent tolerance, dependence, and future withdrawal effects. Some people are prescribed both types of drugs for years.