Trying to get off Ambien

Sunny,
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing that. Gives me something to shoot for.

Try Trazadone. It is an SSRI that is outdated and my doc said that it kinda failed as an ssri but works great as a sleep aid. Non habit forming, and I stop and start as I need

Just a thought

Not a fan of trazadone. Just made my head feel awful .

I had a horrible allergic reaction to Trazadone. Pdoc said it's rare, but can happen. I actually had trouble breathing...the whole reaction was terrifying. Of course, that's not everyone.

By the way, trazodone is not an SSRI. It is of a different chemical make-up.

I only took one trazadone one time. I thought I was going to die pulse went over 180 couldn't breathe thought I was having a heart attack.

Good Morning PC world!
Its pretty early here but I would call last night at 10 mg a win. Got a solid 5 hours of sleep. Tonight can only be better. No anxiety about lowering dose so no Ativan.

Yep, that's what happened to me on Trazadone. I think the stuff is dangerous.

5 hours of sleep last night....DOG TIRED!!

Bad headache tonight ES Tylenol doesn't touch it. Don't get headaches as a rule,so chalking this up to the Ambien decrease.

I feel you three hours of broken sleep here.

A short nap might help..

Meds last night: remeron 30 mg, calcium 600 mg, magnesium 300 mg, 5 mg prazosin, 10 ambien.

The calcium and magnesium combo seems to be getting me to sleep but now I cannot stay asleep. Expected last night I would just sleep from exhaustion, but no. This morning I just felt really tired and so awful that I don't even want to try a nap because I just don't want that awful feeling. Production wise I did almost nothing today. Might go out to supper and try a glass of wine( big maybe!).

Anxiety a little up today. Taking 2 mg of prazosin which seemed to help.

Meds last night: ambien 10 mg, remember remeron 30 mg calcium 600 mg,
Magnesium 300 mg, Ativan 1 mg

**** night again even with the ativan. Beyond tired and feel like ****. Called psychiatrist and awaiting call back. In the interim went to pharmacy and picked up 5 mg tabs of Diazepam since www.benzoUK.org recommends switching over from zolpidem equivalent of diazepam which is currently 5 mg of diazepam and then titrate down by 10% each 1-2 weeks depending on how things are going.

Psychiatrist is familiar with the Dame Heather Ashton stuff, so will see if he wants to add something extra for sleep which is obviously non benzo/non habituating drug so i can get some real sleep.

Last night's meds: calcium 600 mg, magnesium 300 mg, prazosin 5 mg, ambien 5 mg, diazepam 10 mg

Slept better with addition of diazepam. Plan is to continue on 5 mg of Ambien while titrating down on the diazepam about 10% every one or two weeks. The p doc says the slower the better,but the speed of this is really up to me. Then we will cut out the last of the ambien with another benzo taper.

I do have to say i am not a drinker but had a 1/2 glass of wine at dinner tonight and i feel the best i have all week.

Started to feel like a monster yesterday. I did not like myself. I am a very low key person in general. Hoping i am on a better track. Will check in with the doc next week. Very happy to be home by myself this week as it was getting more difficult to even interact with my husband. Felt very crabby, like on the edge of getting really snappy.

I admire the way that you are sticking to getting off the Ambien, even if it means not following your initial plan and the way that you continue to seek ways to cope.

Sounds like you have a solid plan.

Last nights meds: remeron 30 mg, calcium 600 mg, magnesium 300 mg, diazepam 10 mg, prazosin 5 mg, ambien 5 mg, ES Tylenol 1000 mg.

Sleep was ok last night. Able to get to sleep,woke up a few times but the crappy feeling in the morning was gone. Had a good day. Got a shower and went out with my spouse all afternoon. Not feeling like I will snap at him over nothing. Much more like me.

Laying in bed relaxing with our cat. Pets are such a help. I have been having headaches regularly since i started this. Tylenol is my best friend.Starting on Tuesday hoping to get back to my exercise program.

Last night's meds: same as yesterday's entry.

Slept great last night. The best night of sleep since I started this project. Feel really good today. Thinking I might try and take 2.5 of Ambien tonight but that is by no means definite.

Last night's meds: remeron 30 mg, 600 mg calcium, magnesium 300 mg, 5 mg ambien, 10 mg diazepam, no prazosin tonite. Continued with 1000 mg of ES Tylenol for muscular skeletal pain not related to withdrawal.

Slept well. To bed at 10 and up at 7:45. Had an early doctors appt so stuck with 5 mg of Ambien. Tonight will decrease Ambien. Feeling good today.

2.5 of Ambien tonight @ 10 pm!!! A little anxiety about this one, but i am all in.

Last night's meds: Ambien 2.5 mg, remeron 30 mg, diazepam 20 mg, calcium 600, magnesium 300 mg.

Last night was a difficult night. I finally did sleep because I took more diazepam. That really wasn't in the plan, but I couldn't be awake and listening to the radio. I know it will probably be at least another night or two before I really sleep. I've been on 20 mg and an occasional 30 mg for many many years so I know this might take awhile. I don't even know if I will sleep without any assistance...but I am getting closer to finding out. I will be somewhat disappointed, but there are alternatives besides benzos and z drugs. We got to z drugs because nothing else worked, but it has been awhile now and they might now work for me. I see the good doctor in May.

Last night's meds: ambien 2.5 mg, 10 mg diazepam, 600 mg calcium, 300 mg magnesium, 30 mg mirtazepine.

Took me a long time to get to sleep despite being dog tired. Felt so sick late yesterday. Took a small dose of muscle relaxer (4 mg of Zanaflex). Started really feeling terrible and very weak and sweating. Not sure if this is about the dose reduction in Ambien or what. I didn't dare get off the bed as I thought I would fall. I took the muscle relaxer because the Tylenol did not work. I felt so bad I actually had second thoughts about this whole thing, but I have come too far and I knew I would regret that decision today.

Think I will stay with the 2.5 mg of ambien for at least two more days. Psychiatrist said the last part would be the worst of the whole thing.

Last night's meds: remeron 30 mg, calcium 600 mg, magnesium 300 mg, 5 mg Ambien. diazepam 10 mg.

Felt so terrible last night took the extra ambien to bring up my overall level thinking it was too low too fast. I am not sure the valium is helping because I still feel like such ***** today. I have this really bad headache this morning that Tylenol doesn't seem to be touching, feel nauseated, just hard to do anything. Housework still needs to be done despite it all. My spouse is home this week. Today I am feeling so awful I wish I was by by myself. He's a quiet person but still... at least I can stand myself so far today. Drinking extra today and yesterday thinking I might be dehydrated which could be adding to the headache.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? All feedback greatly appreciated.

youve been ramping down ambien dosage pretty fast lately. which i imagine is taking a toll on you. maybe you should take a breather for a while. like stay at a lowest comfortable dosage that gets you to sleep. once youre well rested, in a couple of days or in a week you start cutting down the dosage again. hope you feel better soon.

Last night's meds: Ambien 2.5 mg, diazepam 7 mg, remeron 30 mg, calcium 600 mg, magnesium 300 mg.

I slept pretty well last night a really solid uninterrupted 6 hours. No headache this morning, but I can feel one starting to brew. Took Tylenol earlier and ibuprofen 800mg just now. I did get out shopping with my sister this morning. My headache feels like it is from tight muscles in my neck. Plan is to continue alternating between 2.5 and 5 mg doses for the next four days and then re- evaluate the situation with the doc next week.

Spouse is a little iffy on this because he says when your sleep goes you go off the tracks. I told him if I find this is not working and I get "crazy head" (my term) I will just go back to it but as my mom would have said "nothing ventured, nothing gained" which I truly believe myself so I an going to keep trying. Right now i am holding together very well. I think things will be easier when my husband returns to work next week..very sensitive to extra sound in the house and he is a generally quiet person.