Donut
01-06-2001, 06:36 PM
Help.I am major addicted to ambien. I have taken for last four or five years, but for last several days have taken as much as 20 10mg tablets a day. I have depression and am on prozac. This is major stressful time because my husband lost his job and I am starting new job in two weeks. Remarkably, I continue to function and noone seems to know. How can I get off this med??? How long until I can sleep without it? I also had knee replacement and have fibromylagia so i really use ambien to knock me out so I do not feel any pain.
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korken
01-06-2001, 07:37 PM
Welcome and may I say WOW. I would contact your doctor and disscusse this with them. I would not take any more then perscribed. Since it does not work any way. I would let your husband know now. Why don't you also post on this boards fybromyalgia. Since you have FMS. If the pain meds aren't manageing your pain call your doctor. Take care and good luck, Kim
joy
01-07-2001, 06:23 PM
Please tell your doctor. You may be given something else to help you sleep [non addictive], i.e. Trazadone. Check with the doctor who prescribed your Prozac. You can straighten this out.
sspeedy
01-08-2001, 04:21 PM
I think you should talk to your doctor first, and I do agree with Joy about Trazadone. That is what I take and it is not adictive. It works wounders for me, maybe it could help you too. I had a friend that is taking Ambien he too is hooked on it and takes alot to help him sleep. You should not take any more it is not good for you to take as much as you do. I don't want you to hurt yourself. Hope you find the right thing to help you sleep.
Nighthawk
01-12-2001, 12:50 AM
Donut,
First of all how do you get so many pills of Ambien? I was taking Ambien for a couple of months towards the end of last year cause I have a hell of a time trying to sleep. My doctor would prescribe a months supply (30 pills). You said you take 20 a day!!!!??? How do you get so many? Does your doctor really prescribe that many?
My dosage was for 1 tablet before bedtime, as I'm sure is the dosage for most people. Some nights instead of just taking 1 tablet I would take 1 1/2. Although I never did get hooked on these pills I can see how it would be easy to do so. I've been hooked on other prescription pills before. The reason I stopped the Ambien is cause when I would take 1 1/2 tablets at once, I would have total memory loss. My girlfriend would tell me the next morning that I scared her to death cause I was saying really strange **** and just generally acting drugged up. I don't remember any of it, and that happened on several occasions. She said on more than one occasion she was going to call 911 cause she was scared of me. I did't get violent or anything like that, just really weird. Are you experiencing any memory loss?
You really do need to tell your doctor about this, cause it's quite dangerous taking that many pills a day. And you might also want to consider taking Kava Kava or Valerian Root instead. They are herbal pills that promote a calming effect, I'm currently taking them and they do work. They don't have the same knock-out effect as prescription sleeping pills, but they are safer. Good luck to you.
Nighthawk
First of all how do you get so many pills of Ambien? I was taking Ambien for a couple of months towards the end of last year cause I have a hell of a time trying to sleep. My doctor would prescribe a months supply (30 pills). You said you take 20 a day!!!!??? How do you get so many? Does your doctor really prescribe that many?
My dosage was for 1 tablet before bedtime, as I'm sure is the dosage for most people. Some nights instead of just taking 1 tablet I would take 1 1/2. Although I never did get hooked on these pills I can see how it would be easy to do so. I've been hooked on other prescription pills before. The reason I stopped the Ambien is cause when I would take 1 1/2 tablets at once, I would have total memory loss. My girlfriend would tell me the next morning that I scared her to death cause I was saying really strange **** and just generally acting drugged up. I don't remember any of it, and that happened on several occasions. She said on more than one occasion she was going to call 911 cause she was scared of me. I did't get violent or anything like that, just really weird. Are you experiencing any memory loss?
You really do need to tell your doctor about this, cause it's quite dangerous taking that many pills a day. And you might also want to consider taking Kava Kava or Valerian Root instead. They are herbal pills that promote a calming effect, I'm currently taking them and they do work. They don't have the same knock-out effect as prescription sleeping pills, but they are safer. Good luck to you.
Nighthawk
Binkie
01-14-2001, 03:44 PM
I was sold Ambien and I can tell it's addictive . How? After I take 1/2 of one and sleep like a log my next night's sleep isn't as sound. I would taper off; don't just suddenly stop it. It must be Horrible to go through your daylight hours so tired! I take 1/2mg of sublingual Melatonin each night; works great for me. If I need sounder sleep I take it PLUS an OTC sleep aid. Binkie