glow2 Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 I am aware that they are only meant for short-term use...however I have been taking two tabs of Zopiclone 7.5 mg, every night for the past 3 months. I have never slept better in my life, the med has alleviated the imsomnia I suffered from for years. What I like best is : the drug is short-acting, so there is no 'hang-over' feeling in the morning, no day-time drowsiness - no side effects at all. At least for me. It's far cry the the older versions of sleeping pills - such as Halcion, which left me feeling in a brain-fog the whole rest of the next day. I told my doctor, I realize I will probably have to stop taking them at some point in time - but right now I don't want to. She said "okay", and keeps renewing my prescription. Has anyone taken sleeping medication for a significant amount of time, then stopped and suffered severe withdrawal symtoms?...I'm afraid this may happen to me. Also - does anyone here take them permanently? Link to post Share on other sites
faux Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 I used to take Ambien, which was prescribed to me incorrectly. Sleeping aids are generally intended to be prescribed for only one to two weeks. I was on Ambien for more than two months that I remember, and my doctor kept upping my dosage as my body built up a tolerance to it. I ended up having my short term memory go to hell for one month after I quit Ambien. Fortunately, everything went back to normal. Sleeping pills, especially prescription pills, can be very powerful, and very dangerous things. It does not sound right to me that you have been relying on sleeping pills to get rest for more than two weeks or so. The point of sleeping pills, from what I understand, is to help a person get back into a natural rhythm; take the pills only when you are going to sleep, and after a week or so your body will get into the routine without the medication. You might want to check into the possible side effects from long-term use of your sleeping medication. You might be thinking that your doctor should know better, and surely would not prescribe you something incorrectly; it happened to me, and it has happened to other people. I did suffer from problems after being on Ambien for the time that I was, and after I quit, my memory got completely messed up for a time. Aside from urging you to double check that everything is going OK with your prescription, I don't have anything else to add. Link to post Share on other sites
glow2 Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Thanks faux...... I did a search, and learned that Ambien seems to be in a different catagory - and is highly addictive, there are even detox and rehab centers for it. The Zopiclone data I found suggests it does not have a high dependence potential, and has been firmly established as an effective and well tolerated hypnotic agent. It also has a low propencity for rebound insomnia - but this in the context of short-term use. I'd love to keep taking Zopiclone forever, but undoubtedly there must be some risks. Link to post Share on other sites
faux Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Just be sure to double check with the doctor who prescribes you the pills. Hopefully everything is going well; if there is any chance that something might happen, you ought to check into it. I'm glad to know that there are safer alternatives to Ambien. While Ambien works wonderfully, I have witnessed first-hand how dangerous it can be. Link to post Share on other sites
Merin Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Halcion... Damn! LOL you used to use Halcion for sleep? I work for a Doctor and we prescribe Halcion for Patients with high treatment fear because it serves the purpose of amnesia.. they don't remember anything. I used to take Nyquil to sleep... Now If I really cannot sleep I take 2 Tylenol PM's and I'm out.. never used any prescription drugs for sleep.. Link to post Share on other sites
Israfil Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Originally posted by faux While Ambien works wonderfully, I have witnessed first-hand how dangerous it can be. Really? You've just shattered my world! I thought Ambien was the greatest gift to mankind since, well, Dormicum! (yay for benzos!) Link to post Share on other sites
glow2 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Originally posted by Merin Halcion... Damn! LOL you used to use Halcion for sleep? I work for a Doctor and we prescribe Halcion for Patients with high treatment fear because it serves the purpose of amnesia.. they don't remember anything. Interesting, and that might explain the 'weirdness' feeling when I took it. Originally posted by Israfil You've just shattered my world! I thought Ambien was the greatest gift to mankind since, well, Dormicum! (yay for benzos!) LOL! spoken like a true addict - j/k Link to post Share on other sites
Glacier Lilly Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 I took Ambien for 5 months straight and have been off it now for two weeks. The first week without it was tough and I only got 2 to 3 hours sleep a night at best. At the end of the second week without Ambien I am getting about 4 hours a night in pieces and with some tiring dreams. I'll say this: it's hard getting off Ambien, but not nearly as hard as it was breaking a 20 year habit of 20 mg valium/day. During the two years it took to break that one I had nearly continuous headaches. Link to post Share on other sites
SixthSt.Girl Posted May 21, 2005 Share Posted May 21, 2005 I've taken a combo of melatonin and elavil (amitriptyline HCL) for almost four years. I had sleeping problems that I think stemmed from getting over mono and moving out on my own for the first time to the city (noise). I got to the point where I didn't get any sleep at all for a few days. My doctor wanted to avoid prescription sleep aids like Ambien if possible, so he tried the elavil paired with melatonin first. This worked great for me - I tried to go off it when my sleep cycle returned to normal, but I could not sleep at all without it. The doctor encouraged me to keep taking it saying that some people just need help getting to sleep. I get the feeling he believes my insomnia results from anxiety or depression rather than the illness and change - I'm unsure about that... I don't like being on these drugs permanently, even with the low dosages, but I don't want to be without sleep while I "kick the habit." I'm not that groggy in the morning, but if I forget and take them late, it is very hard to get up and moving. I've even slept through my alarm. I also am afraid of moving someday, and going to a new doctor who may not agree that being on these medicines long-term is a good idea. Link to post Share on other sites
friend182 Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 My doctor gave me ambien to sleep. I have to admit, I now need something most nights to help me sleep. I never had trouble sleeping until I got married and my husband SNORES!!! I don't like taking them, but now I have a hard time sleeping without them. Link to post Share on other sites
westernxer Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 You're gonna have a hard time sleeping when you stop taking the pills. Try Valerian Root. You can get it from any health food store. It's totally natural, with no side effects. Link to post Share on other sites
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