Ambien Withdrawal and Headaches

Hi Black Mamba,

We all know now how addictive these drugs really are. Once we hit tolerance and begin needing more of the drug to get the same effects, it all becomes a game of 'adjusting the meds' or adding additional meds for the purpose of tamping down the side effects and covering the tolerance.

We end up still suffering the original problem - along with 'extra added ingredients'. And with those 'extra added ingredients' comes a ton of side effects (ha, ha,... side effects? there are NO side effects with drugs! you get the "effects" as a "direct" result of taking the drug, so in reality it's *direct effects* that your doc hopes (by some miracle) you don't develop).

Hi all. Black mamba, have you built up tolerence to it? So sorry for your suffering.
Hugs,
Bear

Shawn wrote:

Bear & Sleepness in Atlanta: Thank you. It must be annoying to hear people asking the same question over and over; I'll try to refrain from it. Maybe until I reach my 3rd week mark. Sorry...
I slept 4h this night (15 night of complete withdrwal),and nothing the priot two nights. Interesting I wake up feeling like I am suffocating (congestion). Golden seal, nasal rinses, iodine...nothing works but I read that even the congestion is a symptom of Ambien use. This is a poison, undoubtly

we are all hehe to support asnd be supported, Repeat questions are aa part of it. in the summer of 2010 i asked a million questions. Generally someone has felt the way you feel an it is reassuring to find that out. During the worst of it, I was glued to my black berry waiting fro another post. You become cyber friends with folks and wonder how they are, if they are sleeping, did they get out for a walk, etc. Hope you have a good night. As far as the stuffy - try standing over the steam from a hot kettle - not tooo close. Take a hot shower before bed. Also, use vapor rub on your sinus passages. it feels better. Also just plain saline rinse works best for me and a humidifer/vaporizer. Good luck! mary beth

Sleepless in Atlanta: Thank you for your post. In my 13 and 14 h of complete withdrawal i did not sleep at all; my 15th night I slept 4h and now,in my 16th night I have slept 2 hours. It is incredible exhausting.

I have the jaw pain, feel at the end of my teeth, where the molars are located, my body is numbing when I lay down, sit, etc...the side i am laying down on is numbing. My eyes are hurting...basically i am wasted. I order from the POR the cherry extract (though I have tried on my own with juice and it did not seem to help.

I am drinking apple cider vinegair to help with the sinus congestion. I think that indeed, if I could get some sleep, maybe 3h/night, each night, I would have a better chance of recovery.

There's no way I would ever take a prescription; I was not aware for 3 years that it was precisely the prescription causing the symptoms....but truly am exhausted. My mind is not running, so it just that the sleep pattern is messed up...someone just said it might take up to 3 months to see a small improvement. So after 16 days, I should have lower expectation....but it's hard to go on like this. I will try to force myself to exercise tomorow...even i have no energy and am to week. Maybe i can fall asleep again.

thank you for your support

I just hit the two year mark. Two years off nasty Ambien! Woot! Baby due in 6 weeks... Hope you all are doing well on your journey. I haven't been on in a while....

Shawn have ever tried a netti pot? or I make own saline solution with salt and lukewarm water and lean my head back and use a children's medicine dropper or syringe and put solution through one nostril then let it run out the other side. Clears it out and the saline reduces the inflammation. Can buy saline at the store but not as effective. I had horrible nasal congestion with Ambien withdrawal.

Jaylynn wrote:

Shawn have ever tried a netti pot? or I make own saline solution with salt and lukewarm water and lean my head back and use a children's medicine dropper or syringe and put solution through one nostril then let it run out the other side. Clears it out and the saline reduces the inflammation. Can buy saline at the store but not as effective. I had horrible nasal congestion with Ambien withdrawal.

congratulation jaylynn! bet you are getting real excited about the baby. please be sure & let us know when you have it.
about the saline solution, i have made my own nasal spray for years by boiling 1 c.water (to sterilize) then adding 1/4 teas. each,salt & baking soda (found the "recipe" somewhere). i then put some in a cleaned old nasal spray container & store the rest in a clean jar for later. works very well.

Jaylynn wrote:

I just hit the two year mark. Two years off nasty Ambien! Woot! Baby due in 6 weeks... Hope you all are doing well on your journey. I haven't been on in a while....

Congrats Jaylynn!! 2 years!! How are your symptoms? You have to come tell us when u have the baby!! You are gonna be so busy you won't have time to think about wds. Is this your first? I wish you the best of luck!!

Sleepless in Atl, my MIL has been putting vicks vapo rub inside her nose at night for a long time, it never occurred to me until I saw your post that it could be a side affect of the ambien. It would be great if that clears up as she comes off of it.

Black mamba how are you doing today? I'm hoping you don't have too bad of withdrawals after only going back on it for 3 days. I hope today is better for you.

I have been reading a book about dependence and what happens in our brains, I started to help a friend who is trying to stay off alcohol, but I am sure the same thing applies here. It is all about healing the pathways in our brains that the dependence on whatever substance caused and using amino acids for healing. Apparently some treatment centers are now actually using IV amino acid therapy to help people detox. The book is called Staying Clean and Sober: Complimentary and Natural Strategies for healing the addicted brain. It has really helped me to understand what makes us physically have a craving for something we shouldn't have.
Cindi

Hi all. Shawn How are you? Black mamba how's it going? The friendly people here keep me coming back!
Bear

Bear: I am struggling. Tonight is only my 18th night of withdrwal, I sleep between 1.5-2h/night.
The biggest problem is the facial pain. I have sharp stabbing pain in the left ear and jaw. And the pain moves to the right side only intense jaw pain. In the right side I do not have sharp ear pain. It's just debilitating. I am not sure if other people have experienced such symptoms?
Bear, do you still have symptoms?

I am also drinking tart cherry juice and fruits but have not noticed any improvement yet in the sleep pattern.

Thank you

Hi all Shawn I did have that pain like yours. Mine is long gone. I took tylenol or ibuprofen. I think what healed it was time. This is hard. Keep going. It is worth it.
Bear

Bear: really? it will go away? it depresses me so much...i cannot believe it was drug induced by a prescription

Shawn wrote:

Bear: really? it will go away? it depresses me so much...i cannot believe it was drug induced by a prescription

Truly it will go away. I had all the symptoms you are having and more and most are gone. I still don't sleep the entire night but I never have slept well (not even as a child) so I can't expect that I'd suddenly sleep through the night. Actually, I don't know anyone who sleeps 8 or even 7 hours straight. Not a single soul. If it wasn't a common problem there wouldn't be so many sleep products. Unfortuately, for most of us, what keeps us awake is our brain. We can't shut it off. I find putting something on TV that I can listen to but won't make me want to "look" helps me stop the mental chatter and I fall asleep. When I wake up in the middle of the night I either pray or meditate. I try breathing exercises or holding my eyes wide open until they have to close. Also, I used to have a wonderful sounds of the ocean tape that put me right out. It has since worn out but I'd like to find a CD or sound machine again that has relaxing sounds. Anything to distract the mind is helpful. Don't worry. It really does get better.

My prayers!
Karla

I didn't sleep more than a few hours last night but I have a sick pet at the moment and am worried sick. I take her to the vet today. Hopefully she will get better.

and i just re-read that post and it rambles and is disoriented. hello, that is on the withdrawal symptoms list for ambien. wow, that last post made no sense.

tl;dr -- i am going through ambien withrdawal after over a decade of heavy use. with melatonin and massages and chiropractors and good diet, so far it is not bad withdrawal. i will keep you posted if it gets worse, but i know it will get better. hopefully sooner than later.

if you are reading this, have faith and don't associate yourself with your withdrawal symptoms.

Jaylynn wrote:

I just hit the two year mark. Two years off nasty Ambien! Woot! Baby due in 6 weeks... Hope you all are doing well on your journey. I haven't been on in a while....

Jaylynn,
So nice to hear from you. You are a bit ahead of me so I am encouraged by your success. I was at one year October 1. I am so glad your pregnancy is going well. I know you were concerned when you discovered that you were pregnant. My sister-in-law just has a baby on Feb. 1. She had to have an emergency C section but baby and mother are fine now. I wish you all the best in your new life - health, happiness and forever drug free!
Love,
Karla

Karla: SO you have been free of Ambien for 17 months? Wow...for me tonight is the 18th month. Still it's impossible to cope. Feels I cannot close my mouth because my jaw is always hurting. I cannot relax my mouth...it's a strange sensation. And the sleep (lack of it) it's a big factor. I wake up after two h of sleep and cannot stay in bed anymore....i will force myself tonight to lie down no matter what until i see the day light....you guys have suggested that it takes about three months to see some improvement...thank you

Karla: I meant the 18th night........gosh, Ambien brain is redundant; I have ambien insted of a brain

Karla wrote:

<quoted text>
Truly it will go away. I had all the symptoms you are having and more and most are gone. I still don't sleep the entire night but I never have slept well (not even as a child) so I can't expect that I'd suddenly sleep through the night. Actually, I don't know anyone who sleeps 8 or even 7 hours straight. Not a single soul. If it wasn't a common problem there wouldn't be so many sleep products. Unfortuately, for most of us, what keeps us awake is our brain. We can't shut it off. I find putting something on TV that I can listen to but won't make me want to "look" helps me stop the mental chatter and I fall asleep. When I wake up in the middle of the night I either pray or meditate. I try breathing exercises or holding my eyes wide open until they have to close. Also, I used to have a wonderful sounds of the ocean tape that put me right out. It has since worn out but I'd like to find a CD or sound machine again that has relaxing sounds. Anything to distract the mind is helpful. Don't worry. It really does get better.
My prayers!
Karla
I didn't sleep more than a few hours last night but I have a sick pet at the moment and am worried sick. I take her to the vet today. Hopefully she will get better.

I hope everything us ok with you're pet. I will keep you in my prayers. I have 2 dogs and they mean the world to me too