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Guilherme_FH
28-08-14, 16:40
Hi folks.

First of all, i apologize if this is not the appropriate section of the forum for this kind of post.... i just didn't found anything specific for this subject (quitting sleeping pills).

I'm here because i'm desperate. My life's been a horror rollercoaster since november 2013, when i started taking Stillnox CR 12,5mg (commercial name of Ambien CR here in Brazil).

I did this because i THOUGHT i had trouble sleeping, since i'd not always awake feeling "refreshed". So i ended up in this terrible vicious cicle of sleeping tabs, even though right now i see i had no real reason to do it.

Time went by and the Ambien stopped being effective. I came to the point of taking 3 tabs per night (2 to drift off and 1 when i woke in the middle of the night - which would ALWAYS happen, no matter what). I must state that until this point (around 2 months after beggining treatment) i was not consulting any pdoc....i was getting prescriptions from my step father, who is a general doctor. Anyway, at this point, i started consulting with a pdoc. She put me on 30mg of Mirtazapine (sold under the name of Razapina here in Brazil).

So i started taking it...along with my Ambien (because i was already dependent on it).

However, i was determined to stop all the meds, because i was always feeling "gloomy" and tired all day long. So i got off the Mirt, which was preety much ok. I did not feel any withdrawal syntoms. But when i decided to quit Zolpidem, my problems started.

I decided to quit Stillnox cold turkey...bad idea. The first week i had 3 hours of sleep a night max. Then, the next 2 weeks nights were all the same: i would sleep for 3 hours and spent the rest of the night constantely waking (sometimes i would wake TEN times). That was the point were i decided to get some relief from Zopiclone. So i took it for 3 weeks untill yesterday, when i ran off the meds and got no prescription for more, which forced me to quit cold turkey again. I must state that the med worked for only about 10 days, then i suddenly stopped seeing results.

My pdoc put me back on 15mg of Mirt now, so i can at least doze off for a few hours. It's not helping a lot though, since last night i spent waking every two hours or so. I am also taking natural meds, like Valerian (500mg), camomile tea (2 bags) and tryptophan (1000mg).

So, i pretend to narrate my painful journey here (i hope it doesn't botter anyone). I would also sincerely appreciate any advice on how to deal with zopiclone withdrawal.

Sorry for the long thread, but i had to tell somebody my whole story.

b0yer
28-08-14, 17:12
Have you tried melatonin? I take that every night and it helps me. It is a natural supplement. I take mirt as well at 15mgs and then 3mgs of melatonin. Helps me sleep through the night.

Guilherme_FH
28-08-14, 17:18
Hi b0yer.

Yes, i did take 6mg melatonin to handle Ambien withdrawal...but unfortunately it didn't help me. :weep:

b0yer
28-08-14, 19:08
How many days have you been cold turkey?

Magic
29-08-14, 16:19
I have taken sleeping tablets for a long time. My GP keeps on giving them to me so I keep on taking them. Before I started taking sleeping tablets I tried every herbal remedies going. I even went to a private herbalist. Nothing worked.
Anyway through lack of sleep and private things going on I had a breakdown.
That happened years ago, but as I say I keep taking sleeping tablets. They don't always work, but I take them anyway. I am hoping one day to say to my GP. I am
OK for sleeping now.:shrug:

Guilherme_FH
29-08-14, 19:03
How many days have you been cold turkey?

Yesterday was my 2nd night after quitting Zop cold turkey. It was better than i expected and i even got some hours of uninterrupted sleep :D fingers crossed for tonight...hope to wake rested tomorrow!



I have taken sleeping tablets for a long time. My GP keeps on giving them to me so I keep on taking them. Before I started taking sleeping tablets I tried every herbal remedies going. I even went to a private herbalist. Nothing worked.
Anyway through lack of sleep and private things going on I had a breakdown.
That happened years ago, but as I say I keep taking sleeping tablets. They don't always work, but I take them anyway. I am hoping one day to say to my GP. I am
OK for sleeping now.:shrug:

I'm really sorry to know that you're still struggling with sleeping pills, but you got to keep strong and fight that! I was completely hopeless a few months ago. Now i'm starting to be faithful in my recovery again! Hope you get better !

SADnomore
31-08-14, 18:03
Hi, Guilherme!

How are you doing now?

:)