Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
hello mates,
i have come here for advice on how to get rid off OR is it OK with what im doing ..
i have this insomnia problem from 1 year and the doctor started 1st with me on alpazolam(5mg) for a few months and then now when i complained of sluggish,and drowsiness he had put me on zolpidem(5 mg). its been a year now i am on these and now i se that 5mg is not working so have top take 10 mg .
what im concerned is it OK to go on as till now i have not had any symptoms of pressure,diabetes or kidney.liver dis order(i do a check every 6 months)
how much ever i try to quit i just cant fall asleep naturally.
so what im asking is that are there any side effects of 10 mg ??
what are the damages on my body in the long run????
hope u help
PS also when i sleep i always find my brain is thinking and thinking even when im not stressed!
Last edited by martin_paes; 11-01-2010 at 08:00 AM..
1. I'm guessing you were taking .5, not 5, mg of alprazolam. That is, HALF a milligram, not FIVE milligrams.
2. Alprazolam isn't a sleeping medication. It's an anti-anxiety medication, and works similarly to valium. It can calm you down and relax you when you're stressed or overstimulated, so that sleep comes easier.
3. Zolpidem is specifically a sleep medication.
4. Both are habit-forming, so when you quit taking either, you need to wean yourself off it slowly. You really should speak with whoever prescribed these to you, so that they can check your blood pressure and heartrate while you're weaning off them, and make sure you are healthy until you're med-free.
5. There is no information on the long-term effects of 10mg of zolpidem, because it hasn't been available long enough for long-term effects to exist. However, there is no indication that there would be any long-term effects, other than the need to wean off of it due to its habit-forming nature.
6. There are various side-effects with both medications, and it's important that you be aware of what they are, and note if you experience any of them. If you do, bring that information to your doctor right away.
In summary, always check with the doctor who prescribes these meds. Also, you can consult with your pharmacist; they can provide a broader perspective of the nature of the drugs.
I take .25 alprazolam and around 7.5 mg of zolpidem every night. I've been doing so for a couple of years now. I'm starting to notice that it's taking me longer to get to sleep than when I started taking meds, so that means I'm starting to grow a tolerance to it.
But what I do - instead of taking more...which wouldn't be a good thing..
I take less, on nights where I don't have to worry about waking up early the next morning.
So maybe, weeknights, I'll do the .25 plus the 7.5.
And friday and saturday nights I'll do just 7.5 without the xanax at all.
That way, on Sunday night, I will have "deprived myself" of the xanax, and it'll be more effective when I actually do take it.
Self-medicating can be risky, but if you're used to taking a certain med for a long time and pay *close* attention to your body's responses, you can learn how to make -small- adjustments that keep you sane and healthy.
I do the same with my thyroid meds. I had half my thyroid surgically removed and need to take a maintenence dose daily for the rest of my life. On the days I feel sluggish, I'll add a half dose to my usual daily dose. This is usually just one day out of the month, and not every month. If it was more than that I'd look into prescribed alternatives from the doctor. But I'm not gonna bother him over what amounts to 4 or 5 extra pills per year.
Only a doctor can diagnose you to determine if your "feeling low and sad" needs medication or not. I would definitely -not- recommend trying any supplements without the advice of a licensed medical practitioner. You need a blood test to find out if you are lacking anything. Supplements are supposed to make up for something you lack. If you're not low on a vitamin or mineral, then you shouldn't be taking more of it. I don't know what arginine is, I don't take -any- supplements at all. I only take the .25 xanax, the .75 ambien, and the 500 micrograms of levothyroxine. On rare occasions I'll take an alieve for migraine.
Xanax and ambien can be safely combined as long as the dosage is monitored by your physician.
martin_paes: Sounds like you're dealing with an anxiety issue. These drugs are not the answer. And yes they are harming you. They are damaging your central nervous system. You need to find out what the root cause of your anxiety is and how to deal with it (not easy but you can do it) without these drugs. If you have generalized anxiety disorder as I do, you slowly learn other ways to deal with the problem. Doctors hand out benzos (xanax) and ambien way too much causing folks to become "accidental addicts." Educate yourself and whatever you do, do NOT stop taking these drugs suddenly. Here is an excellent website filled with people who have lots of experience and knowledge re these drugs: Benzodiazepine Withdrawal - Index And another section of the forum where people are just coming in with questions: New Members Please Introduce Yourself You can read all of this without registering. Good luck to you and be strong.
That website is a forum for people to provide their experiences and talk about their experiences. While this is all well and good. it is not a factual database of information. It is an anectodal forum about the side effects, which are well known already by anyone who takes the 4 minutes necessary to read the information that comes with the prescriptions.
You can experience all kinds of side effects with ambien, and with xanax. Ambien is NOT a benzo by the way. Ambien is also not addictive, though it is habit forming and your body can form a tolerance to it over time.
Having an "anxiety disorder" means you are *already damaged* and medicines exist to repair or treat that damage.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
