Ambien withdrawal?

[MidnightKat]

First let me start out by saying I am prescribed Ambien 10mg for insomnia. I have been on this med, as well as others, for quite some time and never had any problems. Many a time I have ran out of my meds and again no problems.

Around 4 months ago I got ahold of some oxymorphone and had a horrible withdrawal incident and I am left wondering what caused such a reaction. At the time I was snorting about 1 pill a day for about 2 weeks solid - Opana ER 20mg. Eventually I ran out and started having the expected opiate withdrawal symptoms. The first day of withdrawal was met with cold sweats and body aches, much like that of the flu. Not wanting to go through the ordeal I thought I would try and sleep it off by taking Ambien. I kept popping them and eventually ran out, I went trough an entire 30 day Rx in about 3 days. Now, what followed was the worst and most physically taxing thing I have ever experienced in my life and it would be impossible to express in words how bad it truly was. The following 4 days were one long panic attack, I could not breath, uncontrollable convulsions, no sleep, and pure hell. I ended up in the hospital twice. Each time they told me there wasn't much they could do.

The question is, are those normal withdrawal symptoms from oxymorphone considering the limited time I was on it, I mean one pill a day?? Or was this ambient withdrawal?

 

[mgrady3]

you can suffer withdrawals from ambien, but I am not familiar with them enough to say whether yours are specific to the ambien or partially from the oxy.

Ambien, zolpidem, is not meant generally for long term use. Lunesta, eszopiclone, is the only nonbenzodiazipene (Z-Drug) that is Rx'd for long term use.

So taking 30 days worth of ambien in 3 days in definitely not recommended and can cause withdrawal symptoms, namely rebound insomnia

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Yeah if you've been on Ambien for awhile, and then take 30 pills in 3 days could cause some withdrawals. It probably made the oxymorphone withdrawals worse.