How to Taper Off Ambien

What is Ambien?

Sleep is a crucial piece to any human being’s ability to function. It is also one of the first essential healthy habits to fall by the wayside when you are active in your addiction. Whether you are using stimulants that prevent your ability to have a proper night’s rest or if you are using opioids that depress the system that will give you broken sleep or a false sense of rest as you go in and out of consciousness due to the influences of drugs. There are some patients who experience difficulties in regular, healthy sleep patterns without taking drugs regularly. Insomnia affects nearly 40 million Americans each day. The intense side effects of insomnia can affect anyone’s ability to maintain and function through a normal daily routine. Patients that are experiencing severe insomnia and are looking for relief in their sleep patterns will turn to prescription drugs to aid in their ability to sleep. A common prescription drug that patients will turn to is Ambien (zolpidem tartrate). Ambien is a non-benzodiazepine prescription drug that reflects similar effects to benzos. When you take Ambien it works to block the brain’s receptors for impulses and induce feelings of sleepiness. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or sleep disorders, seek help from a drug rehab center costa mesa for comprehensive support and treatment.

Patients who are abusing Ambien and taking more than prescribed doses have had serious side effects especially affecting their sleep abilities and patterns. It is common for patients to experience periods of “wakefulness” while asleep after taking some Ambien. This often looks like patients sleep-driving, sleepwalking, sleep eating, engaging in self-harm, sleep cooking, or taking other medications. All of these can potentially have dangerous side effects if not addressed and have your Ambien use cease. 

Why Ambien Can Be Addictive

When patients turn to their doctors for solutions to health conditions, you trust their medical advice and the last thing you would expect is the medication you are prescribed to lead you down a road of addiction. While your doctor’s intentions are never ill-willed and their purpose is to help you, the powerful components of prescription sleeping medication can take anyone off guard and by surprise quickly. 

Ambien, when misused, can lead to a concerning pattern of dependency and addiction. As individuals continue to increase their dosage due to developing tolerance, they inadvertently heighten the risk of becoming reliant on the drug. The primary purpose of Ambien is to combat insomnia; however, as tolerance builds, its effectiveness may diminish, leaving users in a counterproductive cycle. Instead of receiving the desired relief from insomnia, they may find themselves battling its recurrence, while simultaneously grappling with a growing need for the medication. This dangerous loop can swiftly transition into a full-blown Ambien addiction.

Recognizing these signs and seeking professional help early is crucial. Facilities like the Costa Mesa prescription drug rehab are equipped to handle such specific cases of prescription drug misuse. They offer tailored programs and interventions to help individuals break free from the grip of dependency, address underlying sleep disorders, and find healthier alternatives for managing insomnia.

While Ambien is prescribed for patients to take directly before going to bed, some patients used these prescription drugs hours before they were meant to go to bed. By taking this drug earlier than recommended by your physician, it can create feelings of euphoria and, often, makes patients lose their inhibitions and prior worries as they feel an escape from reality. 

Although Ambien is perceived to be a safer choice in drug than benzodiazepines due to patients being less likely to overdose on Ambien, there are still major risks involved in excessive or incorrect usage of this prescription drug. When taking lexapro and caffeine in larger quantities, patients run the risk of having their breathing rate lowered and heart rate significantly slowed. This creates a dangerous potential of overdose and accidental death

It is not uncommon for users to pair Ambien with alcohol. This combination can create a lethal mix for users as both are central nervous system depressants. When used in conjunction, it increases the user’s risk of respiratory failure and increases the chance of damage being done to your heart, lungs, and brain. 

Get Help to Taper Off Ambien

Patients using Ambien will have already experienced the difficult side effects of stopping their Ambien use if you have ever tried to quit on your own. While the end goal is to have patients remove their dependency on Ambien, Resurgence wants to offer patients the safest route to do so that will hold their physical and emotional health at the highest standard. Abruptly ending your use of Ambien can put you at risk of experiencing highly unpleasant or dangerous withdrawal symptoms. For this reason, patients are often asked to participate in a detox program that focuses on slowly tapering off of the addictive components of Ambien.

When you enter into a drug rehab program, you will first be asked to participate in a drug detox program. This is when our onsite physician will examine and assess your history with Ambien and the level of physical dependency that you have developed. This will help to best inform the doctor on a sufficient and safe plan to taper you off of Ambien.  Most likely, the doctor will suggest that you begin to wean yourself off of Ambien by staggering your usual dose and gradually lowering it throughout your drug rehab program By steadily decreasing the amount you are taking, you will allow your body to slowly readjust to functioning without the use of Ambien while maintaining your overall health and safety. 

Do I Need Drug Rehab For Ambien Abuse?

It is common for patients looking to remove Ambien use from their life to ask if they actually need to enter into a drug rehab program. Resurgence encourages all patients to give themselves the gift of safety and security of entering into a facility that has trained experts in supporting individuals safely removing the devastating effects of prescription drugs from their bodies without running the risk of putting your body and health in jeopardy. 

Ambien is a highly addictive prescription drug that creates a deep physical dependency when used for an extended period of time. As your addiction progresses, the more your body becomes physically reliant on Ambien to function throughout your day normally. When you try to end your use of Ambien after developing a physical addiction, your body can be sent into withdrawal, and, often, unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening symptoms can ensue. 

Common withdrawal symptoms are:

Depending on your unique history of Ambien use, your withdrawal symptoms will vary which is why it is important for you to be under the careful monitoring of medical professionals within your drug rehab program to uphold your safety and comfortability. 

Drug Rehab for Ambien Abuse

In order for patients to fully heal from their cycle of addiction with Ambien, you will need to gain an understanding of what has led you to begin using Ambien in the first place. While your sleeping may have been a big concern for you but, more often than not, when a patient is abusing prescription drugs or any substance it often is because there are deep-rooted emotions and thoughts that have impacted your ability to be in the moment and be happy with who you are. Often this inner turmoil within patients’ brains is what has been a driving force for the need to escape with the allure of euphoria produced with Ambien. 

A drug rehab program will provide patients with an opportunity to understand the emotional processes and responses that they have when potentially triggering situations or feelings arise. You will learn natural, holistic measures of treating the uncomfortable and unpleasant feelings that will keep you focused on your goal and need for sobriety. Once you complete your drug rehab program, you will be equipped to handle life stressors that come your way without immediately looking for a means to escape. You will regain your purpose and sense of self with the support of an evidence-based treatment model. 

Choose Resurgence Behavioral Health for Drug Rehab

Resurgence Behavioral Health provides patients with a newfound sense of hope when it comes to eliminating their Ambien addiction. We believe that drug rehab should be a time for patients to rediscover their yearning for life again and explore what fuels their passion for life. Through our individualized, comprehensive approaches to treatment, you will be able to do all that and more. Healing from addiction requires a life change and doing a complete 180. With the support of our medical team, you will learn new methods to combat difficulties sleeping through natural, healthy alternatives that will give you the freedom to walk away from the devastating effects of powerful, prescription drugs such as Ambien. Through life skills programming and learning the skills for relapse prevention, you will be ready to take on the world regardless of what ups and downs that life has in store for you. Our caring team will support you in finding your way and purpose for life again while removing the stigma of addiction from your own self-perception. We empower our patients to recognize the courage and strength they have within and help them apply that to building their new sober lifestyle. Call one of our compassionate staff today to arrange when you can take the first steps towards your new life. 

Find out how you can taper off Ambien, and get help at resurgence Behavioral Health. #ambien #resurgencehttps://t.co/XFZuHUrN5M

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) December 3, 2021

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

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