Being addicted to Ambien can change your life. You may experience intense and altering withdrawal symptoms, which you should deal with as soon as you can if you don’t want to suffer from long-term effects.
Ambien Addiction
Numerous people suffer from insomnia, a type of sleeping disorder that makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Patients often turn to healthcare providers for help because this illness’s symptoms can be life-disrupting. Some of these include:
- Concentration problems
- Memory issues
- Weight gain
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Low sex drive
- Increased stress levels
- Extreme sleepiness
Ambien is a nonbarbituric sedative, which healthcare providers often prescribe if you have insomnia. However, on some occasions, people may not be able to stop consuming this drug, leading to what medical professionals call ‘Ambien addiction.’
Drug abuse is certainly a common problem, and when it comes to Ambien, withdrawal symptoms can be so intense that the person starts taking it again just to avoid them.
Side Effects of Ambien
Even though doctors prescribe Ambien to treat insomnia, taking this medicine can also lead to experiencing unpleasant side effects. Many patients report losing their appetite, feeling moody, sleepwalking, having behavioral changes, and even having memory issues.
Furthermore, some people combine Ambien with other substances, such as alcohol. If your doctor prescribed this drug and you’ve abused it, you may experience moodiness, a change in how you feel, and more. You should get under medical supervision immediately, and start attending a treatment center.
Ambien Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal from Ambien will cause you to experience numerous symptoms that could make the treatment much more challenging.
If you have been abusing and taking more Ambien than prescribed, getting off it could be tricky. Moreover, doctors never recommend that you try to quit it all at once because there’s a risk of having seizures.
Overall, the best idea is to attend a treatment center and get professionals to help you with your detox process. You may be experiencing Ambien withdrawal symptoms if you have the following:
- Vomiting or nausea
- Panic attacks
- Moodiness or mood swings
- Flushing
- Tremors
- Sweat
- Anxiety or irritability
- Rapid breathing and heartbeat
- Rebound insomnia
- Delirium
- Mood swings
- Uncontrolled crying
- Fatigue
- Abdominal discomfort or cramps
What Are Severe Withdrawal Symptoms?
Ambien addiction is a very difficult experience to go through. Although many people will experience symptoms, the most severe ones can seriously hinder your life.
Rebound insomnia and panic attacks are the most frequent serious symptoms patients may experience. The former is when your insomnia is significantly worse than when you first started taking sleep aids. In some cases, doctors recommend taking melatonin since it helps increase drowsiness, reduce sleeplessness, and improve the sleep cycle as a whole.
Other intense withdrawal symptoms will typically appear around 48 hours after the last dose, and they can last up to two weeks.
Stages of the Withdrawal Timeline
To understand whether or not you have a substance abuse problem and need addiction treatment, you should be aware of the phases that patients typically go through. Here’s the Ambien withdrawal timeline:
First 48 Hours
Headaches are the most common Ambien withdrawal symptoms during this stage. If you’ve abused the pills, you’ll likely feel as though your brain is in a fog. You may also think you can’t concentrate or have trouble remembering things.
48 Hours After the Last Dose
Intensewithdrawal symptoms will be more obvious at this point. You may have a relapse in your insomnia, which may cause significant difficulties when you try to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Furthermore, psychological symptoms are also common during this stage. You may have delirium, abdominal discomfort, excessive sweating, anxiety, and moodiness.
Days Three to Seven
The most severe symptoms will appear during this stage. Physical effects will intensify, for example, Ambien cravings.
Since these withdrawal symptoms are so intense and complicated to manage, the risk of relapsing is high. Thus, the best way to handle the process is to commit to detox treatment.
Weeks Two through Four
Depending on the severity of your addiction, Ambien withdrawal symptoms may start to dissipate during this period.
People with mild symptoms usually end their Ambien detox by this point. However, if you have more serious symptoms, it may take longer.
Although Ambien withdrawal symptoms may improve by this point, sleep disorders and issues to fall asleep and staying asleep could persist.
One Month and After
Most of the people who experience intense withdrawal symptoms are able to handle them and keep on going with their lives with no repercussions.
Nonetheless, in some cases, you may continue to experience insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Risk Factors that Dictate What Happens Next
The course of the treatment can change depending on many risk factors. One of the most important ones is how long you use Ambien – the longer you do, the more time you’ll need to recover.
Additionally, if you have altered the prescribed doses of Ambien and have taken more, you may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms than someone who’s taken the drug as the doctor prescribed.
People who follow the instructions on the Ambien bottle also experience less intense symptoms than those who chew, smoke, or snort the drug.
Furthermore, if you’re in a challenging or stressful environment during the withdrawal process, it could be much harder.
Using Ambien with other mind-altering drugs can also put you at a higher risk. It means you’ll have a more difficult time during the treatment process.
Lastly, you may be more prone to intense withdrawal symptoms if you have anxiety, depression, or other intense mental health disorders. Talk to your doctor and explore your possibilities.
Can You Treat Withdrawal Symptoms?
Although treating an Ambien addiction requires time, effort, and professional help, it’s completely possible.
Treating withdrawal symptoms is a way to deal with these nasty side effects of abusing the drug. However, it’s not a long-term solution. In most cases, if you’ve done this, it means there are underlying issues you may have to address.
If you’ve abused Ambien, you should commit to detoxing as soon as you can for your mind, body, and even for your loved ones. It can cause short and long-term effects that can sometimes be irreversible. Therefore, the sooner you get help, the better.
Conclusion
Being addicted to Ambien can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit. If you attempt a ‘cold turkey’ removal of the drug, you may be at risk of suffering from seizures.
Therefore, the best way to treat this illness is to talk to a trusted healthcare provider. Tell them what’s been going on and commit yourself to detox treatment. You’ll most likely feel better sooner than you think!
