Doing Better!!

Wow, I stopped the Ambien cold turkey last Saturday night. I am taking Benadryl or Tylenol PM to help me sleep and it is helping. I'm not sleeping too well but I am catching a few hours of sleep. I know I am sleeping at least a few hours at least and waking up easily. I feel so much energy and I can do things without being utterly drained afterword. My doctor recommended the taper off method, but I'm not having any withdrawal issues so I'm not going that route.

But WOW. I actually feel better than I have in 2 years. The migraines (knock wood or wave the voodoo chicken) are still present but not as bad. I didn't need anything Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I took a Relpax, Norco, and Flex. Worked beautifully. Thurs and Friday same. I feel happier than I have in years. I've laughed more this week than I did in the last 12 months. My entire family, even the kids, have commented on it and I know they are right because I feel it.

The only changes I've made are doubling my Magnesium supplement and stop the Ambien. I know the relief it is probably a combination of both, but I didn't realize that my mood changes with Ambien. I never once connected that to the overall misery. I thought I was heading for a diagnosis of depression. I thought everything was just awful. I didn't feel any enjoyment with life. I know that can be related to migraine so I just thought ok, well I got stuck with that too. I know its Ambien related because things got better within 48 hours of stopping it.

Now I feel like a totally new person. I'm alive and happy and look forward to waking up. (Ok, that will have to wait until I'm actually getting some better sleep), but at least now I actually believe that's going to get better too.

I know this is a wonderful time and that it may not last much longer. But I'm enjoying every minute of the day where I can be me. I'm fighting a big one right now, but I feel confident that the meds will help. Even if it doesn't go completely away I will get some degree of relief.

hope actually exists. I wish hope and relief for all of us. I'm so grateful for all of you and your support. I don't know what I'd do without this place.

I know this is a time to be savored because it probably won't last much longer. I'm going to live it every second while it lasts. I hope that all of us can find something that works, even if it is just temporary. And unbelievably enough, I'm sleepy!!

Kim

that's great news! ambien can be one tough med to titrate off of. i take CR due to insomnia. the atenolol i take doesn't let me sleep to well, and it tends to give me nightmares. cr mostly lets me sleep through the night, but still have dreams, but not as bad.

keep up the good work! very hard thing to do.

oh wow~!



Sometimes we do not realize how much these meds affects us. makes me thinks of mine...
sighs...

Wishing you things keep going on better and better!

Risa

Great news! Enjoy every second!

Glad you are feeling so much better. Out of curiosity, how much magnesium are you taking?