A great place to start Disorder information source Rated and Reviewed Sleep Links Entrance to all monitored Sleep Forums Search all of Sleepnet.com


Posting on
Insomnia Forum22

Click to visit the Sleep Mall


internet drugs/ ambien withdrawal

Posted by stacey10 on December 12, 2003 at 06:37:01:

In desperation i ordered ambien online 4 months ago. i refilled it once and have been taking 5 to 7.5 mg generally 4 to 5 nights a week. as time passed i wanted to stop taking them, and on the nights i didnt i would have chronic anxiety sensations that would either prevent sleep entirely, or wake me up at night sweating from horrible nightmares. then I went 2 nights without the Ambien and started having severe daytime anxiety with no apparent cognitive cause, and on the 3rd night i went to the hospital with my first ever panic attack. for a few days i took ativan given me in the hospital, and then for 3 days i took nothing and slept fine. as a creature of habit who still worries about sleep, i went back on the ambien for 4-5 days this week. during the day, i have been having feelings of severe anxiety again, breathlessness and nausea without a cognitive cause. so last night i skipped the ambien, slept one hour and woke up in a state of panic...as in, can't breathe, can't stop jerking my limbs or at least have to pace around while swinging my arms, combined with feelings of dread like a panic attack...this lasted 2.5 hours before i decided to take an ativan or i thought i was going to die today. i am still shaking, but more functional than when i woke up.
a psychiatrist yesterday diagnosed me with panic disorder and prescribed effexor and continued ambien, neither of which i have taken. but, doesn't it seem given my history that this current anxiety situation (all day long, and severe, not just in regard to sleep) could be caused by withdrawal from ambien? daytime withdrawal, because the medicine is short acting, and then severe panic after a night without the drug? Does ambien cause withdrawal or do i simply have an unassociated panic disorder that happened to develop now?
i am also worried that maybe the drug i purchased online was not truly pure ambien...is there any way to check?
please help, any comments would be much appreciated.

Follow Ups:


Archived Insomnia Forum22 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Insomnia Forum Homepage

  • IMPORTANT : Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional. Read Terms of Use.
  • The Sleep Forums are not to be used for commercial purposes.
  • Commercial products and services are not endorsed by Sleepnet.com.
  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


Copyright ©1995-2005 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved