Oh, Bizi,

Sorry to hear about this trouble sleeping and keeping a stable mood.


http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha01.htm#24
According to the Ashton Manual, 20 mg Ambien is equivalent to .5 Klonopin but I don't know if this manual is 100% right all the time. You could check with a local pharmacist too. Were you taking 10 mgs Ambien?

I've found that the equivalency stuff only matters so far.
Each med effects us a certain way anyway.
They were designed for different reasons and do not really have equivalencies.

I'm glad that your sister was able to help you.

Feel better soon.
Mari

I was taking 12.5 mg and agree that we all react differently to meds...
I now know from experience that the ambien is not equilant to .25mg....but I do know that the ashton manual has been tried and true for alot of things jsut not the ambien which is a freak of nature med as far as I am concerned.
thanks for looking that up for me again.:o
bizi

insomnia and benzo use from ashton manual
 

Insomnia, nightmares, sleep disturbance. The sleep engendered by benzodiazepines, though it may seem refreshing at first, is not a normal sleep. Benzodiazepines inhibit both dreaming sleep (rapid eye movement sleep, REMS) and deep sleep (slow wave sleep, SWS). The extra sleep time that benzodiazepines provide is spent mainly in light sleep, termed Stage 2 sleep. REM and SWS are the two most important stages of sleep and are essential to health. Sleep deprivation studies show that any deficit is quickly made up by a rebound to above normal levels as soon as circumstances permit.

In regular benzodiazepine users REMS and SWS tend to return to pre-drug levels (because of tolerance) but the initial deficit remains. On withdrawal, even after years of benzodiazepine use, there is a marked rebound increase in REMS which also becomes more intense. As a result, dreams become more vivid, nightmares may occur and cause frequent awakenings during the night. This is a normal reaction to benzodiazepine withdrawal and, though unpleasant, it is a sign that recovery is beginning to take place. When the deficit of REMS is made up, usually after about 4-6 weeks, the nightmares become less frequent and gradually fade away.

Return of SWS seems to take longer after withdrawal, probably because anxiety levels are high, the brain is overactive and it is hard to relax completely. Subjects may have difficulty in getting off to sleep and may experience "restless legs syndrome", sudden muscle jerks (myoclonus) just as they are dropping off or be jolted suddenly by a hallucination of a loud bang (hypnagogic hallucination) which wakes them up again. These disturbances may also last for several weeks, sometimes months.

However, all these symptoms do settle in time. The need for sleep is so powerful that normal sleep will eventually reassert itself. Meanwhile, attention to sleep hygiene measures including avoiding tea, coffee, other stimulants or alcohol near bedtime, relaxation tapes, anxiety management techniques and physical exercise may be helpful. Taking all or most of the dose of benzodiazepine at night during the reduction period may also help. Occasionally another drug might be indicated (see section on adjuvant drugs, below).

sleep meds vs no sleep.
 

Bizi,


I hope you sleep.


Mari

slept great last night, am sore this morning but think I will be fine!
I wonder if ambien works the same way on our sleep?
not getting enough rem?
jsut wondered.
bizi

Dear Bizi,
I read a few weeks ago that benzos and similar meds can interfere with stage IV sleep.

But I don't know for sure because I can't find a good scientific article.

Mari

hubby is out of town untillate saturday...
I am not good when he is away...
Have been on this computer too long...
I ate a can of chicken ravioli, was trying to save money. It was in the box of hurricane supplies.
I think it was ok.....I think it counted as food....lol
I am getting off of here...
Forgot....went to the support group meeting again.
4 of us women there tonight.
I invited them to post here...they are very nice.
must get ready for bed!
bizi

I thought that some of this was really interesting!

(although I don;'t know what the IC stands for...)
http://www.ic-network.com/iclifestyles/sept02.html

Dear bizi:
I don't do well when I'm home alone either.

My husband suprised me a few days ago with a new bed. Its a Sealy Posturepedic. He didn't tell me he was buying it because I am so stressed out about the finanial crisis - but it came with a 30 day trial period to see if I would sleep better on it.

Its only been 2 nights, but I have slept sounder! I don't think I will ever sleep like a human is supposed to, but I slept for 3 hours at a time and it was a more restful sleep... as in I don't wake up feeling like I did when I finally fell asleep.

My husband says he sees it as an investment; i.e. if I have a more restful sleep so does he lol.

Have you ever tried a different mattress? Granted; I have only had this one for a couple nights but I do feel better on this one.

hi bobi<
glad that you got a new mattress!
I think my mood is coming down a bit, have slept well:) the last couple of nights.
My problem isnot staying asleep, it is getting there...in bed staring at the clock. and then it is so hard to get up in the mornings for me....so hard....
but like I said this has been better this week so am glad.
our mattress is 7 years old so it still should be good.
had a can noodles and chicken tonight for dinner, from the makers of dinty moore...this was better than the chicken ravioli hands down!
going to an outdoor concert tonight for festival acadiens this weekend.
must get ready.
bizi