msb1128 Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Hey! I'm planning to quit in May when I will have some time off. I'm on 20mg per day, give or take, and have been for a few years. I'm gearing up for a cold turkey quit since I don't think I can do a taper without caving. I have no idea what lies ahead of me. I'm honestly terrified given what others are saying about the experience, but I can't stand living like a soulless robot anymore either. I've been on a low dose of zoloft for many years and am not too concerned about that at the moment. In a perfect world, I'd like to be rid of that too, but it's low on the list of priorities since I tolerate it pretty well and may really need it. My number one concern is definitely adderall, so that's got to go, but over the years the docs have gradually added other meds - klonopin 0.50mg twice a day and ambien 5-10mg at night. I am not abusing these and am taking them as prescribed, but I really, really want to quit these too. I was so much better off without them as well. I quit klonopin by tapering several years ago without too much trouble and wasn't on it again until the last couple years. I know it can be rough though, and my experience this time might not be like the last one. I have no idea what I can expect with the ambien. Since klonopin and ambien are sedating, would it make sense in any way to quit these at the same time as adderall? I'm wondering if I might not need them or as much of either one (or both) if I stop adderall. I think the adderall and the klonopin/ambien kind of exist in a weird balance so I'm not too far up or down. Yes, very messed up, and unbelievable that even at relatively low doses they have affected my life the way they have! I do realize the idea that not needing one means not needing the others might be totally faulty, though, and it might be complete madness to even think about quitting more than one medication at a time. My doctor's advice on this is useless since she seems to think this is all no big deal, and if for some reason I want to quit these meds I can just taper off of everything in a matter of weeks and go on my merry way. I think we all know that is not going to go down that way! Does anyone have experience quitting adderall, benzos, and sleeping pills? If so, how did you do it and in what order? Any advice would be appreciated. So would encouragement as I prepare to embark on the adderall quit. That at least has to go, and I won't jeopardize that by being over-eager and trying to do too much at once. Unless all at once is the way to go for some reason... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LILTEX41 Posted April 19, 2016 Report Share Posted April 19, 2016 Hmmm.....I wasn't on all that other stuff. The klonopin and ambien are fast acting, right? I mean they aren't like antidepressants in which you really do need to taper off? I don't know anything about the benzos, but I would just research each drug and see what it says as far as quitting. Anything that says you should taper, I would do that or you might be a train wreck. I bet you could quit the klonopin and adderall cold turkey though and probably the ambien since you will be so tired as it is from quitting adderall - you won't need a sleeping pill. As a disclaimer, I do not have a medical degree. Maybe find another doctor who seems like they know more about all of this. Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb1128 Posted April 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2016 Thanks, Liltex! I don't know about the ambien, but I've always heard klonopin should be tapered. Especially if you are taking higher doses. At high doses it functions as an anti-seizure medication, so stopping abruptly can actually cause seizures even if you've never had them before. I doubt this would happen at my dose, but who knows. I will get some more info on this, and maybe just see what I need when I go off the adderall. If I'm falling asleep all the time as it is I may not need the ambien unless dropping it abruptly causes changes in mood or other problems, which is a possibility. I will take the klonopin as needed, which is what I do anyway (with an average dose of 1.0mg per day). I was just wondering if I should officially work on dropping them at the same time, if that would be a good thing or a really bad thing. I remember some people here talking about increased anxiety when they drop adderall, which got me thinking maybe that would not be a good time to stop the klonopin! I hate that I've got all these meds to deal with, but thankfully it's relatively small doses of each. The adderall is going to be the worst because I know I have a psychological addiction going on. I don't think I feel the same way about klonopin. I don't "look forward" to taking it the way I do my adderall doses. If nothing else I'm tired of the space adderall is taking up in my head just thinking about it. Definitely looking forward to filling my mind with more worthy things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffman Posted April 19, 2016 Report Share Posted April 19, 2016 Au contraire, I would NOT stop the Klonopin nor the Ambien abruptly, for this may result in a seizure among other serious complications. You can taper off both of those simultaneously, but be sure to go slow. Read up on the Ashton manual for tapering methods/time frames for the Klonopin and Ambien. Your sleep may be out of whack for quite some time, so be prepared for that. You can stop the Adderall cold turkey, however. Be sure to let your doctor know that you will be tapering off these medications. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyper_critical Posted April 19, 2016 Report Share Posted April 19, 2016 Cold-turkey benzo withdrawal can kill you. I would seriously consider speaking with a doctor. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traceme Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Hyper-critical is right on. I've seen some pretty scare shit even after a couple of days of not having any of these. In my honest opinion-be the most careful with the benzo. It's nothing to mess with even at your low dose. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traceme Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 By the way-many sleeping pills are classified as "benzos." I am not sure if Ambien falls under that category as well. If so-double the danger of cold-turkey withdraw. Be safe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffman Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Ambien is in another class of drugs called "Z-Drugs" that function similarly to benzodiazepines. For all intents and purposes, it should be treated as a benzodiazepine with regard to it needing to be tapered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Consult a real "doctor" not a pill pusher if u can find one these days. I quit multiple drugs myself but treated each differently dont think by having a week off or two u can just quit resume life as normal by the time your vacation is over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb1128 Posted May 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Thanks for the input, everyone. I've been off the site for a while finishing up the semester. Now that my grading is done I can take some time off. I am getting ready to quit the adderall now, stocking up on food and movies and everything my poor old sick cat needs - her meds and diabetes supplies (gotta keep on top of that somehow in the midst of this!), and I just cleaned my place today. It's like planning for a vacation. Except this one might not be so pleasant. The cat and I will just hunker down for a while. My husband is pretty scared, but I have arranged things with people we trust who know me best he can talk to if there's a problem. I am aware of the risks with benzos and the like (Ambien is in a class called hypnotics, but yes, acts similarly to benzos). My doctor has talked to me in the past about tapering. I figured that's what I would need to do with those. I just wanted to get others' opinions on it too and particularly if now would be a good time to lower doses. I did think cold turkey with those would be disastrous. So all of you putting out warnings, that is sound advice. I think I will be so tired without the adderall I will probably need less of the other two. I will keep taking some regardless, even if I'm so exhausted I somehow feel like I don't need it. Maybe a slightly lower dose, and maybe it will indeed be a good time to start a taper on those. We will see how it goes, but I definitely won't do anything drastic with those two. Nasty stuff. All of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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