Ambien (Zolpidem) and Tolerance/Dependence

[Nicaine]

SWIM is really puzzled how the drug companies have pushed Ambien as a substance unlikely to cause tolerance, dependence or withdrawal symptoms. Well, doh... it's a short-acting medication taken *once per day*!

Imagine if they came out with a new Benzo called Xanax and said well, you take 1mg once/day (max) and that's it. Oh yeah, and it has very little potential for tolerance or dependence, when taken as prescribed! LOL.

Anyway... in SWIM's view, Zolpidem (A) does have a potential for tolerance, dependence, withdrawal symptoms and downright addiction if taken any more often than once nightly. Twice nightly could easily do it. Also, (B) reports of abuse have escalated because the stuff simply feels good/relaxing. Dunno about that nonsense regarding zolpidem's selectivity in terms of GABA receptors, but to this lab bunny it's more relaxing than klonopin and probably rivals Xanax in that department, even at the usual 10mg dosage. No way is Zolpidem a party drug, but man does it feel good when it starts coming on. Euphoric, peaceful, calm and uninhibited.... quite a combo. Light delusional thinking (mostly when SWIM's lying in bed in the dark) add an additional measure of charm to this pleasurable, easy-to-like substance.

SWIM hasn't noticed any overt tolerance yet -- he's working on a bottle of 30 pills prescribed late last month, and has 11 or 12 of them left. They'll likely be gone in less than a week, and SWIM will have to go back to every-other-night sleep routines to stay on schedule... with the Ambien gone, he's gonna have to get used to actually being tired again at bedtime .

P.S. See Wikipedia's entry, in particular the section titled "Recreational Use and Abuse" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

Gotta love it... if Adderall is called "A+" on the street, they're calling Ambien "A-"

[Ratoboran]

Hello.

SWIM has been using Zolpidem for recreational purposes well over three months, in three dosages spread over 24 hrs (5+5+10 mg).SWIM's main motivation is the anxiolytic & euphoric kick from it.During the last few days the effect is noticeably milder.SWIM is also using some Alprazolam together, in combo.

My question is: is there a way to renew SWIM's old sensitivity to Zolpidem's proeuphoric effect, for it seems that SWIM developed tolerance.To be precise, SWIM contemplated cold turkey pause, but this seems impractical, as SWIM is overtly dependent on the sedative effect of Zolpidem.

[ojos_de_brujo]

Swim posted about this in the combined Ambien thread.
Maybe it's just Swim, but Swim never got back the effect she had the first times she used Zolpidem.

[Ratoboran]

SWIM experience is simmilar to SWIY.SWIM's reaction to Zolpidem progressively diminished during the first week of introduction.Gone are times when only 10 Mg of Zolpidem could provide two hours of pleasant buzz, relaxation and euphoria equal to potency to,say,a handful of valiums.No matter how SWIM used to change the regime of Zolpidem intake, that stuff ain't such a killer substance it used to be when I was neophyte.

[madmatt3d]

Hmmmm.... Swim has been taking Zolpidem recreationalyl for over a year.

Now, the drug doesn't effect swim at all. Last time (about 2 months ago) swim took 60 mg..... And nothing happened, swim didnt even feel sleepy.

Swim has tried multiple times and still the same thing happens. Swim took 40mg about 30 minutes ago, and zilch.



Does anyone have an explanation for this?! Swims tolererance is so bad that it doesnt even do ANYTHING to him now! And he has tried not taking it for monthhhhhhhs and the same issue. Any thoughts?

[Adrasteia]

Swim has the same problem. The tolerance just never diminishes. The effect she had in the beginning never came back.
Swim hasn't used zolpidem now in seven months, and is still craving it from time to time. It was always the drug of the last resort for her, but since tolerance had built up, she needed at last 60 mgs to be able to sleep.
One morning she woke up to find an empy box of zolpidem next to her on the floor, a prescription she had just filled before she went to sleep. Swim had taken 300 mgs of zolpidem without even remembering doing so.
Doctors keep pretending zolpidem is harmless, but it's vicious.

[Jatelka]

There are a couple of papers in the archive on Z Drug Dependence

Zolpidem Physical Dependence
Zolpidem Dependence Case Series: Possible Neurobiological Mechanisms
Abuse and Dependence Potential

[psilocybley]

A friend of SWIM told me that he thinks that brand name Ambien is stronger than generic, says generic ambien just doesn't do it for him. SWIM thinks Ambien is better for the euphoria it causes than for sleep, as the abuse potential is too high, and once one develops a tolerance for it than it's a bitch to get to sleep.

SWIM recommends Rozerem. Rozerem is a melatonin reuptake inhibitor, so it doesn't work the same way that Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata do. SWIM finds that it works great for insomnia even when tolerance builds up, as it seems to correct the wake-sleep cycle, meaning SWIM is sleepier when bedtime approaches and he wakes up with less difficulty, though it should be noted that there isn't much of a happy-glowy buzz like there is with Ambien.

Ambien isn't approved for daily use for longer than two weeks, Lunesta is but neither one of them does much to actually fix what wrong.

SWIM finds that taking melatonin supplements potentiates the effects of rozerem, so even when tolerance is built up, it's possible to overcome that with a little melatonin.

[photonamp]

Zolpidem made SWIM extremely outgoing (almost like mdma at first). SWIM Never noticed any physical dependence on these. SWIM used to take this with caine. 5 to 10mg with good strong lines. Other times as little as 2.5mg before tollerance set in.

The relaxation coupled with calm confidence was like mdma for SWIM. At the time SWIM had severe social phobia. This combo gave SWIM a life during the weekend for a short time. This helped SWIM discover a whole new side to his personality.

When it was time for SWIM to quit cold turkey. Swims feelings of dred started to kick in. But these can be dealt with by diazepam autotaper of a loading dose of 20 to 30mg. (SWIM had no problems after that and its been 3 years)

Swim can only get zopiclone. I believe zolpidem has some kind of serotonin binding sites, or serotonin modulation. as there are times SWIMS says they feel like psyilcybin, or mdma.

[Matt The Funk]

Originally Posted by photonamp

Swim can only get zopiclone. I believe zolpidem has some kind of serotonin binding sites, or serotonin modulation. as there are times SWIMS says they feel like psyilcybin, or mdma.

SWIM thought zolpidem had deleriant properties?

[oxynomo]

Ambien gave swim extremely crazy.pyscho type dreams,lotta sleep walkingand he does not remember takin about a dozen of those pills in one night.Whereas the Lunesta if you take bou 3 is way more like being on a couple 10mg valiums.Only problem with both dont' keep swim asleep more than 2-3 hours at normal dose.Luck to all.o

[humdroid]

Y found that a good fortnight off zolpidem (having taken 10-20mgs a night for a week) gets tolerance back down again, and the 10mgs dose works for sleep.

Everyone is diffferent, but Y finds that although you are allowed to take zolpidem for upto 14days, Y finds it stops working after 3-4 days.
Rather than up the dose, this is where Y will knock them on the head for a few days.

Y has a few fortnight breaks a year off of these, and is on one of them now.
Y is using herbal sleep aids in the breaks.
Y does not have a schedule, insomnia probably helped him lose a few jobs, but would possibly suggest a fortnight out of the schedule, to remove pressure of the timetable.
This way, if insomnia makes SWIY wake up at 11am - he wont get into trouble from his boss as he is on leave.

[humdroid]

Originally Posted by Matt The Funk

SWIM thought zolpidem had deleriant properties?

Non benzo hypnotic, with abuse potential.

When Y first took these, he noted how they felt when the effects of 10mg came on (as you do) - Y first compared the feeling similar to having a tiny teeny bump of ketamine.
Y knows ket is dissociative, and that Zolps have no dissociative properties, but he still thinks they are like but the tiniest bump of ket.

Y's tolerance came back whenever he had 2week/3week breaks off them.
Y has never, however used them more than 5 consecutive days, as he felt there was no point, as they seemed to stop working.

Y agrees they have massive abuse potential, but Y has a big ego, so when he finds himself on day 4 or 5 of use, he feels he has to stop, to avoid feeling like a weakling.
This does not mean, other people are weaklings, who use more than Y.
Y is only talking about his relationship to drugs, and how he has had the biggest struggle with himelf, rather than the drugs, - hence the need to satisfy his ego, by proving to himself he can go without.
Sopppy, Y knows, he should grow up. hehehehehhehehhehhe

ps He is allowed 10mg tonight, so ego can rest easy. He missed his dose last night, but should maybe have taken it, as he never slept a wink.
Y will go before he bores himself to sleep.