# Ambien/Benzo Cross Tolerance?



## Panic Induced Panda (Oct 4, 2012)

Has anyone experienced a cross tolerance between benzodiazepines and Ambien?

I'm curious because I recently stopped taking Xanax two months ago. I was on 3mg/day for a few years and decided to quit because I was getting interdose withdrawals and the anxiolytic effects were waning. I am also prescribed 10mg of Ambien per night, although sometimes I take an extra 10mg if the insomnia is really persistent. (Of course, many nights I take no Ambien.)

Anyhow, since quitting Xanax I haven't encountered much insomnia. (Paradoxical, I know.) But last week, I was pretty stressed out getting ready to move and took 10mg to help me sleep. In the past, popping an Ambien has been an event without much fanfare. But this time was totally different.

I remember going to bed but being unable to sleep. I started having these really ambitious ideas and had to get out of bed because I felt so compelled to begin them. I was not feeling tired at all; I actually felt crazy good -- emphasis on the crazy. But then I had wild notion about going to the casino. (I have a gambling addiction, but at the time had been about 3 months sober.) At this point, I knew nothing was going to stop me and I don't remember much more. I have fleeting thoughts of being at a poker table and driving home (the nearest casino is 15 miles away). Apparently, from the remnants of an egg salad sandwich on the passenger seat of my car, I also stopped at the Tim Horton's. Another things I don't remember, was calling my best friend at 5:00am in the morning inviting her with me. She played the voicemail for me and I just sound delusional. At one point I tell her, "By the will of the stones I will sleep, but if I fail, I invite you to join me at the casino." WTF??

This concerned me because it really sounded like a textbook case of mania. But the thing is, I've never had a manic episode to my knowledge. I chalked it up to starting Ambien again and put it in my past.

So, the past week I took Ambien again to help me sleep Sunday and Monday night. As usual, I fell asleep. But last night I had some really bad insomnia and decided to take 2 10mg pills. Once again, the mania-type episodes happened, but this was even weirder -- I started hallucinating. I vaguely remember trying to type some emails and the words on the screen started getting kind of wavy. I continued to type but after awhile everything was melting for lack of a better term. The keys were morphing into each other and I was having problems deciphering which was which. (For instance, the T was melting into the Y and then the 5 would get mushed in.) It was really frustrating, but the whole time I was totally euphoric.

I also remember seeing people on the periphery of my vision. At this point, I was kind of having conversations with them, even though I knew they weren't there. It's hard to explain... I'd turn my head and see that nothing was there, but I'd still feel their presence. And I'd be talking to them, but become conscious that they're not there, and stop myself. Again, I got the idea to go to the casino. I started checking my bank account to see what I had, but typing my username and password was next to impossible. I was trying so hard to figure out which keys were which (they were still melting/morphing) and trying to remember my password. Eventually, I got locked out. That's the last thing I remember. But again, I left a voicemail with my best friend inviting her to the casino.

Sorry for the long post, here's what I'm wondering: Do you think these episodes are possibly due to the fact that my tolerance for GABA antagonists has decreased? Has discontinuing Xanax made me hyper-sensitive to Ambien?


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

hello,

I should say welcome to the forum. But instead 'll say, use google once in a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

All of the Z-drugs have a cross-tolerance with benzos. I didn't read your post word for word but it sounds like you are having some withdrawal symptoms from quitting the xanax cold turkey. Yet your Zolpidem is keeping the worst of the withdrawal affects away.

I would also encourage you to use the search engine on this forum as this topic has been discussed infinitely many times.

cheers.


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## Panic Induced Panda (Oct 4, 2012)

istayhome said:


> hello,
> 
> I should say welcome to the forum. But instead 'll say, use google once in a while.
> 
> ...


Thanks, istayathome.

I guess I should rephrase my question: Is it possible that the cross tolerance is causing me to have this manic reaction to Ambien? I'm well aware that a cross tolerance exists for benzos and zolpidem, but is it normal/explainable for the cross tolerance to make the zolpidem have a paradoxical, almost manic, effect?


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Sorry, I guess I didn't fully understand your situation. It sounds like it is a paradoxical reaction. Call your prescribing doctor tomorrow and discuss the situation. Sorry man, sounds miserable. I hope you get it sorted out soon, good luck.

Sorry for being a smart-*** too, I haven't slept in four days,I can barely read the screen and feel like doo-doo.

I don't think that the cross tolerance is causing it. Maybe the benzo prevented it and once that was out of the picture the paradoxical effect kicked in. I think Zolpidem is pretty notorious for causing a paradoxical reaction in many.


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

To answer your question, no.

This manic-like reaction happens often with Zolpidem, from the people I personally know that took it, more people had it than not (myself included). It's weird for being a downer but it is what it is. You'll find plenty of stories on the internet of people all of a sudden getting in the mood for something else than sleeping after having taken Zolpidem.

It's more pronounced with higher doses. Especially the hallucinations get worse from 10mg+ onwards.

Btw: "By the will of the stones I will sleep, but if I fail, I invite you to join me at the casino." LOL

Classic Zolpidem-oneliner right there


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## IlIlIlIrlpoloIlIlIlI (Feb 5, 2012)

yep big cross tolerance witch sucks cause ambien was my fav until then i started klons and got little effect from mutilple ambiens


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