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Suggest Treatment For Addiction To Zolpidem
Question: Need to get de-addicted from taking about 300mg of zolpidem
Brief Answer:
Admission under care of a psychiatrist
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to Healthcare Magic!
Since you are taking mirtazapine and fluoxetine, I guess you have already consulted a doctor, probably a psychiatrist, in an attempt to quit zolpidem. By now, you also might have tried tapering off zolpidem.
Ideally, tapering off zolpidem would have been a very good option for you as the dose of zolpidem that you are taking is quite high. But this method would be associated with some problems. Gradual tapering off of medicines requires a lot of patience and strong will power on part of the patient. Many times, people taper for a few weeks and then in a moment of weakness, get back to the previous dose. This leaves them disheartened and they are unable to taper off again.
In such a situation, the best option would be to get admitted under a good psychiatrist for a few days. Zolpidem can then be stopped completely and since you will be an in-patient, strong medicines like benzodiazepines can be prescribed to help manage your withdrawal symptoms. If you seek treatment as an out-patient, either doctors will not prescribe these medicines as they too are addictive, or they will prescribe in low dosages, which may not be effective. So, in my opinion, the best option for you would be to seek in-patient care for de-addiction.
The other thing that needs to be done is to find the probable cause for your insomnia that led you to get addicted in the first place. The cause needs to be resolved so that you do not need such medicines again.
I hope this helps you. Please feel free to ask in case you need any clarifications.
Best wishes.
Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry
Admission under care of a psychiatrist
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to Healthcare Magic!
Since you are taking mirtazapine and fluoxetine, I guess you have already consulted a doctor, probably a psychiatrist, in an attempt to quit zolpidem. By now, you also might have tried tapering off zolpidem.
Ideally, tapering off zolpidem would have been a very good option for you as the dose of zolpidem that you are taking is quite high. But this method would be associated with some problems. Gradual tapering off of medicines requires a lot of patience and strong will power on part of the patient. Many times, people taper for a few weeks and then in a moment of weakness, get back to the previous dose. This leaves them disheartened and they are unable to taper off again.
In such a situation, the best option would be to get admitted under a good psychiatrist for a few days. Zolpidem can then be stopped completely and since you will be an in-patient, strong medicines like benzodiazepines can be prescribed to help manage your withdrawal symptoms. If you seek treatment as an out-patient, either doctors will not prescribe these medicines as they too are addictive, or they will prescribe in low dosages, which may not be effective. So, in my opinion, the best option for you would be to seek in-patient care for de-addiction.
The other thing that needs to be done is to find the probable cause for your insomnia that led you to get addicted in the first place. The cause needs to be resolved so that you do not need such medicines again.
I hope this helps you. Please feel free to ask in case you need any clarifications.
Best wishes.
Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Pradeep Vitta
Answered by
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