How to safely wean off of prolonged ambien use? my mother has been taking 5mg of ambien nightly for over a year because of her insomnia, often taking 10mg on the weekends. this was prescribed by her doctor who said, " it is addictive, however, your 66 ye

Tapering : Tapering of Ambien (zolpidem) can be done in a variety of ways and with varying speed. This should be done with a plan to imrove her sleep overall. She would benefit from consultation with sleep doctor that has expertise in insomnia management. Melatonin is not a sleeping pill but rather is a sleep timer. It is not going to be helpful. I would also avoid over the counter medications. The best way to sleep better without medications is to make sure you dont have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea and to improve sleep habits by restricting sleep times. It is possible to use Ambien (zolpidem) safely longer term if prescribed and monitored by a sleep specialist who understands all the patients sleep and medical problems and is managing them well. Again, a sleep medicine consultation would be suggested.

Addiction med MD: See an addiction medicine physician. Detox can be tricky. Ambien is not technically in the same class of drugs as valium, Ativan ; xanax (alprazolam) (benzodiazepines), but tho many doctors will tell you it is "safe, ":it is no different in terms of addiction and withdrawal. Your q cut off but if md said mom's age makes addiction less important, she may want to change mds. Addiction is a big problem in elders.