Discontinuing Stimulants & Hypnotics (adderall, Ambien, Lunesta)

[ai_capone]

Hey all...
Long time lurker.

I need help discontuing my pharmaceuticals.
They were initially prescribed as adhd treatments in my younger years, but I developed sleep apnea (OSA, using CPAP) a few years ago and am now dependent on them to “flip the switch” on in the morning and off at night.

Basic info shown below:

I’ve been on stimulants for adhd for 30 years (Ritalin, adderall, vyvanse, modafinil, armodafinil).

I’ve been on hypnotics for 10 years (ambien, lunesta).

At this time, I’m taking daily:
Adderall IR 20mg 2x per day
Lunesta 3mg once before bed.

I occasionally take modafinil (100mg per day) and ambien (10 mg per night).

I also vape nicotine (juul, 5%) but not consistently.


Discontinuing adderall:
I was thing of quitting cold turkey and replacing with Lisuride and methylene blue.
I could use modafinil as a backup to help with withdrawals.

Discontinuing hypnotics:
I really don’t have a clue how to do this...

I tried cannabis in a variety of consumption methods and it allows me to use a lower dose of lunesta or ambien...but I don’t have access to sedating strains right now. I tried converting the THC to CBN with some accelerated aging methods, but it didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Can anyone help me out?
The hypnotics are the hardest to quit...
I know I’m not the only one stuck in this morbid cycle...

 

[Blossom]

Hey all...
Long time lurker.

I need help discontuing my pharmaceuticals.
They were initially prescribed as adhd treatments in my younger years, but I developed sleep apnea (OSA, using CPAP) a few years ago and am now dependent on them to “flip the switch” on in the morning and off at night.

Basic info shown below:

I’ve been on stimulants for adhd for 30 years (Ritalin, adderall, vyvanse, modafinil, armodafinil).

I’ve been on hypnotics for 10 years (ambien, lunesta).

At this time, I’m taking daily:
Adderall IR 20mg 2x per day
Lunesta 3mg once before bed.

I occasionally take modafinil (100mg per day) and ambien (10 mg per night).

I also vape nicotine (juul, 5%) but not consistently.


Discontinuing adderall:
I was thing of quitting cold turkey and replacing with Lisuride and methylene blue.
I could use modafinil as a backup to help with withdrawals.

Discontinuing hypnotics:
I really don’t have a clue how to do this...

I tried cannabis in a variety of consumption methods and it allows me to use a lower dose of lunesta or ambien...but I don’t have access to sedating strains right now. I tried converting the THC to CBN with some accelerated aging methods, but it didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Can anyone help me out?
The hypnotics are the hardest to quit...
I know I’m not the only one stuck in this morbid cycle...

This is my experience and not necessarily advice on what you should do.

I took vyvanse which is similar to adderall, restoril for sleep and some other drugs and weaned off of them all about 10 years ago. I slowly reduced my dosage of each by cutting the pills or dividing the content of the capsules in smaller and smaller quantities. It was hard but I was able to do it. I felt like it took my brain a couple years to get back to normal and I had to adjust to living in a new reality not propped up by pharmaceutical drugs. This was all before I knew about Peat. I know there are other members who have gotten off adderall.

I'm not really sure if there's one optimal way to go about this transition but hopefully you will get some helpful suggestions. Welcome to the forum.

 

[ai_capone]

Thank you for your reply...
I have thought real hard about what you said and it makes total sense.

I have started the taper and will expect to emerge as a “new person” because the reality I’ve had over the years can no longer be.

Thanks again for the encouragement...

 

[Constatine]

Valerian root is a pretty potent gaba agonist but idk if it can replace hypnotics.

 

[Makrosky]

You can try low dose lithium orotate or aspartate. But do the research first. There are good threads in the forum.

 

[Elie]

Try (among other things) reliable source of Rhodiola.
The one cultivated in Canada is great.

Hey all...
Long time lurker.

I need help discontuing my pharmaceuticals.
They were initially prescribed as adhd treatments in my younger years, but I developed sleep apnea (OSA, using CPAP) a few years ago and am now dependent on them to “flip the switch” on in the morning and off at night.

Basic info shown below:

I’ve been on stimulants for adhd for 30 years (Ritalin, adderall, vyvanse, modafinil, armodafinil).

I’ve been on hypnotics for 10 years (ambien, lunesta).

At this time, I’m taking daily:
Adderall IR 20mg 2x per day
Lunesta 3mg once before bed.

I occasionally take modafinil (100mg per day) and ambien (10 mg per night).

I also vape nicotine (juul, 5%) but not consistently.


Discontinuing adderall:
I was thing of quitting cold turkey and replacing with Lisuride and methylene blue.
I could use modafinil as a backup to help with withdrawals.

Discontinuing hypnotics:
I really don’t have a clue how to do this...

I tried cannabis in a variety of consumption methods and it allows me to use a lower dose of lunesta or ambien...but I don’t have access to sedating strains right now. I tried converting the THC to CBN with some accelerated aging methods, but it didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Can anyone help me out?
The hypnotics are the hardest to quit...
I know I’m not the only one stuck in this morbid cycle...

Hey all...
Long time lurker.

I need help discontuing my pharmaceuticals.
They were initially prescribed as adhd treatments in my younger years, but I developed sleep apnea (OSA, using CPAP) a few years ago and am now dependent on them to “flip the switch” on in the morning and off at night.

Basic info shown below:

I’ve been on stimulants for adhd for 30 years (Ritalin, adderall, vyvanse, modafinil, armodafinil).

I’ve been on hypnotics for 10 years (ambien, lunesta).

At this time, I’m taking daily:
Adderall IR 20mg 2x per day
Lunesta 3mg once before bed.

I occasionally take modafinil (100mg per day) and ambien (10 mg per night).

I also vape nicotine (juul, 5%) but not consistently.


Discontinuing adderall:
I was thing of quitting cold turkey and replacing with Lisuride and methylene blue.
I could use modafinil as a backup to help with withdrawals.

Discontinuing hypnotics:
I really don’t have a clue how to do this...

I tried cannabis in a variety of consumption methods and it allows me to use a lower dose of lunesta or ambien...but I don’t have access to sedating strains right now. I tried converting the THC to CBN with some accelerated aging methods, but it didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Can anyone help me out?
The hypnotics are the hardest to quit...
I know I’m not the only one stuck in this morbid cycle...

 

[ai_capone]

Valerian is something I should try...it’s been 10-15 years since I’ve tried it.

It’s funny that you recommend lithium orotate and rhodiola...I tried those last week with success.

The lithium is in liquid form with some electrolytes...I took about 5-10mg per day.
The effect seems to build up over the days so I’m taking a break. I just became totally chill.

The rhodia works great...it let’s me be physically intense thruought the day and not feeling like I just want to sit and stare at a wall.

That said, I’ve stopped taking the adderall and Lunesta!!!!

I take:
modafinil ( for wakefulness)
ambien (short half-life, easier quit.
vape nicotine (drastically inscreases mental and physical performance)
CBD (VG extract)
Cannabis buds (vape dry herb and make edibles...it helps me relax and kills the stress response...it balances the immune system...

 

[broozer]

feel u bro...im trying to come off both energy drinks and zopiclone7,5mg which is similair to lunesta.

could you easily switch between ambien and lunesta? what doses you r on? ist ambien easier to quit?
same here..nicotine gives me felings of well beeing and shuts down stress...its strange.

mirtazapine/remeron used to knock me out in doses between 15 - 30mg but had hangovers too. plus the weightgain in the long run

 

[ai_capone]

Broozer,

The Ambien [10mg] is prescribed to me by my sleep Dr, to be taken right before bed.

The Lunesta [3mg] was prescribed to me by another Dr to be taken a 2-3 hours before bed because it is timed released and “hangs over” to the next day; this change was made because i took it right before bed the first month.

This completely changes the experience.
Taking lunesta this way is like taking a “Z” version of a benzo to relax into the evening. I wouldn’t recommend it...the feeling for the first few months was blissfull and I cast off all kinds of restraints...I felt like a cigarette one day, so I ended up smoking in the evenings for a short stint.

Neither Ambien or Lunesta will put me right to sleep, but I think Ambien is much easier to taper off of because it has such a short half life (I believe zopiclone is even shorter). Also, the ambien pills are not coated so they can be easily cut into quarters.

It’s harder wind down in the evenings now without the Lunesta.

I had the same exact experience with mirtazipine...used to knock me out, always a hangover, and definitely weight gain.

I will never give up caffeine though...
Probably not nicotine, either. I haven’t had a bad experience with them yet. They are like “good” supplements to me.