1. Community
  2. Symptoms
  3. Sleep Problems

How long does sleeping pills get remove from u metabolism

Posted , 3 users are following.

Marioscy
Marioscy

For the last 2.5 - 3 years i have been having problems sleeping. And the for the last 2 years or so i have been taking sleeping pills in order for me to sleep. If i stop taking them gradually when i am done taking them how long will all traces of them will be removed from my body. 

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • lily65668
    lily65668 Marioscy

    Posted

    It's not about how long the pills will take to be removed from your body. You can google this yourself. Key in the name of the pill (preferably the generic or chemical name) and "half-life". Most medications have a half-life of hours or days at the most.

    This isn't the problem. The problem is all that sleeping pills - even mild sedatives like antihistamines - cause severe dependency problems, which unfortunately can persist for many years after all traces of the drug have been removed from the body.

    You're right to taper them very slowly - I mean over a period like six months minimum - which will make it easier to get off them rather than stopping abruptly. Once you've managed to reduce the nightly dose very slightly, you might also want to try the occasional night without any medication at all - preferably on a night where you don't have to get up too early the next morning.

    If you're really determined to get off sleeping pills I'm sure you'll succeed. But there's no denying it's a long road for most people who've been taking them every night for more than a couple of weeks.

    Good luck!

    Lily

    • Marioscy
      Marioscy lily65668

      Posted

      This is what my psychiatrists told me. I tried to stop it to abruptly and it backfired to my face. Currently i am on 1*10mg per night. He told me i should take it every night for a month. Then next month for the whole month to take 0.5 pill for one day. Then 2 days (whole month) up to the point i reach 0.5 for the 7 days. Then remove it completely for one day for a whole month etc up to the point i will not take any.

      My question is not this one. I mean when i stop when my system will be cleared completely from and also does not desire it.

      In the internet it 60 h

    • lily65668
      lily65668 Marioscy

      Posted

      Well, if the half-life of your medication is 60 hours, that means you'd be chemically free of it within about 10 days after stopping, with levels going down correspondingly after each reduction.

      But that's not the same as how long it will be before your system no longer desires the drug. This is impossible to predict, as it depends on psychological as well as metabolic factors, and varies widely from one individual to another. I'm afraid the only way you'll find this out is by starting the tapering process.

      Once you start tapering you may well find there'll be nights when you'll need to up the dose again. The trick is to tough it out for as long as you can before going back to the original dose, then only maintain it at that level for no more than two nights before returning to the tapering process. You shouldn't get disheartened if you sometimes have to return to a higher dose for a short period.

      This isn't going to be an easy road, but it's one that's well worth taking. Your brain will have become chemically and psychologically dependent on the pills if you've been taking them regularly for more than two years, and you're going to have to overcome this. But many people have succeeded in stopping sleeping pills, so you shouldn't get scared.

      I know there are a few regular contributors on these boards who've successfully come through the same process, and I'm hoping some of them will chime in with some practical advice from their own experiences.

    • Marioscy
      Marioscy lily65668

      Posted

      Thanks lily, for the fast answer. I have to do it. These pills are messing my head really badly. Of course I do not want to go back to sleepless nights.
    • lily65668
      lily65668 Marioscy

      Posted

      Yes, I'm afraid that's just what sleeping pills do - all of them.

      If you feel you have to do it, then I'm sure you will. But I'm afraid you won't be able to avoid sleepless nights altogether during the transition period. Those of us who've suffered from long-term sleeping problems - and that includes me - have to learn to negotiate with our anxiety, which inevitably means that we don't always get as much sleep as we'd like.

      Disturbed sleep isn't necessarily dangerous for your health. It can make you feel rough, but you can actually learn how to get used to practically everything. Consider the case of parents of small children, who often go through years of poor sleep till their kids settle into a regular sleeping pattern.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.