Tell me about Ambien

[KristineN]

I love Ambien....works great. I have never slept well....even as a kid. I'd take it every day if I could...but I tend to have rebound issues...i.e I sleep even worse the day after I take it. So I rarely take it now...I have been working on ways to improve my sleep....so far I am making progress.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I wanted to ask what do you all tell the doctors who prescribe sleep medicines. I have tried telling 3 different doctors that I cannot sleep at night. I actually fall asleep at 4 am in the morning most nights no matter how hard I try. They are reluctant to give me sleeping pills. Only one did with no refills and it was for zolpiden a generic which I finished a long time ago. The all tell me the same thing, diet and exerice. Yes. I have gained weight but still I want so badly to get a good night sleep.

PS. I have tried every over the counter medicine and nothing works for me. Zolpiden did a bit but did not knock me out which is what I really need to get a good night sleep. OH How I crave for it.

I feel for you. My gynecologist has no trouble prescribing Ambien with refills (you know zolpidem is generic for Ambien, right?). I would try telling another doctor exactly what you wrote here, that Ambien helped a little but not much. You might need something like Ambien CR, the extended-release version of Ambien.

 

[SeaSpray]

I don't know why but I am still freaked out about taking it. The whole you are not in complete control of your mind and body thing is creepy to me
It's almost 8 oclock so I need to make a decision soon!

Did you end up trying it last night? I've been using Ambien intermittently for several years now, and even *I* am freaked out from reading this thread!! ROFL

My prescription is for 10mg, but I have to break them in half, and they work great. I did try to take 10mg a couple of times but it had the opposite effect on me; I couldn't sleep at all.

I can even take 1/4 of a tablet (2.5mg) and it still works great.

OP, I hope that you have a good experience with Ambien if you do decide to try it, because it's a terrible thing to not be able to get a decent night's sleep.

 

[sandramaac]

I've had hallucinations, ambien sex and it gives me the munchies. I've taken it for so long that I have to take 15 mg and it takes about an hour to kick in. But the benefits outweigh the negatives in my situation. I have cronic insomnia and if I don't sleep I get manic. So a little addiction is okay in my book.

ambien sex ----ummmmm, please explain further

 

[jamimb]

Did you end up trying it last night? I've been using Ambien intermittently for several years now, and even *I* am freaked out from reading this thread!! ROFL

My prescription is for 10mg, but I have to break them in half, and they work great. I did try to take 10mg a couple of times but it had the opposite effect on me; I couldn't sleep at all.

I can even take 1/4 of a tablet (2.5mg) and it still works great.

OP, I hope that you have a good experience with Ambien if you do decide to try it, because it's a terrible thing to not be able to get a decent night's sleep.

Nope I was abig chicken! I ended up taking a Advil PM and slet like a baby. If it looks like I am gonna have trouble tonight Ill take one. Thanks for sharing the stories. I am very small (when I was weighed Monday I was 108 and then weighed again yesterday and was 104 ) so Ill probably just take a fourth. My DH is at the movies right now so Ill probably wait for him to return before taking it. I don't feel comfortable trying it for the first time without another adult in the house.

 

[sandramaac]

ambien sex ----ummmmm, please explain further

never mind I googled it OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I'm butting into this very informative thread. I don't sleep without my trusty Benadryl - I've considered asking for a RX sleep aid but the Benadryl still works (though I have had to bump it up to higher doses), and it's super cheap ($4 for 500 at Costco) so I haven't bothered.

Why would someone want a RX sleeping aid over something like Benadryl or Tylenol PM? I avoid taking Tylenol PM due to the pain medication but my allergies are always horrible so I get a two for one deal with the Benadryl. I suppose if it doesn't work, you'd need something more but probably most people respond...?

My only thought was to avoid the horrible hallucinations, dreams, and sleep walking I do on Benadryl but evidently that's normal for Ambien, too! My DH has about had it with those dreams *grin*

Any thoughts?

 

[Judy from Boise]

My not sleeping is part of my fibromyalgia. God bless my MD who not only diagnosed me my very first trip to office after I develope it, but wouldn't let me leave without a prescription so I could sleep that very night.For the first few years I took Flexaril, but we switched me to Ambien when I started having side effects from the Flexaril. Without fail he writes the re-fills for the last 10 years. Iasked him and he has no qualms about it. Kinda like he would prescribe whatever drug my disease demanded.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I'm butting into this very informative thread. I don't sleep without my trusty Benadryl - I've considered asking for a RX sleep aid but the Benadryl still works (though I have had to bump it up to higher doses), and it's super cheap ($4 for 500 at Costco) so I haven't bothered.

Why would someone want a RX sleeping aid over something like Benadryl or Tylenol PM? I avoid taking Tylenol PM due to the pain medication but my allergies are always horrible so I get a two for one deal with the Benadryl. I suppose if it doesn't work, you'd need something more but probably most people respond...?

My only thought was to avoid the horrible hallucinations, dreams, and sleep walking I do on Benadryl but evidently that's normal for Ambien, too! My DH has about had it with those dreams *grin*

Any thoughts?

Benadryl doesn't work for me AT ALL. It makes me feel "drugged" but it doesn't help me sleep. BTW, lots of people have bad reactions to benadryl, especially kids and elders.

 

[SeaSpray]

My not sleeping is part of my fibromyalgia. God bless my MD who not only diagnosed me my very first trip to office after I develope it, but wouldn't let me leave without a prescription so I could sleep that very night.For the first few years I took Flexaril, but we switched me to Ambien when I started having side effects from the Flexaril. Without fail he writes the re-fills for the last 10 years. Iasked him and he has no qualms about it. Kinda like he would prescribe whatever drug my disease demanded.

I have fibromyalgia too (as well as rheumatoid arthritis), and on the nights that I don't take Ambien, I wake up every so often from the pain, although I usually can fall back to sleep. But broken-up sleep really gets to you after a few nights. With Ambien, I fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling pretty good! No drowsiness at all.

My doctor prescribes it as a full-month prescription, too. I don't take it every night of the week because I have some concern about becoming dependent on it, but I take it at least 4 nights a week, and I've gotten better and better sleep from it, with NO negative side effects.

Benadryl doesn't work for me AT ALL. It makes me feel "drugged" but it doesn't help me sleep. BTW, lots of people have bad reactions to benadryl, especially kids and elders.

I used to take Benadryl for allergies but it always made me feel so drugged, even after the time period where it should've worn off. That's one reason why I wouldn't use it as a sleep remedy, but I know that different things works for each of us.


OP: I think waiting until your DH is home to take it is a good idea. Last year I started on a new medication (Lyrica) and the side effects had me freaked out! I was instructed to take it at bed time and I was so worried that I'd have an allergic reaction in my sleep and that my throat would swell and that I'd die in my sleep that my DH assured me that he'd keep watch over me while I slept that first night, and he did! He said that I slept like a baby! LOL So I totally understand your concerns.

 

[MoniqueU]

I am back on ambian CR after a 2 month break due to insurance wanting me to try the generic regular and then getting put on ristoril that worked for nothing. I can honestly say I have sleepeated more then once. My favorite was when my mom found me out cold with my hand in a bowl of tater tots. Oh well.
As far as hallusicnations go the only time I have those is when I don't get enough sleep. Last week before they put me back on the ambian CR where my telephone is on a wall was moving around like a bird. I was really scared. Also I tend to have major negative thoughts and talk to myself if I don't get enough sleep. I don't have a drivers license due to another medical condition so I have never gone for a joyride. It gave me the munchies pretty bad initially but those have since subsided. It also takes me a bit longer to go to sleep. I sometimes still wake up at all hours but I am not sure what other med on the market is going to work better. I am on the highest dose. I have a high tolerance to meds. So for me this is as good as it gets. I took mine over 20 minutes ago and am not in the least bit tired and I am sure I won't be for awhile. All in all if I can get anything more then 4 hours of sleep a night I am doing better then I was. For me sleep deprivation is far more dangerous to me then taking ambian cr.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I've never taken it, but my patients love it. Gets them right to sleep and they don't wake up all hung over like they do with diphenhdramine (which is sold in boxes that say, "Benadryl", "Wal-dryl", "Nytol", "Unisom", etc.

Some report stuff like wacky dreams, but by and large, I hear nothing but positive stuff about Ambien.

I tend to believe my patients and have to listen when the majority of them say the same thing.

I also have a friend who takes it and loves it.

But that doesn't mean it is right for everyone. Only a doctor could tell you if you should try it.

Good luck!

 

[jamimb]

OP here. I know this thread is over six months old but just wanted to report that I took the ambien last night for the 1st time and it worked like a dream.
I have not slept in over a week and was so desperate. I was scared to take it because of all the reports of weird behavior so I took one fourth of a 10 mg. When I didn't fall asleep an hr later (although I did feel more relaxed) I took another fourth and I do'nt remember anything after that. I woke up exactly seven hrs after taking the second pill(fourth). I am still a little sleepy and have a headache but other than that I am fine. I am so glad I had the courage to finally try this!!!!!

 

[teacups]

Op good for you. No sleep is no fun.

I dont want to scare you (Stop reading now if you dont want to hear it)
but my husbands boss drowned a couple months ago due to Ambien. She was sleep walking, walked out the door, into the swimming pool and never even woke up. She was a regular Ambien user.

Please, if you start taking it regularly make sure you lock all the doors, put a baby gate at the stairs etc.

Good luck.