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Ambien... anybody's Experience ?

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by Joe Strummer, Jan 23, 2015.

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  1. Joe Strummer

    Joe Strummer VIP Whale

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    I was just given an Rx for it about 2 weeks ago.
    For me.......it is a blessing.
    However, I noticed I'm still tired at work ( dead tired after supper )- so I figure there's
    further Sleep Disorder evaluation coming for me.
    *
    I have a friend who had nightmares using it + quickly quit.
    His nightmare was actually funny when he described it....but I understand - it's not.
    *
    With my smaller dose I got a 3 hr block of "out cold" sleep.
    Moved up a couple milligrams --
    and now a get a 4.5 block of "out cold" sleep
    ---- with the dosing off here + there in the early morning hours ( after my "out cold" block ).
    *
    My wife warned me when i first started taking it.
    I got dizzy if I tried to stay awake + do chores.....or anything.
    Man, I go straight to bed before I fall over or something.
    *
    Previously, i wasn't getting any sleep at night........brutal.
     
  2. Stephiede1975

    Stephiede1975 Low-Roller

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    I have been taking this for years off and on. I now take the CR one, 12.5. Most nights I take half but still don't get solid sleep even with the whole one. The thing to keep in mind is to take it when you are ready for bed. If you try to stay up, it will make you feel weird. I'm not a good sleeper and I am tired all the time. I have done all the sleep study stuff and nothing has been found. They say it's in my head, lol. I just want to sleep!!
    I usually don't take it in the summer time because my schedule is better. Some people can't stop taking it once they start but since it doesn't work on me that well, I don't have a problem stopping and starting back up.

    Hope it works for you and you're able to get some rest.
     
    Spring Trip!
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  3. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I LOVED the stuff and it REALLY worked... but my family made me give it up after I was in the kitchen making myself a sandwich around 2 a.m. and telling my son to watch out for the penguins that were coming up the hallway!!!! All of this, of course, I had no recollection of... This was about the time Kennedy's son had that accident in DC and claimed to have been basically sleep-driving.

    I don't really have the sleep issues too much anymore... I take a melatonin at bed-time and if I think I need to will also take a swig of Z-Quill.
     
  4. jimbondo

    jimbondo Tourist

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    do a sleep study. may be something else.good luck
     
  5. Hogman

    Hogman VIP Whale

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    I am a pharmacist and if you are breaking the Ambien CR in half then you are defeating the purpose of the pill it is made to give you an immediate dose and then slowly release to keep you asleep If you break the pill you will still get the ambien in your system . You will just get it all at once, so if that works just get plain ambien. Plain ambien is much cheaper.
     
  6. LVHooked

    LVHooked High-Roller

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    Kool man.....we got a pharmacist on the board.
     
  7. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    Having a relative who got hooked on Ambien, and had a hell of a time getting un-hooked, I would stay away.

    Personally, I believe in the words of my personal GP along the line of "if you can't sleep, then don't" or something like that.
     
  8. ExVegasLocal

    ExVegasLocal Low-Roller

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    Tried Ambien, but it did nothing for me.

    They usually give me anti-depressants, claiming that they have sleep-inducing qualities, but they either do nothing, or leave me feeling drugged all day. I have no issues falling asleep, but at 4:00 am, my body thinks it is noon. And no matter how late I stay up, I'll still be wide awake at 4:00 am.

    They usually give me anti-depressants, claiming that they have sleep-inducing qualities, but they either do nothing, or leave me feeling drugged all day. I've only had luck with Xanax because I can take it at 4:00 am, sleep for two more hours, and wake up feeling semi-refreshed. But the doctor never lets me have more than a few at a time, because he thinks I'll turn into a drug addict, I guess.

    I just had a sleep study and am awaiting the results. I'm petrified they won't find anything and I'll be back at square one.

    I'm exhausted all the time. I'm sleeping while I type this.

    Good luck to you, OP. I feel your pain.
     
  9. northerngirl

    northerngirl High-Roller

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    I am one of those people with horrible sleep problems. I consider it a blessing if I get five hours of sleep per night. I have taken Ambien in the past....it did help me some. However, my new doctor is not an advocate of prescribing Ambien for folks over 60 (me)...partly due to getting addicted to it and studies have shown that it can cause you to do things while sleeping that you won't remember the next morning.

    I now take Temazepam....I have resigned myself that five hours of sleep per night is all my body needs. I try to stay active and do not drink any caffeine after 2:00 p.m. (You would think will all the hours in the day I have, I could be more productive!)

    Good luck....you have my sympathy.
     
  10. BeeeJay

    BeeeJay President of The Red Lobster Hostess Satisfaction

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    I would avoid it and try elminating caffeine and adding exercise. That works for me now far better than Ambien and without the sleep eating entire frozen pizzas and boxes of cereal
     
  11. GottaLuvCruising

    GottaLuvCruising High-Roller

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    Love me some Ambien! Ambien CR 12.5 is the best. My insurance company &^%%$#@!*&%^ decided that woman shouldn't be on it and made me go to the regular Ambien 10mg. Then they decided that women shouldn't be on that and made me go to Ambien 5mg. This summer my insurance company (nobody from which has spoken with me or my doctor) decided that I should be on Lunesta 3mg. My insurance company states that some women have reactions to it like sleep walking or sleep driving, so therefore I should be denied a good night's sleep. The ONLY thing I have experienced is posting feedback on an eBay auction at 4:38am...feedback had two misspellings, but otherwise was about what I would have said. I was on my computer at that time, but have no recollection of it. I did not share this experience with my doctor.

    So I continue to struggle with sleep. I take OTC herbs and benedril and my lovely Lunesta and whatever Ambien I have been able to ferret away over the years. I discovered a 2 pill sample pack the other day and thought I had won the freakin' lottery.

    Good luck with your sleep issues. I empathize.
     
  12. RiddickBull

    RiddickBull VIP Whale

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    Ok I'll have to chime in the world of wonderful (or evil) pharmaceuticals.

    I have taken Zolpidem (ambien) several time. However, I do not have sleeping disorders. It just knocks me out and makes me feel weird the next day. One thing I use to intake in the past was seroquel. Shit was was super strong. However, it left the same sleepy, groggy feeling as ambien.

    Benzodiazepines are good sleeping pills, but I think they are prescribed as more anti-anxiety medicine. Shit will put you to sleep and you feel good the next day. However, you feel forgetful and retarded (literally) after continuous use.

    Can't get a opiate based prescription. Shit has always made me woozy. This stuff is highly addictive, but what isn't. IMO, Vegas is much more addictive.

    Have you tried melatonin? This helps control you sleep cycle. I believe you can buy it OTC.

    Personally, I would try medicinal marijuana. If you have problems sleeping and feeling good the next day, this is your answer. Do you live in a medicinal state? You don't even have to smoke it. You can ingest it. Many people look the other way because it is frown upon (reefer madness!!!). It will be legal in every state (lucky Colorado and Washington) in the future. This combined with exercise and a healthy diet is my best recommendation.

    Wish the best.
     
  13. Hogman

    Hogman VIP Whale

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    Generic ambien is not really expensive just pay cash
     
  14. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    I am scared to even try it.

    Not that I need it but there have been some occasional bouts with insomnia over a period of weeks and I used the melatonin that someone mentioned earlier and also will use Advil PM.

    The horror stories I have read about it are enough to keep me far away from it
     
  15. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    I work night shift and bounce back on my days off to regular day hours. I have very fractured sleep. I used ambien for a while and when first started I had some crazy a$$$ dreams - bizarre. I then switched to Restoril which I like much better. I didn't want to stay on it forever so I quit after about one year of intermittent use. Now I used Benadryl 50 mg as needed. I also downloaded some relaxation apps on my i-phone - It puts me to slip almost instantly and I rarely use Benadryl anymore.
     
  16. klawrey

    klawrey High-Roller

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    I was prescribed Ambien during my chemotherapy because the steroids that were part of my regimen kept me wired so the Ambien helped me fall asleep. That's the key with the drugs, there is "Ambien" and "Ambien CR," the traditional Ambien is designed to treat insomnia by helping you to fall asleep but your body is basically on it's own to keep you asleep while the CR is designed to distribute the drug through the night and help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

    When I was on Ambien, I had some nights that before I would fall asleep that I would almost get a "drunk" feeling and I would call my buddies at like 11-12 at night and shoot the shit. Then the next morning would have no memory of it what-so-ever until they text me asking about the phone call lol. At least, not one of the horror stories of sleep walking and doing dumb stuff.

    I actually miss my Ambien script. I currently have trouble falling asleep because I'm studying for the bar and can't shut my brain off at the end of the night. Doc won't give me a new scrip for it so instead I drink a couple beers and it usually does the trick.
     
  17. pleepleus

    pleepleus 2016 - The monkey is back

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    I have ambien dialed people before and it hasn't been pretty. Now, if I take it, I will make sure my phone is far, far away from me.
     
  18. bardolator

    bardolator Lifelong Low Roller

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    That shit knocks both my wife and me out to the point that we cannot wake up. If someone wakes us up, we're loopy for hours. Almost didn't make an airplane once thanks to Ambien. Not for us.
     
  19. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    The simplest fix for most problems like sleep and energy is not pills but proper diet.

    Never hurts to address that first. Costs very little to do and the benefits can be felt almost right away.

    By diet I dont mean eating celery all day. Imean a well thought out plan where you eat every few hours and give your body the fuel it needs to do the functions you are asking of it.

    It just takes a pencil and paper and then an hour of prep time on the weekend for and entire weeks worth of meals.
     
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