Heath Ledgers death and ambian

[zorrro13]

Heath ledger is reported to have had side effects to the drug Ambien and the below link quotes Heath talking about Ambien. I use to take a drug called stilnox in Australia to help me sleep but the side effects were so bizarre I had to stop taking it. I actually went to my doctor and asked if i could switch to ambien and he had no idea what it was, being a brand only sold in the USA. Only after reading the article did I realise its the same drug.That stuff nearly sent me crazy!! anybody here had strong side effects to ambien?


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=370790

not sure if the above link will work so maybe someone more savy can help[/url][/i]

[tomjax]

Ambien is a frequent topic here with many posting the wonders of such a geat and effective drug.
Since it is prescribed by their doc, it must be safe and they defend its use.
For many, it is safe and effective when used as directed.
It is for SHORT TERM USE ONLY, but many have a problem getting off it and use it routinely.

For those interested in the dangerous side of it, i would suggest ambien addicts at yahooghroups.
I had my doc write me a rx for some when I wnt over to the UK. I took it then and about twice a year when I am out of town.

Most people are not aware of the bizarre things that happen to some on Ambien.

Those who enjoy it will defend using it.

IMHO, sleep aids are used much too often for people who really do not need them. Good sleep habits willl take care of that.

[LavenderMist]

I will never take Ambien again. It was given to me once in the hospital prior to being dx with osa after not sleeping for 4 days straight and being admitted to ER with chest pains and I ended up sleep walking all night. I actually walked out of the hospital and was crossing the street when my nurse had ran after me and stopped me. She grabbed me hard enough that it bruised my arms and woke me up. When I woke up I was petrified not knowing why I was in the street and had no recollection of walking out of the hospital. That is some scary medicine for me and I'll never take another one.

[dieselgal]

I am not a big fan of sleeping medication but before my diagnosis of SA my Dr. tried me on a few different things, like Trazadone, and xanax. These sometimes make me dozy enough to go to sleep but they seldom keep me asleep so mostly I don't take them. I do have a prescription for Ambien and I had them for over a year before I could talk myself into trying them. I take just 1/2 a pill and even though it doesn't actually put me to sleep it does help me sleep more soundly once I am asleep. I don't have a bad reaction to any of these drugs but then I am also very careful with them and don't use them if at all possible. My elderly mother keeps me pretty straight with meds because I see that she is addicted to sleeping pills etc. She thinks she needs a pill for everything. I don't want to end up that way.
Good sleep hygiene does help and I try that first and foremost. I can usually fall asleep easy enough I just can't STAY asleep and that frustrates the pudding out of me! If anyone has the cure for waking up to toss and turn please let me know!

[Aussiegrouch]

I have had 2 courses of this drug, Stilnox in Australia, and had a very bizarre side effect on the second course.
My wife woke me up about 4.00am and tried to figure how come I was in bed fully dressed.
Apparently I had gotten out of bed, had a shower and fully dressed returned to bed. I had no recollection of the event and I can only thank God that I had returned to bed and not taken off in the car, which has happened to some people.
Needless to say I stopped taking Ambien and have not touched it ever since.

Cheers
Graham

[TossinNTurnin]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=370790

not sure if the above link will work so maybe someone more savy can help[/url][/i]

According the New York Police Department, sleeping pills were found scattered around Ledger's dead body.

I know I read somewhere else that the police specifically said that the pills were NOT scattered around. I read it last night, I wish I could find it now.

Until the coroners report comes back I don't think we'll know what happened.

[WearyOne]

Ambien can have weird side effects. My son (19) had hallucinations when he tried it. Asked me to come in his room so he'd at least know something in the room was real. Obviously, he only took it the one time. (Bed spinning, closet moving, etc.) Last for over two hours! I take it and have no side effects. Taken it for up to a couple weeks at a time various times over the years, but don't take it routinely. (Last time was when I started cpap and had trouble getting to sleep!)

Although sleep hygiene helps and is important, it alone doesn't fix all sleep disorders. Non-24 hour and DSPS are examples. Melatonin can help those, as well as bright light therapy, but even they don't in all cases.

As much as I like Ambien, and have no problems with it FOR ME, I realize that with Ambien or any sleep med, bazaar things can happen to people who take them, and sometimes they don't even do any good anyway. It has to be up to the individual and their doc, weighing any pluses and minuses there may be for that person.

Pam

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

[Slinky]

We are all so different and just never know unless we try a med. Trazodone was HORRIBLE for me, as were a couple of the other low dose antidepressants, antianxiotics, anticonvulsives they used to (and I guess still do) try to pawn off as sleep aids.

Ambien actually works great for me - BUT - I only took it for 7 nights straight and since then I've only used it on occasion: less than 2-3 times a month maximum.

Benadryl worked not quite as reliably but left me rather "hung over" in the AM.

Once I retired, despite all those years of "proper sleep hygiene", what worked best for me, cause I "could" do it, was don't go to bed until I feel sleepy, don't stay in bed more than a 1/2 hour if I can't get to sleep, go to bed when I am sleepy. Obviously, you can't do that as long as you are working!!

And, yeah, I bought into and did the proper sleep hygiene for several years after I retired too before I said to h*ll w/it I'm gonna listen to my body instead of the sleep profession. And I did best that way and still do best that way - BUT - have found since adjusting to CPAP therapy that trying to stay w/in the midnight to 8 AM sleep hours/pattern works fairly well now altho my above rules about sleepy/not sleepy still apply. (Other sleep hours just don't work as well for me).

Ahhh, the joys of retirement!!!!

Has anyone tried Rozarem? I think that is the name of the latest dedicated sleep med. And it is supposed to be not as habit forming or likely to cause the weird effects that Ambien has been reported to do to a few. Lunesta I tried ONCE, a sample my family doctor gave me when I asked about Ambien CR, and it left such a HORRID, LONG lasting aftertaste I wouldn't take that crap again on a bet or if they paid me!! I had asked about the CR 'cause at first Ambien got me to sleep easily BUT was only good for about 4 hours UNLESS I took a straight Tylenol w/it which would then give me 6 hours of sleep, occasionally only 5 hours.

It used to be when I couldn't sleep I'd take an aspirin and it often helped me get to sleep. Since I wasn't aware of any aches or pains I have no explanation for why. My then family doctor said there was NOTHING in aspirin to inspire relaxation and sleep if there was no pain and pitched a fit that I was even taking aspirin at all and should ONLY take Tylenol because of the Crohn's. So I switched to Tylenol and found it also worked to relax me and help me get to sleep despite no aches or pains. Go figure. (And no, I do NOT mean Tylenol PM, I mean just plain Tylenol).

[vrgsph]

I wanted to try Ambien, but my doctor talked me out of it. He went over the side-affects and potential for addiction verses the benefits. He said he would still write me a prescription if I wanted it.

It just didn't feel like a responsible thing to accept with his warnings, so I declined his reluctant offer.

I have found that Melatonin 3mg (from Costco or Sam's) works real well. I take it about 30 minutes before bedtime. I don't know if my confidence in the product actually affects it efficacy -- what I mean is if you believe in something, sometimes it works for that reason.

I have found that if I take it too early, say 1 hour, and don't go to sleep within the 30-minute window, it has no effect. If I take it too late, say 0 - 15 minutes before bedtime, it has no effect.

For me, 30 minutes seems to be the sweetspot.

[Guest]

I was listening to the report on CNN last night, and there was mention that he'd had pneumonia, and was having trouble sleeping. I flashed back to my past few weeks of lung trouble and the inability to sleep. It would have been so easy for me to have made a mistake with all the drugs I was taking, both scrip and OTC.

I very much doubt it was one single factor that killed him. This is very reminiscent of how Jim Henderson (creator of the Muppets) died. As well as a young friend of mine who died that same year, in similar circumstances.

We forget in this day and age that pneumonia and flu CAN KILL and surprisingly they can kill the young and otherwise healthy.

Sadly,
Babs

[vrgsph]

It is a shame that whenever a celebrity dies, drugs are immediately suspected. I understand, though, that he did have a history of drug use (if not abuse).

If the guy died from complications of legally prescribed drugs for an actual diagnosed problem, many will still remember him with a skeptic's eye.
Maybe he had apnea, maybe he pneumonia, who knows.

His death sounds less like recreational drug abuse and more like an overdosing due to a recent sickness (physical or otherwise).

[Lyza]

I am an avid ambien user. I do not take it every single night but probably 3-4 times a week. I've had an ongoing prescription for 2 years now. Am i addicted? probably. Have I purposely, seriously tried to go an entire week, month without it? no. Have I experience withdrawal symptoms when I go several days without it? No. Have I ever experienced hallucinations, sleepwalking, really bizarre side effects? No.

For ME, this drug does it's job, it helps me get to sleep quickly, so I can get some sleep and not fall asleep at work, where that could be disastrous if I were to fall sleepy and screw up at work, since i work at a hospital performing lab tests on patients.

Every person reacts to the same drug differently.. Thats the facts. Do I promote this drug? If someone is complaining about frequent/constant insomnia, I'll suggest them to ask their dr for a free sample/trial to test it out if their dr is willing. Simply because it works for me, And I tell them it might not work for them. Because thats how all prescriptions are. Thats why there are soooo many different brands, configurations of drugs all for the same purpose.. People react differently to different things.

Now would i be poppin some Tylenol PM's AND Ambien? Umm No.... Common Sense people...

[MartyR]

i have used ambien off and on for years. if used to have some wierd side effects such as halllunications, or getting up and eating and not rememebing it...but over al i have thought it was a good product, and when i use it i sleep VERY well.

oddly any time my wife has used it, she hardly sleeps at all....


as far as heath ledger goes...my guess is it will be proven he had many different pills in his body and had a bad reaction...still sad none the less

[packer]

I work with people with alcohol and drug addictions

I think wait and see what tests say

there was mention of anti anxiety meds- benzos [ xanax etc] benzodiazipines
on top of other drugs [ or alone for that matter] can have
very strong effects also

just wait and see- dont assume- very possible a mistake by adding drugs together - maybe he was abusing- who knows??

lesson- be careful what you put into your body Packer

[zorrro13]

I work with people with alcohol and drug addictions

I think wait and see what tests say

there was mention of anti anxiety meds- benzos [ xanax etc] benzodiazipines
on top of other drugs [ or alone for that matter] can have
very strong effects also

just wait and see- dont assume- very possible a mistake by adding drugs together - maybe he was abusing- who knows??

lesson- be careful what you put into your body Packer

Not at all assuming it killed him that's not in my post , but it certainly is interesting to hear about ambian outside of this forum, especially in my case as i unknowingly took it under a different brand name and only found about it through the link I posted.