OT: Ambien side effects!!!

[GumbyCT]

FYI- Melatonin is not without its own side-effects, so should not be used by everyone. If you have a history of stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, kidney disease or depression, you should not use it. Just because something is "natural" does not mean it can be used freely by all without a problem. Always read the info carefully first before going to the pharmacy or vitamin/supplement place.
~joan

Absolutely...
fwiw - I always tell my doc about ANY OTC supplements when he asks about my medications. I have them written down so I don't forget

Two people you should always tell the truth to - your doctor and your lawyer.

[ka-ann]

Having insomnia and apnea just make me so tired! I don't know what to do about trying to get some sleep. I took a half of a melatonin last night and was just kind of in and out of sleep. I fought with the mask for 4 hours and finally just took it off. I didn't sleep much the rest of the night even without the mask. I need something to make me sleep so that the mask does not bother me so much. I agree that it is not good to take anything for sleep with cpap but I get so desperate to get some sleep and I know how important it is to use my cpap. After going the rest of the night without the mask my chest and head are hurting this morning.

I just saw my dr last week and was given the Ambien to try to help and I don't go back for 6 weeks. I don't think she is really helpful anyway and it is a waste of money to see her. I find more help here! I think if I can get used to having a mask on my face things will start to get better. I just need to get past that. I may have to do it without any sleep meds but I wonder if the insomnia will get better once the mask is not such an issue??
Thanks for your posts! I truly appreciate your input.
Karen

[dwsupt]

Ambien gave me a wickd 3 days o no sleep when I came off of it. My doctor warned me, but I thought "how bad can it be"? Like I said 3 days of insomnia- WIDE AWAKE, like I was on uppers or something. NEVER AGAIN!

[SleepingUgly]

Karen, you can always find someone who has had a negative experience with any medication. There have been studies done about the effects of Ambien on sleep apnea, and Ambien is given at sleep labs so that patients can sleep. From the standpoint of your sleep apnea, from what I've read (and I'm not a physician), Ambien is fine. Personally I've taken both the short-acting and the CR version, and there's no point to mentioning my side effects because they may not relate to you. So far I am not having withdrawal going out off it cold-turkey (hope I didn't just jinx myself...). I didn't take it for a long time. I took it several years ago and may have had 1-2 nights of rebound insomnia after I went off. But whether you'll have any side effects from it is unpredictable. If you're relatively new to CPAP (I can't remember if you are), and you've been trying for awhile to get used to the mask and not succeeding, you'll have to weigh the effects of continuing not to use CPAP vs. the possible side effects of short-term use of Ambien.

Personally I would not mess with melatonin without a doctor's input. Yes, it can have sedating properties for some people, but it can also help reset your circadian rhythms. So, for example, routinely taking it at midnight because you've been trying to sleep since 10pm may not be ideal. I had thought melatonin was benign but recently am getting new information to suggest it may cause side effects. It is not FDA regulated, can have impurities, etc. I'm actually wondering now if it's the culprit in some symptoms I've had. That's not to say you shouldn't take it. Just do it under guidance from your doctor.

[taberge]

Let it be a lesson to all. NEVER EVER put anything into your body without researching it first. If you do find concerns, please do discuss it with your doctor and pharmacist.

I had my own concerns occur from my sleep study when my doctor told me that I had restless leg syndrome and prescribed Requip. I looked up the syndrome and then looked up the drug. I went back and read the studies because I demand copies of every test performed on me for my own documentation. The first problem I had is that the drug has certain side effects I don't even want to encounter at all. Like one guy posted in the reviews from patients: "Everything was fine until I saw the cat run under the bed. The problem is that I don't have a cat." I went back and read the first study and there were ZERO leg movements. I always sleep in place. I don't usually toss and turn. The second study showed like 55 leg movements. Now, this was the first time with a mask, and that was hard. They made me sleep on the wrong side of the bed that I am accustomed to with me sleeping on my wrong side. The result was that all night long I was automatically trying to turn into my regular sleeping position but being pulled back due to the wiring and hose attachments. The mask itself was a fun ride in that I felt like someone was trying to smother me all night long. I am surprised that I even was able to fall asleep at all. I had to point this out to my doctor and he finally gave in to my argument. I went home and threw that bottle into the trash.

[kteague]

When in life we find it necessary to take a med regardless of the risks, being aware and watching for early signs can usually prevent a bigger problem. Not everybody experiences the known possible side effects. I'm as or more concerned about the unknown ones. I'm on quite a few meds, and working to reduce them, but sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do.

taberge - Interesting experience with the sleep studies and limb movements. It would not be rare to have a discrepancy in limb movements between the diagnostic study and titration if OSA was causing such frequent arousals the movements didn't have a chance to develop and manifest. And, those with mild limb movements may not toss and turn. But your observations correlating your test results with your repeated attempts to change positions then being pulled back by the wires is in my opinion astute. Good example of being in tune with our bodies and not just accepting things that are subjective at face value. The real test for someone in your situation is what happens once at home. If ones sleep is not mysteriously fragile and they feel rested, why would anyone take a med like that? While I think limb movements during sleep are under addressed, I know about these meds because I take them, and hate to think anyone might be prescribed them unnecessarily. Thanks for sharing your story.

[SleepingUgly]

I know this might not be funny to the person who posted it, but I cannot stop laughing about this:

Today, I woke up after taking a sleep pill for the first time. I started in on a number of chores including paying bills when I noticed a new charge on my online credit card bill from 1am. I bought $120 worth of meat from an infomercial. It's non-refundable. I'm vegetarian.

[goose]

After my sigmoid colectomy the doc gave me Ambien for sleep.....After doing the research and noting all the weird side effects I decided that it was ok to use, but not nightly. Now, being an "Old Hippie", weird side effects from drugs can be very fascinating - I'll leave it at that.
I do use the Ambien once in a blue moon. If I've had a few nights where sleep was not what it should be (check the numbers and they're ok), or I'm only getting 5 or 6 hours, on a night where I've nothing to do the next day I'll take one and have a great sleep and be very rested the next day......I've never been tempted to take it twice in a row, so I can't vouch for the side effects I've found in my research - driving a car, killing someone and not knowing, all kinds of bizarre things....

All of us have different reactions to different drugs. As an example, if I have to take any pain meds such as Vicodin or Norco, it takes me about an hour to take the full dose of 2 pills. I can only do 1/2 at a time then wait 15-20 min. to take another half.....if I don't do that and take a whole pill it makes me very nauseous.
When prescribed any drug it is always a good rule to talk to the pharmacist, do research yourself, understand what the adverse indications are, and know what you might expect in a side effect. (don't use mutliple Pharmacies - that way the pharmacist will have a record of all the stuff you're taking - Mine has flagged a few things the doc has prescribed that have adverse indications when mixed!!!!)

My rule of thumb is "Anything in moderation".....
cheers
goose

[famousnick]

I was first introduced to Ambien about 10 years ago when I was traveling frequently to China. I typically had problems controlling my sleep patterns during and for a few days after my return and I used the drug to at least get 5-6 hours of sleep. It was really helpful and I generally was off of it within a couple of nights after my return. About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that required me to take prednisone which really disrupted my sleep. I used Ambien to deal with these sleep issues. I don't take the steroid anymore, but I frequently take Ambien. I've been on CPAP since August 2009 and I've noticed very little imptovement in the way I feel. I've had a problem with headaches, memory, etc. for a good while now and I've been thinking that it because of OSA but I'm now thinking that it may be the Ambien. I've become very dependent upon it. I'd appreciate some feedback on how to wean off the stuff.

Thanks,
Nick

[allen476]

I but I'm now thinking that it may be the Ambien. I've become very dependent upon it. I'd appreciate some feedback on how to wean off the stuff.

Thanks,
Nick

From Medhelp.org

by Roger Gould, M.D., Dec 13, 2005 12:00AM
........blah, blah, blah about what Ambien is.......and then

So taper off ambien the same way you would xanax. do it over three weeks, cutting the dose to minimal in first week, taking minimal dose every two days for second week, then every third day for third week , then stop; repeat for klonopin and valium after.


Allen

[unadog]

So taper off ambien the same way you would xanax. do it over three weeks, cutting the dose to minimal in first week, taking minimal dose every two days for second week, then every third day for third week , then stop;

yeah. Go slowly.

Cut the dose in half. Then after another week or two, cut it in half again. Etc.

At the same time, **stop** thinking that you are taking it to help you sleep!! You also need to break the psychologcal association.

Take the same dose no matter what! Can't sleep? Ambien doesn't have anything to do with that. Do not take a larger dose! Take Tylenol, or whatever other poison helps you ...

Sleeping great? Take the pill anyway. You need to break that mental connection.

I took Lunesta for 3 years before I started CPAP a few months ago. I probably took it 5 nights a week on average. No real problem going off. I have also started and stopped 20+ other meds in the past 12 years that I have been on prescription meds. Just titrate off slowly - you will be fine!

Now, I still have insomnia, but that is a diffrent question!

[unadog]

I cannot stop laughing about this

I thought that was great too!

That wasn't me. But as a former vegetarian, who now has an 11 year old son who's favorite food is steak .... well ... you just can't take youself too seriously, can you?

There is one more on that same site that I will try to find.

Michael

[jules]

tapering by cutting things down over time is the way to go - I would suggest going slower than posted above if you have been on this poison for a long time

yes there will be rebound insomnia - more if you go faster -

and there are possibilities of other withdrawal symptoms beside insomnia

they will fit in the realm of benzo withdrawal symptoms especially if you have ever taken an extended course of a benzo (or have gone off this before) - this is a link below to some of them -

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm

unfortunately I was given lots of valium and dalmane over 30 years ago for headaches and have had to deal with several of these - I knew not to take benzos again but was told ambien wasn't a problem - wasn't a benzo etc. - lies lies and more lies

[SleepingUgly]

Nick, are you on Ambien-CR or the short-acting Ambien? My CR was a capsule and couldn't be cut, so I wouldn't have been able to taper it without a doctor's Rx. My recommendation is to call the doctor who is prescribing it and tell him/her that you want to try going off and ask them how to taper it. They may be able to give you an Rx for the short-acting one, if you take the CR, which you can use to get you over the hump (if there is a hump). Or maybe they can write for a lower dose of what you have and then taper from that point. Everything I've read suggests that the rebound insomnia is not significant with it; although, you can see that anecdotal reports differ. Still, someone is prescribing it for you and they would be the best person to decide how you should go about this.

[GumbyCT]

For those you may need or want to...
On capsules - isn't it possible to open the capsule to cut the dose in half? Well approx. half then.

Ok reducing the dose then maybe even thirds