Ambien: good or bad?

[Cutnstuf]

I started using it a little over a week ago. It puts me out for the whole night with no bad side effects. A couple of nights ago, I tried going without it and I just laid there staring at the ceiling all night.

[rd1978]

Thanks to all who responded to my question. I should mention that I have many years of experience taking Ambien (off and on), and have never had anything more than mild side effects -- mostly a little additional difficulty falling asleep for a night or two after I stop taking it. No sleep walking.

What I was really trying to determine was if (for those who can take it without bad side effects) it's OK to take Ambien on a short-term basis to ease the transition when first starting to use a CPAP machine. I believe I got the answer. Thanks.

[mzlaura1884]

I've had ambient prescribed to me by my sleep doctor since being diagnosed and starting cpap in sept 2012. Honestly it helps a lot I'm on 10mg I can go days without taking it though without it being addicting. I do have trouble sleeping without it though I still find narcotics much more addicting.

[MagsterMile]

For what's it worth, I was very hesitant about using Zolpidem (generic). I put myself on a program of using it for 5 nights at a 1/2 dose (.5mg). It seems to have worked for me and now I very seldom have a problem getting to sleep whereas before it could take up to 2 1/2 hrs for me to finally get to sleep. Watch your sleep hygiene closely and become very consistent with your bedtime. I've found that even if I'm not tired at my scheduled bedtime, my body adjusts quickly and I have no problem getting to sleep quickly. If in the future, I start having problems, I'll try my reduced dosage course again.

[fringel]

For me the answer was a qualified "good."

I am one of those people who have issues with getting to sleep as opposed to staying asleep. This was so despite reasonably good sleep hygiene and a consistent bedtime. So I have used either ambien or another sleep medicine that is used with sleep onset issues called Sonata. They both have very short half lives and are out of you body relatively quickly, so my doctor told me that any dependence issues relate to psychological dependence not physical dependence.

Without access to these meds, my adjustment period to the cpap equipment would have been even more difficult than it was and maybe I would have been a non-compliance statistic. Sometimes one needs help with the adjustment. Although this is obviously an individual choice, to me it was more important to get treatment for my severe complex sleep apnea rather than worrying about an unlikely, but possible, dependence issue. I made a conscious choice and I certainly understand those who would weigh the factors differently and reach the conclusion that the potential risk of dependence is unacceptable.

[DJD52]

For me, sleep even before CPAP was sadly lacking. I did all the sleep therapy, and due to
being lucky to sleep for an hr a night, my doctors put me on Ambien cr after trying quite a few
other sleeping pills. Some would help me fall asleep but I was awake in a few hrs.
Ambien cr broke my messed up sleep cycle and I not only fell asleep, I got a good 6-7 hrs sleep.
For years I'd take it only in the winter during the shortest light days and go off it w/o issue.

I used it to start CPAP therapy and I don't think I'd have been as compliant if I hadn't. I'm still using it months later and the doctor said we'll know when it's time to taper back. I'm not worried. Been there, done that.
Whether sleeping pills of any sort are good or not depends on who you are and your situation. Only
a "good" doctor that knows your health issues and medication needs/responses could tell you if you
are one who should not take Ambien, unless you know yourself that you have a hard time tapering off
benzo's/sleeping pills. It's always good to be wary tho. BTW, Ambien was less acceptable to my doctor than Ambien cr.

[Sir NoddinOff]

I've been on this forum for about 1.5 years and have read most of the drug related posts. I'd have to say (a non-scientific poll) that about half the folks end up in trouble with ambien for various reasons and for the other half it's a life saver. It largely seems to depend on how much one uses and how often. How your body reacts to the drug (liver damage, neurological damage). How your personality handles potential drug dependency. How you metabolize the drug. Your age and medical condition. What other drug combos the patient is using. The severity of your sleep deprivation and how effectively ambien (or benzos) relieve your symptoms (ie. RLS or convulsive symtoms). The list goes on and on. It's all seems to relate to the individual. Yes, I've used them at times and I suggest never using more than the bare minimum. They are not approved by the FDA in the US for long term use. However most other countries have approved them for long term usage. Summary: No easy answer.

[49er]

Actually, ambien has alot of physical withdrawal symptoms. So in many cases, it may have nothing to do with your personality or psychological makeup. However, I suspect that a slower taper, which sadly many doctors don't advise, may minimize these symptoms.

Anyway, I stupidly tried it again last night after once prematurely waking up on the machine. Got an additional bleeping 45 minutes which is similar to previous results using it under these circumstances. So for me, it is good riddance.

But I definitely understand if it works for you, why you would want to keep using it.

49er

[jonquiljo]

I've been on this forum for about 1.5 years and have read most of the drug related posts. I'd have to say (a non-scientific poll) that about half the folks end up in trouble with ambien for various reasons and for the other half it's a life saver. It largely seems to depend on how much one uses and how often. How your body reacts to the drug (liver damage, neurological damage). How your personality handles potential drug dependency. How you metabolize the drug. Your age and medical condition. What other drug combos the patient is using. The severity of your sleep deprivation and how effectively ambien (or benzos) relieve your symptoms (ie. RLS or convulsive symtoms). The list goes on and on. It's all seems to relate to the individual. Yes, I've used them at times and I suggest never using more than the bare minimum. They are not approved by the FDA in the US for long term use. However most other countries have approved them for long term usage. Summary: No easy answer.

Yes, the FDA has not approved Ambien for long-term use because 1.) it is obsessively worried about addiction and 2.) I doubt any company has done the trials necessary to get this approval. Clinical trials take a lot of money - and it is so much easier to allow MD's to let you take it "off label" for longer periods of time.

I highly doubt that Ambien gives one liver or neurological damage any more than any other liver-metabolized drug (the most common meds).

Drug dependency is also a relative term. If you take a beta blocker (for instance) you cannot just stop taking it. You become dependent on it and must taper off. SSRI antidepressants are the same - perhaps worse.

The bottom line here is that there are a lot of side effects associated with any drug. Even Acetaminophen (Tylenol) will destroy your liver in (not so) large amounts. I say let the user beware and it is risk vs. reward. I'm not trying to be contrary here, but there are so many assumptions about "bad" drugs vs "good" ones. If I were to worry about anything it is an herbal supplement. You never know what other substances are really in that pill.

[Sir NoddinOff]

I highly doubt that Ambien gives one liver or neurological damage any more than any other liver-metabolized drug (the most common meds).

Ambien (shorthand: Z-Meds) is a pseudo-benzodiazepine (shorthand: Benzo). It is designed to mimic benzo drugs such as Xanax, Lorzapam etc by selectively targeting the GABA receptors in the human body. However, by design it doesn't affect the lower spine to the same extent that benzos are known to do. (This is why, I used parentheses to link benzos and Z-meds in my previous post). In other words there's a well recognized blurry line between Z-Meds and Benzos. The manufacturers of Ambien (or generic zolpidem) maintain it is safer in all aspects and easier to taper off of. Due to the controversy, this is something that Z-med users will have to decide for themselves because clinical scientific evidence is still not conclusive.

My personal experience with a decade of alprazolam-benzo usage however leaves no doubt for me. If I take too much alprazolam (ie. Xanax), I tend to get painful twinges in my groin area after using it for too long a period. Two of my doctors have linked this to my use of alprazolam. Conversely, If I take very little alprazolam all the symptoms completely disappear. For me, It's hard to escape the fact that benzos have caused this neurological damage issue, largely because I can turn my symptoms on and off at will. Is this anecdotal evidence? Yes. Is this certain to happen to everyone who takes benzos? Probably not, but in my previous posts I have tried to point out to the members of this forum that they should be aware of these potential problem.
=============================
Regarding liver damage, this is from Drugs.com and again the evidence is not conclusive, but do you want to roll the dice?
Benzodiazepines (Includes Xanax) - Renal/Liver Disease
Severe Potential Hazard, Moderate plausibility
Applies to: Renal Dysfunction, Liver Disease

Benzodiazepines are metabolized by the liver, and the metabolites are excreted in the urine. Chlordiazepoxide, clorazepate, diazepam, flurazepam and quazepam undergo oxidative N-dealkylation to active metabolites that are substantially longer-acting than the parent compound. These metabolites then undergo further biotransformation to pharmacologically inactive products before excretion by the kidney. Therapy with benzodiazepines should be administered cautiously at lower initial dosages in patients with impaired renal and/or hepatic function. Agents that are converted to weakly active, short-acting, or inactive metabolites may be preferable in hepatic impairment. Lorazepam, oxazepam and temazepam are conjugated to inactive metabolites, while alprazolam, estazolam and triazolam undergo hydroxylation to weakly active or inactive metabolites.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Anyway, I stupidly tried it again last night after once prematurely waking up on the machine. Got an additional bleeping 45 minutes which is similar to previous results using it under these circumstances. So for me, it is good riddance.

49er: Glad you've kicked the sleep aids for good. I agree that Ambien is quite short acting, in spite of all the TV ads shouting "You need to plan for a solid 8 hours of sleep before taking Ambien". Not true. IMO, 2 to 4 hours is the norm for regular Ambien, then 'bam' you are wide awake. This is why they invented Ambien ER extended release (or Zolpidem CR generic)... it releases over an entire night; (well actually about six hours according to everyone I've talked to). NOTE: This is not a covert ad for Ambien or any other sleep drugs... use all of them with extreme caution and only with your doctor's Rx.

[John from Brookston]

I know a lady who takes Ambien and she gets out of bed while asleep and eats. She has gained a lot of weight. She said she wakes up and finds food in her bed. Yuck

And some people wake up on foot away from home, or having sex. I have read about some really weird effects with that drug.
I live alone and and sleep au naturel, so that's a med I definitely will stay away from. I could just see myself taking off down the sidewalk at 4AM and running into another Ambien user and jumping in the bushes with them...

[Pugsy]

I could just see myself taking off down the sidewalk at 4AM and running into another Ambien user and jumping in the bushes with them...

Hey John, are you wishful thinking/dreaming again?

My step dad took Ambien once and rearranged his whole bedroom in the middle of the night and woke up in the shower (not on) buck naked totally lost and did all this in total darkness. He was about 80 years old at the time and very frail (on Oxygen) so the furniture moving was quite a feat in itself.
We never gave him the Ambien again but he also had some dementia issues too and we couldn't blame those on meds...like the time he saw snakes on the floor and was trying to shoot them with his WW2 pistol he brought home from Germany....luckily couldn't get it engaged...so we removed the bullets and made sure the ammo box for refills was locked up and returned the pistol to his night stand.
So I don't know if the Ambien was really to blame for his bizarre episode as it could also have been the dementia. We didn't want to risk it though.

Now me on the other hand...I have taken Ambien off and on for 3 years now on a prn basis and darn it...nothing exciting has happened...boring. No midnight snacks, no driving and not remembering it and darn it...no sex.

[49er]

Anyway, I stupidly tried it again last night after once prematurely waking up on the machine. Got an additional bleeping 45 minutes which is similar to previous results using it under these circumstances. So for me, it is good riddance.

49er: Glad you've kicked the sleep aids for good. I agree that Ambien is quite short acting, in spite of all the TV ads shouting "You need to plan for a solid 8 hours of sleep before taking Ambien". Not true. IMO, 2 to 4 hours is the norm for regular Ambien, then 'bam' you are wide awake. This is why they invented Ambien ER extended release (or Zolpidem CR generic)... it releases over an entire night; (well actually about six hours according to everyone I've talked to). NOTE: This is not a covert ad for Ambien or any other sleep drugs... use all of them with extreme caution and only with your doctor's Rx.

Thanks SNO. I wondered if the extended release form might be better. Something to think about.

49er

[49er]

I would love the rearranging bedroom side effect but not the others that have been mentioned.

I could just see myself taking off down the sidewalk at 4AM and running into another Ambien user and jumping in the bushes with them...

Hey John, are you wishful thinking/dreaming again?

My step dad took Ambien once and rearranged his whole bedroom in the middle of the night and woke up in the shower (not on) buck naked totally lost and did all this in total darkness. He was about 80 years old at the time and very frail (on Oxygen) so the furniture moving was quite a feat in itself.
We never gave him the Ambien again but he also had some dementia issues too and we couldn't blame those on meds...like the time he saw snakes on the floor and was trying to shoot them with his WW2 pistol he brought home from Germany....luckily couldn't get it engaged...so we removed the bullets and made sure the ammo box for refills was locked up and returned the pistol to his night stand.
So I don't know if the Ambien was really to blame for his bizarre episode as it could also have been the dementia. We didn't want to risk it though.

Now me on the other hand...I have taken Ambien off and on for 3 years now on a prn basis and darn it...nothing exciting has happened...boring. No midnight snacks, no driving and not remembering it and darn it...no sex.