Ambien questions

SORRY MODS,PLEASE MOVE IF IN WRONG SECTION,DIDNT THINK,JUST POSTED!................I recently had quad bypass surgery and the recovery time has really messed me up as far as sleep, I am having trouble settling down when its time for bed, I have been using benydril and its actually been working fairly well but dosnt last long and I wake up in a few hours and I cant sleep again until another beny kicks in, I really dont want to make all this a routine so I asked my doc and he wrote me for ambien 10s, I thought ok,great! finally some sleep, then like a dumb ass I decided to research the ambien and all the side effects and the stories of people sleep driving, talking on the phone while asleep and shit like that, I was like great, now I have this shit to worry about!! I dont wanna be pulled over while talking to someone on the phone in my underwear and not be able to remember it the next morning, ok, Im sure all the side affects are rare but I still need to know,so If anyone who is actually taking ambien(as prescribed) please give me some insight on it I would really appreciate it huge! I really need some sleep! Thank you all for all your help in the past! Carl

 

Hi, Carl... Hide your car keys from yourself! lol.... Na, you'll be fine as long as you take it, then stay in bed. It kicks in fast; usually about 15 to 20 minutes and you're feeling it pretty good. If you're worried about first time use, 5mg is usually enough to get you to sleep, but since you're having trouble staying asleep, 10mg isn't going to hurt. Any little hallucinations this med causes are really amusing and nothing scary at all. I'm about to ask for another script for it since my insomnia is kicking up again now that I'm back to work after the holidays. The people who sleep drive and all that are the ones who are taking it, then continuing to be up and around as it kicks in. If you just lay down with some music on, it'll nudge you right off to sleep! Works great every time. I hope it all goes well with your surgery recovery, that's a big one.

 

Moved to Pharms for you

 

use the recommended dosage, and TRY to sleep when you take it. Don't just take it and then stay up, expecting it to knock you out. Take it, and then immediately get into bed and try to fall asleep.

 

I used to be on Ambien, but it totally freaked me the fuck out. Falling asleep was like... an out of body experience almost? Oh, and not to mention I forgot EVERYTHING I had done previously. I have been on just about every sleeping pill there is, and I am finally on xanax 1 mg, which works famously.

 

I am completely against Ambien, at least, Ambien CR. They gave me 12.5 mg Ambien Cr's and keep in mind that I am a 5'8 140lb girl, and I had every horrible side affect possible. Left my college campus driving, overdosed because I forgot I took it, flipped off my top bunk, my roomie saw me hitting my head on my wardrobe... Everything.. I even drove 4 miles the wrong direction once during the time I was taking it, flipped out, was positive that I SAW that I had a flat tire, drove to my bfs, he said it was fine, and I drove home.. I only get flashbacks of the month and a half that I took it. The regular seem to work fine for me, but my mom told the doc not to prescribe ANY for me . Now I cant sleep well EVER... But yeah, crazy stuff can happen with Ambien CR. I literally lost a month and a half of my life to that stuff.

 

yeah I got free access to ambien now because my mom gets it prescribed, and she noticed that it fucks her up and thats how it puts her to sleep. she told me that shit has her sleepwalking at night, like she'll be sleeping and get up to use the bathroom but wont be conscious at all while using the bathroom, she wont even remember using the bathroom, just notices she did the next morning cuz she finds her phone or somethin in the bathroom.

 

Xanax isn't a sleeping medication? Interesting you scored Xanax for a sleep problem. Sure it can help knock you out, but it's not easy to get Xanax prescribed to you, let alone getting it for sleep issues.

 

maybe he couldn't sleep from anxiety

 

Then why wouldn't they have him on an anxiety medication to begin with, instead of giving him medication for insomnia, which isn't the root problem? If he has anxiety, then Ambien or any other sleep meds isn't going to help with that.

 

I think we all know how dumb doctors can be. who knows we could theorize all day, I was just putting in my 2 cents. In actuality, I have no clue nor do I really even give a shit.

 

Mmmmk.

 

actually, perscribing xanax as a sleep medication is fairly common practice. I've know lots of people who had it for that reason- i guess they use it as an alternative to ambien or lunesta which often cause the "sleep walking" aka-getting fucked up

 

^I am prescribed Xanax, and have never heard of it being prescribed for that...

Xanax has too many side effects to just be thrown around as an off-label sleep med. I haven't even been able to find any indication anywhere on the internet that Alprazolam is prescibed as a sleep med for off-label use.

It's usually the last resort medication for extreme cases of anxiety, because of the side effects and addiction potential. Are you aware that Xanax has VERY bad WD's?

I really can't see this being prescribed to someone who can't sleep....it's hard enough to get it prescribed for what it's actually used for.

Unless the doctor is just a pill-mill doctor, that is.

If anybody else has experience in being prescribed Xanax for sleep problems, and not just know people who do, I would like to hear about it, and would like to hear the reasoning behind your doctor prescribing it.

Not to mention, Xanax isn't meant to be taken long-term, unless it's seriously needed. Most doctors take patients off it after 8 or so weeks.

 

^ I agree with everything you said, I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise. I was just saying that I've heard about it used for sleep.

My exgirlfriend was perscribed xanax for sleep-- she used to slip me a few every now and then.

 

I want to let it be known that they tried putting me on EVERYTHING before realizing that I was thinking way too much before falling asleep and that it wasn't that I wasn't tired, if that makes sense?
I have been on trazodone, ambien, lunesta... you name it, I've tried it. And finally they tried xanax because I do have anxiety problems (but do not want to go on a benzo, because then it probably wouldn't work for sleep) and I constantly think people are going to break into my house and what have you... because of my unique sleeping problem, that is why I am on xanax. And if you've ever heard of restoril, it's a sleep medication that is a benzo... just thought you should know....

 

Have you tried herbal remedies of any kind? Valerian, melatonin, and kava kava all have sleep inducing properties and are much less detrimental to the body's energetic and detoxifying systems than are pharmaceuticals like Ambien and Lunesta, etc. etc.

If you do end up experimenting with the Ambien, you might keep in mind that it's usually only people susceptible to hypnotic and/or subliminal suggestion that aren't the best candidates for its use. If your insight into and connection with your subconscious mind is non-existant or minimal (no or limited dream recall, unconscious neurotic mannerisms and/or a strong connection with the societal status quo would all be good indicators), you're likely to experience adverse reactions to Ambien along the lines of sleep walking. Ambien also has detrimental effects on one's energy and inhibits the body's detoxification system. Aside from these major drawbacks, Ambien is probably the most effective widely distributed anti-insomnia medication on the market. Ideally, it would be used to temporarily pacify the effects of insomnia until the root cause can be found and eliminated. Long term use would decrease quality of life, but based on your circumstances it sounds like that wouldn't be a likely development.

I'd recommend trying a very small dose to begin with, perhaps something like 2.5 milligrams (cut/break pill in half if necessary) and then make sure to follow dosage instructions (i.e. get to bed ASAP). If necessary, you can gradually increase the dosage until it induces sleep. This way, you'll be able to determine whether or not you're susceptible to the side effects while still maximizing the possibility of overcoming your insomnia.

Travis

 

Interesting.
So do you associate dreams purely with the subconscious?