Ambien?

[channlluv]

After Heath Ledger's overdose was tied to Ambien, Jack Nicholson said in an interview that he had been on Ambien, too, and had actually had an incident when he woke up a couple of hours after going to bed and he was driving his car down a very twisty-turny-over-the-cliff kind of road near his home, and he never touched the stuff again.

I hope you can find another solution.

Roxy

[KnottedYet]

I took Ambien for 2 weeks, and it was rather terrifying.

I'd prefer to never take it again.

Try a hot shower, hot buttered rum, warm milk, s*x, or something, before Ambien.

[Zen]

I took Ambien, slept quite well and without incident.

[Pedal Wench]

I took Ambien, slept quite well and without incident.

Me too. I only use it when I'm anxious and anticipate a problem that night. So, for me, occasional use hasn't been an issue, and I really feel okay the next day - better than if I hadn't slept well.

[Blueberry]

Benadryl? It's not totally without risks, but if it works for you, it's much gentler than most of what you're looking at. I find that when I'm having trouble sleeping, dropping the temperature, avoiding much liquid before bed - and yes, a small alcoholic drink can all help.

[Possegal]

Benadryl?

I doubt that will be of any help since she's already tried Tylenol PM. The PM part of that is benadryl (25 mg of diphenhydramine).

I hope you find relief soon. Perhaps it is worth talking to someone that specializes in sleep as your issue seems to be very specific. There are lots of reasons for sleep disorders, and for me that means lots of ways to handle it. I feel your pain because although I've never been a 'good' sleeper, I went through a period where I woke up every dang morning at about 2AM. Mine was depression and the minute the antidepressants kicked in, I slept through the night. There may have been other meds that would have helped me sleep, but this adressed the real issue. Hence why I think it wouldn't hurt to find someone that maybe will take an interest in trying to help you with the cause.

I have no real answers, just lots of sympathy. I hope you feel better soon and get a full night's sleep soon too!

[zoom-zoom]

Me too. I only use it when I'm anxious and anticipate a problem that night. So, for me, occasional use hasn't been an issue, and I really feel okay the next day - better than if I hadn't slept well.

+1. I have a standing 10mg. script, but I frequently cut the pills and take 5mg, as needed. Usually that works pretty well. When I take 10 I am more likely to do silly things like sit back at the computer and type goofy stuff that I don't remember the next AM (for some reason I like to start messing with Photoshop after taking Ambien. ) or raid the fridge. But it beats not sleeping and being unable to function. I have no issues with Ambien hangover or truly scary behaviors or side-effects. Mostly it feels like having a few beers or wine without the calories.

[solobiker]

I had trouble sleeping for over 1.5 years before I went to the Drs with c/o not sleeping. (I am kind of stubborn) I tried all sorts of things including natural sleep aids. Nothing seemed to work at all. They tried me on Amatriptyline for sleep. I had an alergic reaction to that where my throat closed up on my. Not a fun experince at all. He then put me on Ambien. I tried it for a bit and it did work, however I started to not feel very well during the day. I was dizzy, light headed and felt like I had the flu so I no longer took that. I also started to have a hard time talking at times and with word finding..
I did some research and talked with a friend and now I take on a rare occasion Calms Forte which seems to help...I also stepped down from a rather stressful positoin at work. PM if you have any questions because I do know how it feels not to sleep. I was sent on a sleep study at the end of last year and the results were... "YOu don't sleep at all"..gosh, tell me something I didn't already know. The rest of the results were that I never entered REM sleep and I woke up over 19 times per hour. So needless to say I feel your pain. Just don't wait like I did.

[moonfroggy]

i have pretty sever insomnia which is i think part of some pretty sever ptsd i also have. i take Valerian to help me sleep and it really works quiet well and has less side affects than the various prescriptions i have tried over the years. i have never tried ambien. also i sometimes take benadryl when i am having a lot of trouble with sleep and it really makes me sleep. benadryl doesn't work for everyone some people get hyper on it. definitly speak with a doctor. actually it was my doc that told me about valerian when i got sick of all the prescriptions.

[wnyrider]

I still am not sleeping through the night because of my back (9 weeks! ...

... I was sent on a sleep study at the end of last year and the results were... "YOu don't sleep at all"..gosh, tell me something I didn't already know. The rest of the results were that I never entered REM sleep and I woke up over 19 times per hour. ...

Long story short... I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. The insomnia may or may not be a result of that. My body may have been conditioned to keep me aroused to enable my breathing. On the other hand, because of health issues, my sleep position has been altered which may have contributed to the apnea symptoms. My new MD steered me into a Sleep Study. My constant fatigue and mental complaints were what prompted him to consider Apnea.

I use a CPAP/APAP machine now. This is not to say my insomnia is completely cured. I still work to recondition my body for sleep. For example, I consciously re-focus my thoughts to deep breathing into my abdomen or relaxing body parts. It is like a bad habit and you have to concentrate on breaking those contributing traits. I will say that I feel much more mentally refreshed and my body feels much better since using the breathing machine. I can feel the difference when I don't use it. It is the lack of oxygen that effects me in so many ways. I have hypopnia more so than apnea.

If you are able to have a Sleep Study I would definitely do one. It is direct method of examining your sleep patterns. It is something concrete that you can cross off your list in trying to find out the cause of your problem.

[malkin]

I took Ambien, slept quite well and without incident.

Brewer and me too.

[emily_in_nc]

I took Ambien, slept quite well and without incident.

Ditto. The key is to take it right as you are getting into bed. Don't take it and then piddle around the house or (heaven forbid) go anywhere, drive, etc.... Also, for my body weight (105ish), I split each pill in half, which also saved a bunch of $ and had the same effect (zzzzzzzzzzz) I don't take it anymore, but it was a lifesaver in getting me through a couple of rough patches in the past when I just couldn't fall asleep due to my mind going over and over things, no matter if I did everything else right to prepare myself for a good night of sleep. Lunesta also worked well for me but was a lot more $$$$ than generic Ambien.

I have fast metabolism so pills don't last all that long on me, so I did still tend to wake up too early on Ambien. Considered asking for Ambien CR (continuous release) but was scared that might give me a hangover, so I never bothered. For your situation (staying asleep), the CR version may be just the ticket to helping you to wake less during the night.

Good luck! Waking up over and over and being uncomfortable is no fun.

[badger]

melatonin works very well for me, though I've read some conflicting reports on its safety. I just take it when I need it or when I'm traveling.

Valerian does work well, but sometimes I find there's a bit of a "hangover" the next morning.

I must be weird, because GABA actually makes me agitated. My face would get all tingly, and I get a weird sensation/taste in my mouth. I once took it to sleep and as I drifted off suddenly bolted upright with my heart racing and feeling rather frightenend. I didn't put two and two together until I took GABA again a few nights later with the same result. I guess we're all wired differently!

5-HTP's supposed to be good for insomnia, too.

[malkin]

Ditto. The key is to take it right as you are getting into bed. Don't take it and then piddle around the house or (heaven forbid) go anywhere, drive, etc.... .

ABSOLUTELY!

Do not take Ambien and then stay up waiting to go to bed until you feel sleepy!
Just go to bed.

[KnottedYet]

My doc told me to take it IN bed, and not to get out of bed until morning.

Which I did.

But I couldn't tolerate Ambien.