Ambien?

[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.

[itself]

More recently I tried two products from Pure Encapsulation:

L-Tryptophan
Gaba

To my surprise both work amazingly well. The Gaba calms the anxiety beautifully.

Hope this helps!

[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.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks a bunch guys! I actually did a little research last night and I guess Ambien is supposed to help you fall asleep, but doesn't really help you stay asleep. It'd probably have the same effect as the Tylenol PM, where I pass out fine but wake up feeling really drugged about 10 times a night anyway.

Pretty sure I can't stay asleep because I'm not allowed (and really physically just can't) sleep how I'm comfortable. Hopefully the doctor will be able to help today. Or maybe after a few weeks of PT (soon!) I'll have the core strength to roll over in my sleep again

[Possegal]

Yeah, you definitely have a distinctly different reason for your sleeping problems than what most of us here have likely experienced. So odds are what has worked for us, may not be what would work for you. I'm assuming you've tried muscle relaxants, given that your problem is ultimately your back? That was the first thing I thought of when you describe what is happening. Wondering if the muscle relaxant would put you into a deeper sleep and by nature of the relaxing of the muscles, cause you to move less while asleep. Just sort of thinking out loud.

When I injured my knee, sleeping was hard because I had this fear of what would happen when I slept and moved while asleep. I found that sleeping on my couch, where I was less able to toss and turn, actually helped me. Though I suppose sleeping on a couch had its own sleep problems too. I never actually had the problem that when my body was trying to toss and turn, it woke me up because my body couldn't do it. So not really much of a comparison. But that's the closest I've got.

[ClockworkOrange]

Hi Jess

I can't come up with any solution but hopefully your doctor has.

Now, you are doing well despite the sleep problem, I do believe you are now through the worst 2 months?

The comment about light at the end of the tunnel, well, there's loads of it.

I also agree that sitting is quite literally a pain. I'm missing the hospital bed where I could prop myself to 60 degrees without wearing the brace.

The hardest thing i've had to do, I think, is change clothes. I need a shirt UNDER the brace, which involves a bunch of logrolling back and forth to pull down correctly.

See, you've come on heaps, am sure you will get into a regular sleep pattern soon.

Clock

[OakLeaf]

Medical marijuana is legal in Colorado. Will your doctor give you a script? That should help with both the pain and the insomnia.