Ambien?

[emily_in_nc]

Melatonin doesn't help me much when I'm having problems sleeping but probably can't hurt. It has anti-oxidant properties and may help fight cancer.

Read more here:

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/Trea...ment/melatonin

[Pedal Wench]

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.

K- what couldn't you tolerate? I'm one of those who takes it without much incidence, but I want to know what problems to look for.

[VeloVT]

I have had bouts of terrible insomnia (no "medical" cause, but anxiety definitely played a role). I have used Ambien and I think it is *awesome*. When I am having trouble sleeping, I have BOTH trouble falling asleep and tend to wake up at 2am and can't get back to sleep. Ambien will put me out 20 minutes after I take it and keep me out for 7-8 hours. I wake up rested and ready to lick my weight in tigers.

[SlowButSteady]

I spent five years on sleeping pills. My doctor toggled me back and forth between ambien and restoril, changing when one began to lose effectiveness.

I also did various holistic things, herbal teas, home remedies and even took a Reike class and practiced Reike on myself.

My problem was never falling asleep, it was staying asleep. It was waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep. The longer things went on, the more panicky I would be when I woke up and the less able I was to go back to sleep.

Eventually he put me on the Ambien CR (controlled release) but it really didin't help either.

I hated it!!! The whole time I took it, I had a pathologically bad taste in my mouth.

I quit using it when I had severe asthmatic bronchitis (I was afraid I would die if I couldn't wake up while having trouble breathing).

Immediately, the bad taste went away AND I was able to sleep AND not panic when I woke up during the night.

I hope you find a solution, it's truly miserable to not be able to sleep.

[jessmarimba]

Yeesh - I'm up to about 5-6 hours of sleep now but only if I stay up to the point where I am beyond exhausted. But I'm a little more flexible now so it should start to get easier, I think!

[makbike]

I'm using Ambien and it does help me get a good 8 hours of sleep. I don't wake up feeling drugged or "hungover." I just have to make sure I take it at the right time so it is out of my system when the alarm goes off in the morning.

[KnottedYet]

K- what couldn't you tolerate? I'm one of those who takes it without much incidence, but I want to know what problems to look for.

Terrible mental fog and confusion, going into semi-dream states during the day, emotionally labile.

Bad stuff for me, and I had to stop taking it. It made me sleep just fine, but even at half dose I just couldn't shake it off during the day.

[Aggie_Ama]

After my Nanny died my anxiety and depression started to trigger insomnia. I could not sleep through the night, one to two hours and then wake up. I have always been a heavy sleeper so it was horrible. I was about to fall over I was so exhausted. I do not get sleepy off Benedryl so most OTC stuff was out of the question. I did try cutting caffeine out completely, camomile tea, using lavender scents in my room, trying to stay out of the bedroom for anything but sleeping and Lunasom but nothing helped. Finally we figured out my existing anxiety issues were the root and the not sleeping was just amplifying them because I was anxious I couldn't sleep!

I tried Ambien and felt drowsy the next day, I felt worse than if I didn't take it plus I had really vivid dreams including every detail of my Nanny's death, even the hospital smell and how my aunt's sweater felt. I tried Lunesta and woke up even when the dose was increased. Finally my doctor put me on trazadone which was developed as an anti-depressant but puts people to sleep. It doesn't knock me out like Ambien did but it does turn my brain down a notch so I can drift into sleep. I hope you continue to sleep better.

Oh and a funny story but scary story about people doing odd things on Ambien. An old co-worker of mine took it when he went to bed. The next morning he was looking at his bank account and couldn't figure out why he had a charge at the local grocery store from the same day, he hadn't been. He went home and found he had bought 6 bottles of tabasco sauce at 1:30 that morning (according to the receipt). He didn't remember going and said he didn't even like tabasco unless in a bloody mary which he wasn't drinking alcohol until he was off the Ambien.

[trista]

What about Lunesta? I take 1/2 a pill just about every night to cure my insomnia. Puts me right to sleep for the whole night. I feel great in the morning.

[jessmarimba]

Well, it sounds fantastic, but so far they won't give me anything. My therapist has a big note in my file ("patient would like to sleep") but the surgeon just offered to inject a muscle relaxant into my back if I still can't sleep by my follow-up in 2 weeks.

I've decided that I don't care WHEN I sleep anymore. If I'm tired, and I can pass out, it's naptime. I had been trying not to do that believing it would make night sleeping even worse, but I don't care anymore.

Thanks for all of the suggestions though

[Ered_Lithui]

*Hugs.* I got nothin'. I just really hope you can sleep well soon.

[emily_in_nc]

Well, it sounds fantastic, but so far they won't give me anything. My therapist has a big note in my file ("patient would like to sleep") but the surgeon just offered to inject a muscle relaxant into my back if I still can't sleep by my follow-up in 2 weeks.

That's really strange...I had no problems getting an Rx when I told my doc I wasn't sleeping and it was affecting my ability to do my job. And she'll renew it anytime. Fortunately, I haven't needed it for awhile, but it's nice to know that if another super stressful time comes, I can get an Rx. Wonder why your doc is so reluctant to give you a short-term Rx just to get you over the hump?

[Aggie_Ama]

It is odd they won't give you anything, my doctor had no problems giving it to me knowing I needed to sleep. But he wouldn't give me refills or at most one. Not being able to get sleep and desperately wanting sleep is one of the worst feelings I have ever had. It took over my brain, all I wanted, all I begged for was sleep. I just wanted to feel rested. My doctor did tell me if my insomnia continues he would like me to see a sleep doctor but mine is much more of a mental issue, yours seems very much a physical issue.

[jessmarimba]

Just an update...I just found an entire forum on a spine health website dedicated to sleeping problems. I think I'm in heaven.

[malkin]

Nice!