Ambien problems

I'm really sorry to hear about the circumstances Ambien has caused you. I guess it's different for everyone's body. One of my friend's reacted the same as you did. However, I've tried it and it doesn't affect me at all...it doesn't even put me to sleep. I've also tried xanax and everything over the counter imaginable to help me get some sleep, but to no avail. If you want to keep in touch use my email smiedke@houston.rr.com because I normally just read these entries without responding but yours touched me so I wanted to respond.

I take 1/2 of a 10 MG ambien pill on a regular basis when I wake up about 5:30AM, can not get back to sleep and need about 11/2 hours of more sleep. It works and I am not drowsy afterwards. Does anyone else follow this practice? Is there much risk to this practice?

I started taking ambien 6 years ago, stated out with 5 mg of the drug. After about 6 months of taking nightly started on 10 mg I should have investigated before hand but it was the only new sleep drug on the market at the time for severe chonic insomina.(night worrier,took 1 hour to fall asleep and slept 4-5 hours) Now after 6 years I have taken 2 tablets of 10 mg most nights. I discontinued use of this very addicting drug and my doctor wants my to go to AA, but I am not to sure. Well any way I havent slept but one hour a night for almost 2 weeks. I know this drug has affected my ablility to sleep again on my own. I am really scared. I had to quit my job, I noticed after a while it become my only thought, It changed my personality, and caused many problems in my marriage, I have done some very bizzare things, sleepwalk eat, drive, tell my husband some mean, horrible things, that I can never take back.
I dont balme the drug entirely, but it is so addicting for so many because the finally get the sleep they have been missing for so many years to be able to work and raise a family that want it to continue the same way forever. The people it still works for long term be grateful. for those looking on the longivity of sleep it starts out usually give you adaquate sleep for up to 6-7 hours but as you take it you need more to get that same quality, but then it does the opposite after a while and poops out and your probably only getting 4-5 hours now, which for many this is why they stated it to begin with.
I hope many of you really understand what is happening. I now more research is needed.

On Oct 25 I drove my suv into a fence and hit a tree and now the state trooper wants to charge me with a DUI. I do not remember anything. I took a 12.5 mg of Ambien and went to bed around 6 pm and did'nt wake up until I was at the hospital and that was around 1230 am. I told the doctor in the ER and the state trooper that I took Ambien and the doctor understood but the state trooper has his doubts. I have been in contact with a law firm in New York that is handling a Ambien law suit so they told me they would call me this week and let me know what else I need to do.

I took my last ambien 5 weeks ago and have slept maybe a total of 15 hours in 5 weeks. I had to quit my job, and I may lose my house. I was talking to my thearpist today, I was diagnosed bi polar about 3 years ago, Now I have no signs or symptoms left. We have booth come to the conclusion it was the ambien. I am no longer taking meds for this now. Ambien made me a horrible person changed my personality. It almost ruined my marriage. I will be going to see a sleep specialist soon and I am hoping we can get me sleeping again. I may have to go on xyreme to help heal the GABA receptors that the ambien destroyed. I am not sure many of you know, ambien works on a part of the brain known as the gaba receptors and mostly "a" of the receptors it works similar to a benzo. If used for a prolonged period of time the brain will stop producing this sub unit in the receptors and hince you loose your own ablity to sleep. It takes months for it to heal and possibly longer. I hope people educate themselves more.

Lavelle wrote:

My boyfriend has been taking Ambien and he too has the midnight raids in the kitchen. Worse is his AGRESSIVE behavior that he doesn't remember the next day. He has threated to kill my cat and has pinched me. I am starting to fear for my life due to this drug. HELP.

I stopped taking it because of the amnesia associated with the medicine. I think they should take it off the market. I have osteoperosis and fell one time and had no memory of it.

I am glad you took yourself off it. I had memory loss the few times I did take it. You take care of yourself.

Melinda wrote:

I took my last ambien 5 weeks ago and have slept maybe a total of 15 hours in 5 weeks. I had to quit my job, and I may lose my house. I was talking to my thearpist today, I was diagnosed bi polar about 3 years ago, Now I have no signs or symptoms left. We have booth come to the conclusion it was the ambien. I am no longer taking meds for this now. Ambien made me a horrible person changed my personality. It almost ruined my marriage. I will be going to see a sleep specialist soon and I am hoping we can get me sleeping again. I may have to go on xyreme to help heal the GABA receptors that the ambien destroyed. I am not sure many of you know, ambien works on a part of the brain known as the gaba receptors and mostly "a" of the receptors it works similar to a benzo. If used for a prolonged period of time the brain will stop producing this sub unit in the receptors and hince you loose your own ablity to sleep. It takes months for it to heal and possibly longer. I hope people educate themselves more.

Hey to the person who got dui becuase of ambian, I think the medicine should be taken off the market myself. The few times I took it my daughters had to tell me how I acted with it. I had no memory of anything after taking the pill. It didnt even make me feel groggy. Good luck!

My boyfriend took it last night and was talking non stop gibberish for 5 hours straight - he slept ate/walked, tried to go to the store (without clothes), and only stayed asleep for 5-10 minutes at a time. He woke up and thought the drug worked great, had no idea he was sleep walking/eating/talking most of the night. I wonder how many people who live alone think this drug works great actually aren't sleeping!

I feel so much better now that I have found this site. I honestly thought that I was losing my mind. I have been taking Ambien for awhile now and my husband has been telling me things that I dont remember doing. I too have taken more than one dose in the middle of the night, I have drove to the store and wrecked on the way back home, I have drank liquor that was in the house and I NEVER drink liquor, I have had sex with my husband on several occasions and have no memory of it. I wake up brused and hurting all over because I had fallen sometime in the night. I wake up with food in my bed, wrappers left all over the house, burn holes in my pillows, etc. All these things I have no memory of doing. It has gotten to the point that my husband hides my keys, my cigs just so he can get some sleep, which doesnt work very well because he is always up, for as long as he can stay awake, watching over me making sure I dont hurt myself or burn the house down.
This is a scary drug if you can allow yourself to have sex with someone and never know it until you are told. I am stopping this medicine and am talking to my doctor today about it. I have called her several times to see if my actions were the result of Ambien but I always get the "I dont see how it could be. Ive never heard of anyone having these types of problems with this drug." Today I am going to make her listen to me and I am going to tell her everything that I have put my body through without even knowing. I may end up in a mental ward by the time Im done but they have to become aware of what this drug is doing to people. For those of you still on it GET OFF IT. There are other ways to get a good nights sleep without putting yourself, family and others in danger. To the pregnant lady, please stop taking it. I cant understand why that would even be a question in your mind after ready what this drug does to adults, can you not imagine what its doing to your little baby? Call your doctor and get something different.
Best of luck to you all!

I find it hard to believe a (competent) doctor would prescribe a hypnotic with those kind of long term effects on your neurons to a pregnant woman. In addition to getting off the drug, I would drop that doctor as well.

*******THIS IS A LONG LONG MESSAGE BUT VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT*******
American Ambien is the most dangerous, psychosis inducing drug I've have ever encountered. By "encountered" I mean I know people who take all kinds of illegal drugs and I've NEVER seen anyone behave in the manner that American made Ambien makes one behave.
I've been off it for 2 weeks now. I will spare some of the details but I was so addicted to it that I'd do just about anything to get it and that included going to other countries to get it. On the medication I would sleep for a couple hours, pop up and get another... up to 40 mgs a night just to get a full 8 hours of "sleep" in.
I took the American made brand name when I had it and all kinds of strange things happened. Crazy assed phone calls to people at all hours of the night, waking up the next morning finding food splashed all over the kitchen, broken dishware, etc. I'd been sleep walking for quite some years but the "psycho" stuff started about a year ago. Running around outside mostly naked in the middle of the night, throwing stuff (like jewelery, pictures, etc.) out into the yard, etc. You name it, I did it. All with no recollection.
On the generic ambien from other countries this never happened which is the ONLY reason I figured out that it was the Ambien, not my BiPolar II disorder, that was causing it. I thought the BP-II was getting worse but it wasn't that at all, it was the Ambien.
There were several incidents over the last year that led me to tell my doc I need off of the crazy train. I ended up in the ER 4 times --- they thought I was drunk and I let them think that, didn't want to admit it was the Ambien as I, of course, didn't want my supply cut off.
In the last 3 months I managed to get 3rd & 4th degree burns on my hand while "sleep-cooking" soup while taking American Ambien. Not even a week later I tossed jewelery and precious pictures and personal belongings all over my yard in the middle of the night (thankfully a friend who knew I was in trouble with Ambien helped retrieve everything... took 3 days to do), slept walked to the point where I was black & blue from my shoulders to my ankles from bamming into things (assumedly, I was sleeping so don't know for sure). There are just TOO MANY THINGS TO MENTION here.
Fortunately my M.D. is a very close friend of mine and has been for 23 years. Don't ask why I didn't tell him about all these things and the link to Ambien. Any person with an addiction will tell you (well, maybe not...???) that they don't want their supply cut off so they won't tell their doc. I did and I told him I tested taking the American stuff for a couple days, then the imported stuff for another couple days. This over a 6 month period. I kept a log. This crazy psychotic behavior ONLY occured on American Ambien.
I called him and told him to tell the pharmacist not to give me anymore. Being crafty as any other addicted person I had a whole variety of sources to get my paws on it anyway so I took it upon myself to tell every single one (pharmacies) not to give me anymore, not even one pill (as they will often do if you run out).****PLEASE READ NEXT POST TO CONTINUE****

**** CONTINUED *****

My doc put me on 30mg Dalmane (a very old drug that doesn't cause psychosis). Guess what, not one single second of psycho behavior since. Sleep through the night, wake up refreshed, and no sleep walking/eating/phonedialing at all! PLUS, a big bonus... Ambien is about $175.00 for 45 pills. The Dalmane is $8.87 for 30. That's a savings of $165.00 a month right off the top. But, I was taking more than any 45 a month at the end. I would sleep walk and take more without knowing it. I safeguarded myself by putting 5 in a vial and having my neighbor keep the rest at her house so I couldn't take too much. I'd get up the next day and all 5 were gone with no recollection of taking them. Then she'd tell me about calls she'd gotten at 3 or 4 in the AM begging her to bring me the bottle back. Again, no recollection.
I pour out my experience as I know other people RIGHT NOW that are entering this phase of what Ambien ultimately does. One is at the point of falling down the stairs at night, awakening all black & blue, trashing the kitchen with sleep-cooking, and sleep snacking more Ambien pills throughout the night... all with no recollection. He's yet to do the "psycho" stuff that I've done (and yes... we're talking psycho... the tip of the iceberg is running around mostly naked in my backyard) but I know it's just around the corner but he refuses to tell his doctor as he doesn't want to be cut off.
PLEASE HEED THE WARNING!!!! PLEASE!!!!

LEE wrote:

<quoted text>
WELL OCT 25TH WAS WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, AND ENDED UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH BROKEN RIBS AND A PUNCTURED LUNG, BEEN ON AMBIEN CR FOR ABOUT A MONTH , COUDN'T SLEEP, GOT UP FOR WORK, TOOK A DIFFERENT ROAD , WAS DRIVING FAST, LOST CONTROL , HIT A PARKED CAR & THE CORNER OF A HOUSE. DEVESTATED, HAS TURNED OUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. ON SHORT TERM DISABILITY
WOULD LIKE TO HOLD THE DRUG COMPANY RESPONSIBLE, BUT I GUESS I'M DOUBTFUL. I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A DREAM LIKE STATE WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED.

I'm quite surprise you can even remember it. Most of the stuff happens sleep "walking", in your case sleep "driving". There have been very few times I remember doing things. Vague recollections of crazy phone calls I've made after people told me about them but my response was always "you're kidding! I dreampt that, I didn't really call you!". Yeah, right. Now I know better. Well, I'm glad you or someone else isn't hurt bad over that! I'm very thankful for that and wish you well!

I was concerned enough about my reactions to Ambien to seek this forum just as many of you have. My problems are not as serious as some but certainly as troubling to me as many of yours are. The problems I am encountering come after I have been taking the medicaton (10 mg) for about 3 years. The terrific food craving is very disturbing and dangerous because I must ascend and descend an open stairway weaving all over the place, but also my restless leg syndrome has reappeared with a vengence. This is something I had suffered from for 30 years and it disappeared when I started taking Ambien and so was doubly pleased with the effects of Ambien in the first years because not only did I sleep 6-8 hours nightly, there were no longer the painful leg tremors.

Something nmentioned in one of the above posts mentioned the American version of Ambien being a problem. Well, I have changed to a mail order supplier rather than going to the local Walgreens so will go back to Walgreens to get my next supply and see if I encounter the same problems. Right now I am extremely leery of taking the Ambien I have because I am so miserable every night. Little sleep and stressful eating needs as well as restless legs.

Mary wrote:

I was concerned enough about my reactions to Ambien to seek this forum just as many of you have. My problems are not as serious as some but certainly as troubling to me as many of yours are. The problems I am encountering come after I have been taking the medicaton (10 mg) for about 3 years. The terrific food craving is very disturbing and dangerous because I must ascend and descend an open stairway weaving all over the place, but also my restless leg syndrome has reappeared with a vengence. This is something I had suffered from for 30 years and it disappeared when I started taking Ambien and so was doubly pleased with the effects of Ambien in the first years because not only did I sleep 6-8 hours nightly, there were no longer the painful leg tremors.
Something nmentioned in one of the above posts mentioned the American version of Ambien being a problem. Well, I have changed to a mail order supplier rather than going to the local Walgreens so will go back to Walgreens to get my next supply and see if I encounter the same problems. Right now I am extremely leery of taking the Ambien I have because I am so miserable every night. Little sleep and stressful eating needs as well as restless legs.

Mary, it was I who referred to the foreign and therefore, generic Ambien, known as Zolpidem.

The restless legs, neuropathy, and aching in joints I've never mentioned but it did occur to me and is gone now that I'm off Ambien. I don't know for sure if it was a side effect or a coincidence. Haven't heard that much on the subject.

On the issue of the foreign vs. American Ambien. If your mail order shows up and the pills are identical to the script you get at Walgreens (i.e.: Ambien on one side of the pill, 10 mg on the other) it is the same thing, American Ambien. I wouldn't take American made Ambien again if it were the last sleeping pill on EARTH or in the entire galaxy for that matter.

If it shows up in plastic push pill dispenser labeled Zolpies, Zolt, or plain old zolpidem tartarate, or something along those lines, it's the generic. The generic for me didn't cause the psychosis and sleepwalking BUT the RLS and neuropathy in my feet were still present AND they have the same very short active half life so they don't put you out for a good 6 hour sleep.

I have theories on my the generics don't have the same horrible effects as the brand name... one is the binding agent. WAY too long to go into here.

I don't have a single pill here anymore. The stuff my doc gave me now works for me and no psychosis or sleep eating. Nothing like that. If you can get away from the Ambien, get away from it.

I warn EVERYONE. That drug can and DOES catch up to you eventually. I get e-mails from people all the time and non shock me as I've been through it. Took me a good 7 years before the really psychotic stuff started kicking in but others have taken it just a few times and it happened.

I've test "driven" both American Ambien and the generics and the diff. is in the way it breaks down in the body.

I took ambien for a few years but quit 4 years ago.
I also took lunesta and sonata (sonata is ok occasionally).

I was lucky nothing drastic happened but I did injure myself on the ambien, i became cross, and it is not real sleep, i woke up 4 hours after I took it. It took me many months to recover from the addiction, many many months. Mothers, fathers, responsible people cannot take this drug, pure and simple. You are putting the life of others in danger. Things can happen at night and on ambien, you will be in no shape to respond.

Zopiclone is effective but equally addictive. Sonata is mild, but not
effective if taken every night.

SLEEPING PILLS DO NOT GIVE YOU A GOOD NIGHT OF SLEEP. ALL SLEEPING PILLS, no exception. You will wake up a few hours after taking a sleeping pill and will want to take another one. Your body knows when and how to sleep. You are depriving your body of its hability to do this when you take this junk.

I have learned the hard way that our body is made to heal itself, and you have to let it do its job. Sleeping pills are a bit like laxatives but a lot more dangerous. if you take laxatives every day, your body will no longer know how to function, right? it's the same with sleeping pills.

As for ambien, it puts people in a coma and who on earth is profiting from this to a point of putting the whole population in danger?

Pilots take ambien, you know. Be warned because it's only a matter of time...

Wow, I am so glad I am not the only person loosing my mind while taking ambien. As you can see its 1:45 am and I cant sleep. I ran out of my ambien and got snowed in for three days. If this little pill not addicting WHY CANT I SLEEP? I hope things are looking up for you. Good luck & Merry Christmas from Oklahoma!
Mrs Lambert

My experience...was prescrbied Ambien to specifically help counter the effects of SSRI-induced insomnia, although I've dealt with insomnia my whole life. I got right to sleep with Ambien. One night I forgot I had already taken one (10mg) and apparently took a second (I realized later when I added up the number of pills in my bottle). My husband told me the next day that I was seeing mice in the hallway (that were not really there) and acting strange but aware. I do vaguely remember hallucinating once in my bed: the bed posts started wobbling and morphed into my daughter's face. OK, so I hallucinated on 20mg, never made that mistake again. But, I have since taken 10mg, or even just 5mg, and only occasionally--NOT every night (maybe 2x a week). The thing I'm noticing is daytime somnolence. I just tried Ambien CR...the somnolence is even worse. I took one pill, 12.5 mg, two nights ago, and I've barely been able to function the last two days...sleeping constantly and totally unmotivated. I haven't done the nighttime eating thing or sleep driving, but the hallucinations I did experience make me wonder if others are taking more Ambien in the middle of the night and experiencing these extreme behaviors and subsequent amnesia.