I’ve been on it for 3 years - you might try what I did recently and break those 10s in half. I found doing so to be just as effective, and I double my prescription while worrying less about tolerance.
I haven’t noticed any building resistance to the drug. For my part it works nearly every time. The only time I have issues is when there is a mix up and my prescription doesn’t get filled (usually it’s insurance that is the problem). When it first happened I went through withdraw, which entailed going immediately back to not being able to sleep just like I was at before I started taking the drug. It’s pretty miserable, since for the first couple nights I dont sleep. At all.
I actually started a thread in GQ about is years ago when it happened. That’s how I found out it’s addictive, and that the withdrawal, for me, is sleeplessness until it’s either out of my system or I start taking it again. If I tried to do what you do, and only take ot on week nights, I wouldn’t sleep at all on the weekend.
I’ll give that a shot. I read that taking more doesn’t help. It doesn’t do anything to me anyway…taking two pills does t make me sleep any better than one
If *staying *asleep is your problem then Amatryptilene might help you depending on your Doctor
Since I started amatryptilene I can go back to sleep after getting up for a whiz or what have you whereas in the past I’d be up for the day…amatryptilene saved me
Ambien seldom put me to sleep, but it did give me dandy waking hallucinations. Can’t remember the dosage I was taking (it was back in 1996, after all), but I do remember getting out of bed and trying to act on them.
Once, I thought the ceiling had turned to cloth and was coming down, and I was trying to catch it. Another time, I thought I saw little soldiers rappelling down my husband’s face, and I reached out to touch them. Mind you he was dead asleep at the time and rather shocked by his abrupt waking and my excuse thereof!
I do believe that was the precise time when he told me he didn’t want me to take it anymore. As it didn’t help me sleep anyway, that was fine by me.
I am certainly dependent on it. Addicted? No. I take one pill per day. I take a low dose of delayed release, and I have never had to increase my dose. I do not sleep if I do not take it, but I have experienced no other withdrawal symptoms. I did not sleep consistently before I started taking it, so there is little change there. I would rather not take it every day, but I prefer to sleep consistently even more. If dependence is the price to pay for consistent sleep, I accept.
I have tried a wide variety of remedies, from tea, sleep hygiene routines, regular massage, diphenhydramine, etc. None were reliable. Zolpidem is.
Same here. Probably am dependent on it, been on it for several years. Whatever side effects I experience aren’t nearly as bad as the myriad negative effects of chronic sleep deprivation. Not a perfect solution, by any stretch, but I figure people take any number of different meds on an ongoing basis for a variety of conditions, and the rewards outweigh the risks for me.
Better living through chemistry!
My dad accidentally roofied my mom with ambien. He had a baggie full of pills and gave her two of what he thought were aleeve. She started acting super loopy, and after a trip to the ER and a brain scan he took a second look at the pills.
I took an ambien once and started reading a book in bed. Hallucinated a tiny 8-bit dragon on the page of the book. Took that as a clue to turn in.
Yep. All I am saying is that you dudes talk to your MD about not taking it every day. Sure, sometimes I don’t get solid sleep on the weekends, but since I can stay in bed longer, it’s never too bad.
Certainly a fair point. All I can say is my experience has perhaps been been different. I find my insomna has become mentally, physically, and emotionally debilitating, and Ambien does help me cope. Not always a perfect solution, but I’ll take it until they figure out something better. Anything’s better than not sleeping for me,though I know ymmv
I’ve heard stories of Ambien users who say they take it in the bathroom - and don’t remember going from the bathroom to the bed. Not so for me - an hour after I take it I’ll have trouble focusing on the TV, but I’ve never had that dramatic “lights out” moment.
It’s possible that your anxiety issues may be enough to override the sleepiness effects. A different dose, or a different medication, might be an option. The tossing / turning sounds like when I’m having a rebound (I tend to have pretty bad rebound after even 1-2 nights on the stuff) but of course you were NOT dealing with rebound since it was your first dose.
Meh, the Z drugs are pretty effective for lots of folks. (zolpidem, zopiclone, etc.).
I would not take the every night. Never had a Jack Nicholson moment on them.
There are a lot of options though.
I had a couple weird experiences with Ambien…
One time I took it and hallucinated that my mom’s face was melting. Like made of wax and was dripping down. It was also very sinister looking and frightening, but I knew I was hallucinating because of the ambien and it was more facinating than anything.
Another time I actually made plans to meet up with someone, then “stood them up”… because I had completely forgotten about it. It was like I had amnesia. When we talked about it and he was rightfully mad at me, I told him I had taken Ambien that night and had forgotten all about it. I don’t think he believed me.
So… I’m not a big fan of it. I have chronic sleep issues but I find that the OTC works great.
[QUOTE=drewtwo99]
So.. I’m not a big fan of it. I have chronic sleep issues but I find that the OTC works great.
[/QUOTE]
If OTC stuff works great for you then our definitions of ‘chronic sleep issues’ is obviously different. Regardless, if OTC works for you then you shouldn’t be taking Ambien in any case. It’s the nuclear option for folks (like me) where pretty much nothing that’s not a narcotic works at all. For me, it’s been a life saver…can’t even begin to tell you the difference getting a consistent good nights sleep has been. And one that doesn’t involve being groggy or hung over in the morning to achieve it.
I wish I was taking the drug some of you are taking though. Hallucinations? Memory loss? Instant weirdness? I don’t get any of that. I’ve never had any of these side effects. Hell, it doesn’t even weird me out when I have to get up and pee in the middle of the night…just get up, pee and back to sleep in a few moments. And, sadly, it doesn’t dope my wife out either, damn the luck!!
Oh, Ambien, what adventures we’ve had! I used to love it, but the odd late night blackout adventures were starting to make me nervous. The final straw was the day I discovered that Ambion made me breakfast. Woke up, was getting ready for work, almost ready to go and looking around for my little insulated lunch bag. Hmm, where could it be? Turns out it was in the refrigerator, already packed, with what turned out to be a really excellent breakfast (recipe to follow) and a nice healthy lunch. Knowing that I was up cooking with fire and knives helped me decide it was time to part ways with my friend Ambien.
Since then I went on Lunesta for a while, and have slowly weaned myself off of that. I definitely sleep better when I drink less and exercise more, how annoying.
For your enjoyment:
Ambien Made Me Breakfast!
In a small bowl or container, layer the following:
1/2 cup cooked brown rice pilaf (the stuff from Trader Joes with the black mustard seeds)
A sprinkle of thinly sliced vidalia onion
A sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese
A squirt of soy sauce or Bragg liquid aminos
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Top this with a soft poached egg, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and drizzle with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Cover and place in the refrigerator until morning or whenever the Ambien blackout lifts. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Yeah, that shit sounds real safe. :dubious:
Huh - sounds pretty tasty (except for the egg, I’m not a fan), though what are Bragg liquid aminos?
A woman I know slightly said she stopped Ambien after the time she made peanut brittle while under the influence. That involves sugar syrup - at higher-than-boiling-water temperatures. Could have gotten a really BAD burn that way.
Ambien never makes me breakfast, gourmet (like yours*) or otherwise. The bitch.
I did wake up once with melted chocolate all over me though.
*Seriously, that sounds amazing.
I take ambien for jetlag. Actually, I tend to use zopiclone the most. The trick is that these drugs work for a fraction of the time. Eg, half a dose is good for ~4 hours and a quarter dose may help you fall asleep. For jet lag, I’ve no problem falling asleep, it’s that 2:00 am wake up time. Then I take a half dose and I wake up at 6:00 am refreshed. And if I don’t wake up wit jet lag in the middle of the night, then obviously I don’t need it.
I take a quarter dose about 5 times a week. I have a daughter with sleep issues and if she wakes me up wide awake after 4 hours of sleep, it can be a bear to go back to sleep. I take a 2.5mg dose and when she goes back to sleep it’s usually enough to put me over the edge to sleep.
I’ve never had an out of body ambien experience but have had colleagues who wrote nonsensical emails in the middle of the night and such.