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Ambien for sleep
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Posted by Jenn (My Page) on Mon, Feb 7, 05 at 16:18
| Has anyone successfully tried Ambien for sleep? A friend recommended it to me.
I haven't had a good night's sleep for more than 5 weeks and I am almost beside myself with sleepiness and poor concentration. I fall asleep OK but then I wake up about 2 AM or later and then just toss and turn for the rest of the night. Usually I start to doze again but then the slightest noise wakes me up. I always used to be a very heavy sleeper all night but now I'm getting about 5 hours sleep every night it is starting to take its toll (I need at least 7 on most nights). I have a mental, detailed job that requires my brain at full capacity.
It improved earlier last year and then the poor sleep resumed late last year. Before, I would eventually be tired enough to sleep all night but I'm still waiting for that night to come. My body is starting to move slowly and I am sleepy even during my morning commute to work (NEVER been like that before) and let's not even talk about how I feel on my way home from work in the evening. My eyes look tired.
I don't drink coffee or tea, I don't exercise late, I don't eat late, the room is cool and quiet, I take calcium supplements, etc. etc etc. I exercise in the morning and take short walks at work throughout the day (getting from office to office).
Help!
Jen |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I have used it for a few months with no dire affects. It's not great though. I was given 5mg and after about a week I was sleeping well. I then lowered it to 1/2 and seemed to work for a few weeks then the sleeplessness came back. What I find with it is it helps you fall asleep fast, but you wake in a few hours. I doze and then keep waking up. I don't know if a stronger dose would work, but I don't like taking pills, but I couldn't function with no sleep. I was thinking a sleep clinic, but that seems to be for sleep apnea not for insomnia. Give it a try. Some people swear by it. Jane |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Have you had a good check up lately? The reason I ask is because I started having insomnia when my blood pressure started going up. Not much, not enough to say I really had high blood pressure, but some. Since then, everytime I start with sleepless nights, I have noticed that it's elevated a little. So I watch my salt intake, take my pills and get it back down. THEN I can sleep. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I noticed you said you are taking Calcium supplements. I just found out that most of us have a magnesium deficiency. Calcium makes your muscles contract and the magnesium releases them......without the magnesium, we are all contracted and stiff. *this is how it was explained to me* Take your hand and clench it into a fist, this is what calcium does. Now relax the hand and let it come out of a fist to a relaxed hand, that is what magnesium does. My husbands aunt told us about this stuff called Natural Calm.She gets hers from the chiropractor. It's a powder you dissolve in hot water and drink as a tea at night. Within 20 mins, it makes me sleepy and I stay sleeping all night long. I was also waking several tiems a night and not able to fall back to sleep, like you. I found this product online -just do a google search for Natural Calm Magnesium. To address Ambien...... I won't take that ever again, it made me hallucinate which is one of the side effects. It was horribly scary. My father took it and also hallucinated. Take care and I hope you try Natural Calm. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| PB - I have low blood pressure. Last time it was taken (last year), it was about 100/60. But perhaps it has risen a little. I will check that out. Jane - I think Shaun's report of hallucinations has scared me away from Ambien. I tend to be medication-sensitive anyway. But thank you for your comments. Shaun - I will check out the Natural Calm. Your mention of hallucinations made lack of sleep seem pretty appealing, in comparison. =8-0 Thanks!
Jen |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Ambien has given me nightmares in the past. But then so has Benadryl. As with any sleep medication, it most likely loses its effectiveness when taken for long periods of time. And there is the issue of dependency, since it is a controlled substance. My FIL used this for years and years (and he's a physician). He recently took himself off of it because he was noticing how his reflexes deteriorated, especially when driving. Although he still has occasional sleep problems, he feels much better and more alert during the day. I would get checked out. Sometimes sleeplessness can be a sign of deeper problems. Hope you can figure something out. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I am equally afraid of taking pills. I have never experienced hallucinations or nightmares with Ambien. I have the smallest dose 5mg and I usually break it in half and as I stated it helps me fall asleep but isn't effective in keeping me asleep all night. I've tried the whole 5mg. and it does the same. No grogginess or nightmares. I'd never use it if it did. It's the most widely used sleeping pill and I would think if it caused those sort of problems I would have heard it. There is nothing worse then laying awake all night staring at the clock. Jane |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Jane, I'm glad it has worked for you. But since people here have reported first-hand experience with hallucinations or nightmares, I will stay away from it. I have no trouble falling asleep.... it's staying asleep for more than 5 hours that's the problem. I need at least 7 hours every night. I think I will go in the direction of the magnesium. Thanks,
Jen |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Jen I hope you come back to let us know how you do on the magnesium. Good Luck. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I have trouble going to sleep, reading usually helps. If I have 3 or 4 nights laying awake until 2 in the morning, I take a tranquilizer the next night. I will take one each night for no more than 3 nights. It seems to break the cycle and I sleep well. My doctor is cautious and only gives me 30 pills, they last waaay past the expiration date. If I had a bedroom to myself I would just read until 2 AM, but with my husband, I feel guilty keeping him awake. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Jonesy brings up a good point. It's the idea we have that married people must sleep in the same room. Most of us will sleep much better in a room and bed that is just exactly the way we want it. We have not shared a room since the children left home for good. And there is a well worn path that leads back and forth between rooms. My husband and I have widely different needs for covering. I like to go to sleep with music on the tape player. He likes to read in bed. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| My one and only experience with Ambien was horrid. I had heard that others had successfully taken it in order to sleep during a trans-Atlantic flight, and as I was flying to the UK, I asked my doctor to prescribe it for me as well. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to do a "trial run" prior to the trip, and took one Ambien at bedtime about a week prior. I really wasn't sure how quickly the effects would hit me, so I immediately crawled into bed after taking it and started watching tv. 25 minutes later, I felt nothing. 30 minutes later -- BAM! It hit me. Not only double, but TRIPLE vision -- everything I looked at, there appeared to be THREE of. And then I just completely blanked out, although I was apparently still awake, as my husband told me that every other word coming out of my mouth was "f*ing" this, and "f*ing" that ... and that's certainly not the way I ordinarily converse! I have absolutely NO recollection of any of that. I did sleep after my little profanity outburst, but I felt terrible all the next day. I will never again take Ambien ... in fact, I'm getting ready to board a plane for a long flight again, and I think I'll have to settle for a Tylenol PM, which probably won't help me to sleep much at all. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Aunt Jen, that's exactly why I am VERY conservative about taking any medications at all. If I have a bad headache, I take 1 aspirin and that's all it takes to kill the headache -- probably because that's all I ever take. (The brain can become dependant on outside sources of pain relief, not the same as physical addiction.) An update on the magnesium and my sleep:
Though I was taking calcium-magnesium supplements at the time of my first posting, I started to remember that I was taking a different brand last year and when I started taking them I started sleeping again and when I ran out, I stopped sleeping. The brand is Nutrilite (sold by Amway) and it is their Cal-mag w/D combination. Well I bought a bottle (my dad is a distributor) about 2 weeks ago and within a few days I started sleeping better. Last night I slept a solid 7 hours which is the best night I've had yet. When I took this brand last year, I noticed improvement within days also. Prior to taking this brand I was taking the Trader Joe's brand and after many weeks of taking it, it did NOTHING for my sleep. I know this sounds like hocus-pocus but both times I've taken the Nutrilite brand I have slept better and not just better, but all night. When I ran out last year, I stopped sleeping. For now, I will continue with this regimen. I take 3 tablets with dinner. Aaaahhhhhh.... sleep! :-) Jen |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I used Ambien successfully. I asked my doctor for a prescription during a period where I couldn't get to sleep or stay asleep, which is very unusual for me. I took Ambien for about two weeks, had no side effects, and it enabled me to sleep again. I would use it again, if necessary. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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if you want more information on Ambien, you should visit:
http://www.kosmix.com/Health-Basic_Facts/ambien-s It's really helpful! |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Sleeping pills are a joke. Melatonin is the natural hormone that your pineal gland releases in your brain to put you to sleep. You say you tried that well if you took a pill that will not work take sublinguel. Than take as much as needed. Dr Donsbock suggests 3 mg is average but you may need more. He takes 9 mg I use 6. When a patient has cancer 50 mg is needed. Lack of proper rest is an invatation to develop cancer. Good Luck
Paul |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I too, had good luck with the Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc combination for sleeping, and for leg cramps. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Melatonin works extremely well, but is short lived. That is its major drawback. Ambien does have definite bizarre side effects. One fellow got a plane to the UK, after taking an Ambien, woke up and had no clue where he was and what he was doing there. It can cause hypersexuality, which could be a problem for most (OK, teenage boys would love it, but not a good idea for them either). It cab cause midnight eating during which the pill taker is unaware of getting up to eat.
It can cause sleep walking, which can be very dangerous. I suggest you check out the side effects of this pill. Of course, millions of people take this pill with no problems at all. And likely we count among that group. But I wouldn't want to be in side effect group.
Nikki |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I tried Ambien and the very first night I noticed the effects. I LOVE IT! Plain and simple. It is truly a miracle and I am so very glad that I was surfing the internet and found www.medsheaven.com! The best part of using Ambien is that if I wake up in the middle of the night I can easily fall right back to sleep. Thank you for making such a wonderful product. |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I travel a lot and it is difficult to sleep when you’re not at home and I know with my Ambien in my suitcase I won't have to worry about that anymore. I just ordered my six month supply from medsheaven.com. Thank you from a very satisfied customer! |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| I decided to purchase my medications at medsheaven.com I tried Ambien once and now I can declare that I've become your constant customer. I was pleasantly surprised with your prices and the quality of your drugs. You have an excellent service so keep up your outstanding work! |
RE: Ambien for sleep
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| Thats true ally, personally i like the service of medsheaven.com. it is convenient and fast service.no worries about my sleep. |
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