My father was first prescribed ambien in 1993 after the death of ...

My father was first prescribed ambien in 1993 after the death of his wife to help with sleep. I have seen him go through the various stages of side effects from sleep walking to talking to people that weren't there to falling and hallicinating. This was all under the care and supervision of his doctor. It is now 2005 and I am writing this as he sits in a de-tox facility after building up a tolerance to this addictive drug of up to 20/10mg. pills per day. He couldn't let go of this drug and even the doctors are shocked at the amount his body has been able to sustain. I would beg anyone reading this that has been on this prescription to talk to their doctor if they feel that they are not able to sleep without it. My father was very close to dying and it is still possible while he is going through detox that he will die. No matter how many Ambien he takes he can't feel good enough and I have discovered he was mixing with pain killers. His doctor did NOT prescibe him enough to take 20 a day, but it is readily sold ILLEGALLY over the internet. These people are heartless, selling ILLEGAL PRESCRIPTIONS over the internet from manufacturers outside of the United States. I can't tell you how awful it has been as my father has gotton more and more addicted to this medication. I had started to question whether or not he had Alzheimers because of his actions under this drug. He gets up every night and goes to the kitchen to eat at night. He has let everything else go. He has not slept one night in 13 years without it. For anyone reading this who thinks this could not happen to them, please know that my fiance who took this drug to help him sleep had hallicinations with me in the room. I can tell you after watching him just in the initial stages of detox over the last three days that this is a PAINFUL and AWFUL process. It is an addiction just like any other street drug. I am writing this after three days/nights with no sleep while waiting to get him into a treatment facility and spending all day/all night vigils while he begged for this pill. If you start to suspect you have a problem with this prescription please get help before it is too late.