Ambien and sleep

I think Ambien blows it works for squats ,lots of side effects, nasal problems, bad headaches afterwards, you got it, i wouldn't take this crap again for nothing,. I opt for my anxiety meds xxnax, and my lyrica, i sleep great now. My pain is much better and my sex drive has increased. Everyone is different with different elements, it might work for some but its not for me.

I have been Ambien for about 3 years. I finally get a good nights sleep. I look forward to the little white pill which gives me rest. Recently, much to my dismay I have been experiencing something that really troubles me. I have to assume it is Ambien because nothing else has changed with me. I have become very paranoid with my friends. I don;t know how else to explain it. Other than that and that is huge, because I am constantly looking over my shoulder for something I have done, I am beginning to trust no one. Is anyone else experiencing any of this? I am typically a friendly easy going person with a lot of friends but in the past year things have changed. I've accused friends of things and have lost a lot of their friendships. I can't afford to lose anymore no matter how nice I might be,(or I think I am) I am beginning to question myself. Am I going nuts or is it possibly the little pill that gets me through the night. Can anyone help me with this dilemma, I can't afford to lose any more friends or loved ones. Help! I'm going to try to go off my little pill that brings peace to my life but I have to know if I'm going crazy or is it the medication. This is my last night to use it I think.
Worried

I took ambien about 5 years. I noticed I would wake up with food in my bed or candy wrappers all over the bed. I mentioned it to my doctor, and he shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Later, when my dad died I went crazy and would get up at night and talk delusional with outrage. They told me I had became bi-polar at 48. It freaked me out, and I have faithfully stayed on bi-polar meds because I never want to do that again. Now, I am wondering because I heard on the news a few years ago that this man drove his car to get something to eat in his sleep with ambien. I quit ambien immediately, and found I didn't eat in my sleep. Now, I am wondering if I am bi-polar? Several of my friends have never understood how I could be normal and then completely go crazy. They had never seen me angry or disturbed before that incidence. I am now wondering if it was an ambien side affect.

I have been taking Ambien for 5 years my experience with it was. One time I left my husband and stayed at a hotel don't know why I left. I accused him of sleep with his ex-wife also I told my kid what me and their dad did sexually. I drove my car and hit another car I did not know that I had hit it until the cops came. I was cooking and going out shopping and buying thing I had no need for.

About 3 months ago after taking Ambien because of not being able to sleep due to insomnia and at that time sever sciatica, I got a call from a long time friend of 20 years, he told me i proposed married to him while crying and told him how much i loved him and also told him i took a bunch of pain pills. I guess that same night i called a man i'd brokened up with, as well, because he had too much drama in his life (i was also very in love with this man when i broke up with him). Apparently i only got his answering service and left a message asking him to call me back. I'd been trying not to call him for days, then this happened. When he got a hold of me, by then i knew now what i'd said to my old buddy while on Ambien. I was terrified of what i'd said to my ex, he said i only asked him to call me back, NOT! It gets crazier, for i ended up at a strip club that same night buying a kinda sorta friend lapdances with my money!! I'm a woman buying a guy i didn't like very much dances?! My ex and i eventually got back together only to end up arguing, then he tells me what i said that night. I told him i have a friend with a 10 inches!! And some other shit i don't recall saying. My ex (again) is not a 10incher (which i do not want anyway) but i LOVE him more than any John Holmes but thats what i did. I belittled him while under that shit! Now my 24yo child told me she visited me last week, I DON'T RECALL THIS AT ALL. She said my eyes looked weird and i was trying to show her photos of my ex while nude and drinking wine!! She also told me i didnt have much on, asked her to try on 1 of my bathing suits then proceeded to remove my top while the door was wide open?? And some other shit again?! All i wanted was to sleep more than 3 hours a night. Not this, not this at all! maybe i'll go back to Xanax?? that one only makes me eat in my sleep.

I have been taking half an Ambien (5mg) each night for roughly 3 months. The other day I woke up, and I just felt out of it. Like I was dreaming or something. I started to think I was getting sick, and I think I had a panic or anxiety attack. I'm not sure those words describe what I felt correctly though.

It was like I was in a nightmare. My fingertips and limbs started to get cold, and I couldn't feel anything. I started to sweat really bad. My chest felt really tight. I started to hallucinate a little, and this caused me to freak out even more. It was like I completely lost my mind for a few hours. I just remember thinking that something snapped in my head, and I was never going to be the same.

I called my husband and told him I went crazy, and I was afraid I would never be the same. I told him about the hallucinations, and he thought I might have a really high fever. I tried to take my temp, but I couldn't get my mind to slow down enough to do it. I would start, and then I would think I need to take a cold bath to lower my temp. I would then think of something else and get sidetracked.

My mind was freaking out so fast that I could not keep up. I was talking to myself to try to tell myself there was nothing wrong. I was trying to over-power my thoughts, but this made me think that I was in fact insane. So I would tell myself to shut up. It felt like I was battling myself or my own thoughts at least. My husband came home, and I went to sleep. I woke up feeling just fine a few hours later.

I have been so scared to tell even my Doctor. I am no longer taking the Ambien, and I feel fine. I am just embarrassed by the whole thing, and I don't want to tell anyone about it.

ive noticed that 90 percent of whats going on with all these problems is more a problem of using the drug wrong. as i understand its for short term use...not years and months in a row..also..when a person has taken ambien that person should get in the bed and prepare to go to sleep..not go driving or perform any other tasks..a lot of people will take ambien and then try to cook, eat, drive etc...thats when they run into problems and don't remember it..90 percent of these problems can be cleared up if it is taken with the recommended dosage,,not with alcohol..not double the dosage..etc..another words ..don't over do it and then head for the car keys. ive used ambien maybe a couple times in a week..and had no problems.

My father was prescribed Ambien due to some sleeping issues. It was prescribed to take "as needed". He was also prescribed flexorall which is a muslce relaxor. After taking the Ambien for awhile he started becoming more agitated than usual and was having nightmares. Then one Sunday morning he got up and was in his usual routine of drinking coffee & reading the paper. He got the hiccups and got up to get a glass of water but when he went into the kitchen he poured more coffee into a glass. He then was stumbling around and twice almost fell. His behavior became stranger and so my mother took him to the ER. They thought he possible had a stroke. He doesn't remember any of that morning until he was at the hospital. After several test it turns out, it was all a side effect of taking the Ambien, Flexorall & drinking a beer the night before. After looking at the side effects on the computer, he had most of them and should not have been taking the muscle relaxer & sleep aid together.

My wife who is 49 years old was prescribed Ambien to help her sleep she has Phybromyalgia so she is in a lot of pain and so sleep has been a fleeting thing. on Feb 12, 2009 she took it for the first time I work 11-7 and woke her at 8:30 am and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she came into the living room around 1:00 pm and appeared to stumble slightly this in it's self wasn't a big deal people trip all the time. It was the fact that she caught herself on the end table grabbing it and hesitated for a few seconds then turned around and carefully shuffled backed to the kitchen holding onto the hutch for balance. I asked her if she was ok she said yes but I could hear in her voice she was scared. I went to the kitchen and asked her again then she told me that her whole left side was numb and tingled. I asked her when it started she said it was that way when she got out of bed at 8:30 am. I told her she should have said something right away but she said "I thought it would just go away". I told her get your coat I'm taking her to the hospital. After spending a night in the hospital an MRI revealed that she had suffered a very mild STROKE. The taking of Ambien the night before for the first time to me was more than a coincidence. Her attending Neurologist said that there should be no lasting effects and the numbness and tingling would go away in time. Although even after telling them about taking Ambien for the first time the night before none of them thought much about Ambien being a possible cause for STROKE. I suppose I should consider her lucky as it could have been devastating. I would not recommend anyone taking this drug even with their doctor’s supervision.

Because of a couple tragedies that ocurred in my life, I was unable to sleep. Ambien was prescribed and with it, I woke up completely rested! BUT there were several dangerous events to share with you.

I drove several times & have no recollection! If it weren't for receipts, checks, etc. I wouldn't know anything about it! I'm a married woman and I took a male acquaintance to a liquor store 1/2 hour away once!
I drove to a city an hour from my home at least once!

Additionally, I've had phone conversations, conducted business meetings, taught a religion class...ALL with no knowledge or memory of these acts.

Yes, I would find dirty dishes in the sink in the morning too! I ate so much food! I didn't gain weight though...probably because the Ambien also removed ALL inhibitions in my life. My husband selfishly took complete advantage of this...if you know what I mean. This was not right! I'm still angry about this. It wasn't until he realized that I was driving in my sleep that he encouraged me not to take the Ambien anymore...I haven't taken it for two years. I do miss it because it really left me rested. Now I only take over-the-counter products and they leave me groggy.

Extreme weight gain during the past three years on ambien and ambien cr. Unfortunately this is the only medication that helps with my insomnia; I've tried a bunch of different prescriptions and over the counter sleep meds...

I used Ambien 2-3 days per week for the past few months. I just woke up after having several vivid/complicated nightmares. Each nightmare was worse than the one before. The last nightmare woke me up. I was being framed for murder of a white woman after a minor traffic accident (I'm a black man). I'm very bothered by this and don't want to sleep now, fearing more nightmares. This has happened after I slept without taking Ambien.

I have had one episode of sleep-walking, where I ate the meal that I had prepared for lunch the next day.

I took Zolpidem (Ambien) last night for the first time. It was prescribed to me by my oncologist as I have been having trouble sleeping ever since I have started chemotherapy for breast cancer one week ago. I fell asleep quickly and slept well for 5 hours, but awoke at 2am with a headache. I took 1 gram of Tylenol at 2am but was unable to go back to sleep because the headache became increasingly worse and did not go away until I drank some coffee at 5am. It was the worse headache I have ever had. The caffeine made it go away finally.

I have been taking ambien for about five years. I have experimented with 5mg, 10mg and ambien CR, and mixing small doses (5mg or less) with one Advil PM. Mixing the two worked very well for a while. All I want is to feel rested and sharp during the day. I have been known to cook elaborate meals and make a MESS in the kitchen only to wake up the next morning with chicken burrito all over my bed with me. I have also sent emails and made calls I don't remember. I also... and this is the worst... did some online shopping and bid on many EBAY items that I had no memory of. When you wake up and your credit card is laying next to your computer on the bed... your in big trouble.

I was taking Ambien for a year. I ended up with a sever sore throat that lasted for months and trouble breathing. After going to nine doctors, and missing work for a month I was diagnosed with esophogitis and acid reflux. I even went to the emergency room by ambulance because I was having trouble breathing. I was aspirating stomach acid. I was talking with my gastrologist about surgery. I decided to make a list of what was different in my life that might be causing these symptoms. Ambien was on the list. I have been off Ambien for two months now and all my digestive problems, sore throat, breathing problems and acid reflux have ended.

I have taken ambien for about 6mos not on a regular just on weekend, when i can devote the time to sleep...and feel tired in the moring...but when i take it i get sexual arouse and if my wife tells it...can get a little rough sexually..she likes it when it take it..but i don't remeber what happen the next day..but later on it comes to me....and she looks satisfied when i look puzzled...is this a common side effect and if so can i remeber it the next day or same night...

ALTHOUGH AMBIENT HAS HELPED ME WITH MY SLEEP CYCLE, I HAVE GAINED AN EXCESS AMOUNT OF APPROX. 10 LBS. IN THREE MONTHS, MY DIET AND EXERCISE HABITS HAVEN'T CHANGED AND I WAS WONDERING HOW COULD I HAVE POSSIBLY GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT IN SUCH LITTLE LIME. MY CONCLUSION.... AMBIENT! I'VE SINCE BEEN OFF AMBIENT BECAUSE IT HAS MIRACULOUSLY RESET MY SLEEP CYCLE, I AM GRATEFUL. VERY DISTURBED BY THE WEIGHT GAIN.

I've beentaking Ambien for several years and haven't had any terrible adverse effects. I've had some amnesia after drinking alcohol and taking Ambien, but my memory usually returns by the next day. I've also had muscle twitches and weakness & went to a neurologist for testing, but they found nothing wrong. I figured it was probably the Ambien. I stopped it for 2 weeks, once, but still had some of the symptoms. I've thought about trying to stop again, but I need to weigh the pros and cons. I actually sleep now, and generally have a lot more energy than in the past. I'm on a regular sleep schedule and can get 6-8 hours of sleep per night. I think I'll just deal with the side effects.

I have to take 25 mg of Ambien and 6 mg of Ativan just to get to sleep for the last 9 months. My only side effect so far is eating a lot right before I go to bed as this drug makes me hungry. And I fainted three seperate times when i drank alcohol before taking my pills (I fainted on my way to get food in the middle of the night) I sleep fine for 8 hours, but am worried about any long term effects this amount of ambien will have on my brain. I've heard chronic derealization is a side effect. What is that? What other negative side effects are there? Are there any better sleep aid medications? I have taken Lunesta and have to take a lot of that too and have the same experience in terms of being hungry. Basically they're the same to me so far.

I love taking Ambien because it gives me about 5 to 6 hours of sleep. Prior to taking Ambien, I never slept through the night. The most sleep I ever had was a couple of hours here and there. I'd be up at night trying so hard to fall asleep. Now, I actually look forward to taking my pill and going to bed. It's less stressful knowing I am going to fall asleep. I wish I had started taking it a long time ago. I must admit to waking up in the morning and not remembering phone conversations. Also, on numerous occasions, I have found an empty bag of M & M's on my nightstand when I wake up in the morning! Absolutely no memory of getting out of bed and going into the kitchen and bringing candy up to bed. Maybe it was my dog, Bailey!

i've been on ambein for5 yrs and i have no side affects it really helped me noe i can sleep and when i ake i feel very refreshed

The perfect little partner. I love Ambien, because of my occupation, I often find my sleep pattern shifting from day to night and sometimes "none". So, needless to say I have trouble maintaining a normal sleep pattern, and somewhere along the line developed a mild case of insomnia. Ambien is great.
The only side-effects that I have noticed are the mild hallucinations...but is this "really" a side effect? Ambien is classified as a hypnotic, so of course you are going to be drowsey and experience mild distortions in time, space and certain realities...but nothing scary like that from actual hallucinogens...If people don't take the time to read and teach themselves about the chemicals they put into their own or their childrens bodies, they shouldnt get upset or scared or mad about what they experience.

Personally, I somewhat enjoy the 10 mins of mild hallucinations just before I go to sleep...it's a little bit entertaining. As I said, It is listed as a hypnotic, it is part of what helps you fall asleep.

Know your drugs before you take them people.

I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is a side effect of Ambien...or not...but, I've been taking Ambien CR 12.5 mg for a couple of months due to menopausal insomnia...and starting around 3 weeks ago...I have a "wandering numbness"...with a very slight "burning" feeling on my right side...especially my right arm...my right ankle feels slightly swollen and numb also. My husband, who's an M.D., said that it sounds neurological. Could this be from the Ambien????

I have used ambien appropriately 10 mg and abused (up to 90 mg) for 5 years staight. Most all side effects said here are true and worsen over the years and with dose increase. It does give you a "high" but totally destroys your brain and mind. It worsens depression for sure and has produced some psychosis with me. I have gone in and out of treatment for this drug and have made horrid decisions while taking it that have ruined my life. I beleive it is worse and more insidious than alcohol or any other drug. I believe i have permanent brain damage from it don't recognize myself or others anymore, chronic derealization, etc. Please stop taking or dont start. Once you get hooked you are hooked.
ps. anyone know some good places to detox off ambien in orange county, ca area. It is still pretty unheard of in treatment centers

It was a beautiful thing to sleep...after a lifetime of insomnia. But then my boyfriend confronted me about my silly behavior at night -making elaborate desserts and leaving a big mess. I would have no memory of this. He told me I looked like I was wasted. I gained ten pounds. One night, I went out in my car to get ice cream! I had no memory of this trip, but I dented my car and knocked a tire out of balance. I have read other postings of people who have tried to drive and been arrested for DUI! Scary.

Still, this didn't worry me nearly as much as my declining health: tremors, fatique, depression, lethargy and worst of all severe all-over muscle pain, sinitus... I was becoming completely debilitated and suicidal because I couldn't work, travel, play...etc. Just suffering all the time. I've been off Ambien for one week and my symptoms have suddenly lifted! (I also increased Zoloft)

I still don't know if it's a coincidence or just a temporary respite. I miss sleeping, but I can't believe I feel so much better! Has anyone else had severe body pain with Ambien?