Millions of people suffer from sleep problems as did actor Heath Ledger who passed away January 22. I’ve suffered from trouble sleeping for as long as I can remember. Heath was taking Ambien for his insomnia along with a few other prescription drugs at the time of his death. Anti-depressants are one of the prescription drugs he was taking.
According to RxList Ambien and Ambien Cr (zolpidem tartrate) is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class. What that means is that the drug is a sedative and helps people relax so they can fall asleep and stay asleep.
Ambien is designed for temporary use to treat insomnia. Sleeping pills are usually not prescribed for longer than 10 day. It is strongly suggested to take this medication only at bedtime and when you are sure you can get a full 7-8 worth of sleep.
According to Drugs.com it has been shown that people taking this drug then eating, talking on the phone or even driving will have no memory of doing the activity. It is suggested you speak to your doctor if this happens to you.
The side effects of Ambien are to be expected: feeling tired, dizzy or even drugged. Other side effects that are not so common are: insomnia, problems with balance and changes to your vision. It is recommended to lay down right after you take the medication to prevent falling. For a full list of side effects talk to your doctor, pharmacist or look for the patient info that came with your medication.
As with most drugs there are precautions: According to Drugs.com people with kidney disease liver dieses, lung disease, history of abusing drugs or alcohol or have a history of depression or mental illness should speak to their doctor before taking the drug.
Drug interactions are: caffeine, antidepressants, St. Johns Wart, medications to treat HIV, flumazenil. For a full list and also list of medications that may cause more drowsiness go to drugdigest.com.
According to Health Central behavior changes and abnormal thinking has been reported with the use of sedatives. Other reports are bizarre behavior, hallucinations and depersonalization. Also those who have a history of depression and take a sedative should be warned that it has been shown to increase depression and suicidal thinking. For further information on this please speak to your doctor.
I’d like to share my personal journey of taking Ambien. Like I said I have suffered from insomnia for years. My sleep problems got worse as a teen when I fell to a deep depression due past childhood sexual abuse. Also I was dealing with a lot of other mental problems.
I spoke to my OB/GYN about my sleep problems. My aunt had suggested a certain medication and I was eager to try it. My OB/GYN suggested I try Ambien instead. She told me it would help me relax and fall asleep. She said usually it after taking it people are sleep after 10-15mins. I was thrilled with that idea. It usually takes me an hour or more to fall asleep!
She also suggest many other suggestions that I have tried: Setting a normal bedtime, not drinking caffeine after a certain time of the day, taking a warm bath before bedtime, remove the TV from the bedroom (you have to be kidding there is no way I’d do that!) and many more. I told her I have tried just about all kinds of things over the years and none work.
I was shocked at the cost of the drug. That in itself was almost enough to knock me off my feet. I waited till the weekend to take the medication since my doctor had told me it to take caution the day after I take it. As a stay at home mom and homeschooling mom I didn’t want to be alone with the kids I was going to feel “loopy” the day after.
So I took it on a Friday night and laid in bed waiting for sleep. I was shocked. I felt tired and went right to sleep. The last time I had done that was during my early days of pregnancy! It was wonderful and I had a new best friend called Ambien.
I took the pills as needed and can’t remember how often I took one. I do remember a few times after taking it I’d feel a little weird and one time confused. One time I took it at my sister’s house and I was sleeping on the sofa. I knew it would take me hours to fall asleep on a sofa so took the pill. I remember trying to go to sleep and feeling like the sofa was rocking like I was on a boat. After awhile I feel asleep.
My biggest problem was when the medication ran out. Since it cost us an arm and a leg I didn’t refill it. My sleep problems got worse for awhile then returned to normal. Of course my normal sleep pattern isn’t good but things were bad for awhile and I wished I did have more Ambien.
While doing research for this article I was shocked to see the warnings about people with a history of mental problems or depression since I fall into that category. As a teenager I was in a mental hospital for awhile due to the depression and suicide attempts. This medication did not affect on me what so ever with my depression. Plus I am not taking any anti-depressant drugs which are shown to affect those who do take a sedative.
I have heard a lot of negative and positive things about Ambien. Montel Williams did a show about it and profiled a woman who was addicted to the drug. She had said she’d take up 30 pills at a time which is unheard of. Montel takes Ambien as needed and can’t say enough good things about it.
I would take it again if my Dr. suggested it and also if our insurance covered more of the cost. But they don’t so I struggle alone with my sleep problems. My doctor has also suggested just taking Benadryl which is over the counter, not additive and safe when used responsible. This works for me for now.
Those of us who are night owls and suffer from insomnia are not alone. I am thankful for the online world where we can connect and talk. As a plus I enjoy the quiet of the house at night time. Everyone is asleep and I hear nothing! That is a joy for me since I am a stay at home mom and home schooling mom who is with her children 24hrs a day.
