JFC, I took an ambien and went to bed at a little after 1am. 2.5 hours later, and I'm wide awake. D: Now I have taken a second ambien, and am hoping it'll at least help a little bit...

Where the hell do I go from here, when ambien doesn't even work? Anybody know something that works better than ambien? I've yet to find it, but this is kind of insane...

JFC, I took an ambien and went to bed at a little after 1am. 2.5 hours later, and I'm wide awake. D: Now I have taken a second ambien, and am hoping it'll at least help a little bit...

Where the hell do I go from here, when ambien doesn't even work? Anybody know something that works better than ambien? I've yet to find it, but this is kind of insane...

Just keep eating them.

I promise you two weeks from now you will not know what the hell just went on nor why your wallet is missing and why your girlfriend is dating someone else.

Ambien has a long history of completely scary off-the-fucking-wall side effects, particularly sleepwalking, blackouts, and sadly, vehicular accidents and even arrests.

If you Google Ambien and side effects you will see what I mean.

I've had similar meds (lunestra) prescribed for my own insomnia but never went to get them, based on the horror stories I heard about narcoleptic blackouts with Ambien.

in before ambien walrus

Just ask Wrabbit what he thinks about any topic under the sun. You'll get so angry a vein will burst in your brain and you'll pass out and die from an aneurysm.

P.S. How's your mattress? I had really bad insomnia just from my bed being ****.

I already sleepwalk every once in a while, and it sucks. One time I woke up and my plastic trashcan was split down the side and my shin was bloody. Another time I woke up really cold and my blanket was in the hallway (this has happened a few times- I figure I shamble around with my blanket covering me like a robe or something and then don't notice when it falls off). When I was a kid, I walked to the front door and started trying to open it, and my dad was nearby watching tv so he turned me around and I went back to bed. I'd avoid anything that induces sleepwalking.

I have some friends who are into herbalism and shamanism, and they recommend Valerian root as a sleep aid. They also say that some dream herbs (Calea Zacatechichi, for example) help you sleep, but those are moreso to induce vivid dreams, which can be more intense than you want to deal with. I'm also not really familiar with the side effects, but you might want to do some research while you're sitting up at night.

Haha, thanks for the moral support!
Valerian root- it makes my heart pound in my chest at a zillion miles an hour, and I get all paranoid and tweaky. Weird!

Been taking ambien for about 4 years now, give or take.

Sometimes I'll wake up and discover strange artwork that I created in the middle of the night. Imagine finding this tiled on your desktop first thing in the morning:
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Or this:

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Sometimes I will write Unfortunate E-mails. I remember coming into the dojo one day and having my Shihan inform me that no, he will not give me a hug. Heh.

I haven't injured myself or driven anywhere, however...

Did you actually do those pictures in your sleep?

http://www.askdocweb.com/ambien.html

Reported Side Effects

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Ambien and seek emergency medical attention:

an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, face, or tongue; hives); or
hallucinations, abnormal behavior, or severe confusion.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take Ambien and talk to your doctor if you experience

headache, drowsiness, dizziness, or clumsiness
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
depression
muscle aches or pains
vivid or abnormal dreams
amnesia (memory loss) after a dose, sometimes significant

http://i.imgur.com/FfVlU.jpg

Well, kinda... see, ambien can make you dream whether you are awake or not. So you can still be awake, but start dreaming. Or at least be really fucked up and do strange stuff.

Of course, the same thing happens when you go like, 3 or 4 days without sleep, which I used to do regularly. So if it's going to happen, I'd rather be rested. Heh!

Well, kinda... see, ambien can make you dream whether you are awake or not. So you can still be awake, but start dreaming. Or at least be really fucked up and do strange stuff.


The scary things I've read about Ambien are after effects after you wake up. There was at least one network news show (maybe it was 60 Minutes, can't recall) that went over the possible dangers of Ambien that were being underreported....you might want to seek those out.

Here is a good NYTimes expose:

Some Sleeping Pill Users Range Far Beyond Bed (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/business/08ambien.html)


In some state toxicology laboratories Ambien makes the top 10 list of drugs found in impaired drivers. Wisconsin officials identified Ambien in the bloodstreams of 187 arrested drivers from 1999 to 2004.

There are testimonials online that Ambien has been the cause of a number of vehicular fatalities and arrests due to dreaming awake while driving the day after you take the meds. There have also been claims made that the pharma makers of Ambien try to cover this up.

Apparently it happens enough some personal injury attorneys started litigation efforts and put out information like this:

Ambien Side Effects: Sleepwalking, Driving & Eating (http://www.youhavealawyer.com/side-effects/ambien-side-effects.html)

which has an interesting follow up, when that law firm mysteriously dropped all litigation efforts against the makers of Ambien:

UPDATE: Ambien lawsuits no longer being pursued (http://www.youhavealawyer.com/blog/2007/01/10/ambien-lawsuits-not-pursued/)

Fucked up dream thread tiem nao?

Wow this is a timely article, from CNN.com just this morning.

Late nights, early mornings a 'ticking time bomb' for health (http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/09/late-nights-early-mornings-a-ticking-time-bomb-for-health/?hpt=T2)

I feel your insomnia pain...suffered for years. I personally find meditation more useful than medication for dealing with my insomnia, which I eventually linked to stress at work and caffeine intake.

Meditation at least helps me find more time to relax, de-stress, and rest during the day, which leads to less need for sleep and more overall restful sleep.

I used to get to sleep at 3 or 4am on average, but still require 8 hours or I was a mess.

Now I get to bed around 1-2am on average, and require less sleep because I make it a point to meditate at least 30 minutes a day. If I can find time for an actual catnap, that's even better.


"Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a bird, and sleep like a dog" - Li Ching Yuen / The Tao of Pooh

I've used melatonin for years as a sleep aid, initially to get on track when traveling internationally.

http://www.melatoninfaq.com/

FWIW that owl/apple pic is way cool.

Thanks! I love my owlpple. :D

Melatonin has a similar effect on me that valerian does. Which it shouldn't...

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