Ambien aka the new date rape drug?

**CF22** · 10-24-2005, 06:21 AM

As most of you know I have been pretty sick for the past couple of months. With the lung mass and blood clots and all. Anyway, I tell the doc I have been stressed out and my sleeping has went from a solid 6 hours a night to about 2 if I'm lucky. This whole sick thing is alot worse than I thought at first and when I came home from the hospital after my two week stay I figured I'd get way better and feel like myself again. I actually feel worse and the mass is back and now to top it off my prostatitus is back. I may be the un-healthiest dude here and I'm only 30 years old.

But back to the Ambien thing...
I figured the doc would give me something for my nerves. But this genius gives me Ambien. I take it at 10pm and after about 20minutes I'm out cold. My GF has been staying with me and taking care of me and my son throughout this whole ordeal. She says I got up about 11pm, cooked a cheese pizza and took two bites of it and passed out at the table. :confused: Then I get up and walk upstairs where I passed out again, luckily I was only two steps up when this happened, so I'm sore but nothing broken. (first time in my life i've fail and not broke something though :) ). Now I asked the doc about this and he says that memory loss is common with this drug. :eek: He never told me that, nor did the pharmacist.

So, should I slip this into my GF's tea when she's not in the mood? ;)

Seriously though, anybody else taken this stuff before? Just wondering how common this reaction is.

**DonMan** · 10-24-2005, 08:51 AM

Generic, amateur observation:

Ambien is a sleeping medication. It's designed/intended to be taken when you have already made plans to go to sleep for roughly 8 hours. It's not designed to be taken when you are still relatively hyper and think just taking a pill will completely knock you out. The basic idea is that you've gotten into bed, stayed there for at least a few minutes, have tried to relax and go to sleep, but need more help, and you take the pill and it knocks you out for 8 hours.

If your doctor considers your waking up behaviour a normal reaction to the prescription/treatment he gave you, then I recommend you get a second opinion from another qualified medicial professional.

**pats2dabowl** · 10-24-2005, 12:37 PM

Shoot my reaction is different.

Damn that is some crazy stuff to happen for a sleeping pill...that thing should knock you out regardless of what state of mind you take it in.

I don't mean to laugh because you are dealing with some serious health issues, but man is that funny the way you wrote it. Best of luck to you. I would definately make sure someone keeps an eye on you for now, but it shouldn't continue to do that. It should just knock you right out and keep you out.

Oh and I'll pm you my address if you wanna get rid of those.... ;)

**Flagg Wanderer** · 10-24-2005, 01:45 PM

Ambien is a really "gentle" sleeping pill. I've actually taken it and read another couple chapters of the book I'm reading. I've even set my alarm for only 5 hours later and woke up just fine. For me, it just makes the sleep I do get better, or more restful, or something.

It may be that your stress and hyperactivity simply overcome the sleeping pill's effects, putting you in that exhausted/can't sleep phase, which the medicine struggles to overcome.

Any pizza left? I'm starving this morning.

**TheNextStep** · 10-24-2005, 03:57 PM

I've been diagnosed as a chronic insomniac, to the point that I'm currently taking Ambien "PRN".... which they don't normally do, as it is a habit forming drug. I've been on it for months now (off and on, as I don't relish the idea of addiction). With that in mind, I'm surprised at your reaction to it. For one thing, Ambien only works for me if I take it, get in bed, turn everything off, and act like I'm going to sleep (even though I feel wide awake before the medicine kicks in). If I take it while I'm at the dining room table, or if my wife has the television on, Ambien doesn't do a damned thing for me. So to hear you say that you got up and made a pizza is pretty strange to me. Of course, everyone reacts to medicines differently, I know. Beyond that, though, Ambien is also a drug that you build up a tolerance to. The first time I ever took it (years ago now), I took a half of a pill and was out cold in 10 minutes. After taking it every night for two weeks, I could take an entire pill and still be up for 6 more hours. Since that is so (for me, anyway), I would imagine that whatever is going on with you right now will mellow out some.... but I'm no pharmacist by any means.

**Darrell Green Fan** · 10-24-2005, 04:32 PM

I have sleep issues and have been taking this stuff, on and off, for a while. Gotta say sleepwalking was never one of my issues. I'll take it 1/2 hour before bed, it gives me a little buzz and then kicks my as* until morning.

Never head about the memory loss thing.

**Patman12** · 10-24-2005, 05:11 PM

Memory loss with Ambien or any other sleeping medication can happen but from what I understand the incidence is pretty low. Most people that take it are able to sleep 7-8 hours with zero problems but you may be one of those people that isn't completely sedated by the drug.

Next time down it with some alcohol, that should help. ;)

**Belisarius** · 10-24-2005, 05:22 PM

btw, anyone have good recommendations for non-scrip sleep-meds?

I have real trouble going to sleep unless I'm reeeeal tired, so I tend to go to sleep at 4 am.

I'm not insomniac per se, but verging sometimes.

If anyone has any specific recommendations for something that would help me get to sleep 1ish-2ish and isn't superhardcore or keeps me from waking up at 8 AM, ye got my major thanks.

**Patman12** · 10-24-2005, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Belisarius

btw, anyone have good recommendations for non-scrip sleep-meds?

I have real trouble going to sleep unless I'm reeeeal tired, so I tend to go to sleep at 4 am.

I'm not insomniac per se, but verging sometimes.

If anyone has any specific recommendations for something that would help me get to sleep 1ish-2ish and isn't superhardcore or keeps me from waking up at 8 AM, ye got my major thanks.

50 - 100 mg Benadryl.

**Darrell Green Fan** · 10-24-2005, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Patman12

50 - 100 mg Benadryl.

Bingo. Or if you're a cheap bastard like me there is store brand stuff that is the same. Also Tylenol PM works.

Or a blow to the head.

**SnydertheHun** · 10-24-2005, 08:03 PM

If you are on anti-biotics or other drugs, you really need to pay attention to drug interactions. There is a lot of info out there about memory loss from Ambien.

**Darrell Green Fan** · 10-24-2005, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by SnydertheHun

If you are on anti-biotics or other drugs, you really need to pay attention to drug interactions. There is a lot of info out there about memory loss from Ambien.

Come to think about it I did read something about that, I just forgot....

**RayClay** · 10-24-2005, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Belisarius

btw, anyone have good recommendations for non-scrip sleep-meds?

I have real trouble going to sleep unless I'm reeeeal tired, so I tend to go to sleep at 4 am.

I'm not insomniac per se, but verging sometimes.

If anyone has any specific recommendations for something that would help me get to sleep 1ish-2ish and isn't superhardcore or keeps me from waking up at 8 AM, ye got my major thanks.

Passion flower, seriously. I was buying some other herbal products and I saw this and said why not.

It relaxes you and helps you sleep. Doesn't knock you out by any means.