I took 1/2 of an Ambien last night

[Squatch]

and I am *STILL* in a zombie-like state. Crap, I'm tired.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

1. Did you sleep eat?

Sleep drive? Murder your in-laws? Considering the stories I've heard, I'd say the zombie-like state might not be that bad.

Feel perkier...

[SoxFan]

2. It takes getting used to

I took Ambien for a while. It is very effective, but it can trip you up aw well. I had a very creepy episode of sleep paralysis the first time. I didn't have any major "hangover" problems, but if I had to get up to use the john during the night, my motor skills were at the fourth bourbon and water stage.

[GenDem]

3. What the hell is wrong with me?

My doctor prescribed Ambien for peri-menopausal insomnia -- that I have been suffering with pretty intensely the past few months -- and I take a whole one and often times still don't get an entire nights sleep.

My health insurance company only allows me 15 a month, even though my doctor wrote out a prescription for 30 days. So now I have to decide which nights I sleep and which nights I don't.

:hi:

[Squatch]

4. 1/2 is all it takes for me...and then I'm useless all next day.

[GenDem]

5. Can you try to quarter one?

Believe it or not, I took a whole one on Saturday night and after 15 minutes post pill swallowing, I still had to turn my light on and read until I got drowsy -- this was around 1 AM. I was wide awake by 8:00 in the morning.

[Left Is Write]

28. If the drug being taken is Ambien CR rather than Ambien, please don't try to cut them.

[lizziegrace]

12. Wow

I thought I was the only one. I took a Lunesta the other night and it took 2.5 hours to fall asleep. And like you, I only have a few so I have to decide when I want to sleep and want to stay awake nearly all night.

50mg of Benedryl hardly phase me at night. During the day, I'm in a coma.

:(

And mine is age and some depression.

[GenDem]

15. My SIL gave me a stern warning

Take your Ambien after you have gotten into the bed -- that's how quick it will put you to sleep. Doesn't work that way for me. I can take it, do a load of laundry, read for a half hour, and I still feel wide awake. :shrug:

[MonkeyFunk]

14. same here

I was given ambien a few years ago and it did absolutey nothing for me. Nada. Wide awake two hours later.

Then we tried Trazodone, which is cheap. Took a bit to find the right dosage (100mg), but one of those pills and sawing logs in 15 minutes, and wake up refeshed and clear.

[GenDem]

16. Kind of tells me that Ambien may not be the right sleeping aid for me

I go for a follow up in a couple weeks.

Good to know. :hi:

[MonkeyFunk]

19. ask about Trazodone

it's not even a sleeping pill - it's an antidepressant, and they discovered it knocks some people right out, and has no narcotic effect.

[SoxFan]

21. Be careful with the dosage, though

If you take too large a dose, Traz can give you a nasty headache the next morning. You'll also need a third cup of coffee to get the brain working.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. yeah

and dosages very greatly from person to person.

i was first put on a 25-milligram dose and told to break it in half. Then i did 25mg... nothing. Then up to 50... very slight effect. Then 100mg.... boom! The magic number.

But some people get the same effect on 12.5mgs.

[Fleshdancer]

6. My best friend was accidentally given Ambien instead of his blood pressure meds

We work in the same office and it was weird to suddenly see him so tired all the time. It turns out that the pharmacist made a BIG mistake by giving him Ambien instead of his regular medication. He takes his blood pressure meds in the morning right after he wakes up so by the time he was done getting ready for work, the Ambien would kick in when he was driving in rush hour traffic. I was PISSED when I found out...he was unknowingly putting his life in danger every day for a week.

The Pharmacist is lucky nothing bad happened and my friend didn't really press the issue because he felt stupid for not realizing what had happened until 5 days later.

I've never taken it myself but after seeing him on it and reading about it, it seems pretty hard core.

[grace0418]

7. Holy shit! My husband takes it and within a few minutes he can barely walk much

less drive or be at work. I have to help him to bed.

That pharmacist could've gotten your friend or someone else killed with that bone-headed move.

He says the most hilarious stuff to me when he's on that. I should write it down.

[hiaasenrocks]

8. I took Ambien-CR one time, late August '06.

That one night of taking it set me on a course of regular sleep, and I haven't had a night of insomnia since.

I do deep-breathing exercises while trying to go to sleep, which has a lot to do with it.

[ceile]

9. Can't take the stuff.

I have horribly violent (punching the bed) dreams and feel like I'm on an acid trip. I take Lunesta instead and I love it. W/in 15 minutes I'm out and I have no problem waking up the next morning.

[tmlanders]

10. There are 3 different sizes/strengths of Ambien:

* Ambien 5 mg - pink, capsule-shaped, film-coated tablets
* Ambien 10 mg - white, capsule-shaped, film-coated tablets
* Ambien CR 6.25 mg - pink round controlled release tablets

I generally take 1/2 of the 10 mg. white ones when I need extra help to get to sleep. But I NEVER take one after 11 PM, else I am a hazard to myself and and everyone else the next day!

No reports from DH concerning any funny stuff, but maybe he is just saving it all up...

[Squatch]

11. It's 4:39 PM and I'm just now starting to feel awake.

I have the white pill.

[Left Is Write]

27. Oh, there's more. My Rx is for Ambien CR 12.5 mg.

[wildhorses]

13. when i was taking it. i slept great with NO hangover.

i did do some sleepwalking and sleepeating on it. then, i started taking before i went to bed. it was a nice buzz:D

[musette_sf]

17. are they generic or name brand?

i took the 10mg name brand Ambien for years (manufacturer: Sanofil) with no problems.

my prescription got switched to the generic a few months ago.

i found that the generic makes me feel like a zombie the next day. even a half of a pill.

i got it switched back to the name brand, and now all is well.

generic does not mean identical to the name brand product. the generic Ambien seems to not be metabolized the same way.

YMMV, but that's my experience.

[Left Is Write]

20. As far as I am aware, there is no generic for Ambien.

And yes, generics substituted for brand names must be the same medication.

[musette_sf]

23. generic Ambien was dispensed to me just last month

so yes, the generic for Ambien does exist.

generic means EQUIVALENT, not SAME. there is a difference.

the generic Ambien made me like a zombie during the day after taking it the night before.

name brand Ambien does not make me like a zombie during the day after taking it the night before.

furthermore on the subject of generics: i take Cyclessa (BCPs) and have for years. one time the pharmacy decided to give me the generic (by Barr) instead of the name brand. i experienced breakthrough bleeding on the generic. i went back on the name brand Cyclessa and it hasn't happened since.

[Left Is Write]

24. I've looked it up - you are right, there is a generic for Ambien. There is not, however, a generic

for Ambien CR.

In the case of being the same drug, though, you are incorrect. Generic drugs must contain the same active ingredients at the same strength and dosage form as the brand name.

[musette_sf]

25. evidently Ambien has a narrow therapeutic index

"For a drug to be marketed under a generic label, the manufacturer must comply with FDA standards. The FDA states that generic drugs must be therapeutically equivalent to the brand name drug. Numerous studies have attempted to show differences in brand and generic drugs. With a few exceptions, most studies have not shown true statistical differences between brand name drugs and generic drugs. The few cases where differences exist occur mostly in drugs that have a narrow "therapeutic index." The "therapeutic index" is the difference between the drug's effective amount in the body and the level at which the drug causes an undesirable or toxic effect."

(from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation website)

[Beausoir]

18. Gave me complete amnesia. Anything after I took it was blacked-out. Scary.

I got off it pronto. I'd rather have the insomnia than black outs.

It gave me RLS, too. Too much drug for me.

[Roon]

26. I take seroquel at bedtime

and in a half hour I am out. I dream like crazy too. Sometimes it's hard to tell what I dreamed and what really happened.

[MiserableFailure]

29. Try benadryl instead

It's OTC and it always knocks me out when I need to be, but I wake up feeling rested and not zombie-like.