Can we talk about John McCain and Ambien?

[hedgehog]

"McCain takes a daily aspirin to prevent formation of blood clots; an occasional Zyrtec, an antihistamine used for nasal allergies; and the sleep agent Ambien CR for treatment of insomnia when he travels."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/23/mccain.health.records/index.html

"Elderly or debilitated patients may be especially sensitive to the effects of zolpidem tartrate. "

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/zolpid_ids.htm

Ambien is more than a simple sleeping pill, aside from the reports of sleepwalking:

"Ambien, the nation's best-selling prescription sleeping pill, is showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes involving drivers who later say they were sleep-driving and have no memory of taking the wheel after taking the drug."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/business/08ambien.html


It also seems to affect basic brain functions:

"On occasion it also seems to wake people up from near vegetative states. "


Comments?

http://blog.wired.com/biotech/2007/03/ambien_wakes_up.html

[Celebration]

1. We do NOT need a president on Ambien

3am phone calls, and all that.............................

However, McCain is scary enough without Ambien.

[hedgehog]

2. I'm getting a tickle in the back of my head about George Bush Senior taking Ambien on overseas trips

and doing some strange things (aside from puking on the PM of Japan) but I can't track this down. Anybody with a better memory?

[americanstranger]

8. Nope, that was Halcion.

Way, way before Ambien made its debut.

- as

[hedgehog]

9. Thanks!

[crazylikafox]

3. Maybe this is why he picked Palin

He was sleepwalking. Called her in his sleep to ask her to join the ticket. Te He Hee

[crimson333]

4. I have been taking Ambien

almost everyday for 2 years and so far have had no problems or any of the things mentioned

[hedgehog]

5. Apparently the real problems start when you drink even the smallest

amount with Ambien.

[kid a]

6. or take ambien and try to function during waking hours.

[hedgehog]

7. It sounds to me like Ambien shuts down the higher consciousness

without the accompanying paralysis of the rest of the body you get in normal rem sleep.

[crimson333]

11. I could see that. I don't drink, so I don't know from experience

but I can't see it as being a good thing to do. I usually take it as I go to bed with water :)

[Ilsa]

10. Not everyone will have side effects. Some people are more sensitive to them. Good luck! nt.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

12. K&R