Side effects. Damn autocorrect.

Only sharing my own experience: I took Ambien for only two weeks are started feeling lousy. My sinus's hurt. Mid-day tiredness. When I googled Ambien for Sudetenland effects, I was convinced I had them. So I decided to go off.

I went into terrible withdrawal. Nausea, vomiting, headaches, sinusitis, diarrhea, hives, fatigue, chills -- it was so awful I was praying for death. I couldn't believe I could be in withdrawal after only two weeks of use, but several sites confirmed that thus could happen.

Maybe it was all coincidence. Maybe I went off Ambien and just happened to get a nasty virus at the same time. I'll never touch the stuff again, though.

Anonymous wrote:Super super stressed all the time from work; it's the only thing that allows me to rest.... I have taken them for years, per doctor recommendation - he says not sleeping outweighs the potential negatives of Ambien - but am a bit afraid that they must have some negative long-term effects.... Anyone been there or have an informed opinion for Sleepless (without Ambien) in DC??

I've been taking it for a long time and my MD also reluctantly said the same thing about me. I don't care if I'm hooked because it is the only way I get to sleep and sometimes I take it at 11:00 pm and don't fall asleep until 3:00 am. I do not drink coffee or tea and have no idea why my insomnia is so bad (had it all my life) but Ambien helps and I am so grateful for sleep.

I don't judge you.

It doesn't work for me, but insomnia takes many forms and everybody's chemistry is a bit different.

I can pop an Ambien and go to the gym. It seriously has zero effect on me anymore.

I would challenge you to introduce other behaviors into your repertoire, like daily exercise or stretch, using hot, hot showers, getting in bed only for sleep, creating sleepy time rituals for yourself just as you would for your child(ren), etc. This stuff really does help.

The people harshing on your habit are the same people who would probably scream bloody murder if forced to go without their morning coffee. Whatever, OP. Do what works for you. But, make sure it is really working.

Best of luck.

If you are worried OP, you might want to talk to your dictor about trying Trazodone. That stuff is a miracle sleep drug in my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:It's addictive. If you can, switch to Benadryl or Trazadone, which are less harmful and non-addicting. Also, never get psych meds from your primary care or OB. Go ahead and see a specialist and get the best care you can. Will save you grief in the long run.

Is benadryl really less bad? My dr. won't give me a regular prescription so I take benadryl, valerian, and anything else I can get my hands on to help me go to sleep. It is so hard to get a good nights sleep.

I take zolpiden pretty regularly, do you think thats a problem? i generally take one every other night, (about 4 a week). Sometimes i only take a 1/2 of an ambian on some nights where im already a little tired. It will take me about 6 to 7 weeks to finish a bottle pf 30. I truly like it. i just don't want to be addictive on it. i do love taking it, because you get a gooooood nights sleep/ Is there reallya long term additction to it? please respond, thank you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was the poster who told OP if she had to ask... You people giving advice saying it's not addictive are IRRESPONSIBLE. There are entire websites dedicated to Ambien addiction. Just because you took it for 3 years, doesn't make it okay!

If you don't believe me (an RN), just google "Ambien Addiction"... There are 766,000 pages to prove you wrong.

I make it a personal policy not to trust anonymous internet bitches, especially if they claim to be RNs. RNs have less education than car mechanics, for god's sake. What's it take, 2 years to be an RN? HA!OP, trust your doctor!

You are misinformed and take all credibility from your comments with these kinds of statements.

lol at the people who say this is not addictive and just a placebo I can tell you from experience (i have pushed past the tired feeling and stayed awake after taking it) anything that can make me feel so high and heighten my senses like that is defiantly not a placebo and it is classified as a sedative-hypnotic so that should give you a clue right there... I would have never taken it in the first place if I read the huge stack of papers (almost the size of a book) that my dr gave me with info about the drug

ambian is very addictive and it can be harmful maybe even fatal if you have been using it for a long time and just stop taking it when i wanted to get off of it my dr. had me wean off of it slowlyeven thought dr.s prescribe it as long-term fix it has only been tested as a short-term fix (2-6 weeks) so they don't really know if it has any negative long term effects but i do know even though i weaned myself off of them the withdraw kicked my butt

(I know that was one long run on sentence but i am to tired to fix my grammar lol)

I've had amazing sex while taking Ambien. Dee-lish.

Lots of scary ambien stories out there, but, OP, you know that, which is why you're asking the question. Trust your gut. One problem with ambien is that it is addictive, so the more you take, the more you need. Another problem is that the drug is impacting the core functioning of your brain (sleep/wake cycles), which can lead to very serious psychotic reactions (everything from sleep-driving, sleep-eating to sleep-rage and suicide). Really, you do not want to have a family member "wake" you up while you have a knife in your hand in the kitchen. This type of thing happens to people on this drug.

Try exercise, yoga, meditation, herbal tea....change jobs.....

OP--I have struggled with insomnia for years, and have seen many good (and not so good) doctors about it. The one thing you should know however, is that if you are taking Ambien every day you are largely relying on it for a placebo effect. It is not effective after prolonged use--that is why people either keep jacking up their dosages or end up abusing it. If you are at the point where you've taken it for 2 plus months, you should realize you are basically sleeping on your own, and start cutting back on the Ambien. You can do it, and I would also recommend the book, "No More Sleepless Nights."

The fear of insomnia and not sleeping is worse than the insomnia itself and can become consuming, so I really, really feel for you because I have been there.

FYI - taking melatonin over a period of time will actually encourage the body to produce more. As mentioned earlier it is completly safe, non-addictive and helpful and productive for the body over a long period of time.

But don't believe us - check into it for yourselves - via any good doctor.