AMBIEN ANYONE???

I have become an addict of this drug; took myself off it three days ago and am suffering severe withdrawl. Does anyone else take anything for their insomnia regularly and are you having problems? This drug causes severe memory loss/amnesia every day that you take it. It has impacted my work and family life. I feel like warm poo-poo when I take it and it leaves a foul, metallic taste in my mouth. I had to get off it. I'm so afraid I'm going to really start eating again now. Advice is greatly appreciated. Your Reenie

Hi Reenie I have thought about asking the doctor for something to help me sleep. It's not that I don't sleep or having problems falling asleep, but I seem to sleep 2 to 3 hours and wake up, then back to sleep for another 2 to 3 hours. It's not unusual for me to wake up 3 to 4 times during the night. The idea of going to bed and waking up 7 or 8 hours later when it's time to get up is so appealing, but hearing your story about ambien, I think I'll stick with what I have now. I'm not sure that Lunesta is any better than the Ambien is either. Hugs, Mo

For me, Mo, my not being able to get to sleep and stay asleep is stress and menopause related. I wake up several times a night and it got so bad that I would literally lay there for hours, my mind racing, and not able to get back to sleep. I was doing my laundry at 3:30 a.m. The ambien takes effect almost immediately; it's like a black curtain falls down and you just go to sleep, very much like whatever they use to put you out just before surgery. For me, it was such a relief to let go, zone out, of all the stress in my life, I couldn't wait to take the stuff. I was taking it every night for the past 5 months or so, and my body built up a tolerance so that I was waking up every 2-3 hours and popping another pill so I would go back to sleep. My husband and kids tell me I had conversations with them that I had absolutely no memory of; same thing at work, no memory, blank slate, when people were telling me I talked to them about such and such or said I was going to do such and such--and then didn't, because my memory of such and such was gone. This pill is harmful. Don't start on it. I am trying other means to deal with my insomnia, getting off caffiene, drinking camomile tea before bed, that sort of thing. I wish you rest, my friend. Take good care, M.

I can sympathize with the menopausal thing. In my late 40s (pre-hysterectomy) I was having issues with sleep where I either couldn't fall asleep or wouldn't stay asleep. I would sleep an hour to two hours then be awake for 2 to 3 hours .. I was a walking zombie. Once I had the hysterectomy and was in full blown menopause it took a little for me to get to sleeping again but I still can't sleep through the night I've been on HRT for just over 7 years (since the big H) and the last 2 years the doctor has been weening me off the HRT (because I want off it) and I am wondering if that has something to do with the sleeping patterns again At least now, when I wake up, for the most part I can go back to sleep and I do wake up rested, just annoyed that I had to wake up so often during the night. I have a friend at work who takes an 'herbal' sleep aid. It's not Melatonin (at least I don't think so). If I get a chance I'll ask her what it is and pass it on to you. Hugs, Mo

Hi Reenie I have been dealing with lousy sleep for a long time & take Melintonin from the vitamin isle. It works as good as any of the OTC drugs & does not leave you hung over. I refuse to go on the Script drugs for that very reason, getting hooked on them. Please stick to your guns about getting off of them. I don't sleep more than 4 hours most nights. Doesn't matter what time I go to bed I am awake at 5:30 a.m. no matter what I do. (it gets madning) When I take the Melentonin I can get 5 hrs solid sleep & that is good for Me. My Pastor takes it too, & he has been through a lot more than I have in this year. Take care & hope you can stay off of it!! You might also try taking Benadryl before you go to bed. That has helped some folks I no. Marilyn,the Bearlady

Thanks, Marilyn. I've tried Melatonin and I find I tend to abuse that as well, trying to get to sleep. Hope things are going better for you. Loved your post about the kids and the cops, a good reminder of how important it is to get out of our teeny tiny little minds and little worlds and extend ourselves to others. The best healer there is. Take care, M.

Hi Reenie The difference in taking the Melintonin every night over the other nighttime drugs is there are no side effects involved with it. You can still function the next day. My Doc said it was the safest thing to take. It also won't effect any other meds that you take. Just think about going back to it, instead of nothing. Marilyn, the BEarlady

Reenie, I have taken Rx meds for sleep too. Then I found I was becoming too dependent on them so quit my refills..but that may have been one of my reasons (along with the mutiple major stresses suddenly popping up in my life) to turn to another "answer"...alcohol. Definitely NOT the right thing to do...but as I posted before, I chose it as my "comforter" as I couldn't choose food to comfort me. ANYWAY, I did want to offer some advice that might help. When the dr prescribed the sleeping med for me (I think it was Ambien..it definitely put me to sleep but I had the same horrible side effects that you described) he told me not to take it every night or else I WOULD become addicted to it. He said that it would not "kill" me to go 1 or 2 nights (or more) without much sleep,even though I, like all of you, have to get up in the morning and go to work. I realized later that I should have taken his advice. Besides taking the sleeper every night seemed to build up a tolerance to it causing the sleeper to be less effective.. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking Rx sleeping med or OTC meds for sleep...but I do think my dr was right about taking it only once or twice a week. . Hope that helped..you have been such a tremendous help to me, that I'd like to repay the favor! ellen

Ellen, I just took a peek at your profile - we have mu*****ommon! I'm 49, married nearly 20 years, 2 kids, husband's family in GA (Atlanta). I hope to run a marathon in this next year! Stay in touch!!! And thanks for your very honest, very real posts...this type of honesty in dealing with it all is the only way to carve a new path to healthy thinking, which will translate to sustaining weight loss. I'm with Connie, I'm furious at the money being bilked from people who are looking for the magic bullet that will take the weight off and keep the weight off. There is NO magic bullet or magic pill. There is no magic! It's damned hard work every single day. The weight loss industry is a rediculous testament to the level of unconsciousness we are bringing to society. We must know what we're FEELING so that we can ACT on the appropriate IMPULSE. This is mindful living. For instance: I FEEL love for this man; I have an IMPULSE to show him how much I love him; I walk over to him and put my arms around him for no reason other than to ACT on that impulse. This is what I'm trying to do in all factets of my life. I am trying to live mindfully and I so hope this new approach to life will provide me with some peace of mind so that I can stay committed to physical health. Take care and please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing with things. Hope everyone has a great day. Love, Reenie

Cognitive deficit - I'm 50, not 49!