Feeling helpless..my mom is Ambien night Binge Eating..its bad

I don't have much to add aside from filming her and having a mini-intervention (also good to add a therapist/social worker/mediator as an unrelated third party so she doesn't feel genged up on), sharing with her doctor and asking for a recommendation to change sleeping pills, and possibly chaining the fridge closed (extreme but this is also an extreme problem for her/you guys).

Just know that you have a support system out here and that we're here to listen and try to help, but mostly listen when you've got stuff on your mind. Good luck to you! Keep us updated!

Very sorry that you are going through this.  You should be enjoying your new body and getting ready for school.  I would call her doctor.  He is the only one that can control it. 

You've gotten good suggestions here (I would highly recommend filming her as I'm certain she has no idea what she is doing. These drugs are ridic)...but the obvious one is to ditch the Ambien. Lunesta (and its relatives) doesn't have these same side effects.

Now, this doesn't address the apnea and other issues, but it will take care of the immediate sleep eating and other Ambien related side effects.

I agree with the filming part -- to show her AND her doctor.  As a nurse, the sleep apnea issue REALLY concerns me -- if she's having noticeable episodes of sleep apnea, Ambien (and most other sleeping meds) are contraindicated b/c they can cause further respiratory depression.  My suggestion would to be to add footage of her sleeping & breathing pattern to show to her Doctor.  My guess is that he'll want to do polysomnography (sleep) studies --- this may lead to her trading in her Ambien for a C-Pap & solve a multitude of issues.

I wish you the best!  ((hugs))

I was just given a prescription for Ambien but I think I'll pass...thanks for posting this and sorry for your mom this has to be stressing.

 
Hey you Sassy Italian........

Something I have had to go through in some recent years........ I've talked to my friends about this also because it seems we all go through it in one form or another.

There comes a time when we become our parents parent.........

It usually starts as a partial than works into full. The life cycle is kinda funny....we go from infant to adult and everything in between.....Well as you age.....it's the reverse.....from adult to infant......

We become our parents parent and we have not been trained for it....no classes....maybe there are books on it now?

Sounds like you have a parent (teenager) with a drug problem. What would your parents have done with you if they knew you had a drug problem? That's what you gotta do.....

Here is another a bit OT......A friend of mines mom is single and has started to date........ My buddy is going freaking nuts! He told me on this first date for his mom....he stuck around so he could meet the guy.....he said he felt like the dad.....giving the guy the third degree on the questions......

The funny part he says was the part when he says " Alright kids....have fun.....what time are you planning to be back.....?" The guy says.... "I promise I'll have your mom back by 11 and if were running a little late...well call you...."

frisco

A good friend of mine has sleep apnea and uses a c-pap and also takes Ambien. She and her husband have told me about halllucinations she has with Ambien if she doesn't immediately lay down after she takes it. If she stays up more than 15 minutes after taking one she starts seeing things moving and talking to her. She's since had her doctor cut her dose and does much better.
Wishing you the best of luck and if I had any advice other than what everyone has already said I'd let you know other than trying to get her to cut her dose. Maybe taking a half of one instead of a whole one for the immediate time being until you can get with her Dr.

Good luck and we'll be praying for you and your family.

I have suffered from sleep issues much of my adult life.  Before surgery, I'd been on Ambien for about a year.  I couldn't sleep without it, but I was getting what I called amnesia.  I had conversations I didn't remember.  I read before bed, and would remember nothing from the book.  I'd wake up with food next to the bed, like a box of cereal that apparently I'd been eating out of.   It scared me, and obviously I put on weight, too.

I figured surgery was a good time to get off of the Ambien.  I'd be in the hospital, on morphine or something like it, and that would help me sleep.  So my surgery day was the last time I took ambien.  It's been since April.  I still suffer from insomnia, but I'd rather have that, than sleep-eating! 

I think you've gotten good advice re your mother.  You're in a difficult position.  I think filming her is a good idea; she is probably in denial about what's going on when she's on the ambien.  I know I was doing stuff that I didn't remember the next day.   

If she doesn't believe or remember you, video tape her.  Sometimes seeing is believing.  Also google and research how Ambien DOES have this side effect and maybe some alternatives to the Ambien.

Ms Shell

I know exactly what you are talking about.  I would be zombie like and eat, eat, eat on Ambien. However, I would night eat and binge even when not on Ambien, the Ambien only made it worse. 

I am sorry to say that there is nothing you can really do if she doesnt want help.

Print out these posts for her, tell her you love her and that you hope she gets the help she needs. Tell her you will support her if she decides to make changes and that it really hurts to see her do this to herself.  Then step away.

My mom had 2 heart attacks because she wouldn't use her CPAP and this is despite numerous and I mean numerous attempts to tell her how dangerous this was.  She is now using her machine daily.  She needed a major wake up call before she would realize what she was doing to herself.  Your mom sounds similar. I feel bad for you guys but driving yourself crazy worrying about her wont fix it. If you need to, get yourself a pair of earplugs so you dont hear her get up at night.  At least you will get a good nights sleep.