Sleep Meds, hold onto your pants..

Smiter

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This latest Tiger Woods incident, I've seen a ton of people proclaiming that Ambien, AKA The Zonbie Drug, should be taken off the market. I'll grant that there are certainly isolated cases where this happens. These cases are isolated, and as an aside, if you EVER have that type of reaction you should look in a new place to find sleep. It happens though. It's probably a less than 1% chance that you'll ever have that type of reaction. But if you do and you don't stop taking it, that's on you.

I've also heard various calls that it should be taken off the market. Why? Because a way lower than 1% of people can't tolerate it? What about the percentage of people like me that need it to function even remotely like a normal human being?

Story time. I'm a serious insomniac. I've taken Ambien daily for over ten years now. I'm typing this right now after taking an Ambien 10mg about 45 minutes ago. To me it's a great medication. I've never had a bad reaction to it, not once. I take it at bed every night. It helps me sleep. It's very minor in its effect, it just creates a "let's sleep soon" sort of feel in me. Now I would never drive after taking it (as opposed to some rx's that I take that I'm 100% coherent, and would drive on in a heartbeat).

Ambien isn't a bad drug. I agree that someone should be monitored the first couple times they take. I do not discount the stories of "aunt sally took it and 'woke' up 3 states over. They do happen. To well under 1% of its users. It's classed as a "sedative/hypnotic". Probably a decent idea to not drive while on it. Posting to an internet message board is probably safe, although I have been banned from a site when I was on it. The difference is I remember everything I said from that.

The other thing that I see quite a bit of is... "I took a vike following knee surgery, it messed me up bad, and I flushed the rest and switched to Tylenol". I get it. Just know that not everyone is as affected as those making those posts. I would die from APAP OD before I'd ever even feel effect from a Vicodin or even a Percocet. Everyone is different. Me personally I have, what my doc described to me as "the most painful condition that it's possible to live through". He's been published in medical journals on this. So I take a lot of pain meds. I will admit that I used to have a problem with them (mainly owing to trying to control the pain on my own). I can honestly say that in the past 12 years I have only taken opioids for pain control and not for the purpose of getting high. Prior to 12 years ago it was for both. When I took a long hard look in the mirror, I knew I had to change and I'd have loved to be able to live life without being in such excruciating pain that I didn't honestly consider chewing on a a barrel of a .357. With the help of my doc, he came up with a plan to keep me alive and as functioning as possible.

So far so good. In addition to Ambien (to help me sleep in excruciating pain) I take a long acting opiate daily and another that is needed for breakthrough pain. I take this one as little as possible since it's the only pain med I take that makes me loopy. I'll drive on the normal one but not on this and quite frankly I couldn't drive once I get to that point anyways, just due to pain.

So please guys.... if you have no experience, just state so. For someone that deals and had to live with an extremely painful condition, some of the opInions I see are laughable. Those of you that say "wow! One Vike and I'm blotto" either have an extreme Sensitivity to it or have zero experience. If it make you feel any better, I have no experience recently of being "opiod naive". I'm glad you do. The bottom line though is that my starting dose would kill someone with no tolerance. You're starting dose has no affect on me. I'd hope you can understand this. If you don't, I'm sorry.
 
I use to take hydro regular for my neck pain, they did not effect me to where I was out of it but I did stop because of they way they "clogged me up" and I have learned to deal with my pain without.
I also have taken ambien nightly for years, it helps me fall asleep but I have never had any adverse reactions to it and do not have a rebound effect after I wake up.


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I've taken prescribed vicodin, norco, soma's and ambien. I've taken them all as directed with no side effects. They all served their purpose at the times I took them for kidney stones, back spasms and having problems sleeping at one point. To me, ambien is great. I took the 10mg's and after about 30 minutes, it was like I'd had 15 beers. They made me tired (like they're supposed to, lol) and fat tongued feeling. I've never had a deeper, clearer, more restful sleep ever.

There's directions on all of these Rx drugs for a reason. I hope the ambien continues to help you and you can find a way to ease your pain.
 
Gut health and hormone levels play a massive role in sleep. Many people can fix sleep issues with diet if they really want. Not exactly what big pharma wants you to hear but it's true
 
What a difference betwixt sites (previously mentioned banned from site and here)! I kind of expected a bunch of negativity from my post since I felt like everyone on that other place treated me like I had leprosy anytime I would post anything that could be viewed as somewhat controversial.

Here it seems that folk have more of an open mind and even those that dissent do so in a respectable fashion (yes I'm aware that diet and health in general have a huge effect on sleep, etc-and trust me! I'm always working on that:)). I appreciate civil discussion and fully understand that not everyone will always see eye to eye. My life experiences are different from anyone else's and vice versa. To offer a dissenting or slightly disagreeing opinion is totally ok by me. I'd not ever know what it's like to walk a mile in someone else's shoes nor ever expect them to know what's its like walk one in mine.

Like I stated, I like this place. Good folk, running amok from coast to coast. Thanks!
 
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