It is not working for me as well anymore. Any suggestions on other sleep aids, preferably one that is approved for long term use? I have been taking Ambien for almost 4 months, almost every night.
Chosen Answer:
Hello:
This is in response to your question posted on yahoo about the efficacy of Ambien.
Ambien is a class IV drug ( classifiation created by the Drug Enforcement Agency), The lower the number the higher the potential of abuse, tolerance, addiction, etc. For example a class II drug like percocet has a higher potential for abuse whereas a Class III drug like hydrocodone, ie vicoden has less of a potential but it is still there. Since Ambien is a class IV drug, it still has some potential for abuse and tolerance. Now the word tolerance simply means that over time, it will take more of the drug to get the same effect so the answer to your question is YES. Ambien is not supposed to be used on a daily basis and should never be used for more than two weeks at a time because TOLERANCE can develop. It has a low potential for addiction but the tolerance potential is still there. Since you have been taking it every night for four months that is the reason that it is not working for you as well as it did before. You have other options. Over the counter choices are Tylenol-PM which has a very sedating antihistamine in it. It works like a charm for me. Prescription medications include sonata which is also a Class IV drug and if used for extended periods of time, you could run into the same problem. There is a newer medication called Lunesta which has less of a potential for tolerance. The newest medication to come out that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long term use is called Rozerem (generic name is ramelteon) and comes in 8 mg tablets. Supposedly, there is no potential for tolerance even if using every day for months on end. In my opinion, it is probably not a very good idea to use something long term anyway, because if you stop using it abruptly you could have rebound insomnia that is worse than your orginal insomnia. I tell my patients to come up with a sleep diary or log that they fill in.ie. what time are getting to bed each night, what time you wake up in the morning, what times of the night you wake up, what time in the early morning you awake and cannot get back to sleep. The bedroom should only by used for sleep and sex. No TV in the bedroom, no reading before bed, no fluids several hours before bedtime, no caffeinated beverage, ie coffee, sodas, chocolate several hours before bedtime, methods of stress reduction, ie. progressive relaxation, yoga, a hot bath just before retiring at night can help. If none of these things work, then you should get a sleep study done (it is called a polysomnogram that a Neurologist can do). You must spend the night in the office and they monitor your brain waves and determine if there are any derangements in the various cycles of your sleep. I know it is a hard disorder to deal with because I suffer from it myself. Shift work, and flight attendants suffer the worst, but it is estimated that at least 75 percent of people in the U.S. suffer from some type of insomnia at some point in their life.
I hope this helps to answer your question and alleviate some of the concerns you have about insomnia.
Regards,
Warren B. Shaffer, M.D.
by: doctordad
on: 19th June 06
I have always had trouble falling asleep at night. I have to take an over the counter sleep aid every night because if I don’t I simply wont go to sleep. Now the sleep aid does not help. I wake up at 5 every morning after going to sleep at 12 or 1 and I do not go back to sleep until 7 or 8 if I do go back to sleep. Does anyone know if this could be a sign of insomnia?
Chosen Answer:
Talk to your doctor about these:
Rozerem
Ambien CR
Temazepam
Serax
Oxazepam
Lunesta
Temazepam is the best benzodiazepine for insomnia (especially when you can’t stay asleep). It works for most people and, unlike all other benzodiazepines, will not interfere with sleep architecture.
Oxazepam is not as commonly used but it is one of the top drugs for people who wake up later and do not respond to first line drugs.
by: Ducky
on: 15th September 09
I’m doing a research article for class and I can’t seem to find the percentage of people in the world who are diagnosed with insomnia. Does anyone know?
Chosen Answer:
Insomnia, simply put, is a sleeping disorder which is characterized by one’s inability to sleep. Insomnia occurs in 30% to 50% of the entire world population. On a higher scale, 10% of these situations are under the so-called chronic insomnia already. Truth is it affects all people in any age or gender class. It is also more prevalent in women than in men. As a person ages, the more severe the symptom becomes.
by:
on: 6th September 09
Yeah I have insomnia every summer for some reason. I’ve talked to my doctor about it but he has been no help at all. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Chosen Answer:
To relieve insomnia, you should avoid substances that make it worse and have good bedtime habits that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature, dark, and quiet enough for sleep.
Good bedtime habits include:
- Prepare yourself for sleep by, e.g. preparing a ‘to do’ list for tomorrow, so that such distractions are at their minimum when you actually hit the bed.
- Turn your alarm clock so that its glow doesn’t let you know of the time ticking away.
- Not exercising, eating heavy meals, or drinking a lot shortly before bedtime. One exception is yoga. A number of yoga postures are designed to calm your body and prepare you for sleep.
- Following a routine that helps you wind down and relax before bed, such as reading a book, listening to soothing music, or taking a hot bath.
- If you share a bed, buy a king size bed with two different mattresses so that you two don’t disturb each other while sleeping.
- Making your bedroom sleep-friendly. Avoid bright lighting and minimize possible sleep distractions, such as a TV, computer, or pet.
- Going to sleep around the same time each night and waking up around the same time each morning, even on weekends. If possible, avoid night shifts or alternating schedules at work and other causes of irregular sleep schedules.
Both herbal and homeopathic remedies are commonly used alternatives to sleeping tablets in reducing insomnia, and can be very effective in helping to assist an individual in the transition to peaceful slumber without strong sedatives or any concerning side effects.
Certain herbs such as Hypericum perforatum, Scuttelaria laterifolia, Passiflora incarnata can be used to maintain healthy sleep patterns and promote optimal balance of sleep-related hormones involved in the sleep cycle.
Homeopathic remedies such as Coffea C30 and Nux Vom. C30 are also used to reduce insomnia and maintain restful, satisfying, and healthy sleep. Other natural supplements that are widely used to address the underlying causes of chronic insomnia are calcium lactate, magnesium lactate and vitamin B6.
You may get more info here http://www.healthherbsandnutrition.com/remedies/i/insomnia.htm
Hope all this helps
Good Luck
by:
on: 20th January 11
My counsoler suggested I try to try to get off of ambien that I take every night to sleep. I wanted to know if anyone might know how long it might take for me to wean myself off, I have been taking it for over a year.
Chosen Answer:
I’ve been taking Ambien for years, and haven’t found a way to get off it sucessfully. I did have a horrible time getting off of Effexor (it felt like what it would be like to detox off of crack). The only thing that enabled me to survive was a natural supplement I bought at Whole Foods. I can’t remember the name of it, but it was a small blue vial and there were a lot of them together and each one was a remedy for some sort of ailment. The one I got was for nasua (my main compaint) and for some reason it minimized all of my other symptoms. I’m not sure this one would work for you, but I’m sure they have something for sleeping issues or whatever it is when you go off Ambien. I’ve just decided to embrace my life on Ambien and I’m now blogging about it.
Trust me…I’ve been on Ambien for years. I’ve given up trying to fight it…I just embrace it! I’ve even written a blog about my ambien adventures. (It’s called “Ambien Nights”)
Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.
by: Ambien Girl
on: 16th August 09
After four years of taking Ambien CR my friend stopped taking it. He quit taking it about 5 months ago. For the last 4 months (at least) he has been depressed. For the last 3 months severely depressed.
Is there anyone out there that has heard of anything like this? Have you ever heard of someone becoming so depressed after they stopped taking AmbienCR?
Chosen Answer:
Ambien is one of the most ineffective drugs on the market to treat insomnia and does not cause depression. Your friend needs to see a psychiatrist immediately.
by: purple
on: 26th September 09
I’ve been struggling with insomnia and am planning to request that my doctor prescribe me the sleeping medication, Ambien, which has proven an effective sleep inducer for several of my friends.
I was hoping others who’ve tried this medication could share their experiences. Did Ambien work for you?
Wow, and sorry about the phrasing of that question!
Chosen Answer:
I’ll share my experience with Ambien. I took this a few years ago and I would never, ever recommend this sleep aid to anyone. While on this, I hallucinated that my backpack was turning into a monster and that my reflection in the mirror had changed into a demon. I also went sleep walking for the first time in my life — a friend found me wandering the halls of my dorm in my underwear. Absolutely terrifying, and it sure didn’t help me sleep. Side effects: hallucinations, sleep walking, panic attacks. I purchase Ambien through reputable http://www.lipmanpharmacy.com/ they’ve been very reliable so far. Check this FDA link about Ambien http://google2.fda.gov/search?client=FDAgov&site=FDAgov-Recalls-Safety|FDAgov-Consumers|FDAgov-WarningLetters-ICECI|FDAgov-ImportAlerts-Industry|FDAgov-MedWatch-Safety|FDAgov-Section-Drugs&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_q=ambien&num=20&btnG=Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&restrictBox=FDAgov-Recalls-Safety&restrictBox=FDAgov-Consumers&restrictBox=Medwatch&restrictBox=FDAgov-WarningLetters-ICECI&restrictBox=FDAgov-ImportAlerts-Industry&restrictBox=FDAgov-Section-Drugs&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&sort=date
Hope i helped.
by:
on: 5th June 11
What Is Ambien (Zolpidem) ?
Ambien is a sedative, also called a hypnotic. It affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause sleep problems (insomnia).
Ambien is used for the short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep). This medication causes relaxation to help you fall asleep.
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