[(JD)]

Anyone on this site? having problems with this extended release drug...

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

Yes Sky they don't work on me as well as the just Ambein and I get kinda trippy, and head rushes when I take it...What up as far as you??

Didn't work for me either.

no, here. i don't like it. didn't get my refill.

[Azalysa]

Same here - much prefer the regular Ambien.

[complic8d]

It didn't seem to work as fast for sleep onset, and it did not keep me asleep through the night. I gave up and went back to regular Ambien. I have to take one at bedtime and another when I wake up in the night and cannot get back to sleep.

[(JD)]

Well, for background, the regular Ambien just didn't work for me... I mean, it didn't put me to sleep, but it must have helped some, for when I didn't take it, I did not sleep that night at all.

I tried the Lunesta and that was a nightmare. LOL no pun intended, but true It was terrible with night terrors and such... so I quit that.

My MD put me on Ambien CR.. with hopes that it would help.

Yes, it's helped... better than not sleeping at night... BUT

I'm not sure I can continue on it. I don't feel rested after being in bed all night. (I know, it's after midnight and I'm on PC, but I haven't taken it yet tonight )

Also, while the dreams are interestingly vivid (brighter colors, finer detail?) they are exhausting (if that's possible.)

And, I'm experiencing more pain and muscle spasm because I can't "get it together" to take pain med when I need to..and thus go hours longer suffering...

But, I'm not sure I'm staying in bed "under" the Ambien CR. ... and that could be dangerous.

I just don't know. My MD wanted me to begin to stop taking it, maybe 2 weeks after I began it (and I hadn't had any real problems or shared any then) So I really don't feel comfortable with discussing this with her, until I have a plan b.

[gardenergirl]

Hi sky,
Sounds like dealing with the sleep issue is frustrating.

I know I get more active in my sleep when I take Ambien, especially at 10 mg. Twice I've almost punched my hubby in my sleep. And I've had some intense dreams that were hard to shake off in the a.m.

I haven't tried Ambien CR. I sometimes wake up during the night on Ambien. I tried Lunesta and I just couldn't stand the bad taste.

I hope you find something "just right" for you.

gg

[bipolar_bear]

Ambien CR did not work for me at all. It did not keep me asleep any better than regular ambien and I got terrible headaches in the morning. Go figure.

[Azalysa]

I had an appointment with my T. yesterday and we discussed various sleeping pills. I told her I didn't like the Ambien CR. She said she had heard a lot of negatives about it and the reason why is that it has layers. The first layer puts one to sleep quickly but it doesn't keep a person sleeping when it gets to the other layers.

By contrast, (this is all according to my T.) regular Ambien is the only sleeping pill that allows the body to go through all three cycles of the circadian rhythm (I think).

I told her my experience on Lunesta. (I get that awful metallic taste on it too, gg - bleh!) I said I never really fell asleep on it. AND, after I took it and turned off the lights, while waiting to go to sleep I turned over and my lamp shade (which is a lacy type with those Victorian fringes) looked like it was covered with spider webs!!! I quickly turned on the light and all was fine, but when the light was off I still saw spider webs. Decided my eyes were just blurry with the light off.

My T. got wide-eyed and said that was a hallucination (I'm not sure I agree) and that it could be a precursor to a seizure. ARRRRGGGGHHHH.

[(JD)]

I had terrible problems with lunesta. I'm having different problems with the ambien CR. Talked to my pharmacist today, and he will call my MD for a script for regular Ambien for me.

I know the CR has the initial fast acting sleep med (which wears off after a 10 or 15 minutes)...but then the other "layers" I guess? are supposed to slowly release and keep you asleep.

I don't think it's keeping me asleep... I'm doing things in a drugged state and not remembering it afterwards. I haven't felt like I've been getting restorative sleep, and maybe only getting some sleep the few hours right before I know I really begin to wake...

I know I'm feeling terrible pain (I suffer from chronic pain) but am too drugged to sit up and take my pain med...I don't know if this is hours or just minutes.. I can't "think" only feel the pain... I know I feel the pain but I can't even think then that I need to take medicine....

then because I'm so spasmed on this CR... my muscles are in worse shape for being in bed longer than normal . I do know that I've been fisting and holding my shoulders in tight while trying to relax and sleep!

IDK it's too confusing...

I hope the regular ambien will help me at least get to sleep (it didn't really before) ...and then I'll just have to settle with 4 hours of sleep or so, since the pain wakes me and I can't get back to sleep. Maybe the MD would let me take another regular ambien when that happens? I will see her in 2 weeks. (Earlier if she won't give the pharmacist the script )

Thanks for you comments. Once again I feel it's caveat emptor on this sleep med

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

I dunno but Sky honest to God I think the CR sucks cause it does NOT work on me at all but the regular does....the CR I stay awake all night and have to take a real Ambein then to get some sleep...I also feel odd on it...I think the stuff is crap..The way it works they say is the 10 mgs hit you as normal and later the 2.5 mgs kick in but thats not true in my case

[(JD)]

Well, like I've shared before (I think) the drug companies themselves say that a particular med won't work for 2/3 of the population... grrrrr

[complic8d]

Neither the regular nor Ambien CR keep me asleep. My doctor has written for me to take 10 mg at bedtime, and then another when I wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes I don't want to do that if I have to get up in just a few hours though, so I sometimes try a Xanax then. I don't know, it's all a big guessing game as far as I'm concerned! (And to think, about a year ago I was using only 2.5 mg and sleeping all night!)

[(JD)]

Well... I'm trying not to add to my depression on this...

my plan and attempts to do some "self-care" have gone wrong. The pharmacist did call my MD for a regular Ambien script... and when I went in to get it (and y refill of migraine med) the MD hadn't given it to them. So the pharmacist on duty called my MD to be sure... nope, she won't.

I told the pharmacist to make a note in my file, so if the police find me out in the middle of the night doing something illegal... I've complained about the effects of the medicine already.

What the hay.... my main concern now is that the MD, thinking I'm drug seeking, will not renew even the CR...and leave me with nothing.

I'm tired of trying