Should T Know About This?

I know that Ambien and alcohol are a bad mix----not my experience, but that of stupid coworkers on a cross country flight

I think it is important to let pdoc know, right away, what is going on.

I had issues IF I didn't take it right before my head hit the pillow. I did some crazy things, even get on here and post threads that made no sense. I stopped taking it and slowly was able to train myself to sleep without meds. I told my pdoc and he was glad I stopped taking them. I think it would work great if you really needed help sleeping, but it only lasts for 4 hours or so. And it ONLY works if you take them the right way....BEFORE that head hits the pillow!

Highly recommended---warm milk with nutmeg! The naturally occurring tryptophan does the job!!

I read about those things as well but I was given this two nights in a row in the hospital and it helped and they never told me I did anything strange in the middle of the night. I was desperate and asked him for it for a few weeks because I just want to sleep already. I guess it's really not the best option for me, though...My body is so super sensitive to any and all medication- antibiotics, topical meds, any psychotropic medication, sleep aid, etc. I can barely tolerate the starting doses of everything (with every side effect) and when I get to a therapeutic dosage **** hits the fan!

I read about the recommended dose for women after the fact. It made me very upset with my pdoc because he prescribed the 10mg and never gave instructions to cut in half or anything.

None of the drugs you listed have done the slightest for me either. Antipsychotics were the worst of them all..I'm either allergic or had a terrible reaction because I felt like I had the flu every single day I was on it. I didn't realize it was that until I stopped taking it. I was on the lowest possible dosage.

I'm sorry you have struggled with trauma-related sleep issues. It feels awful to just want to sleep but nothing at all works because in the end even if the mind can temporarily forget, its like the body still remembers and experiences all of the physiological feelings and anxiety symptoms that come along with PTSD. This has been a lifelong struggle for me and bedtime felt like a living hell as a child...So did waking up in the morning.

I looked into prazosin and read it was also used for high blood pressure. I experience unusually low blood pressure naturally...I think it is genetics because my mother and grandmother were the same around my age. All of my appointments start with "Is your blood pressure usually really low?" I began monitoring it recently, as I am on many CNS depressant medications. One night before going to sleep my blood pressure was 94/60. =/ I don't want to risk something dropping it lower than that.


I appreciate your response and suggestions. Those are some crazy experiences you had with Ambien! I take it as noted on the label as well.
I still haven't found a ritual or anything relaxing that calms me before bed. I don't think I have reached that level yet. When I have tried meditation I started crying...I realized it was because I knew what was next (even though I was not thinking of that consciously). I do the same with medicine...avoid taking it or I put it off until I'm really tired, because I know once I take it I will be a "prisoner of my bed". My EMDR T is working on creating a "safe place" for grounding after the EMDR sessions. Still, at this point, I burst into tears when I hear the word "safe". She asked why and I told her "Because I don't understand the word...I know the definition and I can't relate...I don't know what it feels like to feel safe."

It feels pretty hopeless at times but I'm still trying. I'm sorry you suffer from bedtime anxiety too. I'm glad you found some things that work for you because it is a really terrible way to live.

I will look into that and see what I can do. I may end up having to talk to another doctor. I think the reason I can't see my psychiatrist for 8 weeks has something to do with vacation...On top of that his workload is very big. It is scary. There were a few other things I discovered that made me realize I really had not slept much in a 5 day period and I thought I had been sleeping. I was relieved to know why I was feeling suicidal and depressed, though- it was sleep deprivation! I don't believe I'd hurt anyone else but I know I am in danger of harming myself in some way.

I can't take antispychotics or anything that lowers blood pressure, so benzos and hypnotics were last resort. I think that's why my psychiatrist gave them to me without question. I discovered it was lasting into the next day for me as well. I felt foggy, forgetful, and confused.

I feel frustrated with myself that I am unable to try all of the suggestions everyone is giving me here. I'm allergic to so many things, and some meds, vitamins, and herbal supplements are contraindications for other medications I'm on. I mentioned in a response above that mediation and guided imagery has not proven to be too helpful. It works once I get the courage to get in bed, but the problem is actually getting into bed and laying down. My meditation imagery included the comforting space of my T's office, laying on the couch, with her sitting across from me to "watch over me" while I rest. It also really helps when my partner holds me but he often goes to bed way before me and when he asks me, or tries to be assertive and say "lets go to bed, it's late" I'm thrown into a sobbing panic attack. The few times it ends up working out, it's amazing.
I appreciate the supportive response. I really am bummed about this sleep thing because I do want to sleep...more than anything. My depression would be at least 20% better if I had a sleep schedule. This issue is what made me lose my last job and I realized I couldn't work anymore until I was in a better place.

So I responded to most posts but I wanted to give a general update.

After my original post, I took the Ambien one last time. The next day my partner and I found 2 pills under my pillow, a half at the end of the bed, half on the floor, and the number of pills left in the bottle suggested I could have taken up to 3.5 Ambien pills (10mg). We were both freaked out. My partner now holds onto them and distributes them as needed. I refuse to take it every night and it is now a "last resort" medication.

To those who suggested taking it when I'm already in bed, I completely understand and I listened to that advice by cutting out everything I was doing (journaling, tv, phone, etc) and turning off the lights. The scary thing is I found evidence this stuff did not happen after taking the pill. There are time stamps on things I've done online, at times I should have been sleeping. For instance, one time was 6:47am and I had went to bed (I remember all of this- turning off the light, laying in bed, putting my phone down, and closing my eyes). It was 2:30am when I laid down to sleep. I woke up in the morning around 11am. This means in the middle of the night I woke up, was reading, posted something, and went back to sleep. I have zero recollection. I even have a message I was about to send to my Therapist but Thanks God my logic still worked and copied and pasted it into my notes instead of sending it!!!! That message was funny, depressive, hopeless, and confusing all in one. Bad news.
I'm thankful for PC because the "dear T" thread saved me from contacting my therapist! I didn't even realized I posted there THREE HOURS after falling asleep and it was so long. That would have been sent to her potentially if I wasn't used to posting in that thread.

My pdoc's office is terrible at relaying messages to him and even if they do, they suck at calling me back. I call after a couple days and they say "oh he hasn't responded to us yet, we'll ask again". I get the runaround every time. So I don't know who to go to about this issue since it looks like I have no choice but to wait the 8 (now 7) weeks.

I didn't show my T. There was a lot of drama around that appointment and I didn't even get to have a session. It was mostly her fault but she handled the situation badly and it made me more depressive and suicidal because I was in a bad place. So unfortunately I haven't gotten the chance to speak with her yet.
You're right, all of the drugs could have been adjusting in my body at once so the ambien was more potent. Also the fact I kept taking them after it kicked in, without realizing I was taking them. So I would really be ingesting up to 40mg of Ambien a couple of those hellish nights. This week has been miserable.
I did try breaking it in half and it doesn't have that hypnotic effect at that dosage but it does feel sedating. It just doesn't feel anymore sedating than a couple of benzos. Meaning I can fight the sleep. I wish I could figure something out. I am becoming desperate.
Thank you for the offer of support and I will probably take you up on that. I have been barely living these past 2 weeks and have struggled coming on this forum or talking to anyone, period. I don't always feel safe posting certain things. Your response meant a lot to me.

I hope you can talk to your T about it, but especially your pdoc. Ambien just does that to some people, and my doctor thinks dissociative people might be more prone to it.

I do some freaky stuff on ambien if I take it, and a pdoc once had me on 40mg a night (?!).

I don't touch it at all now. Too freaky, and too unpredictable what my brain will do.

But, if you place yourself into the right bedtime habit...you more than likely won't find yourself doing these things...

Four years and counting. ..

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At first, i felt this is slightly harsh. Then I stopped and realized, if stuff like this continues being reported when it's user error, prescribed patients like you and me, lose a med that works...

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What about a benzo script, to take with ambien? First calm the panic and fear of your bed, then the pill that will keep you sleeping through the entire night, ambien?

Does your pdoc know of your anxiety about bed and that you can't take it in bed because of your fear?

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Thanks for the response!

Yeah I take Klonopin 0.5mg as needed and he said I can take 1mg at bedtime. I've tried and the anxiety is calmed slightly but I can fight the sleep. I actually thought about this as a possibility and called my pharmacist about it the middle of last week. She said since I was on 3 CNS depressants at bedtime already, adding a 4th would be dangerous, especially since I have asthma. The respiratory risks are too high.

I've tried to explain that it's an actual phobia and my new EMDR T is actually diagnosed it as a phobia of bed/sleep. My pdoc didn't ask any further questions and just wrote the ambien prescription...

It's not "user error" though because as I said, I do take it once I'm already in bed. I have to keep myself distracted for the 20 minutes it takes to kick in and the most I do is lay there and write or read something. These things continued happening even once my partner made sure I took it and fell asleep before going to sleep himself. He would check on me and I'd always be sleeping...

So I have to disagree and say things like this are necessary to report. The most I would do is tell my care team or a doctor...I don't have energy to report to FDA or any government agency.

The problems with ambien are well-known and documented, and while some people never have a problem with it, others have very disturbing and dangerous experiences. I have a teacher friend whose son-in-law took ambien, and then in his sleep he apparently took tylenol at a high enough dose to cause liver failure and he died.

I would not take any more ambien as clearly it puts you in situations that could truly be dangerous. Your doctor has other options that have shown to not cause the same level of problems as ambien. Please call him and have him come up with a safer alternative.

Just a thought--could you change the grounding image from "safe place" to "comforting place"?

Sometimes after I get the runaround, I will call and tell the person that I have already called before, and that it is extremely urgent that I speak with someone right away. I try to use my tone of voice to convey the seriousness of the situation, and tell them I've already made several attempts to connect with someone, and I can't wait any longer. I had to learn to do this when advocating for my son during medical emergencies. I sincerely hope you can get some help. It scares me to think of being in this situation and having to wait another 7 weeks.

Your allergies do make this more complex. I used to use Trazodone at bedtime, and it did help me to become sleepy most of the time. Can you possibly change your schedule with some of the CNS depressants so that you take them in the morning? I hear your frustration and desperation, and I'm concerned for you.

Something that sometimes help me to sleep, is to masturbate in bed. It doesn't take the same type of physical, mental, and emotional energy as sex with a partner, and it's a natural relaxant.

Please keep us posted.

One of my meds actually is suppose to be taken in the morning (wellbutrin XL) but I have a paradoxical reaction and it makes me so drowsy, so pDoc changed it to nighttime. Same with Lamictal...I take part of the dose in the morning but majority at bedtime. Klonopin was given to me specifically for nighttime anxiety, but I don't take it every night. I know, my allergies suck. it's the same with so many foods. I have no doubt much of my depression comes from having so many food limitations and inability to take therapeutic doses of medications, or certain meds altogether. If there is a side effect that only 2% of people experience, I am pretty much guaranteed to be part of that 2%.

I try to be as assertive as possible but have a stigma around coming across too dramatic or crazy. It's irrational but I know where it stems from. I stopped the ambien. I self harmed 3 times under the influence of that medication. I have not self harmed since last year...the scary part is I have little recollection of any of it. Ambien is terrible for me. I'm going to dispose of them.

I can see how masturbation would help relax, but part of my bedtime anxiety has to do with trauma and it involves sexual feelings and memories. I'd rather just have sex because it tires me out way more and the snuggling puts me right to sleep after. We've been trying it lately. My partner is my safe haven so I don't feel as triggered or threatened by intimacy with him.

wow. i never knew ambien had side effects like that. i can't remember how much i took, a very low dose, but it did work most of the time for me. i became dependent on it though and decided to go off it because of that. at one point i was on trazadone, which is actually a really old AD, and it knocked me out but did give a bit of a sleep hangover the next morning. it might be something to consider. hope you can get this straightened out. sleep problems are such a hard thing to deal with.

Wellbutrin XL does the same thing to me, so I take it at bedtime now and take Lexapro in the morning.

Glad your partner is your safe haven, and is willing to help you sleep this way.

So relieved to hear you're getting rid of the Ambien. That's some scary stuff.

I have yet to know of anyone else having this issue with Wellbutrin! Makes me feel less "abnormal". That stuff makes me dizzy and sleepy. When I was taking it in the morning, I'd always fall asleep for another 2-4 hours after!

That's funny how you take Wellbutrin at night and Lexapro in the morning. It really should be the other way around. Lexapro made me so tired when I tried it, and I couldn't tolerate the yawning side effect. Oh it is fascinating how everyone's chemical makeup reacts and responds differently to different medications!

I know, I was fine when I took it in the hospital. Now I'm thinking they may have been giving me 5mg there instead of 10mg? I'm not sure...But the 10mg was really bad news. I've read many similar experiences as the ones I've had, and some even more crazy than mine!
I wish I could give trazadone a try because many people have been mentioning this and how well it works for them...I will have to ask my pdoc or even my primary doctor if it would be a safe option for me. I already have really low blood pressure, so I'm not sure how that works.

Thanks, I hope so too. It really does suck and affects my quality of living and my relationships and depression, in a major way.

I also have Narcolepsy, and take generic Ritalin just so I can stay awake to drive, etc. But I give my body a break by not taking it, or only taking one dose, on days when I don't have to be as alert.

Oh, makes sense. You've already a benzo script. Hopefully your emdr treatment helps.

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My confusion. Upon first read, thought i read that you take it, then wait to climb into bed. So, to me, that would be user error.

Since you take it in bed, or now that off it, not user error. Not following directions, to me, would be erroneous reporting. Although there's been scary,and fatal interactions for some with this med. Thought there was even research showing men and women require a different dose.

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