hi there all, I have been using ambien 10 mgs for approximately 3 weeks now. I’ve got to say that while it does make me feel sleepy and it is allowing me to fall asleep when I take it, it does not seem to last for very long as it fails to keep me asleep and I am waking up approximately 3-4 hours later after taking it. I have been using it along with melatonin (5 mg by the way of melatonin) and even so I am still waking up about 3 or 4 hours later. I have read that there is an extended version of ambien which makes its effects linger and lasting longer for people with issues like mine who are waking up soon later. I have went and tried it. it is named Ambien CR, quite sure some of you does know about it. I’ve had the exact same result with the CR version as well (I’ve mentioned this because I thought that people would recommend it here, so that’s not an option for me). so, if there is anybody who have had this product failure then what has worked for you? what are you doing when both ambien and ambien CR does not work?? I really need some guidance and a bit of your help would be greatly appreciated. And by the way, I am not very sure if this is going to help but I am also having a textbook perfect “sleep hygiene” so there is nothing else to do in there.
Ambien is not working, alternatives please?
- Thread starter Amber HH
- Start date
hey there, you’ve got to know that ambien is such a drug that it simply does not work for some certain people and it does seem that you’re one of those people, maybe it does work for you, but it simply doesn’t work the way you would want it to work. I personally did not liked it at all. my mother also didn’t liked it at all, in fact, she nearly hated the original one. but she did liked the CR version somehow better, however, exactly the same problem as you have because it is not taking her throughout the entire night either….
so well, she has recently stated to use a sleep recording cd and I can gladly say that it is working. there’s not very much things that does work for her so that has been quite different. Regarding the melatonin that you’ve mentioned I can tell you that this one does put me to sleep, however I then wake up feeling like I have never went to sleep. I also know that some of the other drugs are also doing that. and there are other things that are great stimulants, or at least for me, and like for example I can give you Valerian root.
Plus, I’ve got to tell you that I did have learned how to sleep more and sleep better with sheer persistence and that’s what I recommend you either. I have also readjusted my schedule as well so I am waking up, I am doing some things that I need and after that I am going back to sleep when that does happens. plus, there’s something else that I do know that might sound quite strange, however if I am rolling my eyes during the time I lie in my bed when I am trying to sleep it does seem to help sending the right signals. I am rounding the outside and then I am going back and forth and up and down (doing this for a few seconds). I’ve got to say that there’s a doctor that I personally know who told me that had some really good success with some patients and especially CFS, taking the Provigil in some very small doses like for example 10 mg taken before bed or when you are waking up in the middle of the night and unable to get back to sleep. But that’s my recommendation only and you should firstly talk to a doctor before intending to take this drug.
Plus, I also know that antidepressants can help you go back to sleep as well. at least for me, there really are a few anti depressants that I am taking in some really tiny doses and they are able to put me back to sleep. Not sure but I think they are in the tricycle family. You’ve got to research about this more before deciding anything. And also should talk to your doctor. unfortunately, right now I am not able to think about a name of any one that used to work for me in this way and I can’t share them with you, but then again, if you would search for it then I am quite sure you’ll find something you need. I guess it has been atripotphine, but not sure. I guess that most likely it is not the exact name (pretty sure), but it is something similar to that. I have discontinued then to use them due to the fact that it had other effects as well and it also gave me some hangover effect that I did not liked. But I do know other people do not experience this. I have been smashing it and I was using a smidge.
Look, I think that you should search for mirtazapine as it might do a really good job for you, this is a sedative anti depressant that does put people to sleep and in case I am not drinking any alcohol then it is working through the entire night making me stay asleep and having a really good quality sleep on it. I mean, I do know that there are things that can put you to sleep and make you sleep for hours but you don’t get a restful sleep. This is not the case with mirtazapine. I’ve also been using zolpidem in the past (ambien) but I really did not liked it and generally I think that it is a very dangerous drug. one pill of this thing has not been enough for me, however if I was taking 2 of them then it would make me pass out instantly, I mean, I was just falling down to the ground in a matter of seconds after taking it. found it quite dangerous.
I honestly think that your best bet would be a sedative anti depressant and that is why I recommend you to go and look for one, especially mirtazapine. Good luck.
Hey there OP, I do know what you are talking about because I am also having the exact same problem. I am usually using the 5 mg and I am waking up about also 3 or 4 hours later and I have also did have tried the CR version and it also works the exact same way. just wanted to know that you are not alone with this. have you ever tried to take Benadryl instead of that?? this one is putting me out as well and I think that benadryl is safer than ambien. Besides, I honestly think that you’ve got to check to see if you are having some of the outside influences that is waking you up, I mean, there might be something like your body may be responding to something that you are hearing or maybe to some little light when you sleep. And this is especially applying to those people who are stressed. Stressed people are much more sensitive to light and sounds and so they can wake up much easier. I honestly think that if you could get yourself some earpods and/ or (better and) night mask might really do a good job as you’re not going to get disturbed in your sleep by any external influences. I think that you’ve got to at least try it out and see how it would work for you. I wish you good luck and hope you’re going to find what you need.
Oh well, ambien may not help you or it simply may be of a bad quality, I think that you’ve got to try something else and I see that you’ve already got some suggestions up there. I would recommend you to talk to your doctor about all the recommendations that you have been given up there before trying them out yourself. The doctor is going to tell you what might work for you best and what might not work at all and which one is more dangerous. This is very important. talking from my personal experience I can tell you that ambien dos work sometimes for me but there are other times when it simply does not work. And unfortunately for me, more often than not it does not work for me. generally I do not like it because as I said it is working only from time to time and most often it doesn’t. plus, besides, this it does seem to start working only after approximately 2 or 3 hours before it is knowing me out. I mean I have to wait a lot until it would work. I don’t like it. you’ve got to research more and start reading. Good luck.
Hey there guys, I just wanted to say that ambien is simply not working for me either and I do know what you are talking about OP. for me it is the same but even worse because it is simply not helping me to stay asleep but it is also not helping me to fall asleep either. it seems to me that the drug is not working for my body’s chemicals and that’s it. I say it because I remember me wanting to go to sleep once and so I have ended up taking 10 mg of ambien but it did not worked so I got frustrated that it doesn’t and I have taken 30 mg altogether of it trying to be sure that it would work for me, however instead of it putting me to sleep I have only ended up with hallucinations I have lost my ability to walk for like an hour or so. It was one very strange experience I’ve had, one of the strangest ones from taking drugs so that’s why I have stopped to take it approximately 2 years ago or so, after this happened. However, I came here not saying that I have only the same experience as you and that’s it, I also can tell you that I have found some much better alternatives for ambien that are able to make you fall asleep and to keep you asleep as well. so well, one of them is mirtazepan, if I am taking only a low dose of it is knocking me out completely and it is helping me to stay asleep the entire night without any additional problems. I am using anywhere between 3.75 mg and 7.50 mg when I need to use it and it does the trick very well. if I am using anywhere more than 7.5 mg of it then I am ending up knocked out right there and I am sleeping for like 14 hours or maybe even more. very potent stuff that does a great job for keeping you asleep and making you fall asleep. and also, I have seen that there is somebody else who has also recommended it to you, just wanted you to pay attention that I am not the only one who tells you that this is an amazing thing that works very well so it means that chances that it would work are well in your favor.
There’s also something else and it is gabapentin, quite sure that you’ve heard about it. regardless have you heard about it until this moment or not, you’ve got to try it out! I honestly think that you should because I like this one even more than the previous one due to the fact that it is not only helping me to fall asleep and it is also helping me to stay asleep either but it also seem to enhance my sleep quality which is very important as well! having a quality sleep is, ultimately, what we’re searching for. what’s the point of sleeping a long time if you’re waking up feeling the same exhausted and sh*tty feeling? I think that there is a research that is showing how it is increasing slow wave sleep and how it is improving the overall sleep architecture, this is a really amazing drug that does work and that should be a must –try for whoever has insomnia related troubles. Plus, I also can tell you that pregabalin is working the same way, however I personally have not tried it yet and that’s why I am not able to recommend it from personal experience, but I still think that it must be worth a try. At least I one would give it a try. I’ve got to mention here that I am taking a low dosage of this gabapentin drug (anywhere between 75 mg and 100 mg) and I do find that it is waking up much more refreshed, at least much more refreshed than when I use something else.
Besides, I have seen that you have mentioned that you are taking melatonin when you use ambien as well. I also did have noticed that if I am using some more than approximately 0.5 mg a day then my sleep is becoming restless with some really vivid dreams and sometimes even vivid nightmares and I am almost ALWAYS waking up when I am taking it that’s why I do not like it. maybe this why is you were waking up during the night as well? but, in fact, I’ve seen that you mentioned waking up even not using melatonin. I think that perhaps you could try lowering your melatonin dosage and to check it out if it does help. you’ve got to know that too much of melatonin is giving the opposite effect for some people and maybe it is the same for you? whatever the case, when ambien and melatonin failures to work (as much as they failed to work for me) I guess that you’ve got to try some new things and that is why I think that you’ve made a really good job coming here and asking for an advice. I really hope that you’re going to be using my recommendations and what’s even more importantly I hope that it is going to work for you the same way as they did for me. but I think that you’ve got to talk with your doctor about it before trying them. tell him what you’ve heard, tell him that ambien does not work and ambien CR as well and that you need something else, tell him that you’ve done a bit of research (and you really should) and tell him about this story of mine and about other people’s story as well. maybe he would give them to you and would tell you even some more useful things and ideas.
I wish you good luck and come back to let us know if you are going to be trying something and how that something works for you.
I would recommend you all people to stay away from ambien and that’s a really good thing OP that you’re searching for something else and that you want to stop taking it. you really should. In fact, I would warn anybody about the dangers of ambien and I do it each time when I can do it, like for example now. I’ve got to say that I am a member of multiple forums (I really like when I interconnect with people and when I read other people’s ideas about different things) and I have to say that something similar to this thread has been posted in another forum and I have already posted my opinion about, however I have been thinking that it is going to be really worth it if I am going to post it here as well:
So well, I have had an experience with it when I have mixed alcohol with Ativan and with ambien as well (pretty similar mechanism of action as lunesta) and that has been the only time in my life that I have gotten in an car accident. It has been because of that mixture that I have had since then I made a vow that I would never make such stupidity. I could very easily lose my life then. I really do not remember hitting that tree and I don’t even remember hitting the airbag, all I can remember is that I have been standing outside a church near the area when I have been living then and I have been told by the police not to walk away from the place I was standing. After that, I am getting a bright and white light from when I have been in the jail and then, after that, my memory is returning by the time I have been already released. That is freaking scary… and I don’t joke about it. that’s really scary! I could kill myself or even worse I could have killed somebody else (and myself either).
I do know that there are some people who did have reported to have retrograde amnesia after they have been driving (quite like me) and mixing soma with alcohol and lunesta really can cause some respiratory depression and to cause instant death being in lack of air. This is definitely nothing that any of you should be playing around with and since I have already went through this, I recommend you people – do not do it people.
So well, either way, I have obviously asked my doctor about that blackout that happened to me and so he has just described it to be a chemical soup that I have had and when they’ve got all in reaction I’ve experienced that black out. when you are having mixtures of medicines then there’s one mechanism of action that can offset another mechanism of action and thus it is sending mixed signal to the brain (like for example, alcohol is affecting multiple neurotransmitters at the same time and it is causing your brain to go haywire with up regulation of GABA and dopamine as well as down regulation of the glutamate and others as well, which is accounting for its intoxicating effects) and to be fully honest the truth it is that a doctor is surely not able to explicitly say what it is going on with your brain (or in your brain or whatever) at that specific point. And that is why I would say that if you do want a pathophysiological explanation that it is going to be really hard to find it out and most likely you won’t be able to do it.
But anyway, most people are going to tell me that why I am so against ambien alone when I have had that soup of medications. oh well, ambien it is the only one that it is causing anterograde amnesia and this is the reason as to why I am blaming the ambien and why I am blaming only the ambien alone for that accident and why I warn you people to be very and very careful if you still decide to take ambien continuously. Try not to do anything else than that and try not to take absolutely anything than water with it.
hey there TimeTim, I honestly still cannot understand why you are blaming the ambien and only the ambien alone. What I am trying to say tis that if there is something that it is making ambien just so incredibly dangerous as you are trying to say in your post and that you are thinking that it is and if the ambien it is exclusively the only thing to blame for that accident and if you that that the other medications and especially alcohol it is barely even worth mentioning there (especially when your doctor told you that to blame is the entire medication soup that you had) then I would really like to know more about it, and that’s mostly due to the fact that there are people that I really do care about who are taking ambien.
And also, just tell me if I am wrong about it but it does seems like the point in that time at which you really were not absolutely aware of what has been happening at all and having no memory whatsoever of are exactly those moments right before your crash and also the moments directly after it (even though you are most likely missing hardly any memory of what has been going on right before the car crash and you are also missing completely at least a few hours of memory from right after that car crash you’ve had). I have no idea how does it feels like and I am definitely not a doctor to judge it, however from my every day life experience I know that this is exactly that thing that happens when you are suffering a head injury and especially in car crashes. I mean, it is quite often happening to have no recollection of the car crash itself and a few minutes before and after the car crash when you hit your head in it.
No disrespect here but my honest opinion is that the reason that you have been driving carelessly enough to crash into a tree in the first place has been due to the fact that you have been on 3 substances that are all working on the same receptors and this is something that it is always looking for problems, but you still did it. but even so, I still think that the cause of your quite short term amnesia has been almost for sure because of the head injury that you’ve had because once again, although I am not an expert here – you would have been in amnesia in all the time as soon as the drugs came into interaction which means that you would have an longer amnesia. and so well, the way the period of time that you have been suffering from amnesia for in relation to when your accident does happened could not correspond any more perfectly to a head injury and I am quite sure that a doctor who took care of you has told you that but most likely you’ve forgotten to mention it here. but even if they haven’t. doctors are missing them all the time, or at least very often and doctors are having zero tolerance for anybody who is being involved in a substance induced car crash. I think that it is wrong, but it still does not change the fact that the surgeons and the doctors are just not giving those people the time of day.
I really think that it is quite possible that you could have simply experienced a TBI (which istraumatic brain injury) or maybe a MTBI (which stands for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury) from that car accident. Quite often these conditions are going undiagnosed unless the person is ending up comatose or something in this matter. I would honest suggest you to read a little bit about it on the internet because I am quite sure that you are going to find something useful and in case you are feeling that it is really no applying to you at all then this is amazing news that I congratulate you with and I’ve got to say that you’re really lucky, very lucky.
And by the way, I have been thrown away approximately 20 feet away through a windshield and that is how I know about all of that so much and why I am getting extra concerned about those kind of things and especially about brain injury as must as you have seen, I guess… this is personal experience and concern. I wish you good luck and I hope that you’re going to be fine and that you’ll never experience anything similar to that. but in case you do have any responses, questions or whatever else then you can feel free to reply here or maybe to talk privately. best of luck!
hey there people, I have also used ambien, I have taken it during a detox program that I’ve been having for opiates withdrawals. Either it has been because of those withdrawals or maybe because that’s how the drug works but I know that it did not help me to sleep at all! in fact, not talking about the fact that it does not help me, it also made me feel like shit. I have been feeling like I have been severely and heavily drugged up from that thing. I really did not liked it… thou maybe other people like it.
Hello Brutbuly. I would gladly answer your question. I can tell you that you are the very first person here to question whether it is ambien the only one to blame for that accident or not and even so I can tell you that yes… it is. everything that I can tell you is that I have ingested alcohol and Ativan both together simultaneously in the past (and if you ask me, yes indeed it has been substance abuse) but even so I have never experienced any amnesia at all! but even so, there have been some other times when I have been using ambien and only ambien alone (with absolutely no other prescription or any other illicit medicine or substance in that day and not even in the last 48 hours) and even so I did have experienced amnesia! Like for example I can tell you that I have been finding some objects in my house replaced somewhere else or I could also find some crumbs in my bed with absolutely no memory or recollection of any of them, of moving those objects or eaten anything at all in the middle of the night. and these were happening exclusively only when I was taking ambien alone, not something else. or, also for example, I would left the TV on in the night and so my family has noticed it, but I have had absolutely no recollection of it or something similar to this. In fact, I can tell you that I do believe that in case you or anybody else is going to take any doses that are higher than 10 mg (10 mg of ambien, by the way, it is the maximum therapeutic dosage that is allowed) it can cause you amnesia. However, taking that in consideration I have never even considered traumatic brain injury from that accident due to the fact that it has been quite apparently happened at a quite low speed, even though it has been high enough for the air bag to deploy, can’t be sure here though, but I think that it was the lowest speed for the air bag to deploy. I do believe that your post and your comments about that really merit a re consideration and re thinking of the events and that’s especially in regards to the TBI (although I doubt due to the fact that since I said – the speed was low so my head got hit in the bag. but even so I would really want to say thank you for sharing a new perspective and something new to think about. of course, I really hope a lot that it has not been a traumatic brain injury, however I can tell you that even so I do remember very well most of the events leading to the crash and as I said, I really doubt that it is one… but in the end… we all know… better reassure than only assume.
And also, I do know that usually, when the police is searching for the consequences of such accidents they are finding caches of drugs in these cars or something like that, however this has not happened to me, when they have been searching for something in my trunk, all that they have discovered has been some toilet paper and a couple of doughnuts. And yeah, by the way, I’ve forgotten mentioning that – I do remember that I have purchased them and by the way, I also remember that they turned out to be some pretty good tasting doughnuts 
since then I’ve already purchased a couple more doughnuts LOL
Anyway, after reading about it mild TBI, there really seem to be at least some resemblances. But then again, although I doubt about this, but it is obvious that nobody can ever be sure about this, isn’t it? thanks again.
Hey there Time Tim once again, it seems that I haven’t expressed myself right and I’m sorry for this. you’ve got to understand that I surely have no intention to put your statement in doubt about whether or not the Ambien is able to cause amnesia, I do believe you but in fact, I can even tell you that I myself have actually had a few experiences with the Ambien having amnesia, that’s even though all of them really seemed to be relatively “minor” as much as I can suppose and I remember that this has happened when I have firstly been prescribed Ambien at a quite high dose of 15 mg using every night (I have no idea what that doctor has been thinking when he prescribed me such a dosage of ambien, especially for the first time when I was having absolutely no tolerance to it). once again, as you have mentioned, all I have been trying to do is to simply try sharing a new kind of perspective on all of that situation that happened with you and trust me I am really very happy on the fact that you have found it to be helpful, or at least what it does seem to be… at very least can say that it seemed interesting to you.
I don’t know you, of course, but even so I do not want bad things to happen to you and I hope you’re going to have all the best, so having all of that said, I most certainly hope that you are not having a Traumatic Brain Injury either and that it has been ambien alone responsible for that…. that’s because it is a lot much more safer. I’ve gotta say that I do know from my personal experience how devastating and bad they really can be. but, since you have said the fact that your accident has apparently occurred at a relatively low speed then I would say that it is indeed dramatically lowering the chances of you having any sort of brain injury (and especially if it indeed happened at the lowest speed for the air bag to deploy, though I doubt that you know what it is that speed exactly ). I’ve got to say that your amnesia after that event has occurred could perhaps have been only a combination of Post Concussion Syndrome and also the Ambien, it is obvious that I really can’t say anything for sure and I don’t know if this is true or something like that (and to be honest, I think that nobody can) but even so, I’ve just wanted to say that I one really have some big doubts in the fact that you have had any permanent brain damage from an accident that really seemed to be occurred at a low speed (by the way, since the police investigated the case, haven’t they told you what has been the approximate speed when you hit the tree?)
Though, once again, it is obvious that I am not an expert here and even if I would, I haven’t even seen what really happened, so it is obvious that I am simply speculating here on all the possibilities and I am only sharing my 2 cents here about this situation hoping that it might be helpful for someone (if it’s not for anybody at all then I am sorry for taking your time), but I still decided to do so because I think that it surely is not going to hurt anybody. best regards guys.
Oh well, I think that it probably does not work due to the fact that it is counterfeit or fake or something like that. I mean, there’s a really big chance that what you are getting is fake and I do know it very well due to the fact that the last 3 orders that I have had have all be fakes. And I do know that one of the order that I have had has been fake even when I have ordered from a really reputable site. when I’ve seen that it has been fake I really got shocked on it. I’ve seen that it is fake right away due to the fact that they have sent me some kind of green tablets of 20 mg…. I’ve seriously never heard about any 20 mg tablets of ambien. It was something… shocking at the least. I am honest… I really have no idea whom I can trust anymore now… that’s just … frustrating.
I can tell you that I did have found some good vendor, it is India Meds (but it has been quite a while back) and they have sent me some good quality ambien, however they have had to send the order 3 times in order to get to me. that’s why I didn’t wanted to order from them anymore. that’s why I think that most of the ambien is fake and that’s why I think that a lot of people out there who say that ambien is not working for them for any obvious reasons (because I have seen that there are a lot of people saying so all over the internet) it is because most of them (maybe even all of them) have gotten fake ambien and that’s it. I wish you good luck and I hope you’re going to find something that would work for you.
oh well, I’ve just been getting ready in order to call my regular doctor and to tell her that the change to the DST had completely ruined my sleep schedule and I really hate this. She is not believing in ambien or in any other drug that it is able to cause dependency or something in this matter, but since we all know, most of the drugs are like that and having that said, she is not believing in most of them. I mean, she does know that people do benefit from them, but she says that the risks outweigh the good effects and it is not worth it. and that is why, I have had to beg, to plead, to cry over and over and she is still refusing to treat me normally. All that comes into my mind is that I need to go and search for a new doctor because I can’t go anymore with this one who seems not to do anything at all… this kills me mentally. What else I can do? this entire routine is really making me sick and I am now looking forward into changing something. thanks for this thread by the way.
WhiteField
New member
I do know very well that some of those who do not react well to the Ambien (or at least how it is being intended for them to work) then usually those people are having much more better results with Lunesta (and also, by the way, visa versa either, when somebody is not having good experience with Lunesta then those people do have good experience from Ambiem). Having that said, I’ve seen a lot of people here saying that the Ambien is not working for them and that’s why I recommend you all to try out Lunesta because it can be a good solution for you guys.
Let me give you an example, I did have found out that Lunesta is not really working very good for me, however then later I have been switched to Ambien and I have had some really great results on it. and besides, it is not only the fact that it is putting me to sleep but I am also getting a really good sleep quality as well. in fact, I can tell you that my biggest problem it is actually to induce the sleeping. Over the years I have learned that people with sleeping issues can have different sleeping issues. Like not being able to fall asleep only (like me) but as soon as you fall asleep you are not getting any problems anymore. but there are other people who can easily fall asleep but they are not sleeping for very much (rarely more than 3 or 4 hours) and they are waking up. other people do fall asleep and they do get a lot of sleep, but they are not getting a restful quality sleep. There are different types of problems. gotta say that I am also performing perfect sleep hygiene and I think that this is essential for everybody and especially for people who are having sleeping issues. This is an ongoing battle that I have been fighting for a really big and good portion of my entire life. but sadly… it is obvious that as I am aging and I am getting older then both my mind and my body is not dealing so well with the lack of sleep like I have been doing and dealing with it when I have been younger. This means that lately, if I am not staying proactive with my sleeping problems and I do my best to deal with them then I am suffering from some harder and tougher repercussions these last days.
Plus, I’ve got to tell you and mostly to warn you that although I am dealing with this for a lot of years which means that I am trying to search for a solution for so long time and therefore it means that I have discussed with a lot of people even including doctors… I have still not meet, discussed to, or maybe even found more than only one single doctor who have really been understanding that this is a really big problem and it is not something that should be left like that or be considered “not a very big problem”. for those who do not know it and for those who do not understand it you’ve got to remember that this is much more than simply an inconvenience alone. I do hope very much that you are going to find what it is working for you and what it is going to be helpful for you condition. I do know what you guys are getting through and I do know that this can be ultra hard. Best regards.
</p><p> </p><p>I do understand very and very well what you are trying to say here because this has been my very first thought either when I have just written the OP’s post. Indeed you are correct that there is a lot of junk ambien that it is going around from the IOPs, unfortunately.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Regarding this statement I can tell you that I have taken all of the Z drugs and I have found that they all are having advantages and obviously disadvantages. they are all good and they are all bad on their own. I have found out that Sonata for example is only good if used with .2 mg of Melatonin for only a short nap. But it is perfect in such condition. That’s because I personally I am waking up in approximately an hour or better. Regarding the Lunesta, this medication is going to help you to stay asleep for a little bit longer than that, however the next day it is going making everything (and that’s even including water too) to taste like some kind of green butterfly dropping. Or at least, as I said, this is from my experience. gotta mention here that Ambien it is by far the best one for me, however my partner is telling me that I am doing some really nutty stuff on it.</p>
So well, my very first time when I have been using ambien which has been approximately 20 mg or so of it has been an really interesting experience for me, and not only interesting but definitely strange as well. I did have proceeded to spend the following 3 or so hours dancing around in my bedroom in the dark, while I have been listening to some music, trying to imitate playing the air guitar, trying to have some really strange fun as you can see (like I smoked something like that) and I have also been sending texts that I really do not remember sending to anybody (but I’ve seen that they were sent in the time I was under the ambien effects since the phone showed me when I’ve sent them) which means that the comment about the fact that ambien is able to make you have amnesia is most likely – true!
Any further trials have left very little to be desired. I do find that the benzos are much more effective in order to get (and also to stay, by the way) asleep. but I am talking about my personal experience, maybe for somebody else is different. But for me personally it does seem that the ambien is like a forced, some of a hazy type of sleep (if you can even call it like that) but again, that’s for me. I can tell you that the kind of sleep that I am getting on the ambien it is quite comparable to the sleep that I am also getting from Nyquil (after I take this Nyquil) or maybe some of the other combination of cold medications. I really do not like it one bit. I think that if you do not find a medication to be working well for you then it might be worth to give a try to something else and search until you do find something that does work for you.
I honestly think that there is nearly nothing more important than to get a good nights sleep. I has been lucky enough that I have never ever had a problem with this, but that’s only until I have hit my 40s and then it started and so, then my doctor has prescribed me a drug which has been called Restoril and it has worked like a champ for a really very long time for me and I really like that one (which, by the way, I would recommend it to you if you haven’t tried it so far).
I can mention that as stress started to become more and more increased in my life, I did have found myself using one pill every single night and because I have done this for quite a long time (the tolerance started to build in) and because the stress became more and more and my body became weaker my weaker, then those pills have stopped from working as well. my doctor then gave me so ambien and has told me to stop using the restoril at all for at least a couple of months (for me thinking about not using any restoril at all has been an killing idea).
So well, being left with no other options, I did it and as soon as I have performed that change, I have had a problem exactly like it has been mentioned by the first poster, and I am talking about the fact that I have been constantly waking up approximately 3 or 4 hours later (since I am usually getting to sleep at about 11:00 PM I was up at 2 or maybe 3:00 AM and so then I have got a new generic which has been made in Canada and so then it has really worked great for me. Apot has been the manufacturer and they have been white and no other color like purple (or whatever you’ve said that they were). So well, as long as there’s a good nights sleep is happening then I really don’t care what I am taking… it could be migraines medications. I don’t care. I just care that I can get sleep. I have found that Ambien is making you to feel a little bit groggy in the morning after you are using it, in the time the Restoril you are waking up totally refreshed and feeling very and very well like you have taken nothing at all. in fact, sometimes I’ve been thinking that I am getting a better sleep with restoril than without it. I mean, it seemed to me like I was getting up more refreshed and feeling better. that being said, I would honestly recommend you the Restoril over Ambien any given day, at least assuming from how it worked for me alone.
Gotta mention here that only not so long ago I have started to take restoril once again over ambien (but I am now taking it maybe 2 times, 2 days per week, sometimes only once per week) and it is really starting to work once again and I really like it, to be honest. I would say that whatever you are using, without a good nights sleep, I think that you are pretty much worthless. Sleeping is so important because it depends on how you think, how you feel, how productive you are, your wishes, your desires, your choices etc. etc. a lot depends on your sleep and the quality of your sleep! And there is surely enough stress in this entire world to make you toss and turn, unfortunately. Best regards people!
So well, I have been prescribed the immediate release of 10 mg ambien and I have also been prescribed the 12.5 mg of the ER ambien tablets. In my opinion the 10 mg immediate release are the best ones for the sleep, at least, for me, much better than the 12.5 mg of the ER ambien. I have noticed that when I have taken it for an extended time period it has surely lost some of its potency, I did have found that my tolerance for the zolpidem is growing very and very quickly, however on the same hand my tolerance has disappeared after only approximately 4 days or so of not using it at all. plus, I have noticed something that it does not seem to be said here and it is the fact that if using it on an empty stomach it is going to work better than on an full stomach. I guess this is important to keep in mind when you are intending to use this medication. I wish you all good luck and I hope that you will find what it is going to work best. I do know that it is very hard when you’re dealing with insomnia. It is so so frustrating.
Hey there people, I want to tell you that ambien it is the only one, absolutely the only thing that it is working for my insomnia and I’ve gotta say that I am glad that at least something does work. I’ve gotta tell you that I would gladly contract the bird flu or I would better walk barefoot across a put of slugs or I would do some other crazy sh*t like that instead of suffering (better say being tortured) the hell of the consecutive sleepless nights – that’s freaking hard, annoying, suffering and the last thing that I would want to get through again. I can tell you that in my endless attempts in order to finally find a treatment, a cure that could end this special brand of sufferings, I have been experimenting with my fair share of sleep aid medications and methods over some years before I have finally met my most workable and beloved bedtime companion which is no doubt ambien, and I think that maybe some of what I have learned along that really long way might be of some help to anybody who is facing some similar sleeping problems and is looking for answers, is searching for a way out of that torture.
Firstly I need to say that even though there is no doubt that I am the Ambien’s most biggest fan and biggest cheerleader, I think that maybe it is simply not that medication that it is for you and maybe it is something that it is not for your specific body chemistry. I do believe that this is possible but before assuming that something is like this, you’ve got to experiment and to make sure that this is so. So well, in the end, if you decide that this is that specific medication that it is not for you then you need to know that there is a lot of other of sleep medications that you could try instead of it and see what does work for you. I guess that I need to overlook right over those over the counter medications like for example valerian root, diphenhydramine and doxylamine due to the fact that anybody who is at the point of searching out pharmaceutical relief has most likely already tried and have exhausted (no pun intended) the sleep aid aisle and have eventually ended up back to begrudgingly watching Law and Order reruns sometime at 2 AM or so.
I’ve got to say that if you would need to switch out from ambien to something else then I think that the next drug that it is going to be prescribed to you by your doctor (the one that the doctor is going to recommend) is most likely going to be Lunesta. Or at least this in most cases, I did have taken it and I can tell you that I personally have noticed through trial and error that even if I am taking the maximum dosage it has done almost nothing for me at all maybe only except to overstay its welcome for me and leaving me unrested and yet vaguely out of sorts the morning after that, and after that continuing to linger in my system somewhere until the mid afternoon or so, and in this time it insisted on making its presence very well felt by coating everything that I drank or I ate with a really intense and strong metallic flavor (this is rather a very strange but it is not uncommon side effect for people who do use it).. I really want you people to understand me right, I really have no intentions to say anything bad about Lunesta and I still think that for those who did not used it so far it is still worth trying it out, but what I am saying up there it is only my personal experience alone. And I especially have nothing against those people who find that Lunesta is working for them. I would say that this is good for you and keep it going like that. so well, besides, I have always have had some of a soft spot for their commercials: those ones with the iridescent butterfly that it is fluttering gracefully into the moonlit bedrooms in which the sleepless damsels toss and turn in anguish, and then where (I can only assume that it is through some of the magical properties that contained within its glowing for) this wondrous winged creature is being able to cast some type of sleep aura sleep, and immediately inducing blissful dream states among any girl that it is still naïve enough to leave her window wide open all night waiting for it. unfortunately, I was trying to be that “naïve girl” however, the magical butterfly that should put an end to my problems, never came with Lunesta… unfortunately.
Here, trazadone it is just another quite popular sedative that we could consider due to the fact that it is not habit forming and I think that this is very important and a very good thing to take into consideration (and what I am trying to say is that it is carrying absolutely no potential for fun, but still I do know that there are some people who are thinking that it is a positive thing). anyway, you need to know that it is in fact a tricyclic antidepressant, however I do think that doctors have stopped prescribing it for this exact purpose due to the fact that it does tend to knock the sh*t out of you very soon after you ingest it, and this is (it is only my guess and nothing more) just an effective way that you could escape from depression in case you are able to afford to sleep your life away like. Shortly this means that you are not going to be in depression but you’re also not going to be living your life IMO. I did used it myself and I can tell you that I one really have found it quite helpful for quite a while, however I eventually could not deal with the seemingly never ending hangover effects that I have had from it so that’s is the reason why I have discontinued using it. plus, in case I somehow did not managed to fall asleep right away after using the pill then I would be feeling like I have been kind of trapped or something in an really unpleasant state somewhere between the semi consciousness and sedation for the rest of the time I should be sleeping. That was rather unpleasant, however the upside of the drug is that trazadone it is not being scheduled, it is being safe and it is most likely going to be relatively and quite simple to get out a prescription from your doctor in case you just want to try it out and see how it is going to work for you. that’s quite good. using it anytime is a really good upside. You find out how it works for you in no time.
Next one, I can also mention here about some of the short acting benzos like for example the temazepam has had a really big success rate when it is coming to knock me out and that’s why I liked it. nearly each time when I took it – it did a good job in knocking me out. however the problem here is that most people’s tolerance level is going to build up quite fast with this class of drugs and I would say that benzos are being notorious for messing up your sleep architecture by reducing the amount of that time you are spending in the deep sleep and so that’s why it seems that the overall quality of your sleep is ending up being not up to snuff IMO (like for example, for somebody out there who is being desperate sleep deprived though, I would say that if a drug is getting the job done, then there is only a little less time spent in the optimal snooze zone that it is most likely not a deal breaker. I would say that for what it is being worth then the Z drugs (like for example ambien and lunesta etc.) are supposedly quite better at preserving your body’s natural sleep architecture and this is a really good point when you’re searching for a sleep medication
(a bit of disclaimer: as you can see, I’m trying to say what are the good sides and what are the bad sides of a drug).
Now, the next stuff would be anything that goes being stronger than Ambien itself and I would say that it is seroquel which is another drug that I did have tried quite a few times either and while it ut me out – way, way out – it has been waaaay too much sedating to me, it was amazingly sedating I can say. I say so not because I’ve tried a quite large dosage, I say this because I have been on a very small dose, so I am thinking that I did have had an not normal intense reaction to this small dosage of drug. I say this because my limbs have really felt almost completely paralyzed and I have simply been unable to wake up even after I have been dead asleep for approximately 14 hours or so that day. I mean, after A LOT of hours of sleeping in an extremely deep sleep, I could barely wake up! besides, for the next 24 hours or so I have shuffled around in a lethargic and half dumb state being unable to normally function, think etc. etc. once again, just want you to understand me right, I am not trying to badmouth Seroquel or anything. This is only the experience that I have had with it. I do know very well that Seroquel has been a true godsend for some of the people out there, however personally for me…. this antipsychotic drug has turned out to be already a little bit way too extreme for me to simply treat the insomnia. But I’ve been thinking that if there is somebody who has a bigger problem with insomnia than I do or if you’re a “tougher” person then maybe Seroquel would be what you’re searching for (when anything else fails to do so). So far, I haven’t met people saying that Seroquel is not working for putting them to sleep. That’s how strong it is. and yeah, it does seem to be like an ultimate but perfect solution, but I still think that you’ve got to be careful due to the fact that antipsychotics tend to affect way too many types of receptors and neurotransmitters in way too much and many unpredictable ways for my personal comfort (and I’m quite sure that there are other people thinking the same as I do about it). I would say that this drug can be used as a last resort when everything else fails to do so, but I would be very careful doing it. so well, in case there is a drug that can get the job done then I am feeling safer only blasting the one or maybe 2 receptors with synthetic chemicals.
So wow… I am sorry, I didn’t even seen how I have written this novel, trust me I didn’t intended and didn’t know that it is going to be that long but at least I guess there are some options that you could look into and you know more about what options in general you have. I guess that this is going to be even more helpful for someone who is completely new into this all.
Also, I’ve wanted to say that if you decide to stick out with ambien then be sure that there are at least some steps that you could take in order to make this medication to work better for you, exactly as it has been already said above by somebody else (previous commenter), be sure that it is indeed working better when it is being used on an empty stomach compared to when you take it on an full stomach. I have made this experiment on myself and I have seen that this is true. I’ve got to say that for me personally this meant that I need to wait for at least 4 hours after I have eaten a decent sized meal... and saying this… I would need to way maybe 3 hours only if I have only had a small low fat snack and even more than 4 hours if I have had a large sized meal high in fat. To make it more understandable… when my tummy is grumbling then this usually means that I am able to safely take it (safely means that I know that I am going to reach the maximum bioavailability of the drug).
Besides, for getting a better effect you need to go bed immediately after you have had your dosage and although I do know that it can be quite tempting to watch some TV, to surf the internet or to stay on phone on facebook – you are going to lose the track of time (and trust me you will) and this is going to lead you to not even realize how an hour or more has passed since you have taken the pill and guess what would be next? you need to know that ambien is having a pretty short window of time during which it is ideal to fall asleep (and pay attention that it is SHORT)… personally for me I can tell you that it is anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes or so after I have ingested it. for somebody it might be different. It doesn’t matter. you just need to stay there. it is proved that TV, internet etc. is messing up with your sleeping patterns… so if you are missing that window whatever it is, then I have found out that you can end up feeling mildly stimulated and pleasantly uninhibited and this is leading you to do some things like for example dancing and listening to music in the dark (and also playing the air guitar) and then also drawing pink horses on your walls but then having no recollection that you have done it. (lol, I’m just kidding Damme ).
I also have to say that ambien is having a really really short half life (shorter than it should be IMO and that’s why they’ve made Ambien CR later), however this has some good side as well and the plus of this is that if you are looking for avoiding morning after drowsiness then this is an ideal thing for you, however, this is also why the IR version wears off so fast (on an average, I am getting approximately 4 hours or so of sleep out of a 10 mg pill only). To be honest, I do not think that it is totally out of the question in order to use, like for example, another 5 mg when you are waking up in the middle of the night (because of the short half life), however it is obvious that you would need to discuss about this to your doctor and about upping your dosage in case you are intending to use it like that every single night. also I’ve got to say that you could search for the Ambien CR and look about using it (this is, by the way, an extended release version of the drug), however since there is no generic version of it so far (in fact, I am not sure if there is or not as I haven’t really searched, but I do know for sure that a few years back there wasn’t any), you are going to end up shelling out a lot of money in the time when you could quite easily simply space out your instant release zolpidem doses as it is needed and you’re going to get quite the same effect (like I said, 5 mg, for instance, before bed and another 5 mg when waking up). also, I’ve got to say… god save you if you are not getting the full normal hours or sleep (which is either hours of sleep as we know) on the CR version of ambien – if you are waking up way too soon and you are not being able to get back to your sleep, it is making you feeling woozy and nauseous for the rest of the time until it is finally going to wear off and get out of the system (which, for some unknown reason to me, it is tending to need a while longer in case you are being awake on it, not sure if I’m the only one who has noticed this or not, but when sleeping it wears off quicker).
So well, my very last suggestion for you to kickstart you’re a punk’s power (and by the way, sorry again for this very long novel), it is most likely controversial in most of the people’s opinions. So well, I really do not condone using the following advice in case you are not having somebody around you who is able to keep an eye on you closely or in case you have ever lost it so bad on the ambien that you have done something very and very stupid, like… well, for example wrecking your car or something like this. if you did experienced something like that then better stay away from this. so, I am only guessing that in case you indeed do not get very much of an benefit from the ambien at all then I think that you most likely have a little bit of a cross tolerance (or something in this matter) with the CNS antidepressant (either they are benzos, either it is alcohol or whatever else). in case this is the case then you can most likely safely use the ambien with a glass of a wine, or maybe with only a small dosage of a low potency benzo, and the interaction is going to be enough in order to get you snoozing in no time. (if there are people who can do it then it must be fine ). Anyway, seriously though.. they key to it all is moderation, however I am being quite sure that you do no need any lecture on “knowing your limits”, that is why I am mostly putting this little caveat in there in order to save myself from getting lampooned now. for somebody out there who has never used any anti anxiety or any other insomnia medication in her entire life then be sure I would sure not recommend this type of approach ever as it can end quite badly. In fact, I think that your doctor is most likely going to frown on the wine part at you (even though my psychiatrist is prescribing me both to take ambien and klonopin to use before I am going to bed). So well, in case you are trying to get a combination of ambien with anything else then you’ve got to be careful before you are going to know how that combination is going to affect you and you’ve got to be all 100% sure that you are not going to try it out before you’re going to learn more about that combination and unless you are going to have someone out there closely in order to monitor you. besides, I think that you can also try to use it with melatonin in case you are intending to play it all extra safe. Whatever the case, you need to know that learning is the key here. you’ve got to know if the combination of the drugs that you intend to take is not having any interactions between them because sometimes, the interaction effects are really bad. Plus, it is very advisable to have somebody who can monitor you. sometimes that person can save your life… or at least can save you from an injury or can save your money.
Either way, I really hope that at least some of these advices are going to help you to get your through the nightly allotment of the sleep. If it does, then let us know what and by doing so it might help others. Happy sleeping.
oh well… I am not sure, I see these posts here but I am having some doubts about it… that’s because I have heard some really bad stories about this thing and people doing some crazy (really crazy) stuff after using it and while being on its effects, and it is also true the fact that it is the drug responsible for amnesia, I can confirm that, not from personal experience but from my friend’s experience. I did have had a quite good friend that has been sleeping with her neighbor during the night and she was not been able to remember doing this. I mean, she’s been under the effects of this drug and she was not her…. she was doing it without realizing… and yeah…. she would just literally go next door to his apartment and then she was having sex with him and then going back into her bed and then the next day she was waking up in her own bed. She indeed had no recollection of doing so as she was even acting completely normal when she was visiting him and she could not remember a thing about doing it, or she was thinking like it was kind of a dream or something. she could swear that she hasn’t done it, but… she did. She has finally figured it out that she’s done it after she has had an really awkward conversation with that guy and this is why she has been trying to avoid him after that whenever she could do it. no need to mention that she has not ever taken ambien after that. and yeah, it has been the ambien because nothing similar to that happened to her in the past, it only happened after using ambien and she took ambien alone with nothing else (no alcohol or anything in that matter, but we all know that alcohol is also able to cause amnesia and ambien with alcohol must be a really bad idea of combination IMO). But only ambien alone is enough IMO, I think that there are much more better alternatives for sleeping aid medications than ambien… but anyway, if there is somebody who already used it and you know that it does work for you well then I do not want to talk badly about it so everybody takes it a their own risks I guess.
Hello there melina and wow… never seen such a long post… you must have really tried it very hard but I’ve got to tell you that I found it pretty nice and I really enjoyed reading it… plus your comment made me laugh which is also very good and why I am thankful for.
I am thinking that you are really right though, ambien is really able to work wonders for me. it is surely worth shot in case you are having some insomnia, and the moderation is “key”. in case you are having some problems to get to sleep every single night (and not only because it is related to stress, personal life, work or whatever else that can trigger it), you are going to need to deal with it for a couple of days or maybe to find some other ways to get a remedy to your situation. You are just not able to keep using ambien like that, I mean, you are able, but it is surely not recommended to do so (and, in fact, it is not recommended to do so with any drug, for this matter) for a repeated period of time without using any periodic breaks, or you are going to be left with some even worse off than where you have been initially before using it and you’re going to be in an even worse condition than that why you took it. but anyway… this is only my recommendation so everybody is free doing whatever they want.