Questions about Ambien

[EndoRN]

Have any of you ever taken Ambien? What side effects have you had? I take one (10 mg) about every couple months. If I go right to sleep, it works great. But if I take it and then something keeps me awake it makes me hallucinate. Too weird! It's not scary, because I'm aware of what it's from, but it makes strange patterns on the wall, etc. My husband has also told me that I babble on and on. (and I'll have no recollection of talking or of what I said. ) Another thing, it gives me dbl. vision.( I remember taking Valium after surgery a few years ago and it gave me dbl. vision, too.) And, one last thing, I took one last night and woke up about an hr. later w/really bad hiccups that lasted about 15 min!

I was just curious if anyone out there knew anything about this particular med. I seldom use it, but sometimes I really have trouble sleeping so I'll take one.

Are these normal side effects? Is my dosage too strong, maybe?

Thanks,

Amy :)

[kewlnurse]

Forgot to mention, the rare times that i can't sleep i take a Soma, it's a muscle relaxant, totally wipes me out, forgot i took one one day and had a few beers, havn't felt that good since the 80's:D

[Andy S., BSN, RN]

I hate ambien too. It does a real good job of taking little sweet old ladies and making raving lunatics out of them. :)

Does any one know if sleeping pills have a paradoxical effect on people with OCD?

Thanks

[Jen911]

Soma puts me out like a light, too.. My Doctor gave it to me when I was having back spasms. Came home and took a soma and a Vicodin on an empty stomach and started feeling the effects within about 10 minutes, ate something quick and ran and got into bed. Woke up a couple hours later in a cold sweat screaming my lungs out. I was having HORRIBLE nightmares! My roomates thought I was screaming in pain and thought they were gonna have to call an ambulance for me..LOL. No more soma for me!!

[doularoz]

I have taken ambien and it worked at first but after a few days it stopped. I build up a tolerance to most drugs very quickly. Dr. told me to take 20mg and that worked somewhat. I slept some but I ended up with amnesia the entire next day. Went to work, they sent me home..or so the story goes. I've also tried Sonata with less side effects but it's very expensive. What works like a charm for me is melatonin. Cheap and no side effects.

[Terrie]

I tried ambien and it worked the opposite on me. I slept one hour in three days.

Maybe you should try the standard dose of 5mg.

I have seen ambien turn my normal patients into confused patients more often than not. I am afraid to give it to pts that have never taken it before.