Dani999 Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 I suffer from insomnia. I used to take Ambien for sleep aid when I needed it. It gave me a weird side effect where it made me almost like I was drunk if I didn’t fall asleep right away. I also wouldn’t remember anything that happened after I took it. It scared me so I stopped taking it. Insomnia is the worst thing. I’m dying for a full night of sleep and all of the natural suggestions like no big meals before bed, exercise earlier in the day, bed is only for sleeping, reading, no smoking or drinks close to bed time, etc… don’t seem to work most nights. I have so many packets and articles on this and really I have tried them all. It's so frustrating. My doctor gave me samples today for a new sleep aid, Lunesta. Has anyone tried it or knows of anyone that has? I’m curious about how it works and if it is similar to Ambien when it comes to side effects or not. I just hope for some feedback before I try it. Thanks, -Dani
markraine Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Best advice I can recommend, talk to a few pharmacists. Most are highly approacheable and it is THEIR job to know these drugs inside and out, they can give you the breakdown on them, chemically and in turns of effectiveness. Ultimately this is something you should go through with your doctor, but asking pharmacists will give you better detail and make you better informed on the two drugs in a peaches and apples comparison. Doctors will often recommend new drugs and not have too much information on them, but it is a pharmacist's job and duty to know these drugs inside and out before they are even released to the public.
Author Dani999 Posted July 21, 2005 Author Posted July 21, 2005 Great suggestion, thank you very much. I will get in contact with my pharmacist tomorrow. Any personal experiences from anyone would still be much appreciated.
Rosalind Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 I take Zoplicone...it's very effective...only side effect I've experienced is a metallic taste in my mouth.
orta Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 Originally posted by Dani999 I suffer from insomnia. I used to take Ambien for sleep aid when I needed it. It gave me a weird side effect where it made me almost like I was drunk if I didn’t fall asleep right away. I also wouldn’t remember anything that happened after I took it. It scared me so I stopped taking it. Insomnia is the worst thing. I’m dying for a full night of sleep and all of the natural suggestions like no big meals before bed, exercise earlier in the day, bed is only for sleeping, reading, no smoking or drinks close to bed time, etc… don’t seem to work most nights. I have so many packets and articles on this and really I have tried them all. It's so frustrating. I used to take Ambien, and I had a lot of bad side effects. Ambien is a powerful drug, and it must be handled delicately. I remember seeing a haze around everything after taking it, seeing double, feeling light as a feather, and getting very high off of it. I ended up having horrible short-term memory loss for a while before I tapered off of it. My doctor gave me samples today for a new sleep aid, Lunesta. Has anyone tried it or knows of anyone that has? I’m curious about how it works and if it is similar to Ambien when it comes to side effects or not. I just hope for some feedback before I try it. Thanks, -Dani I have never heard of Lunesta. If I have trouble sleeping, I take a supplement which contains extract of Valerian root, chamomile, skullcap, and passion flower. When I take it, I usually do so one hour before I plan to sleep, and I try to just relax in my bed. When I need it to work, it does. It should be noted, however, that I am very active during the day. I usually don't have any trouble getting to sleep, but the supplement relaxes me enough when I need it. Even just drinking a cup of chamomile tea with some skullcap in it might do the trick. Ask your doctor about this new sleep aid before you start to take it. Hopefully it will work, and it will be safe. I'm not goig to recommend going the "all natural" route first. If you can take steps to get back to a more steady sleeping schedule, perhaps the chamomile and skullcap, maybe some valerian root, or a supplement including these ingredients might help you from time to time, at least to help you relax so you can try to get some sleep. Just be sure to take sleep aids when you have nothing planned but to, well, go to sleep.
njscott Posted August 7, 2005 Posted August 7, 2005 i took ambien for a year. had allot of side effects. back aches were one of them 2percent of the clinical trials stated back pain. it would make me wake up after four hours. felt like crap the next day now i am taking lunesta. fall asleep super fast and wake up feeling good. although i need an hour to fully rid myself of the groginess. i like lunesta much better. just weary on not knowing the long term affects scott
Rosalind Posted August 7, 2005 Posted August 7, 2005 Originally posted by njscott i took ambien for a year. had allot of side effects. back aches were one of them 2percent of the clinical trials stated back pain. it would make me wake up after four hours. felt like crap the next day now i am taking lunesta. fall asleep super fast and wake up feeling good. although i need an hour to fully rid myself of the groginess. i like lunesta much better. just weary on not knowing the long term affects scott Dear scott As I have stated previously I take Zoplicone. But I did a search on Lunesta, and learned they are practically identical. My doctor said it is safe to take indefinitely. I need an hour in the morning myself, to shake the grogginess. It's not the med tho.....I've always been like that. I can.not.function. untill I've downed 3 jolts of java. Rosalind
Author Dani999 Posted August 15, 2005 Author Posted August 15, 2005 Well, I have used Lunesta a few times now and I'm excited to say that it has worked out great for me. It doesn't give any of those side effects like Ambien that I and as I have read may others do/did with Ambiern. No high drunken feeling and no short-term memory loss! I fall asleep fast and am not 'out of it' before I do fall asleep and I wake up feeling great and so rested The only side effect I experience is a metallic taste in my mouth that starts about 20 min after I take it... I just don't like how I can still taste it the next morning.
Tony Posted August 15, 2005 Senior Moderators Posted August 15, 2005 The purpose of this forum is not to swap symptoms or to evaluate medications. That is best done by professionals who know exactly what they are doing. Fact is, medications work differently on different people at different doses. What one medication does for one person may not cut it for another. Swapping war stories about drugs is not productive, according to the medical doctors I have spoken with. If you want advice about medications, take the earlier advice of speaking with a pharmacist. Much better yet, work closely with your doctor in coming up with a regimen of exercise, meditation, relaxation and medication that will work for YOU, your metabolism and your lifestyle. Sleep disturbances are serious and growing at an alarming rate. A lot of the problems are caused by stress, obesity, pollution and other factors. Work with your doctor in finding out what is causing your problem...then work with him/her in creating the best individual solution for YOU. There are many who have sleep apnea, a very dangerous disorder that must be diagnosed and treated before it causes serious heart problems or even death. Lack of sleep has been shown to be an important factor in weight gain. Discussing how drugs worked for other people is like asking them what flavor of ice cream they had last time. Whatever works for YOU is what you should be doing. Discussing medications on an Internet forum with anonymous individuals is a dangerous thing in some cases. I would think you would feel lots for comfortable with you doctor. If you don't get the results you seek, go to a sleep clinic for an overnight evaluation, switch doctors, or both.
hmk0522 Posted August 16, 2005 Posted August 16, 2005 I's so glad I found this site. I have been taking Ambien for a few years but not every night. I used to take 10mg and reduced to 5mg. Until last night. I have now sworn off it forever. I used to think my "ambie rambies" were funny. One day 12 packages arrived from one of the home shopping channels. I don't remember ordering anything. I have called friends in the middle of the night with wild stories. I don't remember callling them. I watched the tub overflow and thought is was strange. I could go on and on but you get the picture. My doctor said it is a hypnotic and can cause temporary amnesia. Last night was the worst. So bad I can't even go into it. But I have finally learned my lesson. Has anyone had these kind of side effects from Luesta or Sonata or the new Rozerem? I do suffer from insomnia but Ambien is not the drug for me.
Whatever2 Posted September 30, 2005 Posted September 30, 2005 Ambien sucks. Like drinking 9 beers and 3 shots of gin. Then it wears off three hours later. And then you feel like poop. Use Lunesta, make sure you take it on an empty stomach. And don't drink alcohol with it. Also, I would not try it until you are clean of using Ambien for at least three weeks because the rebound with ambien will nullify its effects.
New gal 982 Posted September 30, 2005 Posted September 30, 2005 Ambien is the devil drug. It brings out the worst in you. I switched to Lunesta. It's great. I haven't had any side effects and it works great with no hangover feeling in the morning. Must be taken on an empty stomach to be fully effective. I suggest it to anyone with sleeping troubles to talk to their doctor about trying it Good luck!!
rslezak Posted October 13, 2005 Posted October 13, 2005 Folks... with all due respect calling Ambien a "Devil Drug" is a bit harsh... I take Ambien just before bed, and I do mean just prior to laying down for the night, if you do that, you'll go to sleep just fine. I've used it "as needed" and had no ill side effects what-so-ever. The side effects you'll feel are if you take it and try to fight it and stay up and funtion normally which is not what its designed for. Also, if you give yourself adequate time to sleep you'll find you do not wake with any grogginess to "shake off" in the morning. I'm interested in trying Lunesta, without a sleep aide I find myself tossing and turning and my mind races just thinking errant thoughts. I do feel that Ambien is not for long term use, I hear Lunesta can be used long term without delterious side effects. All in all, I'd like to just sleep without taking anything, but due to weird hours and a stressful job that's easier said than done!!! Good luck and have a good nights sleep :-)
mike20171 Posted November 6, 2005 Posted November 6, 2005 Ask your doctor about sleep apnea...its different than insomnia.
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