[Angelwing]

The nurse suggested that I try something like Zolpidem for achieving deep sleep (I have Fibromyalgia/CFS). I will be going to the Dr. next week. Anyone who has taken this before, what are your experiences? If you weren't getting deep sleep were you able to attain it while on ambien?

 

[Semicharmed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelwing

I will be going to the Dr. next week. Anyone who has taken this before, what are your experiences?

I hallucinated! Little wispy people peeled up my keyboard. It was kickass (aka - terrifying). I also slept through a psych final and hence flunked it. Yay Ambien!

Lunesta was okay, but the taste in my mouth was miserable.

Don't let them give you trazadone, that stuff SUCKS.

Sonata was cool, as I remember (it was one of the first ones I tried)... But my insurance didn't cover it.

Rozerem didn't do a thing - I woke up 14 times in one night on that stuff.

The anti-psychotics (like Seroquel) used off-label (or, really, second-on-the-list-on-the-label) will knock you on your ASS. You'll sleep, but... Ergh.

I had insomnia, and insomnia is a *****. Mine wasn't pain-induced... But, even so, sleeping pills never truly helped me get on a better schedule. That, and I ended up abusing the crap out of them to the point where when I'd run out of sleeping pills, I'd go buy OTC stuff that was twice as strong as Tylenol PM, open 8-10 caps, mix them with two ounces of juice, and knock myself out.

Bleh. Pills get the thumbs down from me. But I know they do help some people.

 

[sosoy]

might find this of interest: Fibromyalgia treatment: Does Neurontin relieve symptoms

From what I know of neurontin and ambien, neurontin seems like it would be a better choice if it works for you.

Neurontin is also available as generic (or it was at some point, I think there was a legal battle, not sure how it turned out)

As it says in the linked article, it would be an off-label use, so there hasn't been much testing done in using it at night only - it's unclear if there are negative effects doing what would amount to a daily withdrawal from it (Gabapentin elimination half-life is 5 to 7 hours)

 

[Sunbeans]

i have two friends who took it and they too hallucinated!!! I don't recommend. At all. Eheheh.

When I was really sick, they gave me xanax for two nights and I slept like a log and felt rested/no hangover etc. I don't advocate doing that or anything but if it's ultra short term..?

I always had insomnia. For years and years and years. and it turned out to be nutritional. If you're not getting enough of various things (magnesium etc etc) it can have effects like that. I didn't believe it, but as of a few weeks ago I've slept nine hours pretty much every night.

Hormones too, can do bad stuff with sleep. So maybe fix the cause rather than the symptom? I don't know

I clearly have no idea but i hope you feel better

 

[Angelwing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Semicharmed

I hallucinated! Little wispy people peeled up my keyboard. It was kickass (aka - terrifying). I also slept through a psych final and hence flunked it. Yay Ambien!

Lunesta was okay, but the taste in my mouth was miserable.

Don't let them give you trazadone, that stuff SUCKS.

Sonata was cool, as I remember (it was one of the first ones I tried)... But my insurance didn't cover it.

Rozerem didn't do a thing - I woke up 14 times in one night on that stuff.

The anti-psychotics (like Seroquel) used off-label (or, really, second-on-the-list-on-the-label) will knock you on your ASS. You'll sleep, but... Ergh.

I had insomnia, and insomnia is a *****. Mine wasn't pain-induced... But, even so, sleeping pills never truly helped me get on a better schedule. That, and I ended up abusing the crap out of them to the point where when I'd run out of sleeping pills, I'd go buy OTC stuff that was twice as strong as Tylenol PM, open 8-10 caps, mix them with two ounces of juice, and knock myself out.

Bleh. Pills get the thumbs down from me. But I know they do help some people.

Yikes. I've tried Trazodone, didn't really help with anything. I don't want to take pills but idk what else to do at this point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sosoy

might find this of interest: Fibromyalgia treatment: Does Neurontin relieve symptoms

From what I know of neurontin and ambien, neurontin seems like it would be a better choice if it works for you.

Neurontin is also available as generic (or it was at some point, I think there was a legal battle, not sure how it turned out)

As it says in the linked article, it would be an off-label use, so there hasn't been much testing done in using it at night only - it's unclear if there are negative effects doing what would amount to a daily withdrawal from it (Gabapentin elimination half-life is 5 to 7 hours)

I'm pretty sure I asked my dr. about neurontin but I don't think it was available in Canada. I can't recall, maybe I'll ask again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunbeams

i have two friends who took it and they too hallucinated!!! I don't recommend. At all. Eheheh.

When I was really sick, they gave me xanax for two nights and I slept like a log and felt rested/no hangover etc. I don't advocate doing that or anything but if it's ultra short term..?

I always had insomnia. For years and years and years. and it turned out to be nutritional. If you're not getting enough of various things (magnesium etc etc) it can have effects like that. I didn't believe it, but as of a few weeks ago I've slept nine hours pretty much every night.

Hormones too, can do bad stuff with sleep. So maybe fix the cause rather than the symptom? I don't know I clearly have no idea but i hope you feel better

Huh, hallucinating even on lower doses? Not something I want!

I've been trying for years to figure out what exactly will help with my extreme pain/fatigue. I do not have insomnia, rather I can sleep for 16 hours at once. I can't reach deep sleep. I sleep very lightly. Pain is what the problem is and what is preventing me from getting proper rest. My body isn't healing properly because I can't get deep sleep. I've tried boxes of those Women's Ultra Mega Wellness Program (from GNC), 5-htp, d-ribose, b12 shots etc. nothing really works. I've tried dozens of meds all ready and no go. I do have some sort of hormonal issue (I have a total of 3 maaybe 4 periods per YEAR) but the dr.'s aren't concerned at all with this. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired! I don't know what to do anymore.

 

[Semicharmed]

I'm no doctor, so this could be a stupid question... But if PAIN is the problem, why they aren't giving you pain medication at night? Maybe something like tramadol? I can't envision that being any different in terms of risk of dependence and abuse, and if you aren't having insomnia... I dunno.

There may be a very good reason they don't do this, I'm just curious!

 

[Angelwing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Semicharmed

I'm no doctor, so this could be a stupid question... But if PAIN is the problem, why they aren't giving you pain medication at night? Maybe something like tramadol? I can't envision that being any different in terms of risk of dependence and abuse, and if you aren't having insomnia... I dunno.

There may be a very good reason they don't do this, I'm just curious!

Not a stupid question! I've actually already tried tramadol and it didn't alleviate the pain. I took up to 150mg (increased dose over a few days to see which helped the most) and it just got to the point where an hour later I would feel tranquillized, dizzy and really out of it and it wasn't helping with pain at all. I've tried numerous low dose (as well as high) anti-depressants which are sometimes used to alleviate pain but they also did not do anything. I'd really like to get tested for viruses/infections that have been associated with fibromyalgia, I just have to convince the specialist to do them.

 

[Semicharmed]

Ahhh. Thank you!

 

[synergy]

That sounds horrible. I have only taken ambien once, and I will say, it was the best sleep I ever had. 8 solid hours... I woke up feeling amazing and refreshed, and I usually wake up 3 to 6 times per night.

I was just perscribed tamazapam to sleep, since I have a broken ankle and haven't really slept well since it happened and i was getting desperate for sleep. I took one 15mg pill the night before last, and was still awake until 5am, slept for 5 hours after that. Then last night I took two of them (looked it up and 30 mg was still in a normal dose range). I had a paradoxical reaction, got really restless, had tons of auditory hallucinations, and anxiety. I was terrified that I would stop breathing and die in the middle of the night. The only way I could sleep was by surrendering to the process and possibility of my death. It was like a wierd acid trip. I wish I had ambien instead. I gotta go back to the doctor and get something different.

 

[Sunbeans]

ohhhhhh wow. i see. how awful for you!! Hopefully things get sorted out soon!

And maybe it's only very few people who have the hallucinations from Ambien

You could always try it once? It's not ideal to rely on drugs, clearly, but if you've tried everything else and are understandably at your wits end it makes total sense to try these. I would

Out of curiousity, does anybody in these threads know how long it takes to become tolerant of things like that? I mean.. do people stay on them for life and keep sleeping well? I learned that they didn't (psych degree) but I know a few people who swear by valium and xanax and have used them for years.

Synergy, your situation sounds awful too. Ugh. Good luck getting the Ambien! I guess bodies all react differently to everything. That fact has always scared me ( "what if IIIIII take the pill and die?! " ) but it's just life. :/

 

[janiejones]

I'm another one that's taken Ambien and hasn't hallucinated, ever, and I took it for much longer than most doctors prescribe due to debilitating insomnia. If your situation's bad enough and the lack of sleep is really messing up your life and mental processes, do it. I took it for *a while* (more than a year) and I'm off it now and very glad about that, but I'm also very glad that I had it to cope with the insomnia.

 

[AmeliaAshar]

In adults, zolpidem is used to treat a sleep disorder known as insomnia. It makes you fall asleep quicker if you have trouble falling asleep, so you can get a better night's sleep. Sedative-hypnotics, such as zolpidem, are a type of drug. It produces a soothing effect by acting on your brain.