Ambien and the adverse side effects:
About six weeks ago I started taking Ambien CR, (the time released kind) I finally started to get some sleep, but I never felt like it was a well rested nights sleep. None the less, I was no longer waking up in the middle of the night. Over the course of the next six weeks, I started noticing a change in my mood. I became extrdinarilly anxious. I started to have heart palpitations and I noticed that there would be an empty potatoe chip bag on the counter every morning. I was crossing ym fingers that I didnt have a chip-burglar! I accused my husband and my kids of getting up in the middle of the night for a snack! However, I soon discovered that it wasnt actually them. It was me.
As time went by, the symptoms got worse and worse. I had such bad axiety by the time 5 P.M. rolled around everyday that I could hardly breath. I noticed that it was as if I had, "hit a wall," and I would be down for the count for the rest of the night. It actually affected my family, because I was SO NOT myself and I couldnt figure out why. One night, I felt so bad that I had to contact a friend in the middle of the night because the heart palpiations and anxiety were just becoming too much to bare. Thats when she told me that I was probably having side effects from the Ambien-CR because she recognized that I had all the classic symptoms. She suggested to me that I ween myself off of the drug because I am medication sensitive and the consiquenses of quitting the drug, "cold-turkey," could have caused an even more seriouse medical problem.
Now, I have been off Ambien-CR for 4 or 5 days and I feel like a DIFFERENT PERSON. I didnt even realize how thick the fog was that I was living in day to day. How is it that so many people can be given this drug, that is so bad for you; yet, it's advertisments make it seem as harmless as a Snickers bar? What was my pharmacist doing when he should have been explaining ALL of the side effects of this drug to me?
Thank God for places like EmpowHer and thank God for my girlfriends! It's so nice to be able to share this with others in the hopes that it will help someone else the way someone helped me.
Thank you all!
Sleeping Better Now, Melissa~
PS: I've been using Melatonin as a natural sleep aide now, and it's amazing!
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Melissa
Thanks so much for you post and we're very glad to have you here on Empowher. As an insomniac myself, I took Ambien for one month but stopped taking them because they simply didn't work for me.
Getting up in the middle of the night and eating without remembering the next day has been cited by many as a side effect of Ambien, and is also mentioned by the manufacturers as a side effect. It's very strange for that to happen, eh?
I am glad you have found something else that helps you sleep!
Anon,
Did you read the side effects in the information that came along with the drug the first time you picked up your prescription? DId the pharmacist ask you if you have any questions regarding the drug?
Did you wean yourself off, or did you consult with your doctor ahead of time?
Every medicine has side effects. And they affect people differently. Some people will have few to none; others could be life-threatening. Most of the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Drugs.com is a great place to learn about medicines if you forget to read a package insert. You can look up a drug by name there and get its uses and its side effects. Here is what it says about the side effects of Ambien CR:
Ambien CR Extended-Release Tablets
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Ambien CR Extended-Release Tablets:
Dizziness; drowsiness (including daytime drowsiness); "drugged" feeling; dry mouth; headache; muscle aches; nausea; nose or throat irritation; sluggishness; stomach upset.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Ambien CR Extended-Release Tablets:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the hands, legs, mouth, face, lips, eyes, throat, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); abnormal thinking; behavior changes; chest pain; confusion; decreased coordination; difficulty swallowing or breathing; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; memory problems (eg, memory loss); mental or mood changes (eg, aggression, agitation, anxiety, depression); severe dizziness; shortness of breath; suicidal thoughts or actions; vision changes.
You clearly had some of the "SEVERE" side effects; did you let your doctor know?