My mother is chewing ambien like candy..

[Violenza666]

Now I have no place to say anything here but I am saying it anyways, as I take klonopin and Valium for anxiety.. but her bottle says take at bedtime. Not to mention she has an ungodly amount of ambien scripted to her. Think HUGE value size vitamin bottles over half full of ambien. Why would she need this much or why would she take this much? Along with my previous post about my medication I am starting to think my mother is using drugs... This is not entirely a good thing for a number of reasons.. she doesn't know when "enough is enough".. I am not trying to get into her business.. I went into her medicine cabinet with her permission to get an excedrine for a headache and saw this. Is this usual? There had to have been a few hundred ambien in there...

Those of you taking ambien do you take it during the day? If so how many times a day do you take it? I thought you took it before bedtime, but I could be completely wrong here.

Do they script it off label for other reasons? Any input would be greatly appretiated here.

The reason I say she eats it like candy is I always see her eating these pink pills... the pink pills are the generic ambien I found in the medicine cabinet.. now this worries me for a variety of reasons but a huge one is she drives with my child and she behaves like a nutcase majority of the time.. I dont know of abuse of ambien can contribute to this?

 

[purple_cloud]

Violenza, I'm sorry to hear that your mom might be abusing drugs. Ambien doesn't have any off-label uses I don't think, maybe she's using it like many of us use benzos? I don't know of anyone who is scripted it to who takes it more often than just bedtime, I personally had a strange reaction and it kept me up and very anxious all night long (my father did too) so I don't touch the stuff.

I don't know if the large bottles are a concern, I know for insurance reasons I get large bottles of stuff just so I don't need to pay a ton of copays --- the drs I know understand the shitty economy and seem to like helping me save some money on meds.

I don't blame you for being worried, she's driving around with your child and ambien can do some strange things to people. I really don't know what other advice to possibly give...a lot of older adults (I'm only 22) seem to think that if they are prescribed a drug, they can take it as much and as often as possible...I hope this all works out for you Violenza

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Ambien isn't prescribed for anything other than sleep and not effective as an anti-anxiety medication. (It is a selective benzodiazepine that only has action on the alpha 1 GABA receptor.) Also known as a Z-drug. I don't know why she would be taking it all throughout the day unless she is addicted which it obviously sounds like. Ambien is a hypnotic so its not good for her to be taking it during the day.

What I'm curious about is how does she get so much. Doctors only prescribe one at night. Thats 30 a month.

 

[Violenza666]

Thank you so much for your replies. I am going to go over there and have a talk with her and find out if she has anxiety, and if so I will talk to her about apropriate medications to treat it. I will also discuss my concern about her taking that much ambien and driving around with my child.. if she isnt having "anxiety".. then there is a deeper issue here. I am not going to make it all intervention like... we're not close at all.. but she needs some kind of help from what I am reading here... My biggest concerns are her health and the safety of my child while she is driving... She thinks anxiety medications are "hardcore" and she doesn't need them.. I know older people are set in their ways but this is ridiculous.

K'd out.. I don't know how she gets so much, I do know my parents travel alot and my mom first started taking them for jet lag... then it moved up to nightly use.. she got rebound insomnia which I did warn her about. I am just gonna have a direct chat with her and see where it goes..

Thanks again guys

 

[BabyGurl3171]

I don't know of anyone who is scripted it to who takes it more often than just bedtime, I personally had a strange reaction and it kept me up and very anxious all night long (my father did too) so I don't touch the stuff.

Same thing happened with me. I ended up at the hospital experiencing my first panic attack.

To the OP: I don't know how she gets so many. Most dr's only give a month's supply (30 pills). And you only take them before bedtime.

 

[Pillthrill]

Hmm is there something you mother feels she needs to escape by taking these all the time?
Yup, I would try talking to her...

 

[Violenza666]

Hmm is there something you mother feels she needs to escape by taking these all the time?
Yup, I would try talking to her...

I can totally understand that and yes I can see why she would want to escape..... she is a crazy bitch.. her marriage isnt going so great.. she does not get along with me but mainly its her fault. She refuses to accept that.. I am going to try to talk to her, but it will more than likely end in a range of verbal abuse from her like usual.

If you want to visualize my mom think.. peggy hill mixed with the bitch from everyone loves raymond... combined with something completely evil..

I took 100 mg of valium and went over there didnt feel it til I left..' then it was like this benzo cloud swept over.. lol

My husband took his normal dose of oxy went over there and took more while he was there felt nothing.. when he left... BAM he was like super high.. lol

She is really a miserable person... It's horrid. She is mean to me and holds grudges for shit I did when I was 5.. my poor father has to deal with it and.. wont.. so he is not so nice to her.. her life is a mess... but she could go see a shrink and get better medication to deal with the issue.

Now I know this is partly not my business.. but I did write down the same of the scripting dr.. I have no intentions of calling him but due to her recently getting into my medication, she also stole my dads post surgery medication.. things are out of control for her right now.. atleast out of control for her. She needs help and my dad can't deal with it.. other than talking with her maybe I could talk to a friend of hers about it and see if they can help?

The other thing that PISSES me off and I have told her about this before is she leaves ambien,flexeril and other medications in baggies around her house and my kid could easily get into them.. For the record my kid is only there when my dad is there, he is a great grandfather and does not deserve to be punished because of her. I keep my meds in a gun safe unless I take them out with me, just to ensure my kid can't get into them and so nobody steals them.. but my kid comes first.. here soon she is going on a 6 week vacation.. Think I should talk to her and tell her things need to change if she wants to ever hang out with my kid alone? Give her something to think on? Besides wouldn't an anxiety medication or an anti depressant be better if she is feeling depressed/anxious?

I partake in my meds from time to time so I don't want to seem hypocritical here, but this is out of character for her, or she stopped caring who saw.... and she should be more responsable about the drugs she choses to use..

Now, I have never used ambien other than what it is for... but it didnt put me to sleep.... so I was just awake.. no high.. just awake.. what does an ambien high feel like? Out of medications I am on.. what could it be most like? I am on Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Roxicodine and topamax.. perhaps if I could relate to her in some way it might make the conversation easier.

 

[kunmo]

When i was young and stupid... still am lol i used to snort a few ambien..... Its like a zombie type of high..... its not really a high but you dont care about anything.... when i used to run out of opiates i would bump a couple and have no more urges.... so its kinda a dissociate high (little like DXM).....

 

[turbonegro]

ambien is a weird, strange ass drug. it never hits me the same 2 times in a row but it is a dissociative high and a weird body high, too much and u lose track of reality

so, yea i wouldnt let her drive with ur kid if i was u, one of these days shes gonna completely black out or think shes doin somethin else and wreck

 

[Violenza666]

Thank you guys once again.. she is already a horrible driver.. people are afraid for their lives when she drives at 25mph.. lol

Its weird.. never pegged her for the type to want that kind of high.. perhaps its the only medications she is scripted she gets high on... I know she gets flexeril and ambien.. she stole my oxy and valium and my dads hydrocodone... So maybe she is "using what she has".. weird thing is she is sooo anti drug it's insane..


I have decided I am going to have a talk with her tommmorow, no more driving with my child until she gets this under control. I know she is having a hard time, and I don't frown upon drug use.. I just wish she was using more responsably.. Let's hope the talk goes well, though I suspect she will deny it. I am not the anti drug police, I am all for responsable drug use.. Which is what she needs to be doing. Not only can she hurt my child in a car, she can hurt herself, another family or just anyone. It's not right.

I don't get high around my kid, so neither should she.

Are there WDs from ambien? If so what are those like?

 

[turbonegro]

yea theyre addictive they hit the GABA receptors so its similar to alcohol or benzo withdrawal

http://insomnia.emedtv.com/ambien/ambien-withdrawal.html


* Aggressive or uncharacteristic behavior
* Stomach pains or muscle cramps
* Confusion
* Hallucinations
* Dysphoria (depression)
* Suicidal thoughts

Additionally, seizures have been reported during acute Ambien withdrawal, although this appears to be rare. Despite the extreme discomfort and unpleasant symptoms, Ambien withdrawal has not proven to be particularly life-threatening. However, withdrawals from similar CNS depressants can be life-threatening; thus, particular caution should be taken when coming off Ambien and one should never do it without first consulting a physician.

 

[purple_cloud]

Violenza, maybe buy her a locked box as a present if you can afford it? Tell her that you REALLY don't feel safe with medication like that about the house, and even you yourself keep it locked and away from your kids. Especially if your dad keeps an eye on it, maybe it'll help you feel a bit safer about leaving your child there?

 

[Violenza666]

Violenza, maybe buy her a locked box as a present if you can afford it? Tell her that you REALLY don't feel safe with medication like that about the house, and even you yourself keep it locked and away from your kids. Especially if your dad keeps an eye on it, maybe it'll help you feel a bit safer about leaving your child there?

That is an excellent idea. I might just give her the lock box I had before I got a gun safe. They also have a gun safe, much larger than the one I have because my dad has alot of guns.... but suggesting she keep it in there might be insulting to her so giving her a lock box of her own as a gift might come off as less insulting on some level thank you...

I leave my child with my dad because I don't feel there's a reason he should be punished for her actions. But that is a fabulous idea.. I could even get her one in her favorite color.