strange experience with Ambien

[skibum801]

Hi,

One day last week I took 10mg of Ambien and it seemed to help my schizophrenia. Specifically, it helped the "negative" symptoms of the disease, or deficits in normal things that normal people would feel. It includes lack of joy, inability to converse well, etc. While my "positive" symptoms are under control; delusions in my case, my negative symptoms are not, and it was great that the Ambien helped. It didn't make the negative symptoms totally better but it definitely helped. The Ambien improved my mood in general; it increased the level of joy I felt and it made me more conversant. I've heard that Ambien increases frontal lobe activity, and I've heard that a theory of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by a lack of frontal lobe activity. Does anyone know more about this? Would anyone care to explain what might have happened? I may be onto something that could help people with schizophrenia.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[chuck_norris]

Hi Matt,

I did a literature review on the GABA system and schizophrenia for my neuroscience major project a few years back. Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional or even an outstanding student so I'd encourage you to research for yourself what I say!

From my memory, there's growing evidence of quite a strong link between the GABA system and schizophrenia (particularly the negative symptoms/cognitive deficits). The cortex has to oscillate at a certain frequency for demanding cognitive tasks (70Hz/Gamma frequency I think it's called), and a certain class of GABA releasing neurons called "chandelier cells" play an important role in modulating this pattern, by inhibiting/disinhibiting the pyramidal cells around them. I believe that schizophrenics often show chandelier cell hypofunctioning, which I guess you could liken to a disruption of the ability to maintain Gamma frequency activity.

There was some research into the use of benzodiazepines (BZD) and BZD-like drugs (Zolpidem/Zopiclone) as well as other GABA(A) agonists like barbiturates to treat negative symptoms. I'm reasonably sure there were some positive results, but they were far from a miracle cure. Also their sedative effects were a confound that in all liklihood negated some of the improvements. I think the latest research involved selective modulators of GABA(A) receptors that included only the a2 subunit, which supposedly prevents overly-sedative effects, and these were more promising.

But in the end, it's a complex disease that's poorly understood and involves abnormal activity in a plethora of systems/areas. Because Zolpidem can induce euphoria, that might also explain some of your improvements (increased talkativeness etc.). Perhaps you could consider talking to a doctor/psychiatrist - a GABA modulator of some kind might be a useful adjunct therapy, especially if you seem to have had such a positive reaction to it?

 

[nirvus]

zolpidem is a very selective benzodiazepine i understand, meaning it allosterically modulates the GABA receptor. not an NMDA inhibitor, AFAIK. but it FEELS a bit similar to the dissociative class of chems in a way (bit of a stretch, i know). and NMDA inhibition, and the resulting powerful anti-depressant activity associated with it, is a very hot topic in current research. any chance of a chance of a connection? feel free to shoot holes, this is glorified trolling. ; )

 

[Hammilton]

meth and heroin and cocaine and booze will probably all have the same effect. maybe only at lower doses for the heroin...

 

[J.Wallace]

Every Ambien experience is a strange Ambien experience

 

[skibum801]

Yes, I will be talking to my psychiatrist about it, and I'll explain to her that the reason we had a pretty decent conversation last time I saw her (we haven't for a while due to my negative symptoms) was because I took zolpidem that day. Also, since they're similar drugs (benzodiazepines and "z-drugs") I tried to replicate the results I had with Ambien with clonazepam. This ended up giving me a drunk/buzzed type feeling, which was not the result I had from Ambien. I thought this was weird because I think they both are GABA agonists, which is supposed to induce more inhibition - so you'd think that that would be worse for a person with negative symptoms of schizophrenia because it would inhibit him/her more. That was also my experience with alcohol, I felt a nice buzz/drunk, but I felt more emotionally inhibited and less talkative. I don't know what this has to do with frontal lobe activity either - I hear that alcohol lessens frontal lobe activity, which might have been what I felt. And it would make sense that zolpidem would increase that activity. Also another thing that was weird about when I took the zolpidem was that I didn't feel any sedation from it. Anyway, my psychiatrist thinks that these things (negative symptoms) eventually correct themselves, so I have to hope for that, but maybe zolpidem could be a useful therapy for me in the meantime, as I've been far from functioning at my normal level for a long time now.

 

[negrogesic]

This will likely seem narrow-minded:

If a 'low-functioning' patient with a schizophrenia-variant Dx were to describe to me in detail the merits of an exceedingly off-label treatment course (while detailing the potential pharmacological basis), I would by instinct alone, feel strongly compelled to NOT write the according Rx. I am fortunately not a psychiatrist, but you will likely find such a reaction to be similar. And, forgive me if I missed it in my speed-read, but it appeared as though you were potentially never prescribed the drug for even it's indicated purpose (which in this case, is very, very narrow).

Such is the nature of things.........

 

[snaggs77]

My experiences with Ambien are terrible. The worst being, taking 3, then dicking around...then BLACKOUT....came to several hours later, and the bottle was gone. There were at least 10 more in the bottle, and I'm pretty sure I took them. Later I looked on my phone and saw texts and pictures I had no recollection of. If you want a sleep aid, just take so Chamomile tea and relax with some nice Trazadone.