The Pretty Little Zolpidem (Ambien, Stilnox) Thread

[boomhs]

Ok this is the most enigmatic and less understood "benzo" out there. And i've taken most of them (prescribed). From what i remember back when i did it and researched it's kind on it's own league as of benzos. There's so much weird things around it, people taking it and sleep walking/drivingm some document on youtube (i lack source) showed how a man who was in a semi-vegetative perma state, that by chance got given Ambien by parents and he "woke up", and while it lasted he could function and process thoughts. So from there on they always gave him.

For me at least ambien was the best benzo high because it wasn't about relaxation (for those situations i'd use Diazepam or Alprazolam), it gave a slight euphoria, slight pleasant visuals like "increased brightness". It managed to make me able to go out at night and socialize again...

Thinking of asking my doc for more again. Also i think having resistance to other benzos might not affect the effect of this one as much. Thoughts?

 

[boomhs]

I mixed about 5 tabs with alcohol and it felt similar to MDMA

Well from my days mixing it with alcohol i have many regrets. MANY. Did a lot of shit and don't even recall it, and 2 tabs+lots of alcohol got me fked up to that point. If i ever do mix it again it's gonna be 1 tab max.

 

[Pill__Head]

Ambien does Absolutely nothing for me.. Ive taken up to 60mg, still it has no effect on me, not even drowsiness... IME/O Zolpidem sucks as a recreation drug.. for me atleast..

 

[boomhs]

Ambien does Absolutely nothing for me.. Ive taken up to 60mg, still it has no effect on me, not even drowsiness... IME/O Zolpidem sucks as a recreation drug.. for me atleast..

Maybe it varies from ppl to ppl, like i said it's a weird ass substance and i've researched it a lot. But i do miss it.

 

[Jktm]

Zolpidem is a "Z-drug" (an Imidazopyridine to be precise) not a benzodiazepine. They are similar in the respect that their effects are primarily due to their GABAminergic effects. The difference can easily be seen in molecular structure. The name of the drug class "benzodiazepine" arises from the fact that they include a benzene ring attached to a diazepine ring

Another difference is the non-existent or far less pronounced disturbance on sleep architecture. They're much more selective towards GABA-A receptors with certain subunit structure, explaining the major differences in side-effects. They also tend to hold efficacy (if they ever worked for you, cause I've taken 100+mg of zolpidem in benzo detox to no avail) in treatment of insomnia for a much longer period of time than benzodiazepines.

NSFW:

Example of Z-Drug Structure (Zolpidem)

Benzodiazepine Core Structure with 'R' denoting common locations of side chains

[video]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Benzodiazepine_a.svg[/video]

Example of Triazolo Benzodiazepine Structure (Alprazolam) - Note triazole ring, top right

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Lorazepam) - Note hydroxyl group center right (same classical benzodiazepine class, but sure this is what affects it's half-life/duration of action)

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Diazepam)

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Clobazam) - Added because of nitrogen atom being present at the 5 position instead of 4.

Abstract showing advantages, possibly because of structural difference.

Example of Thienodiazepine Structure (Etizolam) - Note Thiophene ring replacing benzene ring attached to diazepine ring, left

Wasn't asked for but thought I'd share the difference. As to the purpose of the thread, I don't really see it unless you're asking whether or not we think you should ask your doctor for some. We don't really answer that.

 

[boomhs]

Zolpidem is a "Z-drug" (an Imidazopyridine to be precise) not a benzodiazepine. They are similar in the respect that their effects are primarily due to their GABAminergic effects. The difference can easily be seen in molecular structure. The name of the drug class "benzodiazepine" arises from the fact that they include a benzene ring attached to a diazepine ring

Another difference is the non-existent or far less pronounced disturbance on sleep architecture. They're much more selective towards GABA-A receptors with certain subunit structure, explaining the major differences in side-effects. They also tend to hold efficacy (if they ever worked for you, cause I've taken 100+mg of zolpidem in benzo detox to no avail) in treatment of insomnia for a much longer period of time than benzodiazepines.

NSFW:

Example of Z-Drug Structure (Zolpidem)

Benzodiazepine Core Structure with 'R' denoting common locations of side chains

[video]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Benzodiazepine_a.svg[/video]

Example of Triazolo Benzodiazepine Structure (Alprazolam) - Note triazole ring, top right

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Lorazepam) - Note hydroxyl group center right (same classical benzodiazepine class, but sure this is what affects it's half-life/duration of action)

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Diazepam)

Example of Benzodiazepine Structure (Clobazam) - Added because of nitrogen atom being present at the 5 position instead of 4.

Abstract showing advantages, possibly because of structural difference.

Example of Thienodiazepine Structure (Etizolam) - Note Thiophene ring replacing benzene ring attached to diazepine ring, left

Wasn't asked for but thought I'd share the difference. As to the purpose of the thread, I don't really see it unless you're asking whether or not we think you should ask your doctor for some. We don't really answer that.

Thx for the input. Ok i'll show my real concerns that lead to this thread: I suffer from anxiety / depression, taking diazepam 10mg 2/3xday and anafranil 75mg 2x a day (HIGH DOSAGE but without it i get wrecked by depression and get hospitalized and on anafranil IV). This has been the same for years (i'm 25yo male, 70kg).
I'm afraid of trying changes since my doc decided to put me on both efexor 150mg and anafranil 150mg (i was severely depressed) and i had an epileptic attack (with temporary back muscle damage), had to cut it all and ended up on the hospital again.

Now the fact is the years go by, i'm getting old and reading this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-acute-withdrawal_syndrome scares me: "Post-acute withdrawal syndrome as a result of GABA-agonist (benzodiazepine, barbiturate, ethanol) dependence and opioid dependence can last from a year to several decades, or indefinitely, with the symptoms entering into periods of relative remission between periods of instability"

I feel i'm running out of time to ever make a comeback into a decent healthy life. My doc is like my dealer, i get in there get the prescriptions and pop out. Yet i fear change. I don't wanna get high, Ambien just made me feel more normal and i socialized and was happy for a while. This is a fking hell, i just want to be normal without drowning in shit that i'll never quit or pay a huge price to do so...

 

[Jktm]

I don't know what to tell you, man. I feel for you as I have a similar situation.

I posted this earlier tonight in BDD for someone talking about wanting to try out benzodiazepines for anxiety, but they sound more like the type that wants to get high off them.

lol.

Good luck keeping benzodiazepine use to an "every other day" type of thing. And just to give you an idea of how bad benzodiazepine dependence is. I'm 3 months off of 6mg of alprazolam (2mg SL q4h TID) and 4mg of estazolam (4mg SL Q-HS; double the normal max dose). I'm still fucked up from it. I can barely leave the house. Going into stores are out of the question. I have constant migraines. I can't focus. I can't sleep. When I can feel what little emotion I can, it's usually not good. I get severely suicidal (the only reason I haven't attempted since March is because I've been inpatient 11 times for suicidality and it sucks ass). My chronic pain is exponentially worse. I'm irritable as fuck. I have back to back panic attacks. My GI issues are way worse. And this is 10 weeks out of acute withdrawals.

I drank 8 fl. oz. of antifreeze towards the end of March, spent 3 days blacked out/intubated in the ICU after going into renal failure within an hour of ingestion, spent another 5 days in Intermediate Care getting 48mg of IV Morphine (4mg every two hours, and that's with impaired renal funtion) daily to keep me comfortable cause they didn't know what was going to happen, and then got to spend some nice time at the good ol' headshed. I attribute what set me off, in large part to being ripped off of benzodiazepines with a joke of a taper (an equiv of 90mg of diazepam to 15mg for three days to nothing at all).

Don't get me wrong. Benzodiazepines are a god send if you really, really, really need them, but they will sink their claws into you deeper than you can imagine. Even if you're one of the cases where benzo's are you're only hope they can really fuck you over. Just be sure you really need them before you get on them. Doctors put me on them and at such high doses because I can't sit through a quiet class or walk through Wal-Mart or go out to eat or even eat at the kitchen table with my family. I also skip Slow-Wave-Sleep, so I'm a rare case where they're actually beneficially to my sleep cycle. I also have severe, chronic pain (that's the only way doctors dose so high with benzo's these days).

I'm not trying to preach to you, but just give you a picture of what could happen.

edit: and I'm not sure now bad your panic attacks get, but unless you hyperventilate to the point of your extremities going numb, your face going numb, and the muscles in these body parts starting to contract to the point of not being able to function and you looking like you have bells palsy with half your mouth going down your face and you barely able to talk, you don't need benzo's.

^^Fun shit when you're driving to the ER at 90 MPH in a big body while this stuff is happening lol.

GABAminergics can be miracle drugs if used properly, but dependence is a definite and is the hardest thing I've ever gone though (and I've been drug by a car over 50 bucks worth of weed someone didn't wanna pay for - that fucked me up for life and I haven't recovered in the least, but benzo dependence has been worse still lol).

 

[sekio]

Od --> bdd

 

[RDP89]

Took zolpidem three or four times(intransally) and i don't remember shit except it was a good ass time and dont try to do anything tha requires logic on it.

 

[mcwally]

For me at least ambien was the best benzo high because it wasn't about relaxation (for those situations i'd use Diazepam or Alprazolam), it gave a slight euphoria, slight pleasant visuals like "increased brightness". It managed to make me able to go out at night and socialize again...

exactly my experience only benzo that comes close is etizolam but it has much less oomph. Totally agree about the euphoric side benzos only relax/take away anxiety but there is something more with zolpidem, (and I don't get the iwerd side effects/hallucinations/psychedelic reported stuff)

 

[KittyCatastrophy]

So I am a healthy female and I've been taking zolpidem on and off for sleep for a couple years. AT first it made me black out and/or put me in a trance if I stayed up. Now it just makes me happier, function actually better and feel a little bit better. I remember everything and get no hillucinations or anything like that even if I take 40 mg or more.