Misc Quick Question Regarding Ambien

[TheSacredTree]

Just a quick question here, if i take Ambien while already in bed, am i likely to get up and sleepwalk throughout the night? Or is that more a side effect for the people who decide to stay awake on it for the euphoria?

It's getting to the point that i really need something for my insomnia but that's the one thing really scaring me away from even taking the stuff. Have had the prescription for an entire month now, unused because i'm pretty scared of this side effect.

As a vegetarian type 1 diabetic, the sleep eating thing is scaring me because i need to be counting my carbs carefully.

And as someone addicted to online ebay shopping, my credit card scares me even more.

I just need some reassurance here cause it's really quite scary for me.

The dose i'm supossed to take is 5mg but i'd split it in half for the first day to try it out.

 

[TheSacredTree]

Also, while looking up the side effects online, i saw quite a few that i'm supossed to report to a doctor if i experience. I always wondered though, how do you report your throat closing if it happens while you're asleep?

 

[Burnt Offerings]

I'm also a type 1 diabetic and zolpidem user (prescribed 10 mgs a night, I usually take half a tablet though). I haven't noticed any effect on blood sugar from the medication alone...it does make you hungry, though, just like benzodiazepines do (at least for me). I usually eat lots of peanut butter to counteract hunger, though...low in carbohydrates (with a large percentage of carbs being "good carbs", ie fiber) & plenty of healthy fat + protein to make you feel full. As someone with sugar issues, peanuts/almonds/walnuts/pistachios/etc are amazing for stymying hunger.

I've never sleep walked, either on or off zolpidem, so I'm not sure about that. Never been an issue for me. It's a pretty effective drug, though, and I enjoy it...haven't been taking it for a while because I've been getting a lot of good natural sleep, but it's nice to have.

 

[Kittycat5]

Although it gets a lot of bad press reports, sleepwalking, eating, driving etc is quite rare. It occurs in less than 1/1000 patients and only is "common" in those taking zolpidem for extended periods of time, taking above the maximum dose or combining with alcohol or other drugs.

The swelling if the throat from angioedema is also exceedingly rare. If you plan on taking zolpidem infrequently, I would not worry.

 

[TheSacredTree]

I'm also a type 1 diabetic and zolpidem user (prescribed 10 mgs a night, I usually take half a tablet though). I haven't noticed any effect on blood sugar from the medication alone...it does make you hungry, though, just like benzodiazepines do (at least for me). I usually eat lots of peanut butter to counteract hunger, though...low in carbohydrates (with a large percentage of carbs being "good carbs", ie fiber) & plenty of healthy fat + protein to make you feel full. As someone with sugar issues, peanuts/almonds/walnuts/pistachios/etc are amazing for stymying hunger.


I've never sleep walked, either on or off zolpidem, so I'm not sure about that. Never been an issue for me. It's a pretty effective drug, though, and I enjoy it...haven't been taking it for a while because I've been getting a lot of good natural sleep, but it's nice to have.

Although it gets a lot of bad press reports, sleepwalking, eating, driving etc is quite rare. It occurs in less than 1/1000 patients and only is "common" in those taking zolpidem for extended periods of time, taking above the maximum dose or combining with alcohol or other drugs.


The swelling if the throat from angioedema is also exceedingly rare. If you plan on taking zolpidem infrequently, I would not worry.

Thanks for the super fast responses guys!
Those really do make me feel quite a bit better about it since i'm supossed to start tonight.

Burnt Offerings, good to know someone else with diabetes has tried it and can pitch in here (not good that either of us have diabetes though, that's for sure). You say it does make you hungry though? By this do you mean before making it to bed, if you try staying awake, or when you finally wake up? And yes, benzos make me quite hungry too although surprisingly Remeron made me not want to eat so i'm not sure which way the Ambien is going to swing towards. Good to know about the peanutbutter though! My endo keeps saying to eat more almonds but i hate almonds unless they're covered in chocolate which would defeat the purpose so i always refuse. I'll remember the peanut thing though for sure.

I've never sleep walked either yet but i really don't want to start.

Kittycat5, nice mix of people here. Judging by your location tag, i'm guessing you're probably a pharmacist? Now that you put it that way though, i do feel quite a bit safer knowing only 1/1000 people report those side effects. I thought it was more like 1/10 based on all the "ambien experience" threads i see on misc forums around the web. People sleep driving and killing people, sleep eating and having food surrounding them when they wake up, and one person who reported stealing a neighbors skittles and eating them while asleep and then proceeding to buy a bunch of life size Hobbit cutouts on ebay.

The last part is a bit scary though as i am also prescribed Klonopin during the day but it's been over a week since last taking that so i should be okay there.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

How it usually works for me is, about an hour or so before I want to be asleep, I'll take 5-10 mgs of zolpidem. I'll usually stay awake for 30 minutes to an hour after taking the tablet, until I can really "feel it". If I get hungry during this time period I'll eat a small snack. An hour to an hour-and-a-half after taking the drug is usually when I pass out.

My insomnia is mainly anxiety-driven so zolpidem's GABA-A receptor action really nips that in the bud and I can get to sleep easily.

I have forced myself to stay awake on it before and it's a really strange experience, especially if you're not used to zolpidem. I've never had any huge lapses in reason while on it, though...no blackouts or bizarre behavior or anything like that.

 

[Kittycat5]

I am indeed a pharmacist. Those numbers for sleepwalking come from clinical trial data. Some post marketing studies have the number at maybe 1/300 to 1/100 but certainly not 1/10. The angiodema throat swelling though is still really rare. In 15 years of practice, have never heard of one of my patients develop it.

I also have personal experience via my wife who has been on zolpidem in both IR and the CR forms at all doses available for 10+ years. She occasionally wants to eat after ingesting the tablet but she is not fully awake nor asleep. And it usually is more of a " honey can you get me a snack" type of thing than her going to get something in her semi-conscious state herself. I know this is pure anecdote, but gives you an idea of what can happen.

 

[Kid Amine]

Just a quick question here, if i take Ambien while already in bed, am i likely to get up and sleepwalk throughout the night? Or is that more a side effect for the people who decide to stay awake on it for the euphoria?

If you take it in bed and on a light/empty stomach, chances are it'll work as advertized. Trying to stay up on it, or overpowering its sleep inducing affects, or taking too much will pretty much guarantee amnesia in me every time. sleepwalking is rare, amnesia is common

 

[EnlightenedOne1]

Also, while looking up the side effects online, i saw quite a few that i'm supossed to report to a doctor if i experience. I always wondered though, how do you report your throat closing if it happens while you're asleep?

Bold= Your first mistake!

All drugs and their effects are subjective, so you may not have any issues. One thing I want to warn you about that is dependency. I took ambien daily (12.5-25mgs of the CR) for a 2 year period, and it stopped working after a month. I tapered off and haven't taken any in 5 months.

 

[TheSacredTree]

Well, i decided to take just 1 mg last night to see how it would go. Kinda weird actually. I didn't think it would do anything at all other than tell me if i was allergic but it did. Took 1/5 of the pill at 1:06 AM and immediately got in bed after turning off my lights. In about 15 minutes i felt something weird in my throat that felt like it was harder to swallow but easier to breath and my mouth was getting really dry. At about 1:30 i went to get some water and got back in bed and my throat was better. It made me kinda paranoid though so i then decided to look this up on my phone while in bed but it was like i was reading in slow motion and then i got kinda sidetracked and went on Erowid instead. Then at 2 i got up again because now i had to use the bathroom from all the water but i think i stared at a painting for like 5 minutes hoping something would happen even though it didn't. I then got back in bed but was really hyper at this point so i couldn't sleep untill 3 am. When i did fall asleep though, i dreamed about being at the mall taking a bunch more Ambien. Woke up 12 hours later thinking i slept for 3 days and imagining i'd been taking it nightly for three days.

I'm pretty sure all of this was placebo because 1 mg should not have been doing this but i also felt more like i was on Ritalin than any sleeping pills (although i also don't normally fall asleep till 5 am anyways so that might've been the problem too). And the throat thing was probably more anxiety than anything. And i did not redose despite the very real feeling dream because i just counted my pills and there's still 29.5 left in the bottle.

Very odd though. At least i didn't get hungry that i know of.

I'll try 2.5 mg tonight and hope it doesn't make the throat thing worse. If it does, what should i do about it? Benadryl would probably oversedate me as would klonopin but those are the two things i normally go for as a cure to this issue during the day for panic attacks and allergies.

 

[TheSacredTree]

Bold= Your first mistake!

Yes, it most definitely was. I always seem to do that before starting a medication and it scares me every single time.

 

[Chemical Obsession]

5mg is not going to make you sleep walk.

 

[TheSacredTree]

Anyone have an answer to this one though?

"I'll try 2.5 mg tonight and hope it doesn't make the throat thing worse. If it does, what should i do about it? Benadryl would probably oversedate me as would klonopin but those are the two things i normally go for as a cure to this issue during the day for panic attacks and allergies."

 

[TheSacredTree]

I haven't slept in like 33 hours because i'm still waiting for the answer to that last one.

 

[crunkazcanbe]

I haven't slept in like 33 hours because i'm still waiting for the answer to that last one.

The throat issue could just be anxiety or it could be a very rare side affect . I doubt anyone else would have this issue so know one is going to tell you to take more or to not take it . It is up to you . Me personally have taken up to 15mg of Ambien ,and got nothing but being tired . It does nothing for me ,but each is to there own .

 

[TheSacredTree]

The throat issue could just be anxiety or it could be a very rare side affect . I doubt anyone else would have this issue so know one is going to tell you to take more or to not take it . It is up to you . Me personally have taken up to 15mg of Ambien ,and got nothing but being tired . It does nothing for me ,but each is to there own .

But i'm asking what would help it and not kill me in the process if it does get worse. Benadryl, klonopin, etc. supossedly they can cause oversedation but i'm not sure if that would be overly dangerous.

 

[crunkazcanbe]

But i'm asking what would help it and not kill me in the process if it does get worse. Benadryl, klonopin, etc. supossedly they can cause oversedation but i'm not sure if that would be overly dangerous.

Well ill say this being as the way you said it that it feels like something is in your throat, and easier to breath . Opiates give me a feeling of something in my throat to , but it is a non harmful side effect . What are you asking ? Are you asking if you can take klonopin or Benadryl with Ambien ? Or are you asking if you can take those for your throat problem in which case neither of those will fix that issue ,and I know of nothin which would help . Klonopin or benadryl would make you more sleepy mixed with Ambien . I also don't think it is safe to mix a benzo with Ambien unless you are told you can by your doctor .

 

[TheSacredTree]

Well ill say this being as the way you said it that it feels like something is in your throat, and easier to breath . Opiates give me a feeling of something in my throat to , but it is a non harmful side effect . What are you asking ? Are you asking if you can take klonopin or Benadryl with Ambien ? Or are you asking if you can take those for your throat problem in which case neither of those will fix that issue ,and I know of nothin which would help . Klonopin or benadryl would make you more sleepy mixed with Ambien . I also don't think it is safe to mix a benzo with Ambien unless you are told you can by your doctor .

Okay, that was the answer i was looking for. Thank you

 

[Jadekins]

So I'm Type 2 diabetic, insulin-dependent, and also on Ambien for sleep issues.

5mg has never really made me sleep-eat, although it does make me super hungry. I keep some low-carb snacks around, in very obvious places, to counteract that hungry.

What it does make me do, when I'm searching for that snack, is do some really silly things. Like taking the last thing from a package and leaving the package. Or screwing the wrong top on a jar of olives, after eating the last olive. I've also accidentally eaten my roommate's snacks. I vaguely remember doing these things, but it feels very...dream-like. I do remember checking nutrition facts for carbs before diving in, though. These things usually happen in the morning, within an hour or so of waking up. I've taken to explaining it to roommates as the Ambien Haze.

I also have felt the funny throat-feeling, easier to breathe but harder to swallow, usually when I'm going for recreational use and actively fighting the sedative effects. It goes away after a bit, after I ease into the high, but it can be a little frightening at first. I think it may be an anxiety-related thing, but I'm not 100% sure on that - I just know it only happens when I'm trying to fight the sleep.

 

[TheSacredTree]

So I'm Type 2 diabetic, insulin-dependent, and also on Ambien for sleep issues.

5mg has never really made me sleep-eat, although it does make me super hungry. I keep some low-carb snacks around, in very obvious places, to counteract that hungry.

Technically that's what they're thinking i might be too. A Type 2 insulin dependant. But nobody truly knows for sure at this point. I was a type 2 for a whole year before even getting told to see an endo and then i got recommended to the best team of them in the area. Not even they can tell what i really am though. My pancreas is showing to be shot on their blood tests but supossedly i'm also still producing insulin over the nights (like, total reset level insulin that can bring my BS from 400 in the night to 70 in the morning) but none at all throughout the day. And metformin doesn't work on me at all even though that's what i was taking for years. Kinda weird really but i'm going a bit off topic here.

What it does make me do, when I'm searching for that snack, is do some really silly things. Like taking the last thing from a package and leaving the package. Or screwing the wrong top on a jar of olives, after eating the last olive. I've also accidentally eaten my roommate's snacks. I vaguely remember doing these things, but it feels very...dream-like. I do remember checking nutrition facts for carbs before diving in, though. These things usually happen in the morning, within an hour or so of waking up. I've taken to explaining it to roommates as the Ambien Haze.

lol. So it makes you do on accident what my family does all the time out of carelessness.

I also have felt the funny throat-feeling, easier to breathe but harder to swallow, usually when I'm going for recreational use and actively fighting the sedative effects. It goes away after a bit, after I ease into the high, but it can be a little frightening at first. I think it may be an anxiety-related thing, but I'm not 100% sure on that - I just know it only happens when I'm trying to fight the sleep.

Thank you for the first hand experience response on this one. That's indeed exactly how it felt the first night. And come to think of it, your explanation makes perfect sense too. It did happen, that i know, but it was probably greatly increased by my reaction to it. Because i did read the list of side effects before taking the pill, i knew there was a chance of my throat swelling so when it happenned, i kinda freaked out, went back to the list of side effects on my phone, read about it some more, and then tried to stay awake to make sure it wasn't getting worse. Probably everything possible i could have done to make it really get worse.

I tried it again last night however and i took a lot of deep breaths and tried falling asleep as fast as possible and i couldn't even tell if it happened again. Still at just 1mg as a second test though so i still can't be 100% positive whether i'm allergic or not.