My First Ambien
Comments
-
Blue cowgirl is right. Ambien CR (controlled release) helps me stay asleep. Will be taking mine in about an hour!
-
Yep, I do combine benedryl and Ambien generic, 6.25. I have done this ever since Medco switched me from the real stuff to the "zolpidem tartrate" which is not like the real stuff. I don't think it is a good idea to do this, I am not recommending it. The benedryl bottle even warns not to combine benedryl with any sleep medications. And tonight I have had 3 glasses of wine to boot. Will I end up like Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger or Marilyn Monroe? Stay tuned in
Meanwhile, I love this thread, it captivates me. Know why? Have figured out that we have so many se's that are hard to control, but this one, sleeplessness, is no match for the great little pill. Nov. 20th marks my 9th anniversary on it.
In the meantime: Hairballs. I have one nice oriental rug, not only do the hairballs all get expelled on it, but usually on the fringe. There are endless yards of easy to clean wood floors all around the rug. But the Ambien dulls the pain of this particular domestic difficulty..
-
-
Weesa...Seriously? The Zolpidem Tartrate isn't the real stuff? Cuz that's what I am taking. It gets better than this? Oh boy. I can't wait to go to CVS for a refill. Hopefully my new MO can make it so I cannot get the generic substitution. HA!
-
I am sure that after 9 years, you have developed a wee bit of a "tolerance"...Hopefully the Walrus won't pour a 4th glass for you though, that might be a little much. Glad to hear it helps with tolerating the hairballs too...perhaps doctors should be prescribing it off-label for that? I will ask Dr. Bruno Fang, my new MO, about it Tuesday. I'm sure he'd love to give me his thoughts on the matter.
-
The generic is a whole lot cheaper. Like many generics that have recently come out, it isn't quite the same as the real magilla. The original Ambien CR 12.5 mg is blue and has a complicated coating with several layers so it dissolves slowly and keeps you asleep. The real Ambien CR 6.25mg is rose colored and has several layers. Discovered this once when I cut them in half. The generic 6.25 ER ( ER I guess for "extended release)" is supposed to be like the CR but doesn't seem to have a coating of any kind that I can detect.When I cut it in half I don't see layers. Therefore it doesn't work as well. The Zolpidem Tartrate part I guess is identical, it is just the manufacturing of it.
Since what you are using works well for you I wouldn't change to one of the bigger guns until you need to. You will build up a tolerance for it over the years.Before the generic came out, I used 12.5 Ambien CR for years. My vet thought I had been taking the big gun for too long so I gradually decreased to the Ambien CR 6.25, but it was a long hard struggle. Taking the Benedryl definitely eased that transition, anad now the Benedryl is necessary because the generic 6.25ER is so crappy.
Before I did this I used to take the white oval guys, the Ambien 10 mg and then the Ambien 5 mg.
It was when I built up a tolerance to them that I started the CR pills.
-
Check out these cool accessories - one for me and one for the walrus...and OMG...they're so...PINK:
-
So...If you can't remember if you already took an Ambien or not, should you just go ahead and take another one? I think it's safe because they are only the 5mg and the only other meds I've taken today are hydrochlorothiazide, metoprolol, chantix, clonazepam, alprazolam, gabapentin, citalopram, ibuprofen, and oxycodone. And I only had one glass of wine with dinner.
-
Blue cowgirl - first of all, love those pens. Second - my ambien are 10mg. Now, I am not a Dr. or Pharm., but I would think you are fine. You could always call a 24 hour walgreens, if they have a Pharm. this late. I find Pharmacists very helpful with this sort of thing.
I can't find my ambien!!!!! Looking for it right now.
edited to add: still trying to get my sister to get on here. She told me to send her the link again,but referred to y'all as my british columbian friends. Apparently, she thought bc friends were canadian! Love it. I bet some of you are!
-
My Ambien experience was odd too, but in a different way. I have been an insomniac my entire life. I was talking to a friend from the US who said I should get a prescription for Ambien. Went to my GP and he gave me the Canadian version of it.
I read the instructions carefully and it said "caution. Take immediately before bed." I thought . . holy, this is going to knock me out before my head hits the pillow. I took the pill and immediately realized I forgot to brush my teeth. Decisions. Decisions. Do I risk getting out of bed and possibily falling asleep on my way to the bathroom, or do I forego brushing my teeth?? I decided to take a big risk and went to brush my teeth.
Great. I hadn't fallen asleep mid brush and was now back in bed safe and sound. 11 PM wide awake. 1 PM still wide awake. 4 PM . .. convinced I will never sleep again, 7 AM . . . no use lying around in bed because I'm never going to fall asleep. Worried all day that I'd crash and burn midway through the day. Nope, I was wide awake all day. 11 PM, back into bed. 1 PM still wide awake. 4 PM, convinced I will never sleep again. 7 AM . . . zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz.
So Ambien kept me wide awake. My friend convinced me to give it another try, And sure enough, an exact carbon copy of the first time. I tossed the pills. I was told sometimes people get a completely opposite reaction to medication. Gee thanks. So I'm still an insomniac but it's a nice quiet time to catch up on emails etc.
-
LOL Aprilgirl, so when you got breast cancer you turned Canadian, eh? I think any rational pharmacist would be HORRIFIED to hear my drug cocktail and refer me to rehab.
Mantra, I'm sorry Ambien doesn't work for you. And you may notice, I am still not asleep (at least I don't think so) but I feel very, very nice...so apparently, I did take it. It doesn't make me narcoleptic or anything - I could probably stay up all night if I wanted to - but I know when I turn off the computer, and put head to pillow, I will be out like a light. Love it.
-
Hi Blue Cowgirl.
I was taking Ambien & Xanax for the first few months, at night. It was soooo nice.
I never cut off my hair or lost my underwear or changed the oil on the car. But one night I did wake up because I heard the loudest train whistle. Sounded like the train was going to crash through the house. There are no train tracks around here! So I guess I had some sort of auditory hallucination.
Good luck with sleeping!
I'm off the Ambien & Xanax. And not sleeping again. Oh well
-
Blue - just wanted you to know that I was perusing the red carpet photo slideshow from the American Music Awards a minute ago and, lo and behold, the one and only Chaka Khan! I immediately thought of this thread!
-
my generic ambien 12.5 CR is round blue coated...the generic 10mg is oblong, thin and beige
-
Last night the walrus kindly suggested I eat two bowls of bran flakes. As a general rule, I don't even eat bran flakes. There's a reason for that.
-
No problems with Ambien. Love the stuff. It's the only way I ever get to sleep through the night. I did ask my husband to hide the car keys before I took it for the first time . . .
-
-
Nice, SpecialK. Just when that song had FINALLY stopped going through my head, LOL.
Funny, when I first started bastardizing the Walrus cartoons, I thought, where can I put them so I can post them here, as I don't have a website? Facebook, naturally. Of course, genius that I am, it didn't occur to me right away that I could hide them away in an album, so I put the Chaka Khan one up as my status photo. The first question someone asked was "What kind of drugs do those doctors have you on?!" Duh. As if you can't tell from the WALRUS. Freakin amateurs.
-
Blue, I'm fresh out of Ambien insights tonight, but thanks for the invite.
Once I commented to you on the similarity of our diagnoses. Somewhere on another thread I read that you had a combination of IDC and lobular. Funny, I did too. I never thought to mention it in my diagnosis line because it was minor compared to my ductal. After trying twice for clean margins to get rid of the IDC and failing, I had a mastectomy and somewhere down in the pathologist's tray he found a mess of lobular nobody had expected in my ex-boob. Since the horse was already out of the barn, I never think very often of my mixed diagnosis.
Everybody needs to have a person that can be your I-am- probably-still-okay-if-you are still-okay-person and I am volunteeering to be your still-okay-predecessor person. I haven't been the most conscientious I could have been, about -how- to- avoid -a -recurrence protocol,something which should be extra reassuring for anyone wanting me as their ace in the hole.
That's an impressive list of prescriptions you are taking, Blue. Would you care to expound on any of them?
-
Well, I think there may be something to that karma thing. If you had told me 20 years ago that I could have pretty much free access to narcotics I would have said pinch me, I'm dreaming. Now I *dread* taking an Oxycodone, they are nasty. Xanax is freaking awesome. My favorite ever, my special treat. I like Soma too, very relaxing, and I HATE muscle spasms. I thought I could go off Neurontin, and since it doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy, I told my doctor let's cut back. Bad call on my part...apparently it really does help for nerve pain, whod'a thunk it?
My new onc, Dr. Bruno Fang, seems pretty liberal w the meds. I should probably stop writing his name in here, in case he googles himself, sees this, and quits giving me drugs. But I *love* to say Bruno Fang. I mean, doesn't he sound like the actor who would play the villian in a Vin Diesel movie? Or James Bond..."The name's Fang. Bruno Fang." There are endless possibilities.
And yes, pretty please will you be my I-am-probably-still-okay-if-you-are-still-okay-predecessor-person? Because I like you, I really like you! Hell, we could probably spend days talking about drugs alone!
-
Weesa - will you be my I-am-probably-still-okay-if-you-are-still-okay-predecessor too, because you have 3 years on me and Blue Cowgirl you and I have more in common than you will ever know- Soma is awesome -Xanax however gives me a headache - My d o c has to be Hydrocodone 7.5 - and of course my beloved Cymbalta - Neurontin made feel semi- mentally retarded and it didn't take much to do that. I too thought the smorgasboard of narcotics would be a good thing - until I remember why I have to take them - sigh.........,
-
How are all my favorite drug addicts tonight? Last night I made rice krispy treats after my ambien, this morning there are rice krispies all over the kitchen floor. (my son tolded me he needed them at 10:30 last night). I am still hording pain meds from my year of surgeries. I am going to look up Dr. Fang when I run out. Why would you name your kid Bruno Fang?
-
Christine,
Your whole post made me laugh so hard...I really needed that right now. I am about to decide on my pharmaceutical cocktail for the evening and I think I'm going big. Note to self: do not listen to Eva Cassidy singing Fields of Gold and then read her bio when you are already sad. It's a really bad idea.
Re: your last question - I know, right? But now I am getting scared that when he does google himself and his name is all over this thread he'll be on to me. So from now on, we must refer to him as he who shall not be named.
I think the Walrus wants some rice krispie treats too...he doesn't mind if you use the ones off the floor.
-
Just came back from CVS with my Ambien refilled and a box of bran flakes...
-
Shelley, nice work. "Be prepared", although commonly known as the Boy Scout's motto, is also the drug user's motto. That and "Only users lose drugs", which kept going through my head as I spent like an hour looking for my Chantix refill tonight.
-
Note to self - do not take 1.5 Lorazepam the evening before you ride your horse!!!
Seriously! My responses were so darn slow today that I ended up having a horrible ride because it didn't help that my horse was being so darn stubborn to begin with!
Typically I will take ambien or lorazepam to sleep along with 10/325 Lortab but the lorazepam puts me out that I can't get up in the morning and I ended up sleeping until 10:30 am.
Its pretty bad when you go see a doctor and they ask you what medication you are on and your response is "what am I NOT on at the moment?"
I am saving my Ritalin for the days in which I need to bust it around the house and get a ton of things done.
-
As long as we don't end up with an IV drip of propofol we should be ok.
-
Jancie, funny, I was prescribed Lorazepam a while back, and it didn't seem to effect me at all. And valium just makes me more anxious. Xanax is definitely my most favorite benzodiazepine in the whole wide world...But I wouldn't want to take them before riding, for sure. Drugs and horses don't really mix for me...Now, a shot (or three) of some whisky from a flask early on a cool fall morning while foxhunting is another matter entirely...
-
Shelley, speaking of hardcore IV stuff, has anyone else here said really inappropriate things when coming out of anasthesia?
When I had my Mx, the anasthesiologist was one of the handsomest men I've ever seen. He was also very nice - came to visit and chat a few times the next day in my hospital room.
It was weeks later that I learned from my friend who was with me in recovery that the first thing I said when I woke up was "I need an ashtray". The second thing was "I need that hot anasthesiologist back here." I apparently expounded on this for about an hour - including discussing the fact that there was room on my gurney for both of us and some other dirty things involving said anasthesiologist that are not suitable for writing here...the nurses were apparently in hysterics. I have absolutely no recollection of ANY of this and was absolutely, utterly horrified when I learned what I had said.
-
Blue,
You are a VERY bad influence! :-)
*susan*
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team