I've done some strange stuff when on ambien. I still take it but go straight to bed with my bottle of water!

It is known that some substances act on the same part of the brain that alcohol did and can trigger the phenomenon of craving. If that should happen, it is no longer a matter of choice. Apparently quite a few long time sober alcoholics are turning up in rehab again having had this experience. They took the prescribed medication, it triggered the craving and they drank.

I don't know if dope falls into that category, but smoking weed, just a puff, led to my last extended relapse after 3-4 months dry. As I remember it changed the way I felt in that I immediately felt a drink would be ok, and a few seconds later it was all over. Drinking was not the plan. Some addicts I knew thought they would help me stay sober and have a good time by giving me the dope. They did not want me to drink anymore than I did. They knew what I was like.

I appreciate your post Leana. I have heard many others share the same kinds of experience. Whenever my doctor or dentist proposes any medication, we always have a good talk about it first.

Thanks sassy and Gottalife. My sleep has been pretty troubled this past week. I think my body is still adjusting to not having the Ambien, but I'm glad I'm off of it.

Marijuana also contributed to my relapse. I started vaping in January for Rheumatoid Arthritis pain and I think it changed my mindset about sobriety. I didn't feel sober anymore, so I figured I might as well drink. It contributed in a less direct way than Ambien, but it did contribute. I need to focus on the internal reasons for my relapse and be completely honest and accountable.

I have no experience with ambien but pot was definitely a gateway drug for me.
It made really bad ideas seem awesome.
When I was high I wanted to be drunk as well, and vice versa -

D

No intention of giving medical advice, but there are forms of cannabis that have been stripped of thc for medical use. The oil is a powerful pain reliever. But I have heard anecdotally that it causes "sleepiness" right after taking it so I caution its use in sober alcoholics. Cannabis does have a place in pain relief. I have seen it work when nothing else does, but I think that has to be weighed with the same gravity a former addict would use when considering narcotics for pain.

There is no drug that I've ever heard of that triggers the allergy, besides alcohol.

Two psychiatrists that practice in the field of alcoholism told me that, so I take their word for it.

Sorry to hear about your relapse. After I woke up one morning questioning why my car had almost 10k in damage I swore I would never touch the garbage again but the fact of the matter is that Ambien is contraindicated in those with substance abuse.


Any controlled substance is technically contraindicated in those with a hx of substance abuse but Ambien is even more so due to it's hypnotic effects. Ambien and alcohol are both GABA agonists and the threshold effects between the two are indistinguishable. If you can't be trusted to get a buzz from a few drinks and keep it there you can't be trusted the feel the indistinguishable buzz from Ambien and leave it alone.


No point in crying over spilled milk but if your Physician knows of your history and prescribed you Ambien without at a minimum informing you of the significant risks I would seek out a new doctor.

Thanks rr. I have no intention of looking for a new doctor, but it is clear that I need to be the one to set boundaries in regards to addictive medications.

Thanks for the great explanation on how Ambien affects the brain in a similar way to alcohol. It's definitely dangerous for me but I know others can take it safely. I take Vyvanse (amphetamine) for ADHD and I've never had a problem because stimulants aren't my thing. I take it as prescribed, period and all it does is allow me to focus. The folks in my rehab know about it, and they are fine with it.

I would be cautious of taking any sedatives (benzos, z-drugs like ambien) if one has a history of alcohol addiction. They are all cross addictive and cross tolerance develops, so I think the physical addiction can get triggered very easily. I would say just be very mindful that there is a risk, and make sure that any doctor you are working with knows that you have addiction issues, particularly with alcohol.

I think there is a more general issue with any psychoactive drugs. One may be able to take a substance that is not a DOC and has no physical link to addiction, yet just being in that "party space" could be very dangerous. That's a decision you have to make for yourself, I guess.

I was taking Ambien for several years, as directed, but found that it affected my memory at my work where I would have to be on my game remembering rules and policies in managing my casework. After I stopped using it, my memory improved. Don't get me wrong, I loved being able to get a good night's sleep but the side effects of Ambien are becoming well documented. Glad I'm off the stuff.

It's not a guaranteed thing by any means, MOST people that have the motivation to last xyz days will fall into the temptation of sleeping and all will be well.

Regardless, there is a considerable risk for reasons described above. At this point the only thing that matters is your sobriety. Just gotta keep on keepin' on.

Yeah, I was already using edibles to deal with my frequent withdrawal from alcohol after my weekly benders, so I naturally just kept using it last time. I spent thousands on 8 weeks of outpatient rehab, using Mary Jane the whole time then the second I left iop I drank. This was in 2016.

It was like a frustrating high after I quit. Like I was high but it was the "wrong high.". Only alcohol would deliver the right one, so without doing any of the hard work of sobriety despite spending all that money, I drank again.

this time I vowed not to spend a dime, and I would do it with reality: no helpers, no drugs, just a strong and fierce desire to quit and be done forever.

Hadn't thought of that. Daily use of Lunesta was probably contributing to my memory issues.

A year later my memory is much better. Well, that and no alcohol!

Mindful hit the nail on the head..

I think it was back in 06, or 07, i was addicted to oxy, klonopin, ambien and booze all at the same time.

I remember being able to go back and forth between the 4 quite comfortably because they all felt very similar to me. Ever try to stay up on Ambien? It feels very much like a benzo.

Getting out of the hospital, i took effexor for about 6 months. It curbed the ptsd and allowed my thoughts to slow down but i remember thinking "this is nothing like the others" it didn't have anywhere near the same effect. Tranqs are immediate...the effexor took weeks to work well.

In the end i stopped taking it because it gave me some less than desirable side effects but it got me to see the differences in the classes of drugs.

In the end...nothing worked particularly well for me. I decided at the advise of my doctor to go the therapy route and i go to AA a lot now.

However, I'm a big advocate in listening to your doctors. If my GP and psych tell me that I need to take something, i don't argue anymore.

I need to remember, they went to med school. I went to the University of I don't know jack s#it.

I think Ambien gave me memory issues as well. I would bet that they will discover there is a connection with that class of drugs and dementia.

sassy - I know what you mean about the wrong kind of high. That's how I feel about weed as well so I need to avoid anything that gives me a high.

ambien is scary, I was rx'd it before and some nights I'd get out of bed and do things without realizing at all. It freaked my wife out and I flushed them away.

I have severe insomnia and was prescribed Ambien in my 8th year. Took it daily for seven years till it wore off, then moved to Trazadone which sometimes works, sometimes not.