Ambien....addictive?
 

I am on my 10th day of sobriety, but I am still having a terrible time falling asleep or even staying asleep if I do make it there, not to mention the bad dreams.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my doctor, whom I have been seeing for over 6 years and knows of everything that I have been going through with the drinking. I told him that I went through a detox program, and of course, he was very proud of me.
I also told him of my sleeping problems, so he gave me a script for Ambien. Since I did not know much about the drug when I got home I looked it up on the internet. There I found that it can be addictive and there were actually sites for treatment centers for people addicted to this drug.
Is this anything that I should be worried about?

Any input would be appreciated....Thanks!
PEACE

Congradulations on your 10 days, that is great ! I so cant give advice on medications.I will tell you as far as my own experience goes.I take sleep meds that are not addictive and saw a shrink who specialized in addiction medication. I would call my Doctor and ask if there was something that is not addicting. Bless,Trish

Yep....Ambien is a biggie for crystal meth users...I would look for something else.

Yes, Ambien can be addictive. It was my favorite DOC to mix with alcohol when I was practicing -- thank God I'm still alive!

I have used it in sobriety, but be careful -- it's very tempting to make it a long term habit.

The safer way I think would be a natural supplement. Try Sleepy Time tea or Melatonin. I take Melatonin pretty much every night. Doesn't make you drowsy or anything, but once you fall asleep -- you're asleep! Also, maybe try some relaxation techniques...

Good luck, sleeping will come easier in time!

If your doctor knows your history and still subscribed it follow his advice. I'm sure he didn't give you an unlimited supply and you may find just one night of relief is all you'll need it for. If uncertain, call the doctor back and ask.

Hi! Congrats on your sober time!! :vg

I have to agree with NoMo~~(me too :eek13: ambien n' beer was my combo)

I know it's hard at first to sleep, I am only 3 months into my Sobriety but I'm here to tell you it does get better, I still struggle some nights! Exercise does help, limit the coffee/caffine, protien diet helps me.

I'd talk to the Doc for sure!!

:sleeping: is a wonderful thing!! Good luck! Keep coming back! Lunachic

I would add to what was said above - exercise and good diet and *time*... all of these things will help. I always sleep better when I'm exercising regularly. I, too, would recommend trying something other than Ambien if the potential exists for it to become addictive. A note of caution on the melatonin - if you have depressive tendencies, I've read that melatonin can worsen it. I'm not a doctor, so I'd say to check out anything you choose to take very carefully.

good luck, and congratulations on 10 days!
--anne

My husband was addicted to Ambien. Maybe try some relaxation tapes, meditation before bed, reading or something herbal.


Take care! :)

A friend of mine got addicted to Ambien. Keep your Dr. posted. They may be safe to use for a very short time. Be very careful.

Hugs to you--

Wow, you've all really enlightened me today. I'm not well versed on the pharmaceutical implications of most prescribed drugs, and this one boggle me. You see those calming hopeful commercials and just trust it's a good option. Very interesting thanks!

Thanks everyone!
The last thing I need is to get addicted to one thing trying to come off of another!
I really appreciate the help!
I hope everyone is having a wonderfully CLEAN/SOBER day!
PEACE

I still get occasional periods of sleeplessness. It frustrating if I have work the next day. Once or twice I have stayed awake all night and decided not to work the next day. That's life. Sleeplessness is not restricted to alcoholics either. My wife sometimes has sleepless nights. Not everything that isn't ok needs instant fixing.

I try not to drink anything with caffiene in after 5pm. Even sugar or eating late can mess me up. In my early days I stopped reading the big book before bedtime because it started me thinking and turning things over in my mind.

Food additives, caffiene, sugar, poor diet, lack of exercise. All these things can contribute to a poor nights sleep (and poor thinking).

I have been taking Ambien for many years and am totally addicted to it now. I can't sleep if I don't take it. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. It is best to take it and get right to bed, no lingering in the kitchen. It really works!

As long as you don't abuse it, it's probably ok. That was a big problem for me though, I abused it. Took it in the daytime to get high. If you are able to take it as prescribed I wouldn't worry about it.

ignas762...Welcome ...:wavey:

Please check with your doctor about how to come off Ambien .
Is that why you decided to join our recovery community?

I would follow your docs advice. If you told him/her your past and were honest, then why would you not follow her advice? Why even go see the DR. I understand where people are coming from being leery of taking addictive meds but lets remember... you came here to fight a drinking problem, not Ambien. The goal here is to get you into recovery. It might be hard to do that with several sleepless nights in a row. My advice is to follow your doctor's advice and continue being honest with him / her. If you find that you are abusing it (and we all know the difference if we're honest) then it should serve as a warning sign that you should not take it.

Just my two cents...

Best of luck and congrats on the 10 days!!!

Welcome to SR ignas :)
You'll find a lot of support and encouragement here

D

I always loved the 'wipe out' feeling. Just the ability to be 'gone'. even in pregnancy (not this one) I would take benadryl at night to sleep. When looking back I didn't need sleep help, I needed to learn how to relax.

Now, sleep meds have their place. Maybe in your life even. Just thought I'd mention why I find them alluring (and therefore why I don't take them!).

Ambien (zolpidem) is a benzodiazepine analog (z-drug), it works on the same GABA neurotransmitters as benzos. It is well know to be highly addictive as it is also well know to cause major rebound insomnia when stopped.

Not worth it in my opinion, you won't die from not sleeping, you might feel crappy for a while but eventually you will sleep. Taking a z-drug only puts off the inevitable, plus whilst it might "put you out" it stops slow wave and REM sleep, so you actually don't get the sleep you need, makes no sense ........

Type "burt reynolds ambien" into google to get some stories about its effects on some people.








The above is not medical advice, it is freely available information that anyone has access to.

I took Ambien for a few years after getting sober. My doctor was well aware of my alcoholism when he prescribed it. I never considered abusing it so I can't speak for it's addictive characteristics. HOWEVER, it does have a nasty propensity for causing episodes of behavior such as driving your car while asleep etc. I stopped taking it after I went to an early doctor's appointment and had no memory of it. Blackout drinking all over again, but without the alcohol.