# ambien not working?



## quietpond (May 2, 2006)

Has anyone had ambien not work for them? I told my doc that I had been taking my 1mg Klonopin at bedtime to help me sleep and he said that he wanted to get me away from the anxiolytic benzo and give ambien a try.

2 nights in a row I have tossed and turned and it hasn't done a thing for me. Apparently it comes in 5s and 10s and I have the 10s, so its not like I can take 2 (although I am tempted).

Anyone else with experience or sleeping suggestions?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

I found Ambien mostly ineffective. Strangely, I find that the Ambien CR version (12.5mg) is pretty good. Maybe that's because it has that coating that is rapidly absorbed?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Ambien works in a manner very similar to benzos. While benzos unselectively bind to all benzo receptors, Ambien is more selective and tries to only bind with the receptors responsible for sleep. Thus, Ambien lacks the muscle relaxant & anti-convulsant properties of a real benzo as it mostly avoids the receptors responsible for those benzo effects.

I only tried 10 mg of Ambien on one occasion and it did absolutely nothing for me. I wasn't surprised since benzos don't sedate me, thus one would expect that a drug that produces sedation by the same mechanism as benzos would also not sedate.

From the way you state you message I get the impression that you were satisfied with Klonopin and your doc tried to fix something that wasn't broken. Would that be correct?


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

My psychiatrist gave me an entire box of samples of Ambien CR 12.5 mg on my first appointment. It worked very well. It's very expensive, though, because my mother keeps derogating it in conversation (while she also grills me to ask for tons of samples of it at my psychiatrist appointments). I think she just doesn't like paying for my medication. I don't blame her. Unfortunately, though, the Xanax XR that my psych prescribed last time isn't really helping much of anything, so I'll probably ask for more Ambien CR next time.

And I agree with Caedmon's theory that the fast-absorbing coating is probably what does the trick.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Caedmon said:


> I found Ambien mostly ineffective. Strangely, I find that the Ambien CR version (12.5mg) is pretty good. Maybe that's because it has that coating that is rapidly absorbed?


Interesting. Do benzos sedate you, Chris? According to the Ambien label 10 mg is basically equal to 5 mg of Valium, but I'm sure you already knew that.

As I recall, they also had a section about drug abuse in the label and noted that junkies (OK, they called them addicts I think) could not differentiate between 10 mg Ambien & a sugar pill. It's not enough to get a junkie's attention.


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## quietpond (May 2, 2006)

Ultrashy-

Personally, yes I was satisfied with the Klonopin putting me to sleep. However, I no longer need the 1 mg dose I was on, I have managed to get anxiety attacks under control. He dropped my dose (which was actually prescribed by an ER doc, not him) to .5.

I actually suggested something for sleep. I typically took unisom, but he said previously that it can interfere with the quality of sleep, plus I was waking up like I had a hang over.

At this point, I'd almost rather that than not sleeping at all. Though last night I think it worked a little better. I fall asleep, I just don't stay asleep. I'm telling you, I'm tempted to take 2 (though only 10mg is indicated) or take another one when I wake up at 3 am tossing and turning.

What do you think?


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## quietpond (May 2, 2006)

Ultrashy: PS How is it that you know so much about medication? You tend to be very knowledgeable in your posts and I figure it must either be from experience, you do a lot of research, or you are in the pharmacy industry?

Just curious, you don't have to answer


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

ambien didn't work for me. i was taking 10mg. my pdoc gave me seroquel and it works great.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

UltraShy said:


> Caedmon said:
> 
> 
> > I found Ambien mostly ineffective. Strangely, I find that the Ambien CR version (12.5mg) is pretty good. Maybe that's because it has that coating that is rapidly absorbed?
> ...


Not really. If I take Valium either (a) in the right quantities (e.g. 15 mg all at once), or (b) in smaller quantities, but during times when I might get sleepy, such as the afternoon, then it's sedating. I don't know if going back onto a high-potency benzo like Klonopin would make a difference or not.

I have some theories on my response to Ambien CR:

1) Placebo
2) Onset lag - I've had a few nights where I took it and it didn't knock me out at all unti 2 hours after swallowing it. So, perhaps I haven't been giving Ambien enough time.
3) [see above] naturally getting sleepy just by waiting 2 hours
4) new meds - I'm on Parnate now, which makes me sleepy, so maybe I'm either more sensitive to Ambien or else there is some other complicating factor.

I should find my old bottle of Ambien and compare, to see if 2 or 4 could be the case.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

quietpond said:


> Ultrashy: PS How is it that you know so much about medication? You tend to be very knowledgeable in your posts and I figure it must either be from experience, you do a lot of research, or you are in the pharmacy industry?


I've just tried a lot of pills and I actually read the entire FDA label for ever drug I've taken. Some people just take a pill 'cause the doc said so. Not me. I want to know the details of what I'm taking.

My education is in finance, about as far from pharmacy as you can get (other than I understand the profit motive [aka greed] of drug companies).

Back to the sleeping pill issue, have you tried the other common meds for sleep like sedating antidepressants: trazodone (most sedating drug I've ever come across), or sedating tricyclics such as amitriptyline or doxepin?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Well I took 10mg regular Ambien about an hour ago, we'll see if it works. It might be delayed, because I ate a granola bar at the same time.


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## quietpond (May 2, 2006)

The longer I take it the better it seems to be working. I am having some really strange dreams though, and I wake up in the morning very clammy as if I was having night sweats but was too out of it to notice. I have woken up soaked before, but was always of sound mind enough to change clothes. Possible side effect?


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## bleh (May 31, 2006)

i was on ambien for a while and found 10mg was great to start with but pretty quickly it ceased to be effective. in the end it was taking 40mg to have any effect on me at all so my doctor's put me on largactil (anti-psychotic... fun) but it hasn't done anything... :sigh


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## mike8803 (Feb 21, 2010)

quietpond said:


> Has anyone had ambien not work for them? I told my doc that I had been taking my 1mg Klonopin at bedtime to help me sleep and he said that he wanted to get me away from the anxiolytic benzo and give ambien a try.
> 
> 2 nights in a row I have tossed and turned and it hasn't done a thing for me. Apparently it comes in 5s and 10s and I have the 10s, so its not like I can take 2 (although I am tempted).
> 
> Anyone else with experience or sleeping suggestions?


I hope this helps you. I am an expert when it comes to Ambien, unfortunely. I have been taking Ambien for years. Some US pharamcies where you pick up ambien get bad batches or a knock-off of Ambien, and the pills don't work worth a 2 cents. The only branded Ambien that is authentic is from the pharmacutical companies on your prescription label that begin with "TEVA and is a white circular pill" or an oblong peach-yellow pill. If you read the pills there is usually a 4 letter word on them and on the bottle, some pharmacies are cheap as sh** and give you crap Ambien and u have to deal with it. I switched pharmacies after i found out what they were doing and I've had no problem ever since.

The Ambien king


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## mike8803 (Feb 21, 2010)

I take 20mg, 2 10 mg pills a night and I sleep perfect. I do not recommend this without doctors consent, but it helps me. Always take on empty stomach and take hot shower right after taking medication.


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

Problem is ambien has like a 2 hr. half-life. So it may help people who can't get to sleep. But for people like myself, I was awake 3 hrs. later. Like Ultrashy, I take a benzo.So ambien is pretty inaffective for me.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

UltraShy said:


> Ambien works in a manner very similar to benzos. While benzos unselectively bind to all benzo receptors, Ambien is more selective and tries to only bind with the receptors responsible for sleep. Thus, Ambien lacks the muscle relaxant & anti-convulsant properties of a real benzo as it mostly avoids the receptors responsible for those benzo effects.


+ 1, but what doesn't seem to be mentioned as often is that ambien binds to it's specific benzo receptors in a different manner to benzos, which may give it somewhat different pharmacological outcomes.


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## MBL (Oct 5, 2010)

As far as I know Ambien is not on the market in Canada, but I'm going to check with a pharmacist I know.

I am really wanting to try this drug over my current sleeping pill (Serax). Serax takes too long to kick in and other benzos are not ideal for sleep in my case.

I've taken Imovane at upto 15mg (zopiclone). It's not that great. I'm betting 20mg of Ambien would be ideal.

Sometimes I do take chloral hydrate though. Just wanting to have 1 drug that I can take as an alternate choice......

Can anybody tell me about how they find Ambien? What does it feel like compared to benzo? What it's like at large dose? Mixed with other drug? etc

Feel free to PM me.

thx


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

If you are taking a moderate to high dose of a benzo ambien will do nothing. They are so similar that tolerance of benzos leads to tolerance of the z-drugs (ambien, lunesta, etc..). I actually switched from ambien and lunesta to benzos because doctors will not prescribe a higher dose of the sleep aids compared to what they'll give you of a benzo. Occasionally I'll stack ambien on top of lorazepam and still get effects for a night or 2 before I build tolerance to that dose but if I were to stop one and take the other nothing would happen.


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## MBL (Oct 5, 2010)

*No ambien for canadians *

ALLO!

Here, in Canada, the big drug is *Imovane* (zopiclone). That's what we have instead of Ambien. In two words: "IT SUCKS".

It's not as good as a benzo. Hell, it's not as good as Benadryl.

Normal dose is 5mg or 7.5mg. They put me on *15*mg, which is rare. And I really am not impressed with it at all.

I am on *SERAX* (oxazepam) up to twice a week for insomnia. It's better than Imovane (so is anything really), but it takes a long time to reach it's full effect (couple hours) and it is short acting. Also, I have a hard head when it comes to benzos, so honestly, the 2 pills (30mg each) would really only be 1 dose if I wanted a really significant effect.

So I am evaluating my options.

Someone said *AMBIEN* is avalible in Canada, I just contacted a pharmacy, and it is NOT.

It is sold on the 'net all over the place. The status of it in Canada is that it's 100% approved for use but it's just not on the market. I hear it might be in the future though.

Anybody recommend something else for sleep? I like *chloral hydrate* but I cannot get it often, many doc's don't like to prescribe it, and I find I need a MINIMUM of 1 gram which happens to be the maximum dose...

There used to be all kinds of drugs on the market for sleep. It is like the pharmacutical industry only wants to provide benzos for everybody. Personally I want something else.

Qualudes (sp?), meprobamate (Miltown), barbituates and all kinds of heavy sedatives are off the market now. I know they are very strong and all, but there has to be more choices out there! :|


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