Do you still take it?  If so, why?

Melissa.

No I do not take this medication anymore by my own choice because of the many side effects!

I wouldn't want to go near it ever again if all that ever happened to me---must have been a scary thing to go through.

Melissa.

I was prescribed the sleeping aid Lunesta awhile back and I drove in my sleep to work.I don't remember driving there.I work for about 2hrs and then I guess I got my senses and told the boss I need to go home.Needless to say I never took it again.After the first time anything happened to you,you should have stopped taking it and told your doctor.Alot of people think well if my doctor told me to take it I better.Not true.

I think they don't take it off the shelf cause it doesn't have side effects with all people.But I am with you 1 person is one to many.

Yvonne

I'm with Yvonne on the one time thing...I was prescribed it once, and only ended up taking ONE--aside from it not working I couldnt remember much that I'd done overnight except I did the sleep eating--that was a  big reason I stopped it., Aside from it not working.  How's the Lunesta working Yvonne?

Melissa.

Melissa,it was the "Lunesta"that caused me the problems.I won't take any sleeping aides,they do have bad side effects and like you said,they don't work on me either.

my doctor told me to take Benadryl for sleep and it works for me.

Yvonne

P.S. how is the hip today?Everyday one step closer to running a marathon...LOL

I have taken Ambien and I am one of the 1 in 100 people that have no memory what so ever about twenty minutes after I take it. My doctor told me before I started taking it that it was for short term use only. I have a friend of a friend that did most of the things that you did including driving asleep. Since you have been taking it for 10 years, have you tried to sleep with out it, or have you tried some thing else?

Hey to the two ladies that posted comments. Thanks a great deal. I am new to the site and do not yet know how to email comments to just the two of you; but thanks.  Had I ever dreamed this RX would have done all this to me; you can bet never would I have taken it. It was just little stuff for awhile, then it became more dangerous and severe. I was not taking the RX for l0 straight years, I did try other pills on and off for a few weeks or so and nothing worked so back to Ambien the doctor would put me. I continued to tell her about the sleep eating as my family and I were thinking I would choke to death in my sleep. One night the children asked me what I was doing (after taking the RX) I was in the bed and I got up and was bending up and down walking in the hallway and I told them I was picking cotton/which never in life have I done. At first it was just stupid stuff like this. Also, it took some time to realize it was the Ambien doing it. Now since April, I have really researched it on the internet/look at the post sometimes when you get time/just type in Ambien and follow any link and you will see what I mean. It is horrible. Thanks again for emails.

You guys are scaring me. That's crazy! Bless your hearts. Here's my experiences with Ambien, and I've never taken it, nor will I ever. I'm a nurse who use to work midnights. When people are admitted to the hospitals, alot of Docs will routinly order Ambien for their patients. Even if they never took it at home. I do understand the logic because people who are hospitalized are stressed from being in the hospital and there's alot of noise at nights. I will tell the patient that the Doc ordered it and they can have it to help them sleep. Patients are "sure! hand it here!". What came after, in some situations was, IVs being jerked out, bad confusion, trash cans being mistaken for toilets, broken arms and hips from getting out of bed and falling, severe anxiety/delusions/hullucinations, chest tubes being pulled out, etc. That drug is horrible! I know that drug was the reason for these peoples' behavior. I never, ever offer that drug anymore. I always call the Doc and get an order for Restoril, Trazadone or Flexiril.

Beverly,

     All drugs have side effects, birth control can cause blood clots which can kill you, Tylenol can be toxic, Pain meds can alter your response time and cause accidents, anti depressants can increase suicidal thoughts for some people and for me they caused a serotin surge that almost killed me, but for some people they work well, the potential side efects are that you described are cleary described even in the commercials on TV.  Your doctor was very irresponsible to have not warned you of these possible effects and to have not taken you off of the drug immediately upon hearing the effects you were having.  I take Ambien, I have done sleep walking, sleep eating and talking, but I did that prior to taking the Ambien, so I have no new effects.  It does cause   Have you had a sleep study?  If you had had sleeping difficulties for 10 years there is probably a reason for it, which a sleep study could discover and then you may not need the Ambien.  It is truely sad that you were not warned of these potential effects.  AS far as Keith Ledger was concerned he mixed medications and it had a fatal effect.  He took many different pills together, that never should have been prescribed at the same time.  I hope you have found a better solution, and welcome to the site.

Michele

Bev, I have a sister who takes that stuff.  she swears by it.  Says she can't sleep without it. We aren't close.  I mean after she came at me with that knife....  Just kidding. ROFL  We don't speak much, but it is because we just can't agree that she is always right.  Good luck.  Bobbie

I, too, had many of the mentioned side effects on Ambien, especially the middle of the night eating.  I now take Trazadone with no side effects.  I do agree with the sleeptech that perhaps you should have a sleep study done.

Dr. Donna