ambien effect on brain injuries

[fredtoast]

Just saw a fascinating show on how the sleep aid Ambien can have almost miraculous effects of people with sever brain injuries. People that have been in vegetative states for years have "awoken" when given Ambien. A man who had suffered a brain injury that made him unable to understand numbers was cured by ambien. another man who had not ben able to speak due to a brain injury had his voice restored by Ambien. If you are interested there are lots of scientific studeis that have proven this effect.

the funny thing is that for years I have considered Ambien a bad drug because the side effects do noty seem worth it for peopple who suffered from insomnia. I have never taken it, but I had a friend who used it and did all sorts of stuff during the night that she did not remember. One time she almost started a fire in her kitchen because she apparently started cooking something in the middle of the night while on ambien. I even had a client once who tried to claim that he did not remember stealing a car because he was using ambien. I am pretty sure he was lying, but I have heard a bunch of other strange stories about it.

Have any of you ever used it?

The treatment for people with brain injuries was not do to any scientific research. it was just an accidental discovery. A woman had a son who was in a long term coma. he suffered from seizures so one night she gave him an ambien to see if it would help him sleep through the night. Instead he came out of the coma and started talking to her. Although it turned out to be a great discovery it is also kind of scary because it shows how little doctors really know about how our brains work and what possible side effects drugs might have on us.

[*bfine32*]

I used to take it when I was stationed in Hawaii and flew back to the states. I accidentally, took one as I was boarding the connecting flight in Dallas. I had to be woken up and made to leave the plane when it reached Louisville, I left one of my shoes on the plane, and my family said I had no idea who they were when they greeted me. I remember absolutely none of it.

[Benton]

Wouldnt touch it.

I covered two stories of the same guy who blamed Ambien and got away with the first crime (molesting his son). Said he had no recollection doing it. The other time he held his girlfriend at gun point, raped her multiple times, beat her and shot at the bed she was bound on. She escapes, but refused to testify against him, saying it was just the drugs he had been prescribed. Ambien and something for depression. The rape charges got dropped and he pled down to a lesser kidnapping, since she wouldn't testify on anything.

Maybe it was just that guy. Or maybe not. I know a guy who was visiting his folks in eastern Kentucky. Woke up one morning to find his dad stabbing his mom. When he said something, the dad sort of looked startled, then ran off and shot himself. Only thing he took was Ambien.

[fredtoast]

Wouldn't it be strange if Ambien was discontinued as a sleep aid and was re-marketed just to help people with severe brain trauma.

[XenoMorph]

(05-10-2016, 06:33 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I used to take it when I was stationed in Hawaii and flew back to the states. I accidentally, took one as I was boarding the connecting flight in Dallas. I had to be woken up and made to leave the plane when it reached Louisville, I left one of my shoes on the plane, and my family said I had no idea who they were when they greeted me. I remember absolutely none of it.

had a friend at work who apparently went grocery shopping and got a speeding ticket on ambien and doesnt remember a thing...

It doesnt put you to sleep but kinda switches off your consciousness

[WeezyBengal]

Im not sure that the accidental discovery of Ambien somehow healing people in vegetative states makes me feel comftorable taking the drug. If anything, it turns me off even more from using it for sleep.

[BengalHawk62]

The wife takes half a pill every now and then to help fall asleep.  The last time she took one, she came out of the bathroom, walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and stared into the fridge for 5 minutes.  I finally asked what she was looking for and she stood up, looked at me and almost tipped over backwards like she just took a huge hit from a gravity bong.  She doesn't remember leaving the bathroom. She thought she was still looking into the mirror in the bathroom.  It was weird.  Weird enough for me to want to stay away from it.  I've got my own medicine to self medicate with than take this stuff.   

[Tiger Teeth]

[Vas Deferens]

Anyone else heard of people taking this stuff 'recreationally'? I was told a couple I know take it when they go out drinking occasionally. Not sure I believe that given the stories I'm reading here.

If so, I need to unknow these people.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

(05-11-2016, 03:17 PM)Vas Deferens Wrote: Anyone else heard of people taking this stuff 'recreationally'?  I was told a couple I know take it when they go out drinking occasionally.  Not sure I believe that given the stories I'm reading here.  

If so, I need to unknow these people.

I wouldn't "Unknow" them since if they do this, I would always want to know where and when they are so I could stay on the other side of town.

[Bengal Dude]

(05-11-2016, 03:17 PM)Vas Deferens Wrote: Anyone else heard of people taking this stuff 'recreationally'?  I was told a couple I know take it when they go out drinking occasionally.  Not sure I believe that given the stories I'm reading here.  

If so, I need to unknow these people.

I know of people who have taken it for recreation. They say things get really crazy if you fight the knock out feeling. I guess you'll start hallucinating.

[Vas Deferens]

(05-11-2016, 05:25 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: I know of people who have taken it for recreation. They say things get really crazy if you fight the knock out feeling. I guess you'll start hallucinating.

I've gotten out there before, believe me, but that just seems a bit much.  Guess I'm just getting old.

[XenoMorph]

(05-11-2016, 05:25 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: I know of people who have taken it for recreation. They say things get really crazy if you fight the knock out feeling. I guess you'll start hallucinating.

look up the rolemodels ambien scene....

[WeezyBengal]

(05-11-2016, 05:37 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: look up the rolemodels ambien scene....

Lol thats the first thing that came to mind when I was reading this. Classic. 

[fredtoast]

(05-11-2016, 02:25 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Im not sure that the accidental discovery of Ambien somehow healing people in vegetative states makes me feel comftorable taking the drug. If anything, it turns me off even more from using it for sleep.

That is what I was thinking

(05-10-2016, 06:20 PM)fredtoast Wrote:   Although it turned out to be a great discovery it is also kind of scary because it shows how little doctors really know about how our brains work and what possible side effects drugs might have on us.

[samhain]

I work odd hours and had a prescription for Ambien for three years. I quit taking it when my son was born and I knew I'd have to start waking up in the middle of the night.

It's a really messed up experience if misused. The key is to get into bed 15 or 20 minutes after ingesting it. You do that, and you're golden. However, if you do as I often did and stay up to experience the effects until it just plain shuts you down, that's when the shit hits the fan.

Here are some things I recall:

1. Seeing purple dots and moving figure-like shadows outside.
2. Smoking. I smoked when I took Ambien. Not during the day, not at any other time. Not as a habit. Just when on Ambien.
3. Eating insane amounts of food. I'd eat a block of cheese, a gallon of ice cream, and even once cooked 4 grilled cheese sandwiches and wrecked them.

4. I once shaved my head and eyebrows on Ambien.
5. I thought it was okay to call people at 5am.
6. I once took 3 rolls of paper towels and a giant mixing bowl into the bathroom. Once inside, I removed the towels from the rolls (all or them), soaked them in the sink, and crammed them into the bowl. I then attempted to make a spherical shape out of the towels to mirror the bottom of the bowl and make an even shape.
7. Facebook is a problem on Ambien. Had a lot of explaining to do after some insane and cryptic posts that sounded absolutely brilliant when I was on the drug.

Miraculously, nothing too consequential happened and my marriage/family/friends remained intact. I'll also add that Ambien nightmares are the absolute worst imaginable.

[Harmening]

Good God. This drug sounds like a method of torture.

[fredtoast]

(05-12-2016, 11:33 AM)samhain Wrote: Here are some things I recall:

1.  Seeing purple dots and moving figure-like shadows outside.

(05-12-2016, 11:33 AM)samhain Wrote: 2.  Smoking.  I smoked when I took Ambien.  Not during the day, not at any other time.  Not as a habit.   Just when on Ambien.  

(05-12-2016, 11:33 AM)samhain Wrote: 4.  I once shaved my head and eyebrows on Ambien.
 

(05-12-2016, 11:33 AM)samhain Wrote: 5.  I thought it was okay to call people at 5am.  

[Benton]

(05-11-2016, 03:17 PM)Vas Deferens Wrote: Anyone else heard of people taking this stuff 'recreationally'?  I was told a couple I know take it when they go out drinking occasionally.  Not sure I believe that given the stories I'm reading here.  

If so, I need to unknow these people.

I've known people that would take it because Ambien sex is supposed to be really good.

I guess because you're out of your mind and lose a lot of rational thought.

[samhain]

Holy crap, Fred. What are those images from?