What is Digg?55 Comments
- wmattison, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11That's brilliant, take some sleeping pills and go for a drive. Good job Rhode Island, you picked a winner.
- smedrick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I took Ambien a couple months back and I believe every story about it. If you make any attempt to stay awake after taking it, you start hallucinating. I've done some wild stuff under the influence of Ambien and only remember bits and pieces because I thought it was a dream. Everyone has their own reaction to different drugs, so all I can say is "it's possible".
- mrchucklepants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7My wife is an ICU nurse and has to give Ambien from time to time. She hates giving it. It makes the people all wacky. One lady walked out of her room, stark naked, and wandered down the hall. The next day, she didn't remember any of it. My wife has loads of stories just like this.
- humpingmonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5
Yea... driving a car is crazy too. All those G's, the changing scenery and those eery floating sensations! Plus, people die doing it everyday! "They" should ban it as well.
Why are we so quick to get daddy GovCo. involved? Life is about risks and tradoffs. Why not let each individual choose their own tradoffs and calculate their own risks? - keevols, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I agree with smedrick. After taking an Ambien bubble bath, I forced myself to stay awake and watch TV and draw pictures. ***** got all weird and turned into cliffs and caves with bones in 'em. And then I ran around a hotel hallway humming Thunderkiss '65 by White Zombie... Tokyo on business...
- alexdagrate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Peter Buck of R.E.M. went nuts on a plane and tried to open the door. He blamed ambien, but I bet the 15 glasses of wine had something to do with it too:
http://thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=10341 - Djerrid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The examples in the article were tame. Read the ones in the comments _below_. Or if you'd like a more reliable source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/15/earlyshow/health/health_news/main1404632.shtml
- "We have had people, infrequently, cut themselves as they're trying to chop up food to eat in the middle of the night," notes Mahowold. -
- "We've had people eat very inappropriate things that they would never eat while awake. Some example would be buttered cigarettes, salt sandwiches, raw bacon." -
I doubt they were "completely aware" of their actions. - keybsnbits, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Just because Ambien makes you forget things that you did, doesn't mean you weren't completely aware when you did them. Notice how the lady "Upright" forgot her entire morning (including the breakfast), but she still acted completely normal while eating, even "chatt[ing] with the owner". This shouldn't be seen as an excuse for Kennedy's actions that night in Washington.
- heycasey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4My grandfather (91 years old) was accidentally given Ambien a few months ago in a nursing home. He had been given the drug previously with horrible side effects (manic fits, hallucinating).
Normally, he uses a walker to get around. Shortly after taking the Ambien, he got up and walked unassisted to the end of the hall (about 200 ft) and started throwing any object he could get his hands on in the lounge. He told me that he thought there were people standing over his bed that wanted to hurt him, so the hallucinating is a true side effect. He remembers the whole incident but couldn't explain why he was acting the way he did. The doctors are still baffled as to how he got out of bed on his own and walked without a walker. - Djerrid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4My wife took Ambian the night before she went into labor (on doctor's orders). She doesn't remember much from the birth, but she does remember metallic spiders walking on the ceiling. I'd suggest you stay away from the stuff.
- Wubbie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'd like to know the same thing...
The above post is completely correct... I digg! - Dycacian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It made my vision all blurry and distorted just last week. But if I make sure I am going to sleep then everything is fine. If I don't sleep fast enough it does wierd things.
- dmron, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Yah, anyone here denying that Ambien ***** you up nice and good hasn't read enough about it. One story talked about someone who ate buttered cigarette butts, another mentioned someone who ate salt sandwiches. Both in the middle of the night, neither one remember ever doing it, but the evidence was there. This drug is crazy and should be banned.
- NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Man, I thought that's WHY you took it?....Oh...Wait... they were taking it for medicinal purposes...
- Lilitou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3My friend's mother had a problem with sleepwalking into the kitchen and eating while she was taking Ambien. She switched to something else and it stopped happening. This was a while back, long before Ambien started making headlines for this sort of thing. Yes, it's anecdotal, but everything's going to be unless conclusive studies come out of a lab somewhere, and I haven't heard of any yet. I'm not saying it excuses Kennedy, certainly--I maybe liberal, but I'm not sure why people are still electing Kennedys--but I am saying that people aren't necessarily making things up to sue the pharmaceutical companies.
- hoserb2k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I love it when people make conclusions from anecdotal evidence. "My mother took ambien and now she's sleepwalking, and so is Billy Joe, therefore I have just proved ambien= sleepwalking"
btw, i disagree with the above poster. No Kennedy has EVER done something stupid while drunk, right? - aerofoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Melatonin is much safer and probably more effective than Ambien or any of the other new sleep drugs. Try a 0.5 - 1 mg sublingual (tablets that disolve under your tongue) dose.
http://familydoctor.org/258.xml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin
- Chinatsu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't want to deny at all that Ambien can cause some pretty intense and varied reactions and side effects in people, because I do believe that. But it is interesting to check out the actual police report filed the night of Kennedy's alleged Ambien escapade:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0505062kennedy1.html
An interesting part is the police officer's description of Kennedy's condition. Again, the effects will differ person to person, but red, watery eyes seem more an effect of alcohol comsumption than Ambien. Police officers are trained to detect alcohol consumption. He even checked the box for "alcohol" on the police report, yet no field sobriety tests were given. There is also a nice handwriting sample from a previous Kennedy driving accident - poor penmanship? Or Ambien again? Kennedy is the only one who knows the real answer to these questions. - Zyzzyva100, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I had lots of problems with sleepwalking and night terrors when I was younger. After bad shoulder injury I was given Ambien to help me sleep. Given that I had prior problems with insomnia and other sleeping issues, it was just a disaster.
It worked fine for a little while, and then I started having the worst nightmares. I couldn't tell if I was awake or asleep, and I started sleepwalking again (but this time I was living in a dorm and it was quite freaky). One day I just pitched the bottle and found other means of falling asleep. I think in the end I would much rather just take a CNS depressant to fall asleep than try to alter chemicals in my brain and trick it into sleeping. - politech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"One day I just pitched the bottle and found that using my bong was another means of falling asleep."
Fixed that for ya! - elroy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4i injected it into my urethra and i woke up 2 days later on a street corner in el segundo.
- smedrick, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I down-modded your comment as well. Just because people can recall what they've done, doesn't mean they are completely under control at the time of the incident. Like I said, it's like your dreaming. I did things under the influence of this stuff they I would never do if I was awake and completely under control. It's like you go into auto-pilot without any inhibitions. I could totally see myself getting in my car and racing around GTA-style while taking Ambien...because I've had dreams like that before.
So, I believe through personal experience that your statement is false. - blackb0x, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2loads of stories, and pictures, right?
right???!!! - jocularme, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i would never advocate recreational use of a mind altering substance, but ambien + caffeine = trippin'!!!!
- Arden1395, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Both my teenager and I have taken Ambien with no ill effects at all. Of course, we weren't trying to stay awake after took them to experience any hallucinations. We took them to, ya know, sleep.
- unibomber999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've read the same thing about numerous cases of night eating while on ambien. Sometimes these people gain 40-50 pounds before realizing that they are sleep walking into the kitchen and eating every night. Though it's uncommon, it has been admitted as a side effect. Here's a link to a story from March:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/15/earlyshow/health/health_news/main1404632.shtml - Zyzzyva100, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While I wouldn't put that past a big pharma company, I really doubt thats it. After my experience with Ambien, I wouldn't even try a similar drug. I have found a better way to sleep, with no side effects, and I wake up feeling refreshed. The only problem is that its not legal. Guess I have to wait for Marinol or THC pills from the major drug companies. Because I know that if they can line their pockets, then the drug will be legalized.
- keybsnbits, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I appreciate you shedding some more light on the subject. But you have to understand that my comments were based on the article given. Next time comment instead of burieing my inoffensive comments. It may make things clear for other people too.
- PacoDG, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3NINETEEN SIXTY
FIVE
FIVE
YEAH - thaldex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No, the drug should *not* be banned. There are plenty of medications that can cause similar - or worse - adverse events: Viagra = priapisms; thalidomide = radical birth defects; digitalis = cardiac arrest; aspirin = increased clotting times; Tylenol = liver failure; etc.
Ambien serves a very useful purpose and should just be taken with caution and only as directed. It's simple: follow the instructions, no alcohol, make sure you plan on sleeping, don't leave strange things lying around to make an earwax taco out of, etc. (*I know that they made their salt sandwiches, but heck, always a little caution, you know?*) - keybsnbits, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I obviously did read the anecdotes. Some of them are very similar to just normal sleep walking (happens naturally). The more extreme case (that of Upright) did not show any change in behavior. That's what I'm basing my opinion off of.
One other thing, a thumbs up or thumbs down should not be used for agreement or disagreement. If you disagree, comment... don't bury it so that other can't see it. - thaldex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I can't agree with that statement completely. Sure, you may do some things that you'd never think twice about doing whilst not medicated, but zoldipem/ambien can also really, really mess with your reasoning and mental faculties. I distinctly remember being told the morning after my first dose getting a phone call from a friend several states away asking me why I'd called her ''high as a kite at 2AM.''
I have no recollection of doing so and I would never call someone that late unless it was an emergency. Having sex under the ambien influence is also rather surreal and somewhat disturbing. You may not even remember doing it and may not even have wanted to, but you were sure willing and happy to do so whilst medicated.
Best to lock the bedroom door half an hour after taking it. - JimNtexas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you take a sleeping pill and then drive, then you are an idiot. If you vote for a person who drives after taking a sleeping pill then you are an even greater idiot.
This smells like a bunch of lawyers trying to loot a company. I've had insomnia all my life, Ambien is a great help to me, and the only 'side effect' I've ever experienced is waking up feeling well rested.
Here's a clue: If you want to punish any drug that has a side effect on anybody then there will be no drugs, period. The same goes for food. There is no food you can name that won't cause somebody somewhere to have some kind of side effect.
This country needs a loser pays legal system before the lawyers kill us all. - politech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1And she believed that? I'll have to try that excuse on my wife!
- politech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"ambien's going off-patent this fall"
You Nailed it!
This is like the MPAA and RIAA posting virus warnings on torrent trackers comment sections. - politech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"No Kennedy has EVER done something stupid while drunk, right?"
"I was going to swim back under the bridge and get her out of the car ... but I forgot!"
"Couldn't have been the drinks, or the pot ... Must have been the Ambien!" - smedrick, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"Next time comment instead of burieing my inoffensive comments."
I'm sure anyone who has suffered from Ambien's mind control would take offense to your comment. - keevols, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2...sounds about right.
- smedrick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It's possible he got in the car and started driving *after* he fell asleep. Don't be so quick to judge.
- powderdog, on 02/19/2009, -0/+0I had to add: Took a half a pill before bed 11pm "doctors suggestion for a first time" awoke about 3am felt fine just couldn't get back to sleep. About a hour later I started going in and out of sleep, the dreams were pretty cool and felt real. The only bad thing was I thought I was awake and I tried to move didn't happen then I tried to breath Oh crap! finally I came through gasping for air. I'm going to say never again should have know I get every side effect when taking medications!
- DBCubix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Yup and global warming is tied to the decrease in the Number of Pirates. (see Flying Spaghetti Monster in wikipedia)
- chillboy100, on 12/22/2008, -0/+0I've taken Ambien before to try to go to sleep because my mom usually takes it without side effects. The first time I took half a pill and it worked well and i got to sleep easily and I felt good in the morning. The second time I used it I was talking to my girlfriend on the phone while I was in bed, so I was trying to stay awake. After awhile I started to dream but I was awake and I couldn't control my dream but I was explaining what was happening to my girlfriend. When I talked to her the next day I didn't remember anything I said, but it sounded pretty crazy. And about 10 minutes ago I took one and drank coffee and I'm ganna see if i can get the hallucinations from actually trying. As of right now I can only see little white lines bellow every line of text I read, but that's not much of a hallucination.
- KKCA, on 11/23/2008, -0/+0For me, Ambien is sort of like getting drunk. It makes me feel tipsy at first and then, the things I do reflect something I might do if I were really drunk, with memory-lapses. I've made phone calls and emails that I had wish I hadn't -- to ex-boyfriends or business emails with terrible spellings, etc. Now, I've learned to STOP using my PC and NO calls after I take it. I do remember most of what goes on but not all of it, like a drunk has blackouts. It's very similar. Anyone know how it works, what neurotransmitters and parts of the brain it affects?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0my good friend got hallucinations from it
- Dred, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3yeah that happens to kennedy alot especially after he knocks down a bottle of scotch.
- CandidaCL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I find it funny that people blame Ambien for things that they do that they don't remember.
So, do you want to sue the people who make alcohol when you drink to much and can't remember what you did the night before? I have done alot worse when I was drunk then taking Ambien. I sure much rather eat a candy bar in my sleep then puke all over and sleep in a pile of my own vomit and urine. But hey, that's just me.
I guess the people that want to blame Ambien for the stupid things that they do on it, have never tasted an alcoholic beverage in their life or they don't know what alcohol does to a person's body.
And the memory loss only happens if you stay awake on it. After your 7 hours of sleep, you wake up and you feel great, not sleepy and tired like most sleeping pills... or alcohol. - gimpbully, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2what are you talking about? RI has a deep rooted history of voting for criminals and... kennedys.. Sure Buddy Cianci served time, but he was also one of the best mayors the city has had in a long time. Sure... very little of what he did was legal, but he got the job done. Plus, he sold a delightful marinara from jail, so he's got a great work ethic too :P
- Djerrid, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Sure, since I was one of the two people.
- Just because Ambien makes you forget things that you did, doesn't mean you weren't completely aware when you did them. -
Read some of the antidotes below. It's a hallucinogenic. You are not in your right mind after taking it. So I'd say you aren't in complete control of your actions. It would be hard to argue that a person was acting of their own free will when they are not conscious of their actions. - withthalight0ut, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Yeahh, 'jocularme' knows what's up. 15mg Ambien + 1 Rockstar = FUN.
As an experienced Ambien abuser, I can tell you it's absolutely retarded to drive on. But anyone who didn't know that in the first place doesn't deserve any kind of official-position, except, MAYBE, presidency...:p
Anyway, +1 for Ambien, it is a fantastic sleep aid AND it has fun, umm...*recreational properties*. Don't drive on it, and you'll be fine. =D - keybsnbits, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Can somebody explain to me why two people have buried the above comment?
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