May Cause Drowsiness. Then Again, May Not.

August 12, 2006 8:35 AM

Has anyone had any problems switching from Ambien to Ambien CR?

My doctor made the switch a few days ago because even though Ambien was putting me to sleep nicely, I was still waking up around 4 am. I've been on the CR version for 2 days, and besides making me insanly dizzy, it also makes me hyper. So now I'm stumbling around the house in the early hours of the morning - not the ideal situation. Why such a different reaction? I figured it was just the drug company tweaking the formula a little bit to hold onto their patent. Will my body get used to it?

I've been a lifelong insomniac (seriously - my parents used to drug my formula), and I've tried almost everything to sleep. I know living drug-free is a fun, productive lifestyle, but it doesn't work for me, so please, no lectures on the evils of drugs.

posted by bibliowench to health & fitness (9 comments total)

The Ambien (and most sleep aids) work on the GABA receptors of your brain... I surmise that somehow your brain's norepinephrine receptors are becoming activated slightly in the middle of the night. Ambien doesn't work on the norepinephrine system. I would start looking in the realm of anti-anxiety medications, or perhaps kava kava tea (which is mainly a GABA agonist but also has anti-anxiety effects). Some norepinephrine antagonists are MAOI inhibitors (which can be dicey with other drugs) so you should probably work with a psychiatrist to get you something that works right.
posted by chef_boyardee at 8:49 AM on August 12, 2006

Oh, and if you're taking in a lot of stimulants like caffeine, you should take a serious look at cutting back... these really play havoc on your norepinephrine system.
posted by chef_boyardee at 8:52 AM on August 12, 2006

The strange thing is that this new version of Ambien doesn't put me to sleep at all. Seriously - I should take it first thing in the morning. If I padded all the walls and furniture, I'd probably get a lot done. And I'm also on anti-anxiety drugs, but I'll try the tea.
posted by bibliowench at 8:55 AM on August 12, 2006

Beware of Kava tea. The FDA has linked it with liver damage, and its sale has been banned in several countries as a result.
posted by deadmessenger at 9:22 AM on August 12, 2006

Because ambien helps me fall asleep, but doesn't do anything to help me stay asleep (I'll be awake for good about 2 hours after falling asleep), I asked my doctor about ambien CR. He told me it was pretty much just a marketing ploy. He said that in actuality, it wouldn't even work as well as the regular CR to help me fall asleep.

So, what he suggested is taking a very low dosage of seroquel (25mg) and 5mg of ambien. The ambien helps me fall asleep, the seroquel helps me stay asleep. Neither make me feel drowsy or hungover in the am. If you have any questions about this combo, email is in the profile.
posted by necessitas at 9:28 AM on August 12, 2006

*as well as the regular AMBIEN
posted by necessitas at 9:29 AM on August 12, 2006

I haven't had your level of issues with sleep, but when I started to have insomnia problems, my doctor put me on Melatonin supplements and it's worked for the most part. If I don't fall asleep within an hour of taking the Melatonin, I miss most of the benefits though.
posted by SpecialK at 9:47 AM on August 12, 2006

Your insomnia sounds very atypical. One of the best ways to isolate the source of insomnia is sleep restriction therapy. Many people have circadian rhythm disorders on top of their other problems. Once I faced the fact that a significant cause of my insomnia was simply poor sleep hygiene, I was able to find the right treatment for my biological problems. I think that doctors know so little about sleep disorders because of patient non-compliance. Try sleep restriction and be disciplined about it. Get real about your sleep hygiene, and I guarantee you'll improve your situation and be able to get your medicine to work better for you.
posted by Crotalus at 10:53 AM on August 12, 2006

6mg of melatonin works well for me, but I haven't anything close to the problems you describe. Bonus: Take some vitamin B6 with it, and you get crazy dreams.
posted by borkingchikapa at 7:49 PM on August 12, 2006