Beware, beware, this is worse than the Ides of March.
NO thanks for Ambien, I had to take MRI, MRA and EEG to test for brain tumor, Aneurism, epilepsy, acute ischemia, stenosis, dementia. All proved negative. Even got a 100 on the dementia test. Will tell you later how I passed. It was not a good two weeks. I was already dead before the results came in.
Story behind this:
I went to fill my car up with gas. On the way back, at an intersection, I saw two drivers around my car. The woman came from the lane on my right and the male driver from behind me. Woman kept yelling, “she was sleeping.” Male driver, a bit more polite, told me, “If you’re feeling tired, why don’t you park on the side and sleep it off before you drive.” I was puzzled…what was that all about.
Was I day dreaming and had ignored a green light? The light was green so I drove and the woman was still shouting to all the drivers, with her hand up in the air, “She was sleeping!”
Four hours later, I realized I had no recollection of having filled the car with gas. I went to the car and knew something was wrong when I saw the gas tank at full. The gas cap was on tight. I checked for my credit card and it was in my wallet. Receipt in the car. So I had gone to the gas station and had no memory.
Frantic, thinking I had my first episode of dementia I emailed my doctor since it was past office hours. She thought it was drug reaction, told me stop Ambien, don’t drive and come in for an appt.
Then stories began to come in. The technician told me of a friend who was in an accident while sleep driving after taking Ambien. Yes, the term is sleep driving due to Ambien. A niece’s friend was arrested for drunken driving after taking Ambien, and was jailed. Two people told me of friends who got up in the middle of the night to eat and had no memory, finding the dishes in the sink. A scientist friend said Ambien is poison like anthrax. Better to go without sleep than to take Ambien.
After researching on Ambien, all of the above proved right. Studies were made after one of the Kennedy’s was involved in an accident while sleep driving. She was on Ambien.
I have taken 2.5 mg Ambien during those years as a caregiver. I take AMbien with me on all my travels. They changed to pill to a round shaped one so during these past three years, I’ve been taking 5 mg since it’s difficult to split the pill.
That week of the amnesia, I had taken one Ambien. The week before that, I had one Ambien and couldn’t remember paying for my massage at a parlor but brushed it off.
I was spooked, scared and nervous thinking the worst had happened. So my next question is, why is Ambien still available. I’ve always had bouts with insomnia so am now trying lavender soap and oil. Are there any healthy suggestions out there?
