Posted by yxibow on February 26, 2006, at 3:31:07
In reply to Ambien early awakening and dreams, posted by gardenergirl on February 25, 2006, at 18:01:42
> Hi everyone,
> I'd been taking Ambien fairly regularly since I've been sick. I'm only taking 5 mg (breaking 10 mg tabs in half), since I tend to snore pretty heavily on 10, and I have a bad upper respiratory infection. Just some odd thought that maybe 10 mg affects my breathing, which is already a bit impaired with the cold....
>
> Anyway, I had a couple of days off, with the accompanying insomnia. And then the last two nights I went back to 5 mg. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. the first night. Last night same deal, so since it's the weekend, I took another 5 mg when I couldn't get back to sleep. I wound up in a weird sleep state: I would dream these short dreams, and then wake up. It seemed to go in 30-60 minute intervals. I can't imagine that I got much rest over this period (about 4-5 hours).
>
> What's up with that? Why isn't 5 mg working like it used to? I guess I'm going to have to go back to 10 mg. I really do best if I take it regularly, going to bed at the same time, too. (These darned Olympics are messing with my schedule. I'm hooked!) If I do that, though. I need to accept that I will have insomnia for a period of time if I can't take it for whatever reason.
Rebound insomnia will occur with cessation of Ambien (it sounds like you may be causing multiple epsiodes of rebound insomnia) -- you're right, you do best if you take it regularly and go to bed at the same time. That is good advice for people who suffer from insomnia in general, as I know. 5mg is a low dose, but I dont know what else you are taking -- if you have a respiratory infection, there are other things on board like antibiotics that can interfere with P450. But its more likely that 5mg isn't really enough of a dose. I take 20mg but then again I'm not benzodiazepine naive, as the term goes.Hopefully you're also being prescribed Entex LA or you can get the same OTC pseudophedrine 60.. 120 ?/guaifenesin 600mg generic Equaline or similar generic. That helps the sinuses a lot, if you can stand pseudoephedrine. Sudafed PE really is ineffective and just a sham in my opinion due to the methheads.
Lying on your back instead of your tummy eliminates some of what might be minor sleep apnea. I know I snore. If you're still here and talking, I doubt the 10mg will affect you that much and full sleep is definately restorative to getting over a upper respiratory infection.
Tidings
Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:613270
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060219/msgs/613386.html