Posted by SLS on August 31, 2009, at 9:16:11
In reply to Does Ambien have antidepressant properties?, posted by Girlnterrupted78 on August 31, 2009, at 8:57:06
> I started taking Ambien 1.5 months ago for severe insomnia of 10+ years. I take 10mg every night.
>
> I had tried a lot of things already, trazadone, klonopin, tylenol pm, remeron in small amounts, and another pill that I can't remember its name, but which made me sleep 24+ hours straight.
>
> Ambien seemed miraculous in that it finally allowed me to sleep through the night.
>
> However, something strange happens within 15 minutes that I take it: I become happy and talkative. My depression lifts and my social anxiety seems to evaporate, at least for those minutes before I go to bed.
>
> Does anyone know why this happens? Could Ambien be used as an AD or anti-anxiety instead of/besides being a sleep aid?
>
> ThanksI'm sorry, but this will have to be a rushed explanation. I'm on my way out the door.
It is called "behavioral disinhibition". This phenomenon operates the same way as it does for alcohol. Normally, it takes the activity of certain pathways (NE I think) to control behavioral impulses. These controlling pathways are thus inhibitory. GABA neurons inhibit these inhibitory pathways, and are thus said to be disinhibitory. Ambien and similar drugs act the same way as benzodiazepines and alcohol do to increase GABA activity and promote disinibition. It is a minority of people who react to Ambien or benzodiazepines this way. Lucky you. :-)
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:915028
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090826/msgs/915031.html