Ambien is the DEVIL!!!

Public service announcement......

I use ambien to to help me sleep (years of insomnia). 

For the last couple of months, I have apparantly been "sleep eating"

Sometime after I take my ambien, I get up and make popcorn...sometimes more than bag and I add butter!!!   I wake up with popcorn all over the bed, and bags at the bedside table.

Thankfully I am a slob when I do this so the evidence is in front of me and I know to scale back my eating during the day to account for this!  I recently cut my dose in 1/2 and had by granddaughter hide the popcorn.  Hopefully this will stop

I find granola wrappers and empty almond packs in my nightstand drawer. 

 I have had a number of clients who ate in their sleep with Ambien.  It gave me auditory hallucinations (NOT acceptable for someone with PTSD!) so I discontinued it after the second night.  The Lunesta doesn't make me hallucinate OR eat....

Lora

Oh my gosh, that is crazy.  I heard that happens but I can't imagine.  I loved Ambien but my regular doctor won't prescribe it, so I had to get it from another doctor and that was a hassle.  My doctor gave me Lunesta, but I had BAD dreams with it, so I stopped.  My insominia ia 100% better now that I quit coffee for RNY, YAY!!!

I used to sleep walk. My old roommate said I'd be wandering around the living room or the kitchen. I don't do that anymore.

It's happened to me as well! Ambien is EVIL, lol
I've been known to eat without remembering it, have life altering "serious" conversations, text, post, and have accused my husband of not bathing (my vision is distorted when taking it and everything looks dirty)! 

 I have opened mail, eaten, walked the dog, had phone conversations, emails and texts I should not have had and don't remember at all in an  ambien daze, as I call it.  My new rule is take it while in bed with lights out and tv off.  I hope to soon get off if it totally. Scary stuff.

I am so glad that I have never eaten after Ambien.  I have an agreement with my husband that anything I say 15 minutes or more after taking Ambien cannot be held against me!

It is such a wonder drug for me.  I only take it every once in a blue moon, but once I lay down I don't move til morning.

I had severe insomia about 10-15 years ago, long before my RNY. I took Ambien anaed it was terrible.  I didn't realize at first what it was doing but I actually had 3 car accidents while taking it - it says right in the paperwork that it causes a hangover effect and I would fall asleept driving.  My eyes would be open and then they would close for 1 or 2 seconds at a time - they called them microsleeps. IT was terrible.  I finally realized it was due to the ambien but it was too late - the car accidents had already happened.  thankfully I never hurt anyone else, as for me, I messed up my knee and neck, needing 3 knee surgeries

So, I will never take it again while at home, only when in the hospital when I don't have to drive.

I now take something called Atarax -it is similar to benedryl but stronger and it really works

I was a sleep eater before the surgery and am still am unfortunately.  I take ambien but was a sleep eater before it. I find peanut butter crackers next to the bed. Ate a granola bar the other night too. My husband is afraid I'm going to choke in my sleep. I hate that I am a sleep eater. My grandma was a terrible sleep eater. So I think it is genetic in my family....Ambien hasn't changed it for me....Good luck to you though!