Ambien and memory loss
 

Tried Ambien on a recent trip to Europe and had no problems on the way over, didn't sleep the full 8 hrs but got in about 3 - good for me. On the way back I had this hiccuping and laughing episode that I don't recall at all - I mean NOT AT ALL - but my husband and other passengers witnessed and were quite amused by. Anyone else have similar experiences with Ambien? I think I'll try something else next time.

Memory loss is a well-known side effect of Ambien. People eat at night and do 't remember anything until they see all the candy wrappers strewn all over the kitchen. No kidding.

I do that anyway and don't take anything !!

Muck

Scary, right?

Read up on Ambien, yes it is a problem.

i've taken ambien but can't remember if there was memory loss.

There are a few newer sleeping meds including Lunesta that may or may not have that effect...aside from the memory issue, Ambien does give me food cravings at odd hours of the night....and it is not strong enough to put me out on a plane.

I think a simple anti-anxiety is more appropriate for plane travel than a true sleep aid (which might be OK once you arrive and for the first few nights when you have a bed to sleep in!). Leah- next time chat with your doctor about using valium or xanax for the flight instead. These just make you care less, not actually knock you out.

I asked my doc about Ambien. She told me that since I already sleep walk and have conversations while asleep, she didn't think Ambien was a good idea - LOL.

Last trip, I had pretty good luck with Tylenol PM. It didn't knock me out, but it made me drowsy so I nodded off. It also helped with lower back pain I get from sitting in those damned seats.

side note: for some people anything with benedryl (like tylenol pm) makes them wired not sleepy

I take Ambien every time I travel overseas, which is fairly often, and have never had a problem except the one time that I took a double dose (don't ask) where I went into a very deep sleep and don't remember much about the layover.

I use it because I can get a decent amount of sleep on the plane and I arrive in Europe refreshed and able to stay awake the whole first day. This alone is worth it to me, as I am not too good with jet lag. None of the otc meds, such as Tylenol PM and Benedryl, do anything for me.

Tracy

Maybe I should try this stuff out, I have some things I'd like to forget...

Please refresh my memory .... what was the question?

Seriously, I've never taken anything on the plane - and in turn I've never slept more than two hours, but I have used Ambien once at my destination to get a good first nights sleep and may second ... but never more than that.

Valium usually knocks me out, although I haven't taken one in quite a while. Good suggestion, I'll check with my doctor.

Thanks,

Nina

I read some article on this within the past 6 months in my newspaper. It was a good article, apparently there have been some lawsuits and things where the defendant tried to use Ambien as a defense against whatever they were doing, saying they weren't responsible because they were not really awake. I also remember the eating thing.

I don't take any meds even though I can't sleep on planes because the reason I can't sleep is not anxiety (or whatever reason one might legitimately take medication to sleep), but solely because I am not comfortable sitting up, or comfortable in general. I can't sleep sitting up, even if reclining slightly, and you can't stretch out enough. Drugging myself to knock myself out isn't going to change those circumstances, which are just the way it is. I'm not even that conservative about drugs, when appropriate, but guess I don't believe in taking drugs for purposes they weren't intended. Includes Tylenol PM and those things, unless I was in pain, which I'm not. I don't ever take Tylenol, anyway, I think other pain relievers are not as dangerous.

For those of you who have taken Ambien on overnight flights to Europe, do you take 5mg or 10mg tablets? Thanks.

Gariem: I get the 10mg caplets but I break them in half to take a 5 mg dose. I'm 5ft 4in and about 118lbs and that dose gives me a good 6-7 hours of sleep. I fly from Los Angeles to Ireland so I take the dose right after dinner and tend to wake about 1-2 hours before landing.

Everyone's different so I would suggest trying it out at home a couple times before trying it on the plane. Some people need 10mg, some only need 5mg. Avoid the extended release tablets as those could have lingering effects.

... And some people, like me, get knocked out from cutting a 5 mg pill in half - so 2.5mg! Definitely try it at home beforehand!

Were you using the newer Ambien CR? I've heard that it seems to produce more side effects than the original version. Of course, considering the behavior of a couple of students I traveled to Europe with recently, memory loss would have been a blessing.

When are you flying next time? I may need some entertainment.

Or maybe I should get a prescription for Mr Again, he wouldn't know where I've gotten all his secrets ;)

Has anyone tried Sonata? It supposedly allows you to get to sleep faster and easier but has only 1/2 the life that Ambien has. So far, I haven't heard any horror stories about Sonata and working in the health insurance industry, I have heard some doozies about Ambien.

Yes - Ambien can have those side effects - and others. As can any of the sleep meds. I'm amazed at the number of people who pop them like M&Ms - not realizing that they are serious medications - and can be habit forming. Not that they shouldn't be used under MDs orders for serious sleep problems - but I would never use them just to sleep on a plane. Missing a couple of hours sleep for 1 night never hurt anyone.

Have never take this - or any others - since I can fall asleep standing up in the subway. And NEVER have trouble falling sleep on the plane since I take Dramimine (for really bad motion sickness).

I always take 5 mg. Ambien for overnight flights to Europe and always sleep. But yes, memory loss is a real problem with Ambien. Once I took it at night and DH said to me the next morning, "That was nice last night." And I swear, I couldn't remember a thing! :D

some of these responses were hilarious. Guess I should have ignored my brother (the M.D's) advice to take the Ambien and taken Xanax or one of the others instead. Well, at least none of you all were on the Marco Polo to Phila flight with me...or at least not that I remember....

artlover, I hope he was referring to an encounter with you.... :-d

As for me, any drug that causes memory loss scares the living beejeebies out of me. I wouldn't touch it. :-O

artlover, P_M LOL! You are both quite humorous =D>

Loss of sleep is far less dangerous than the side effects of Ambien after prolonged use.

At least that is what my doctor tells me.

I took half a Xanax. I am one of those that has to be careful how much to take or I'll be out for days. It didn't help much on the trip over, but on the way home, I got some rest.

I didn't have jet lag in Europe, but really suffered for two days in the States after returning home. Mentally, I knew what time it was, but I was tired and hungry at odd times.

artlover: *blush* My DH told me something quite similar. Twice.

Bad Ambien!

P M, Good point--I hadn't thought of that!

Tara, Some people might see that as a plus.

LoveItaly, As they say, truth is often funnier than fiction.

I just wish there was something else out there that worked for me without the side effects! (Valium and Xanax give me hangovers, and the others don't really help much!) I'm sure open for suggestions too!

This has been one of the most helpful threads I've seen in ages. Thank you -- thank you -- thank you. From now on everytime I do something stupid I'm going to say I'm on Ambien.

but Neo if you were... you wouldn't remember you'd done something stupid
;-)

I do the flyover the fun way-several glasses of wine after not sleeping for 24 hours (getting ready to leave, etc), ah..I think I just have several... I did notice though that my hubby hardly snored at all after taking that little pill, but was out like a light!! Shirley

Oh, PS, leahinsc, welcome to my world (can't remember my kids names). I should be taking that stuff, it would perhaps be a legitimate reason... Shirley

I take 10mg of Ambien on the flight over and never have had any memory problems. If I have, I don't remember.

It doesn't put me totally out, even in BE where I can stretch out, but I do get 3 or 4 hours of sleep in. After a cup of coffee, I feel fine, no hangover.

Bottom line is, everybody reacts differently to different medications. Any kind of pain pill or decongestant, I'm wired and awake for hours.

Guess I'm just lucky hubby didn't take photos of the spectacle. I think I'll try Valerian next time.