I have had insomnia for years and have tried various prescription and non-prescription remedies. I have MC diagnosed with a biopsy and have it mostly under control.
Several years ago, I found that ambien helped me sleep, but I would have intestinal gas, nausea and sort of flu synmptons the day after. Neither my doctor nor the pharmacist had ever heard of this as a side effect. I stopped taking it for a few years, but have been desperate for sleep, took if a couple of times over the last months and was ok. Last night after a great sleep, I feel like I have stomach flu. Anyone else? And, by the way, lunesta does not work for me. Thanks for any help/insight!
does anyone have intestinal problems with ambien?
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I've never used Ambien, so I can't offer any personal experience.
Looking at the ingredient list, I don't see any major red flags, however, there are a couple of ingredients that could possibly be causing problems, if you happen to be especially sensitive to them.
Here's a list of the inactive ingredients in Ambien:
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, lactose, magnesium stearate, micro-crystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide.
If you are lactose intolerant, the lactose could cause gas, bloating, and possible nausea, but normally not flu-like symptoms, (IOW, lactose shouldn't typically cause body aches and pains, dizziness, nor headaches).
Polyethylene glycol is in a class of medications called osmotic laxatives, meaning that it works by causing water to be retained with the stool. Therefore, it is used to treat occasional constipation. I'm not sure why it's in Ambien, but surely not for that reason. It can also cause gas and bloating, (and diarrhea, of course).
The 5 mg tablet also contains FD&C Red No. 40, iron oxide colorant, and polysorbate 80.
Polysorbate 80 is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, that is derived from sorbitol. Sorbitol is a natural laxative, and common side effects include nausea, gas, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It has also been claimed to cause irritable bowel syndrome, (IBS). I have no idea if this laxative effect is also transmitted to the derivatives of sorbitol, however.
Note that most of these ingredients are present in rather small amounts, so they probably would only bother individuals who are especially sensitive to them.
As for influenza-like symptoms from taking Ambien - looking at the results of certain trials, I note that in a table labeled Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experiences in Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials Lasting up to 35 Nights (Percentage of patients reporting) , two percent of patients reported influenza-like symptoms, so I'm somewhat surprised that your doctor and pharmacist had never heard of this side effect. You can review that table in more detail, here:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/zolpid_ad.htm
Posting tends to get kind of slow on Fridays, but hopefully other members who actually have some experience with Ambien will see this and respond over the weekend.
Tex
Looking at the ingredient list, I don't see any major red flags, however, there are a couple of ingredients that could possibly be causing problems, if you happen to be especially sensitive to them.
Here's a list of the inactive ingredients in Ambien:
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, lactose, magnesium stearate, micro-crystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide.
If you are lactose intolerant, the lactose could cause gas, bloating, and possible nausea, but normally not flu-like symptoms, (IOW, lactose shouldn't typically cause body aches and pains, dizziness, nor headaches).
Polyethylene glycol is in a class of medications called osmotic laxatives, meaning that it works by causing water to be retained with the stool. Therefore, it is used to treat occasional constipation. I'm not sure why it's in Ambien, but surely not for that reason. It can also cause gas and bloating, (and diarrhea, of course).
The 5 mg tablet also contains FD&C Red No. 40, iron oxide colorant, and polysorbate 80.
Polysorbate 80 is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, that is derived from sorbitol. Sorbitol is a natural laxative, and common side effects include nausea, gas, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It has also been claimed to cause irritable bowel syndrome, (IBS). I have no idea if this laxative effect is also transmitted to the derivatives of sorbitol, however.
Note that most of these ingredients are present in rather small amounts, so they probably would only bother individuals who are especially sensitive to them.
As for influenza-like symptoms from taking Ambien - looking at the results of certain trials, I note that in a table labeled Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experiences in Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials Lasting up to 35 Nights (Percentage of patients reporting) , two percent of patients reported influenza-like symptoms, so I'm somewhat surprised that your doctor and pharmacist had never heard of this side effect. You can review that table in more detail, here:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/zolpid_ad.htm
Posting tends to get kind of slow on Fridays, but hopefully other members who actually have some experience with Ambien will see this and respond over the weekend.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Oh! That's a different situation. If you actually vomit, that suggests that one of the ingredients doesn't agree with your digestive system at all, but if that were the case, if should happen within about half an hour, to a maximum of about half a day, (because after that, it should be past your stomach). If an entire day passes before you react, the substances should be in your colon, by then, which suggests that if you are indeed reacting to it, the reaction is probably centered in your colon. Of course, it's also possible for an adverse event in the colon, to trigger a signal for the stomach to reject it's contents, in order to purge the system as quickly as possible, (in both directions). Also, as you point out, one would think that it would happen regularly, not occasionally. . . . Strange.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
No, I haven't as far as I know. DD#1 had some sleep walking and eating, she thought
For DD#2 only Lunesta works and not Ambien! Her doc only wants to prescribe Lunesta but she had to go through hell and high water to get her insurance to cover it. She has to pay $50.
I have generic Ambien but have been taking generic Benedryl.
I didn't really answer your question because I really don't know if Ambien has caused me problems or not.
For DD#2 only Lunesta works and not Ambien! Her doc only wants to prescribe Lunesta but she had to go through hell and high water to get her insurance to cover it. She has to pay $50.
I have generic Ambien but have been taking generic Benedryl.
I didn't really answer your question because I really don't know if Ambien has caused me problems or not.
I took ambien a few times but the only side effect that I had from it was the awful grooginess the next morning.
Currently, if I have a problem with insomnia, I have Lunesta on hand and it works for me within 20 minutes after taking it.
Dee~~
Currently, if I have a problem with insomnia, I have Lunesta on hand and it works for me within 20 minutes after taking it.
Dee~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
I had to take Ambien nightly when I was on Prednisone. I only took half because I am a small person ( 105 -108 lbs). It would work for only about 4 hours. Now I only use it occasionally and 1/4 of a pill works great. Never had stomach problems from Ambien that I could relate to Ambien and taking a smaller dose keeps me from having any grogginess.
Pat
Pat