Ambien

[H2Andy]

PF: nope, sure haven't

Ambien works well for me, so long as i get 7-8 hours of sleep. otherwise, i
do feel groggy and wobbly

 

[pilot fish]

I've heard that some drugs raise the risk of a a seizure if used with Nitrox--I don't know if Ambien is one of them though. Also I was wondering if it could increase narcosis.

I've tried Sonata and the others but Ambien is the only one that's really worked.

Never heard of the interaction of Ambien and nitrox? This is interesting. I would llike to know the answer to this.

What were your feelings of Sonata use and waking up without the drugged feeling?

 

[H2Andy]

there are certain drugs that can cause seizure in an oxygen-rich environment
(such as breathing Nitrox). the ones i know about are Ritalin, Dexedrine or Dextrostat, and Cylert.

while not linked directly to Nitrox seizuers, a lot of other drugs do lower the
seizure treshold generally. All of the tryciclic agents (anti-depression
drugs) do that, as well as potentially cause cardiac dysrhythmias (non-regular heartbeat),
which can become lethal in the diving environment.

TCA's include AMITRIPTYLINE, CLOMIPRAMINE, DESIPRAMINE, DOXEPIN,
IMIPRAMINE, NORTRIPTYLINE, PROTRIPTYLINE, and TRIMIPRAMINE.

All of the SSRI's antidepresents also increase the risk of seizures, and include CITALOPRAM (Celexa);
FLUOXETINE (Prozac, Sarafem); FLUVOXAMINE (Luvox); PAROXETINE (Paxil); and SERTRALINE (Zoloft).


i haven't heard any counter-indication for Ambien, though.

both ambien and sonata are omega-1 receptor agonists (with
different active ingredients, though), so i would imagine they
are rather similar.

i am not a doctor. i don't know what i'm talking about.

 

[Upwelling]

Sonata didn't work for me at all so when I never got to sleep and I was spaced out from no sleep

I haven't had too much of a drugged up feeling from Ambien--only in the first hour or so after awaking.

Never heard of the interaction of Ambien and nitrox? This is interesting. I would llike to know the answer to this.

What were your feelings of Sonata use and waking up without the drugged feeling?

 

[pilot fish]

PF: nope, sure haven't

Ambien works well for me, so long as i get 7-8 hours of sleep. otherwise, i
do feel groggy and wobbly

Me too -5 mg. I find that I need to make sure I get a good night's sleep while on a dive trip so I make sure I take ambien along to be sure. The thing with Soanta is that you can take it if you wake up in the middle of the night aand have trouble getting back to sleep, wiothout that wokkly woozy feeling the next day. Ask your doc about it. 10 mg Sonata is equivelent to 5 mg of ambien.

 

[steve2281]

Would it be safe to take this to get to sleep the night before a morning dive?

I do it all the time.

After 28 years of working midnights and sleeping like a baby during the day, I'm now living like a normal person but often can't sleep at night. I don't take it every night but on occasions when I can't sleep, it works great.

If I take it and wait an hour or two before laying down, I definately have short-term memory problems from that couple of hours. No hangover in the morning, feel great and have never had any abnormal feeling/problems underwater.

 

[pilot fish]

there are certain drugs that can cause seizure in an oxygen-rich environment
(such as breathing Nitrox). the ones i know about are Ritalin, Dexedrine or Dextrostat, and Cylert.

while not linked directly to Nitrox seizuers, a lot of other drugs do lower the
seizure treshold generally. All of the tryciclic agents (anti-depression
drugs) do that, as well as potentially cause cardiac dysrhythmias (non-regular heartbeat),
which can become lethal in the diving environment.

TCA's include AMITRIPTYLINE, CLOMIPRAMINE, DESIPRAMINE, DOXEPIN,
IMIPRAMINE, NORTRIPTYLINE, PROTRIPTYLINE, and TRIMIPRAMINE.

All of the SSRI's antidepresents also increase the risk of seizures, and include CITALOPRAM (Celexa);
FLUOXETINE (Prozac, Sarafem); FLUVOXAMINE (Luvox); PAROXETINE (Paxil); and SERTRALINE (Zoloft).


i haven't heard any counter-indication for Ambien, though.

both ambien and sonata are omega-1 receptor agonists (with
different active ingredients, though), so i would imagine they
are rather similar.

i am not a doctor. i don't know what i'm talking about.

Could have fooled me, Doc .
Great info. Thanks

 

[ParamedicDiver1]

Just a little info from a drug book. Ambien has a 2.5hr half-life, so after 7.5 hours, you would have roughly 1/8 the original amount left. Food decreases absorption so it will take longer to get into your system and alcohol increases your CNS depression with Ambien. Nothing I read tonight would indicate that Ambien would increase the seizure threshold when using Nitrox, HOWEVER, I don't have a dive medicine textbook yet...yet. Would love to hear what DAN had to say.

Ambien [Zolpidem]
Functional Class: Sedative-hypnotic
Chemical Class: Nonbenzodiazepine of imidazopyridine class.
Controlled substance schedule IV
Actions: Produces CNS depression at limbic, thalamic, hypothalamic levels of CNS; may be mediated by neurotransmitter GABA; results are sedation, hypnosis, skeletal muscle relaxation, anticonvulsant activity, anxiolytic action.
Therapeutic Outcome: Ability to sleep, sedation.
Adverse Reactions: CNS=Headache, lethargy, drowsiness, daytime sedation, dizziness, confusion, light-headedness, anxiety, irritabilitty, amnesia, poor coordination. CV=Chest Pain, palpitations. GI= Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain, constipation.

PHARMACOKINETICS:
Absorption: Rapid
Metabolism: Liver - inactive metabolite
Excretion: Urine
Half-Life: 2.5 hours.

 

[pilot fish]

Just a little info from a drug book. Ambien has a 2.5hr half-life, so after 7.5 hours, you would have roughly 1/8 the original amount left. Food decreases absorption so it will take longer to get into your system and alcohol increases your CNS depression with Ambien. Nothing I read tonight would indicate that Ambien would increase the seizure threshold when using Nitrox, HOWEVER, I don't have a dive medicine textbook yet...yet. Would love to hear what DAN had to say.

Ambien [Zolpidem]
Functional Class: Sedative-hypnotic
Chemical Class: Nonbenzodiazepine of imidazopyridine class.
Controlled substance schedule IV
Actions: Produces CNS depression at limbic, thalamic, hypothalamic levels of CNS; may be mediated by neurotransmitter GABA; results are sedation, hypnosis, skeletal muscle relaxation, anticonvulsant activity, anxiolytic action.
Therapeutic Outcome: Ability to sleep, sedation.
Adverse Reactions: CNS=Headache, lethargy, drowsiness, daytime sedation, dizziness, confusion, light-headedness, anxiety, irritabilitty, amnesia, poor coordination. CV=Chest Pain, palpitations. GI= Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain, constipation.

PHARMACOKINETICS:
Absorption: Rapid
Metabolism: Liver - inactive metabolite
Excretion: Urine
Half-Life: 2.5 hours.

Thanks, Paramedicdiver, that is very helpful to know. I read that Sonata has a 1 hour half life.

How did you get 1/8 ambien[2.5 half life] left in your system after 7.5 hours?

 

[jonnythan]

Thanks, Paramedicdiver, that is very helpful to know. I read that Sonata has a 1 hour half life.

How did you get 1/8 ambien[2.5 half life] left in your system after 7.5 hours?

After 2.5 hours, you have 1/2 the original amount.

After 5 hours, you have 1/2 of that, or 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/4

After 7.5 hours, you have 1/2 of that, or 1/2 * 1/4 = 1/8

The generic simplified formula for half lives is (1/2)^(number of half lives) = amount of original remaining. In this case, it's (1/2)^3 [7.5 is 3*2.5] = 1/8