Posted on 03/07/2006 8:06:19 PM PST by neverdem
With a tendency to stare zombie-like and run into stationary objects, a new species of impaired motorist is hitting the roads: the Ambien driver.
Ambien, the nation's best-selling prescription sleeping pill, is showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes involving drivers who later say they were sleep-driving and have no memory of taking the wheel after taking the drug.
In some state toxicology laboratories Ambien makes the top 10 list of drugs found in impaired drivers. Wisconsin officials identified Ambien in the bloodstreams of 187 arrested drivers from 1999 to 2004.
And as a more people are taking the drug — 26.5 million prescriptions in this country last year — there are signs that Ambien-related driving arrests are on the rise. In Washington State, for example, officials counted 78 impaired-driving arrests in which Ambien was a factor last year, up from 56 in 2004.
Ambien's maker, Sanofi-Aventis, says the drug's record after 13 years of use in this country shows it is safe when taken as directed. But a spokeswoman, Melissa Feltmann, wrote in an e-mail message, "We are aware of reports of people driving while sleepwalking, and those reports have been provided to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of our ongoing postmarketing evaluation about the safety of our products."
A spokeswoman for the F.D.A. said the drug's current label warnings, which say it should not be used with alcohol and in some cases could cause sleepwalking or hallucinations, were adequate. "People should be aware of that," said the spokeswoman, Susan Cruzan.
While alcohol and other drugs are sometimes also involved in the Ambien traffic cases, the drivers tend to stand out from other under-the-influence motorists. The behavior can include driving in the wrong direction or slamming into light poles or parked vehicles...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Stake out?
I saw a wreck similar to this happen last week on the interstate during evening rush hour about 5:15pm. For the life of me I still can't figure out what was happening with the driver leading up to the crash. It was bizarre. I wonder, hmmmmmm....
The doctor told my wife, "Take out your contacts, and finish EVERYTHING before taking one." Implications being that, after taking the Ambien, she won't be able to do anything...
You don't have to get boozed up. Having a drink is relaxing, takes off the edge and helps some people sleep nicely.
"The fedgov.con and the drug warriors managed to eradicate qualudes"
I know, I know, and life just hasn't been as much fun lately.
True. A glass of wine with that mid afternoon "dinner" before an Eastbound overnight is nice.
I'll be trying an overnight Southbound soon, and will enjoy the luxury of taking off near bedtime on a 10 hour flight, so it will be easier to knock off.
Thanks for the info on the St John's Wort. I plan to try it. I never had the side affects other people mention on Ambien & I am glad because I would hate to find myself sleep driving. Now I understand why my doctor only gave 7 pills at a time. He never mentioned any of these side effects either. I would rather try natural rememdies anyway. Thanks again.
Something new for defense lawyers to claim: The Ambien defense.
Cough medicine isn't the ingredient used in meth production. Pseudoephedrine as an ingredient in pill form is the culprit in meth production. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant and isn't a cough suppressant.
Oklahoma was the first state to enact a law where medication in pill (or dry) form containing pseudoephedrine had to be placed behind the pharmacy counter. Liquid cold medication which contains pseudoephedrine is still sold off the shelf here. I can still go into the local WalMart or pharmacy and find Nyquil (on the shelf) which has pseudoephedrine as one of the ingredients. From what I've been told by our local Undersheriff, only the dry form can be 'cooked' to form one of the ingredients for meth.
But it was approved by the government.
Products Liability - Zyprexia Settlement A settlement has been announced in the products liability cases involving the drug Zyprexia. This drug is alleged to cause diabetes and other serious health conditions. About 7000 lawsuits concerning the drug are pending. Plaintiffs have a right to opt out of the settlement, which was negotiated between a steering committee of lawyers representing the plaintiffs and the drug's manufacturer, Pfizer.
www.dayontorts.com/products-liability-212-products-liability-zyprexia-settlement.html
You did drive that night, I remember you now ;)
Nope, to this day I don't remember anything about making a sandwich or anything else. I just remember taking the pill around 10:30pm and watching about 15 min of South Park, then I was going to flip to the evening news( always makes me sleepy).I stoped taking ambien after my prescription was up. Funny thing I only got seven pills, one weeks worth. I have friends who say they complained to their DR. about no sleep and got a script for 30 of them! The commercials say don't take for extended periods of time, so I'm thinking people may get tolerant of the pills and decide to take 2 so they can sleep. Anyway's I think if I get insomnia again I will try anything else Hot CoCoa, Ect before Ambien again. If the dr won't prescribe a real sleep pill only Ambien I may put the club on my car at night!! LOL
What you say makes sense, I guess in liquid form it is diluted and dispersed throughout the liquid. I'm sorry for any inaccuracies, I never touch that stuff. I even have a cold right now and won't touch it. I stick to Vick's!
Surprise! Jupiter Has A New Red Spot
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
I was wondering about that.
Thanks, I'm going to ask my doctor about that on Monday. He tried me on Lunesta. That helped for a short while. Then Ambien, it was like I took speed, I was wide awake all night. I'm taking something else now and it helps me sleep but it has side effects that I don't like.
Well...John Kerry got 59,000,000 votes in November of 2004.
That will help answer your question.
Lunesta did that to me. One night I took it, got up the next morning and was going to eat rice cakes, tore the house apart looking for them. I accused my husband of eating them or hiding them. He insisted that I sat in front of the computer and ate the whole bag of them. I don't remember it at all.I did find crumbs on the floor in front of the computer.
Another night he woke me to inform me that the fire department was responing to a possible fire at a property I manage. I don't remember that either.
Frankly I find it terrifying that I may fall asleep behind the wheel from lack of sleep when I have to drive long distances.
That's what I'm taking but it causes my blood pressure to drop and I faint.
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