Ambien, The Wake Up Pill? [Vegetative State Breakthrough?]

CBS-TV Ch.3 Philly ^ | 7/22/2008 | Stephanie Stahl - CBS3

[brityank]

Ambien, The Wake Up Pill?

Reporting
Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―

In health, a remarkable breakthrough, a sleeping pill that can help people in a vegetative state wake up. Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has one Northeast Philadelphia family's story of hope.

29-year-old Jimmy Trainor has a brain injury so devastating, he is completely incapacitated.

For his heartbroken parents, the silence is devastating, the caretaking grueling and the memories too painful.

"I don't think about the way he was. I can't, I won't survive like that," said Bonnie Trainor, his mother.

But there's a glimmer of hope. At certain times Jimmy can interact, follow commands.

"We just couldn't believe it. Is this happening? What's going on?" said Bonnie.

Most doctors said there was no way.

Jimmy has been in a permanent vegetative state after a devastating car accident five years ago.

But last year, he was part of a drug experiment at Moss Rehabilitation.

"When you actually see something like this you think, okay, he's got to be in there," said Bonnie.

Of all things, it was the sleeping pill Ambien that helped Jimmy wake up a little, within an hour.

The effects lasting for about five. He's among a small group of patients in a vegetative state who respond to the drug.

"We just thought this is opening the door for us to bring him out," said Jim Trainor, his father.

"I think it's pretty dramatic," said Dr. John Whyte, a researcher at Moss Rehabilitation who led the Ambien study. He says it can have a reverse effect on some vegetative patients.

"We think this drug helps re-energize parts of the brain that are not destroyed but are not working," said Dr. Whyte.

"It just reassured us that he was, he is in there," said Jim.

So when insurance denied Jimmy further Ambien treatment, the Trainor's decided to continue it themselves at home. They put crushed up Ambien pills into Jimmy's feeding tube.

"We'd like to establish a line of communication. Something. Let us know how you feel? Are you in pain? Yea, that would be wonderful," said Jim.

At this point, when Jimmy is on Ambien, he sometimes follows directions, but doesn't appear to be expressing feelings. His parents say they're going to keep trying.

"I think I can get him back, but not the way he used to be. But I know, I think I can get him back," said Bonnie.

The family gets the Ambien prescriptions and some guidance from doctors, and sure they worry about potential dangers but say doing nothing would be worse.

For more information on future Ambien studies, for people in a vegetative state at Moss Rehabilitation, contact their Neuro-cognitive Rehabilitation Research Network at 215-663-6737 or by emailing them at ncrrn@einstein.edu.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[moonpie57]

I guess I should have explained my comments better. I woke up feeling heavily drugged (of course, I had taken a sleeping pill), and felt fear and a sense that something bad was happening. I was disoriented and didn’t know where I was at first. I was in a panic and fought to come out from under it. It’s a bit hard to describe, but needless to say it wasn’t a good experience.

[Nachoman]

The side effects of Ambien are similar to LSD.

[webheart]

The side effects of Ambien are similar to LSD.

How do you know this? : )

[gathersnomoss]

Yeah, how do you know that the side effects o Ambien are similar to LSD? If true, how did I miss this?

[radiohead]

The side effects of Ambien are similar to LSD.
How do you know this? : )

I'd like to know as well. If that is the case, I need to change my prescription!

[cherry]

I have taken Ambien about 3 times a week for a year or two....but I’ve cut back even on that......Ambien really helps me fall asleep but the first night you don’t take it, its like your are wired awake...and I don’t want to take it every night....so for the past 10 days, I haven’t.( it didn’t hurt that I ran out of them...lol)

[TexasRepublic]

I feel a Paul Harvey “Rest of the Story” moment coming on... So Jimmy wakes up for a few hours and turns on the TV. After his appraisal of the Presidential candidates, he requested to be taken off the medication.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"Rather deal with the insomnia than see the weirdness I saw last night, lol."

Isn't it the pill with those creepy commercials with the ghostly green butterfly floating into people's bedrooms? The very thought freaks me out. Creepiest commercials ever, and a real turnoff for the pills. What's next, clowns with daggers hiding under the bed?

[cpforlife.org]

There was an episode of HOUSE a couple years ago where the doc insisted on trying a never before treatment on a PVS patient, It worked. I don't recall if it was ambien but it was an incredible outcome and great episode.

[TexasBeth]

A green butterfly would have been a huge improvement over the red spiders, lol. All of the lights on the vcr and tv appeared to have legs like spiders. Don’t even get me started on the ceiling fan. My poor husband was trying to sleep with one eye open, lol.