(06-05-2015, 09:44 AM)MaddMike Wrote: I have no issues when going to sleep. I am tired and drowsy and I can generally relax. I usually take half or 1/4 ambien to doze off. Taking the SR ambien that is supposed to last 8 hours does not keep me asleep.
I've been taking AMBIEN (zolpidem tartrate) 10mg under tongue quick dissolve every night for more than one year. But I take it as a middle-of-the-night sleep aid (or knock out). Up until a few days ago (possibly), I didn't come with any side effects for me and gave me a wonderful 2nd shift and next-day.
I have no trouble getting to sleep for the first 3-4 hours. Then, my body wakes after getting that basic minimum REM/rest time. Then, the air pressure going through my body, into my stomach, pressure on my nose, etc., wakes me up every night. Then, because I'm not as tired (or exhausted), it's impossible to get back to sleep WITH CPAP. I can sleep WITHOUT CPAP (like last night) but then the next day is a nightmare (today). I have headaches, rapid heart beating, etc., as side effects of oxygen deprivation from the 3-4 hours WITHOUT CPAP during the 2nd shift. Even though my brain is awake after 3-4 hours, the physical body (everything) is aching to remain in bed.
Of course, the under-tounge disolving AMBIEN says "don't take if you have sleep apnea". I went off the AMBIEN (after about 18 months) because I had some significant abdominal pains fot the past 2 weeks and it kept increasing. I stumbled across that as a possible side effect of the AMBIEN. I read somewhere that someone suggested that sleep agents relax the body organs which can cause problems. I'm not sure if that's true yet but it would seem to make sense. That seems dangerous over time.
So, I'm back to the old dilema of getting 3.5 hours of good sleep for the past 2 nights and wondering when I'll be jumping back on the AMBIEN. I know that AMBIEN isn't a recommended solution for CPAP/sleep apnea patients (even AMBIEN says so) but I've tried pretty much everything else (non-drug) to get me through the second sleep shift without success. I'm going to try to hold out for another week or so to get through the initial withdrawal stage to see if I can kick it once and for all.
One doctor suggested experimenting with another non-CPAP sleep apnea different product for that 2nd sleep shift, such as an oral appliance, tongue holder, etc., with the goal of reducing the events (instead of eliminating them with CPAP) during that 2nd sleep shift. I'm not sure that I'll be successful with that other product if one should exist for me.
I'd love to get one of those adjusting medical beds to see if that 2nd shift would be better in a semi-upright position (I'm a perpetual back sleeper otherwise).
