Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Pepper and Ambien do NOT mix.


WARNING: This entry contains subject matter and language that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

With my move to Miami a mere day away (part 1 at least), my anxiety has reached new levels making my insomnia 8372493 times worse than usual. My doctor prescribed me Ambien about 2 weeks ago. I tried it the night I picked it up from the pharmacy and it worked...I slept like a baby, but the next day I suffered from a killer headache and nausea that rivaled even my worst hangover. And it lasted until I went to bed again and woke up the following morning. Since that experience I've been reluctant to try again. But I realized I didn't follow the instructions which said to take the pill with a full glass of water. This time, I got in bed and swallowed the pill with water and sat up in bed finishing the bottle. (I realize this is more than a glass, but I didn't want to take any chances.) I tried with all my might to fight the sleep that the Ambien was forcing upon me in favor of finishing the bottle of water, but eventually it was too much to bear. With less than an ounce of water left, I put the Poland Spring bottle on my nightstand and began to settle into a comfortable sleeping position, when suddenly I am forced forward and without warning I begin spewing vomit. Panicked, I reach for the garbage can not far from my bed, but in my Ambien induced stupor, I knock it over and proceed to vomit some more with the trash can on its side.
My initial reaction is 'Shit! I just threw up my birth control and my Ambien. I'm going to get pregnant and I'll be up all night.' My second reaction is 'I need to clean up this mess...I can't believe there was no warning that I was going to vom.' This thought motivates me to get out of bed and proceed to the linen closet to get a towel to clean up my mess. Except the instant I step out of bed, my reaction is 'Fuck, I'm sleepy.' I stumble clumsily to the linen closet and grab what feels like a towel. I have to use my sense of touch since I literally can't keep my eyes open. After bumping into the door ways I make it back to my room and kneel down to clean up the disgusting mess. I fall backwards. I wake up at 4 am...three hours later...on the floor...with a pile of vom at my feet. Good thing I fell backwards.

I did clean up the vom just after I woke at 4, right after I caught my bearings and went back to sleep (in my bed the second time). I still had horrible feelings of headache and nausea all day today.

I had been in the middle of a text conversation with #1, while I was finishing that bottle of water. My end of the convo went like this:

12:53am: Okidl watitk news so de
12:55am: Wrathh 4 ? Entryip tut

It's pretty clear at this point that Ambien is just not for me. Not sleeping is definitely beats that horrific experience.

1 comments:

Trixie said...

That is no good, I haven't had the reaction to Ambien, but have only taken it a few times. Have you tried just a regular sleep aid from the drug store? I use those occassionally when anxiety gets the best of me. Hope you feel better!