ambien CR is doing nothing to help me sleep

[HGL556]

Hello,  I am a 20 yr old male.  For about 2-3 years now i have been having trouble sleeping.  in the past 6-12 months sleeping has been increasingly hard. my family doctor had prescribed Ambien CR 6.25mg pills last month and they did absolutely nothing.  I am really getting worried about alot of things lately,  sorta depressed i guess,  because some weeks i only get 1-3hrs of rest(not sleep).  i have a job that i like, but its very phisicaly demanding  and ive been making alot of stupid mistakes lately due to not getting sleep; cann't consintrait, horrible mood swings, head aches, back and knee pains,  and sometimes stomach pain.  ive currently been awake for a little over 5 days,  that is with NO sleep.  i started to hellucinate a little last nite and it worries me.  even though i get next to no sleep in a week i am a very physically active person, but lately its been getting harder and harder to work, safely, i guess you could say.  i really cant afford not to work,  but i am afraid that a mistake at work due to not sleeping might end up getting a co-worker or myself hurt.  does anyone have a similar problem, and if so what treatments or prescriptions might help me sleep??? thanks!!

[29sillygirl]

Can only add that ambien did nothing for me either when prescribed years back. Not sure why that is.  It must help some insomniacs or they wouldn't still have it on market.

Also docs prefer to treat insomnia with drugs that have no addictive properties, especially when you first show up in their office saying you can't sleep.

There are lots of meds that will help with whatever is causing the sleeplessness: but most are either habit forming or antidepressants that 1) take time to work, and 2) may have side effects you wouldn't tolerate.

You must get sleep.  That is your goal.  Wondering around in day slightly fogged in with sleep deprivation is just asking for trouble.  The best would be to see a psychiatrist who is experienced, and can ask you the right questions about what is going on in your life.

I once went three solid weeks without sleep.  Was seeing things and couldn't stop crying.  I was put on an antidepressant that worked for awhile.

Now I just take clonazapam, as antidepressants have horrible effects on me.  I took it when working and now when retired.  It is habit forming, but what I like is the lack of awful side effects, and that I can choose dosage according to anxiety I face, or sleeplessness.

Best to you. You can get a good night sleep.  Let your doctor know what is happening.

[cmb_yea_13]

I had to add trazadone to my ambien, then i went right to sleep. The ambien could be whats causing the hallucinations, when i first started taking it I did some pretty weird things and then didn't remember it. Like have entire conversations with my roommate and was really rude to her, but didn't remember a bit the next day.