ambien for BI recovery

[ericro]

  Has anyone seen anything about the use of ambien for treating brain injury?  I've seen some stuff about coma recovery, but nothing on general brain injury.
  I suffered a cerebral hemmorhage many years ago (22) and presently suffer from short term memory trouble and visual impairment (hemianopsia).  About 2 years ago, I experienced insomnia  and wa sgiven ambien.
  Since then, I've taken approx 5mg nightly and have noticed a substantial improvement in my short term memory.  I have also recently had my visual fields mapped and there has been notable improvements in areas of vision.  I can only assume that the change has been a result of the use of the ambien, but I am concerned about continued use of the drug.  MY GP is comfortable with my continued use, given the improvements noted.  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[ericro]

Thank you:
  I contacted regen for furthur information.  From what I saw, They are evaluating with a low dosage spray.  Since the medication is still working as a sleep aid, I'd really like to take advantage of that aspect.  I'd really like to try and figure out what is happening so I asked regen about any work going on here in the states.
thanks

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
The use of ambien in coma or persistent vegetative states is now coming up. Regen therapeutics of UK is conducting trials of ambient in coma. In fact they have a patent pending for this new use.
The effects of ambien on vision improvement are not so well documented.
Thanks for sharing!

[ericro]

  Is there any information on melatonin relating to actual medical usefulness?  I've seen alot of hyperbole and the general idea that it must be good for sleep since it's a sleep hormone.
  I have been taking Ambien for a while, see previous posts, and noticed that I was having nervousness and stomach troubles the following day.  These symptoms are generally listed as withdrawal side effects of Ambien.  Taking Melatonin at night about a half hour before the Ambien seems to eliminate these symptoms.
  any thoughts?

[ericro]

  Thank you very much for sharing this information.  I continue to be amazed by the stories I have read about this medication.  It certainly helps me realize that I am not crazy when I think that I'm receiving benefit from this medication.  I am quite surprised that there arent more studies on this, as there are so many people who could possibly benefit.
  Best wishes to you and your family

[Colorado1972]

Hello ericro,

My son suffered a near fatal encephalitis and meningitis (with 5 mini strokes) 3 years ago when he was 10. He lost his memory completely and now has terrible problems with visual perception, short term and long term memory among other things. Rehab was long and hard. He has regained his sight, speech and movement but he did not regain his past memory and had to relearn everything.

In Dec 2007 (2 1/2 years after the brain injury) his neurologist prescribed Ambien to him hoping it would have similar effects (waking up what appear to be dead brain cells) it has had for coma patients. The first 2 weeks we didn't see any improvement at all. Then one day he went to his dad with a model car and said he remembered building the car with him and told a few details!

The next thing he did you need a bit of background...before he lost his memory and visual perception he was a lego genius (IMHO). He had lego projects scattered all over his room. But when he came home from the hospital 2 months after the encephalitis...he didn't know what they were and could not even put the pieces together. He tried several times over the next 2 years but just couldn't figure it out even though he was progressing in other areas (except memory).

So a few days after he had his first memory from the past he came to me with this elaborate huge airplane he had just made from legos! And he said, "Mom, I don't know why...but this isn't hard anymore." I was ecstatic!  

Two months later, he had his yearly IQ performance exam to check if his brain is still healing. The dr warned that we would probably not see much if any improvement after 2 years 8 months past. But we and the dr were pleased to see a considerable jump in his performance IQ and other areas.

He continues to mention vague memories from the past and is building away with his legos. He is no where near what he was before but I cannot deny the possible connection with Ambien and his recent improvement. We and his dr intend on keeping him on it as long as we see improvements. Hope this helps!

[ericro]

  Thank you very much.  I read so many negative stories online about zolpidem, I was kind of concerned that I was the only one experiencing such positve results.  Everything I've seen, including your post indicates that as long as I take it for sleep or other medicinal purpose ( memory improvement in this case), I need not worry.  I am concerned about the possibility of developing tolerance, and I keep a close eye on my use.  So far, I have experienced a few nights of waking too early, but have been able to get back to sleep with sublingual melatonin.
  I have been through numerous phases of rehabilitation over the years.  I stopped 'regular' treatment in 1987 or so after about a year and a half of regular therapy.  Several years ago, I went to an outpatient rehab facility to check up on the state of the art in rehab, but I am so far beyond the levels that they work with, that there really was nothing they could offer me.  As for the hemianopsia, the only new thing I've seen has been the Nova VRT, but I cannot afford it and my insurance wont pay.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hi,

Ambien or Zolpidem is a prescription medication used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as well as some brain disorders.

The transition from medicinal use to recreational use of Zolpidem can occur when the drug is used without the doctor's recommendation to continue using it, in high doses (more than the usual 5mg or 10 mg), when consumed other than orally (snorting or injecting), or when taken for purposes other than as a sleep aid. Abuse is more prevalent in those who have been dependent on other drugs, tobacco, or alcohol in the past. Zolpidem effects can increase and intensify if mixed with other substances like alcohol and cannabis. With regular use at high dosage, there can be a risk of a severe physical dependence on zolpidem or you can have psychological dependency on that drug.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

You can work with a specialist in memory for your short term memory loss. Every head injury program has a specialist who teaches memory strategies. In most cases, this is a Speech Therapist. You can also take an opinion from an eye specialist for your vision impairment.

Hope that I have answered your query. In case you need any more information, then pls post us.

Take care.