Heath Ledger was on Ambien. Have any of you been on it?

Question

Ambien is a TERRIBLE drug....I was put on it against my will once in a hospital, and it caused terrible hallucinations that ruined my life, basically. I have talked to others who have used it who also had psychotic reactions. Now that a beloved star, with no evident suicidal tendencies, has died who was prescribed this drug, maybe it is time for a thorough investigation of it and its terrible side effects. What do you think? Ambien is basically supposed to just help you to go to sleep.....but it does much more than that!
Hearing that this was the drug Heath was prescribed made me furious! They say that the filming of the Batman role of the Joker was very hard on him, that he barely got 2 hours of sleep a night, and pictures of him after finishing the filming of that movie show him as sickly looking and exhausted....maybe playing that character was not a good idea either.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Some report major side effects while on Ambien and others have just as serious withdrawal symptoms when getting off. This is a very bad drug. It should absolutely be examined in the death of Heath. It seems to be slightly different for each person. However, most of the time, it does seem to be fairly serious.

I have no prior addiction issues, no mental issues, have never been treated for such. I've never taken more than the prescribed amount. At first, the Ambien seemed to work pretty well for me. I thinked I would have bragged about it.

However, after being on Ambien for 9 months or so, side effects began to happen (note: they can come on gradually and it can be difficult to associate them with the drug at first). I decided to get off. I was told it would take 2 weeks to recover my sleep patterns. Much to my surprise, the withdrawal process was way more serious and intense than that. I would not have believed it if someone had told me ahead of time.

I am still in the process of detoxing. I have been off for one week now. I've had major headaches, experienced profound anxiety (terribly unusual for me), had nausea, had a severely heavy menstrual cycle, severe breathing difficulty, chest pains, and much more. The list goes on, but every symptoms is recorded on the drug information. It is documented.

I feel like I just hang on to each hour and pray that I make it to the next... I am hanging in there, waiting for this to become a distant memory.

I know I will come out of it with a new understanding of addiction and a new alertness to this class of drugs.

This needs to be talked about and looked into - it's potentially very dangerous. I can't imagine getting off of ambien and not having someone with you constantly - it's that intense.

Please take this seriously.

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Asker's Comment:

Agreed, absolutely, this drug is very toxic and serious in the side effects it causes....I have no doubt it could have contributed to Mr. Ledger's death....but we can only pray that the drug companies will be forced to take it off the market, since, I am sure it makes plenty of money for them!

Answer 2

Yes. One time I woke up in the middle of the night and saw all this strange substance all over me. I kept trying to get it off but it was everywhere. Hallucinations big time. Ive loved the drug ever since. Which is probably why my doctor stopped prescribing it to me. Yes, it can be dangerous but like anything, dont abuse it.

Answer 3

Ambien was supposed to be almost having nil side effects. But there are individuals who have bizarre nightmares , hallucinations and other psychotic reactions - especially with 10 mg dose. Immediately consult your doctor and he would give you alternate medicine.

Answer 4

All of those actors use many different drugs, most likely at the same time too, thats the risk of being in that kind of business, you barely get to take care of yourself, its sad the way he went. A lot of these new drugs arent safe at all, its like you are a guinea pig, and they are just trying them out on you. Everyone is running around thinking that they are depressed and sick, and it really isnt that bad, we all go through hard times, but we dont need a prescription for everything, thats just crazy!

Answer 5

Unless you were on a psych ward, no medical professional can FORCE you to take any medication....so either you are overexaggerating...(extremely likely) or you were in a psych ward which makes your claim that Ambien made you hallucinate null......(however, Ambien can make you hallucinate and/or dream)
Either way....Ambien is an FDA approved drug..so unless Heath decided to take, I don't know a whole bottle with the intent to kill himself...I don't think it really plays a role in this death.....which was Overdosing on an unspecificed prescription medication.....

In short, maybe we (you) should take responsibility for our own actions and mistakes instead of blaming others and medications you weren't "forced" to take.

Answer 6

Yea I had really bad hallucinations on it too, when i was in the hosptial. (they told me that was the only thing I could take) I mean I though people where going to come get me, like my attacker. I was scary I never want to be on that again. I hope this did not kill him.

Answer 7

Yes, I took Ambien and it did strange things to me too.
Twice I got up from sleep and did crazy things I didn't remember later.
Once I cleaned out my big freezer. I found evidence of it .
And I cooked a roast while "out of it." I almost caused a fire, because I put the meat in a plastic container, not good in a stove oven! Luckily, the smoke woke me up.
Suppose Ledger got up from his sleep and just took the pills, not knowing what he was doing?
This question of yours sure did make me wonder ..................

Answer 8

Wow, they should have arranged for him to get way more sleep than that.

Answer 9

I feel bad for him. That's why addictive benzodiazepine meds like that, Xanax, Klonopin, etc. should be taken under close supervision.

They put me on Ambien against my will in the hospital the last time I went, & the strange thing is that it did NOTHING for me! Didn't induce sleep, cause hallucinations, or anything.

I OD'd on Klonopin last year (unwantingly) because I felt it wasn't effective, & I was going through a rough time. I attempted suicide by this OD because my life was in danger, & no one wanted to help me, so that's what made me feel like I didn't have a right to live.

Answer 10

Yes I took this once, under the brand name Stilnox, it has the same active ingrediant Zolpidem tartrate. I just recently appeared on a national Current Affair program on TV in Australia with my story warning people not to take it, there are many activists all over the world trying to get this drug taken off the market. I took just 1 tablet with the anticipation of going to bed early at 7pm. I didn't remember anything until I woke up at 7am. To my horror I had a black eye, bump on my forehead, a bruise on my hip the size of a dinner plate, then I found hospital heart monitor equipment stuck all over my chest. I COULDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING! I had no idea what happened to me. I rang the hospital who confirmed I'd been there, I was told I was brought in by ambulance after collapsing at late night shopping, why I went shopping when I planned on going to bedI'll never know! After being at the emergency ward for 2 hours I apparantly then got up, left, & walked back to the shopping centre where I'd left my car, then I drove home. I then put a pot of oil on the stove to cook chips & forgot about it, the house filled with smoke & the smoke detector went off waking my partner who didn't know where I'd been, he was at work & when I woke up at 7am he had left for work again & I had no memory of anything that happened-only what people told me I did. I was driving my car! I could have killed myself or some innocent person. I couldn't believe it. I reported it to the Adverse Drugs Events Unit & then contacted the TV show to warn other people. When my story went to air there was also an Aussie actor on there who was photographed walking around in nothing but his underwear & carrying a book in the middle of the night in the snow in London! He went on the show too saying he had no memory of doing that. Like all drugs they don't effect everyone the same but who wants to take the risk. People have had car accidents & some have started kitchen fires cooking, a plumber exploded a gas main & one lady woke up to discover she'd painted her front door red! Many strange & dangerous stories! I don't know what happened to Heath Ledger, maybe he took more pills not remembering he'd already taken it, I only remember taking 1 but 4 were gone! I have heard stories of people taking the whole packet & not remembering doing so, but I agree it is a TERRIBLE & DANGEROUS drug & should be banned.

Answer 11

I take Ambien 10 mg and have for a long time. No strange side-effects [other than I actually get some sleep].
Maybe it just reacts differently with different people.

Answer 12

I took it i had no side effects but i had no effects at all. I as supposed to take 2 before bed but they didnt work so i would take about 5 and not still sleep a wink.

Answer 13

I was on this medication I am honestly surprised I did not die. I completely lost my mind and went on a crazed rampage. It was sick. I tried to hurt msyelf, as well as others around me. I wanted to throw up when I heard that is what he was taking Ambien....these drugs are horrible.

Answer 14

I really hope that people don't react to this tragedy by going on "Pull Ambien!!" rants.
That pill literally gave me back my life a bit over two years ago when chronic insomnia was making me come apart at the seams. I tried everything under the sun to sleep (including scary self medication with vodka), and nothing worked. I was shaking so hard from fatigue the day I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed it. I then proceeded to seek out all the best doctors to help my insomnia, and the verdict was the same.
Under the supervision of a sleep disorder specialist (monthly appointments), I take it every night and have never experienced any problems. I know that everybody's body will react differently. My rule is to take it a and go straight to bed. If a person has adverse reactions, then they should stop taking it. But, I suspect there are a lot of people like me who are helped a great deal or it wouldn't still be there. I'm sorry that people have had bad reactions, but keep in mind that there are people out there that are themselves again with this, much like every psychotropic drug.
Chronic insomnia is unlike any nightmare most people can only imagine. It truly changes everything about you. It is so sad to know that such a talented man suffered like this and I hope he is at peace now.

Answer 15

Yes, Ambien does much more than help you go to sleep! You should check this site: www.adverse-drug-reaction.net and look up the adverse reactions reported from consumers using Ambien!

Answer 16

Yes, I was given Ambien when I went to the hospital with false labor pains. The nurse said it would help me sleep. I had to sign a waiver stating I wouldn't drive since they dismissed me from the hospital shortly after dosing me. By the time I got the the lobby, I was almost falling over on my husband. I had trouble walking and he said I was talking about all sorts of crazy things on the drive home. I remember feeling like I was in a daze. Then I woke up a couple of hours later, full of energy and I was puzzled because I thought it was supposed to help me sleep through the night. I remember thinking that my Nyquil works longer than that without all of the crazy side effects. But if Nyquil isn't safe to take when pregnant, why would the hospital give me Ambien? I would never take it again. I'm sorry to hear about Heath Ledger. He was a very talented actor.

Answer 17

YEP i'M ON IT AND ITS CAUSED ME NO PROBLEMS AT ALL

oops sorry bout caps

Answer 18

I am prescribed to 10mg Zolpidem (Generic version of Ambien). I have noticed mild hallucinations while under the influence. I did see the possibility brought up that Heath Ledger may have taken Ambien to go to sleep and wake up and unknowingly taken more. Well, I had two pills left the other night before I went to sleep. I took one and fell asleep almost instantly. However, when I went to take my last one the next night I had none left. This is strange because I live alone. I believe that I took my last one while in an Ambien haze...Maybe it is dangerous. But so is trying to be productive on little sleep...Just trying to shed some light

Answer 19

Yes, I have been on it.
The first time I took the RECOMMENDED dose - 2 pills - it caused very interesting and even hilarious hallucinations. But they WERE hallucinations; and I bet somebody who is in a darker mood than I was, could have not-so-funny experiences.

Worst of all, because they caused euphoria, I became psychologically - and perhaps also physically - addicted to them.

And here's the cherry on the cake: they don't even induce sleep half of the time! (And very often, the sleep they produce is much shorter and unsatisfying than "normal" sleep, even though the makers claim that it induces uninterrupted sleep of normal - that would be 6 to 8 hours - duration.)

If you want to sleep but can't, try an antihistamine instead. They don't fry your brain, and you won't get addicted to them either.

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Source(s):

How about PERSONAL EXPERIENCE?

Answer 20

I only took Ambien once, when I was pregnant. Now that scares me knowing the side affects. But not all people will react the same way, I think that it has a different affect for everyone. I think it is very sad what has happened to Heath but we all should be respectful now and let the coroners do the speculation.

Answer 21

Sounds like BooChick has issues

Answer 22

no i never have never will i sleep good