New FDA warnings about Ambien.


Special populations: Use in patients with concomitant illness
...Since sedative/hypnotics have the capacity to depress respiratory drive, precautions should be taken if Ambien is prescribed to patients with compromised respiratory function...
...Ambien should be used with caution in patients with sleep apnea syndrome or myasthenia gravis.

Thanks, Celeste. I know some MGers can take sleeping pills but it's hardly worth the risk since there are so many other things a person can do to have a good night's sleep. It's harder for those on Pred due to insomnia, though.

Here's the FDA updated warning.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/S...ce=govdelivery

And an article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/he...rugs.html?_r=0

Like we MGers need impaired performance any more than what MG provides for us!


Annie

I was on Ambien before my diagnosis. I went totally insane. I think I almost died.

I have not touched a sleeping tablet since last January.......

After taking Ambien for a few days last year my already existing breathing problems at that time got much worse. With rechallenge doses I realized that the pay back time with sedatives always came a day late. (I doubt I had sleep apnea at the time) With already having been choking on my own saliva, Ambien just magnified existing symptoms greatly and in a short space of time. I know of an MG friend on another forum who has the same response.

I did read somewhere that Zoplicone is partly excreted by the lungs as carbon dioxide so perhaps people with depressed respiratory drive have trouble expelling the unwanted C02?? Ambien I believe is quite similar to Zoplicone.

Thanks for that info by the way