Stupid insurance

I was supposed to have SRT one today, more than 3 weeks after the radiation oncologist said go. The insurance company has yet to approve anything so we did a dry run and we'll wait for a call. Of course it's a bit late in the game to switch companies. All I can do now is spend as much of their money as possible.

Steve, easy answer there.

Ambien is now generic, under BC, I pay about $4 a month for them at CVS (been on Ambien over 11 years), Lunesta is not a generic at this point.

David in SC

k -- i have been taking 10 mg of ambien at night for about a year and it puts me to sleep quickly.  when i was having hot flashes and other SE i wouldn't always stay asleep but ambien has helped me alot.

ed

 

K,

I was put on Ambien 11 years ago when I underwent major RT the first time. Over time, I did increase from 5 mg to the 10 mg tablets. At first, they would put me out like a light, and give me 6-8 hours of deep sleep, which is a lot for me. Come from a family of insomniacs.

There was a period when I didn't have any insurance, and was off Ambien for 6 months, I had no withdrawal problems, simply quit cold turkey. A monthly supply originally cost me $165 even with insurance.

I have been on the generic version as long as they have been on the market. I tried the "plus" version for 10 days, and found them not as effective. Also, to keep idiots from grinding up the Ambien to get high ( they snort the Ambien and then overdose onf caffine, to create hallucinations), the drug companys often coat the pills so that people can't crush them into a powder. I have found the coated generic ones work the best.

After all these years, an Ambien will knock me out in about 15 minutes on the average, and till give me at least 6 hours steady sleep. I never wake up with a sleeping pill hangover. I wake alert and instantly ready to go.

Like any prescription meds, people can and do abuse them, but I never have. If you take Ambien, you shouldn't take it till you are in bed and ready to sleep. The people that have had trouble with sleep walking or doing weird things under Ambien, usually take it, and then continue to try to be awake or active. Not a smooth move.

I have never tried Lunesta, so I have no opinion on it, but since it isn't generic, why pay the higher price?

Hope this helps

David in SC

Post Edited (Purgatory) : 4/28/2011 10:17:57 PM (GMT-6)

logo,

i have spent my entire life with sleep problems. even when i was working, i can get by with 4-6 hours of sleep. before ambien, i use to use generic benedryl like you do, and it worked reasonable well for me. a pharmacist told me that you can do that safely for years, and if you have allergy problems (i have none), you get the secondary benefit. its a safe alternative to taking a prescription sleep aid in my opinion. cost wise, using wally world as the example, i can get a month supply of generic ambien cheaper than buying the generic bottle of benedryl.

i cant blame age in my case for sleep problems - my entire side of the family all suffer from sleep disorders. i even went to a sleep center one time and spent the night hooked up to a million sensors, personally, i thought it was a big waste of time, and it felt creepy. they never came to any kind of conclusion.

david in sc