I am very worried about a friend of mine. We are both pregnant and have been supportive of each other all the way. My friend, who I will call "Michelle" is a recovering alcoholic who has not had a drink since she got pregnant. She was doing very well, but had terrible insomnia for several months. Finally in late January she decided to try taking Ambien again, even though she had had a problem with it in the past and stopped using it. She was sure she could use it just to sleep and would never do anything to harm her baby. I know that she is taking it again just for the effects, she has even admitted this to me, but I don't know how much she's taking. I do know that when she ran out she had bad feelings of breathlessness, etc. She now has two prescriptions going at once and is scared but doesn't dare try to get help because since she is pregnant she is afraid of what the consequences might be. Can she just stop this gradually by herself and will her baby be okay?
2007-03-03 01:52:35 · 7 answers · asked by cynshyn 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
I would just like to add that the kind of Ambien she is taking is Ambien CR, and that when her dr. first offered this to her she said she couldn't take it as she had abused it before. He gave it to her when she asked anyways and she has been assured that taking it won't hurt her baby, but that would mean only one a day, obviously.
2007-03-03 01:54:58 · update #1
I have mentioned down's syndrome to her, the thing is she is due in 6 weeks, she's already had the screening for that and it has come back negative. Everything so far has shown the baby to be in perfect health so I feel she thinks nothing can really go wrong now.
2007-03-03 08:47:23 · update #2
Yes, itcould harm the baby, especially if being abused and not taken as prescribed. She needs to get help, cutting addictions are not easy. If she gets help i do not think they would try to take her baby away or anything like that, as long as she gets help. She could do it herself, but it is going to be hard. Just take it away from her and tell her they baby is more important!Have her see a doctor!
2007-03-03 02:01:29 · answer #1 · answered by mommytobe072109! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I probably shouldnt write this but I am going to say that you should only act upon medical advice from a doctor. Ambien is not a very dangerous drug at all. Even if several pills were taken i dont think anything bad would happen, unless it was mixed with another substance.
2007-03-03 10:23:56 · answer #2 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes mention to her about down syndrom and birth defects. Also you can try
this miracle pill that puts you to sleep, available over the counter, is actually very very beneficial for your health, and is only 3 bucks!! I had trouble falling asleep for years. I would lay in bed, and think and think and think for hours before I could fall asleep. It was literally driving me crazy!! I had tried every over the counter sleeping pill on the market and nothing helped. I turned to Nyquil and that did the trick. I had been drinking Nyquil almost every night to go to sleep until I stumbled upon this miracle sanity saving nutritional supplement named MELATONIN. And you can buy it at any GNC health food store. I advocate GNC because the melatonin they use goes through 85 different quality checks before its bottled. Buy the sublingual melatonin. The kind that dissolves underneath your tongue tastes like cherries and it’s good for you!! I was shocked at the effectiveness in putting me to sleep. If you have any questions before you buy it the sales associate at GNC should be able to answer any questions you have. It comes in 1 mg, I take 2 right before bed. The only side effects are weird dreams for the first two nights if any at all. Must take the sublingual kind from GNC for potency, should be taken at regular bedtimes in the evening.
God Bless and good luck with your friend, Say somthing to her
2007-03-03 16:31:01 · answer #3 · answered by Elias 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is taking just one each night it is relatively safe. It is considered pregnancy category B. She does need to see someone about this dependency. It could become worse and she starts taking more than perscribed, baby then could potentially have harmful effects. She could maybe see her doctor who perscribed it to her. She could discuss weaning off b/c she is concerned about using it. Good luck to you and your friend. Just make sure she knows you are there for her.
2007-03-03 10:04:33 · answer #4 · answered by krispeds 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She needs a detox treatment urgently!!!
She can't stop it by herself, she needs the control of someone else, for she lost her own to the Ambien...(that is what support groups for addicts are for)
2007-03-03 10:06:19 · answer #5 · answered by mbestevez 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a Doctor, but i wouldn't take it. has the term birthdefects or down syndrom ever been brought to her attention? no prescriptions should be taken more that what's prescibed..
2007-03-03 10:03:39 · answer #6 · answered by kelly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She can not do this alone. She needs to go to a doctor who specializes in this area. And she also needs you, as a friend, to help her with this.
2007-03-03 10:07:46 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋