Differences Between Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata (Z Drugs)

[jessicupertino]

I personally have only taken Ambien but I'm wondering what the others are like. Ambien does not feel very intoxicating to me (a plus), but it's memory loss is significant. How do the others compare in terms of efficacy, intoxication, memory, etc. Which have made you go out in the middle of the night wearing only adult footie pajamas carrying a computer up a large hill trying to eat a bagel while trying to balance a pack of cigarettes on your laptop keyboard (y'know. Just as an example, not like that totally, definitely, happened).  Also, has anyone found a reliable source for quality Z drugs?

 

[mdarling]

theres a couple of legit suppliers (two i'm using right now)

the info is easy enough to find if you have a look around.

on a subnote, i've only ever used the different brands of z0piCloones, but i have a batch of amb zolps on its way.

if you've clones could you compare for moi

 

[efriend76]

as far as I know @mbien is the safest bet here because it is not really a benzo so no danger of the habit forming problems and tolerance that you get with benzos like z0piclone. And it's great for a longhaul flight or just simply for getting a good night's sleep - you feel refreshed in the morning and no hangover effect.

 

[blissopifree]

Are you saying zopiclone is a benzodiazapine ?

Well we all no that zopiclone is most certainly not a benzodiazapine,it is a hypnotic which I can be habit forming btw.

Years ago the gps in the UK used to throw these pills at patients as an alternative to the habit forming temazapam/mogadon for sleep.The thing is after a few years they discovered that they were in fact habit forming and began tapering there patients off of them much like the benzoes they were supposed to replace!.

I know loads of people that are on two 7.5mg per night that have been unable to even lower there dose!!

 

[Silver Shadow]

Hi. Ive been dealing with insomnia since I was 12. I started with sominex otc. It worked well for yrs but then it started causing restless leg syndrome and stopped helping me fall asleep. Drive me nuts. Finally my dr put me on ambien. It was great at first. But after about a yr if I didn't go straight to bed I would think I was wide awake and go out to smoke. Id stay outside all night and fall in n out of sleep. I wouldn't remember any of it in the morning and I was exhausted. After 3 yrs and taking a flexiril with it I started forcing myself to go to bed after taking it but I was getting up in the middle of the night and making baked goods,3 course meals, coffee, falling asleep on toilet, outside smoking waking up with cigs burning in my lap and occasionally waking up at 711 in my car. Finally, I started falling. The worst fall caused the majority of my back problems. I woke up falling straight back in my kitchen. Bounced off the stool and twisted to the side hitting my head on the oven. My family was afraid of me dying. My pain pills often spilled out into the dirt w several missing. It was really bad. Dr decided to try ambien cr.it was better but still had amnesia and insurance wouldn't cover it. Tried z quill for a while and it works as long as I dont take it daily. Now im on Lunesta 3 mg. My dr was giving me samples of the name brand bcuz ins wouldn't cover it and it was great. I sleep walked once on it but no amnesia and no weird activity, however they started making generic and that meant no more samples. The generic sucks. Its like taking nothing. If I take 2 I might get a little sleepy so basically I get a decent nights sleep every 4 days and I alternate between zquil and lunesta. I take 2 flexiril and a xanax as well when I haven't slept in a few days and thats when I finally get tired enough to get my full 8 hrs. My opinion is that ambien should be taken off the market. Hope this is helpful for you.

 

[rosario422]

I tried ambien,only thing it did work was on my depression,but din`t help me fall sleep,lunesta had an awful taste and smell ,only 50 mg benadryl  with 2 mg k***lpins help me  fall sleep,my tolerance has decreased for K****pins ,used to take 4 mg to help me sleep 

 

[mickuk]

ALL the 'Z-Drugs' work on the GABA receptors, albeit more selectively.

B3nzos / Alcohol also work on GABA, but more generally.

Personally I find Zaleplon to be the best 'Z'-drug with least side effects.

 

[timothy329131]

The shorter acting Z drugs could arguably be said to be less safe than certain benzos that are longer acting. There is a big risk of tolerance when you are taking a drug with a half life of 2 hours etc. vs 40 hours. 

 

[Roger]

Hi. Ive been dealing with insomnia since I was 12. I started with sominex otc. It worked well for yrs but then it started causing restless leg syndrome and stopped helping me fall asleep. Drive me nuts. Finally my dr put me on ambien. It was great at first. But after about a yr if I didn't go straight to bed I would think I was wide awake and go out to smoke. Id stay outside all night and fall in n out of sleep. I wouldn't remember any of it in the morning and I was exhausted. After 3 yrs and taking a flexiril with it I started forcing myself to go to bed after taking it but I was getting up in the middle of the night and making baked goods,3 course meals, coffee, falling asleep on toilet, outside smoking waking up with cigs burning in my lap and occasionally waking up at 711 in my car. Finally, I started falling. The worst fall caused the majority of my back problems. I woke up falling straight back in my kitchen. Bounced off the stool and twisted to the side hitting my head on the oven. My family was afraid of me dying. My pain pills often spilled out into the dirt w several missing. It was really bad. Dr decided to try ambien cr.it was better but still had amnesia and insurance wouldn't cover it. Tried z quill for a while and it works as long as I dont take it daily. Now im on Lunesta 3 mg. My dr was giving me samples of the name brand bcuz ins wouldn't cover it and it was great. I sleep walked once on it but no amnesia and no weird activity, however they started making generic and that meant no more samples. The generic sucks. Its like taking nothing. If I take 2 I might get a little sleepy so basically I get a decent nights sleep every 4 days and I alternate between zquil and lunesta. I take 2 flexiril and a xanax as well when I haven't slept in a few days and thats when I finally get tired enough to get my full 8 hrs. My opinion is that ambien should be taken off the market. Hope this is helpful for you.

There are SO MANY people, myself included, with scary @mbi3n stories! It is a horrid Rx and needs to be removed from the market. Surely someone has sued them! Plus, after a few weeks it stops working for real insomnia and is useless.

It just KILLS me to know the F-D-A (or whoever) allows that garbage on the market yet they targeting kr@tum! That is a prime example of big pharma greed and influence over our gov't. Sickening in my opinion.

 

[Silver Shadow]

@roger. Yeah I absolutely agree. When I told my new psychiatrist about it, she said oh yeah ambien is a big problem and ive heard many stories like yours. Im was just baffled at that. I complained to all my drs about it and my pharmacist. But I highly doubt it went beyond there. I think I need to write a letter or something. Not that it'll do any good cuz like you said, big pharma and greed keeps this shit going. Its sooo frustrating

 

[yelloeyes]

I can so relate... @mbien and Di@aepam  make me feel way too groggy in the morning. If I take 5 mg of @mb I cannot fall asleep, so I have to take 10, then I feel hungover.  I only take 2.5mg of the latter for another condition and I feel the same way.. yes, on only 2.5 mg and I normally have a really high tolerance to pills.  All over the counter stuff does not work, even the PM stuff.  I have no problem staying asleep, just getting to sleep.  I am not worried, do not have "noise" in my head... took the advice of a neurologist and tried the light therapy to redo my body clock... nothing worked.  I placed a "sample pack" order yesterday of 3 different things to try.  A doctor friend of mine suggested tr@z@done but the reviews I read have been horrible.

 

[NoName]

@ yelloeyes

I was scripted traz for clinical depression.  I was supposed to take in the AM. (30 mg, if I remember correctly) It made me nauseous  for 4 to 5 hours, every day. Needless to say, it only added to my depression. Tried taking it before bed. Went to sleep and woke up nauseous. I stopped taking it. Horrible drug.

One day, my bailbondsman was over to the house, saw the bottle on the kitchen table and asked why I was taking them. I said I wasn't anymore. He asked if he could have them. Told me they are known to extend an erection....NOT give you one, like Viagra, but to extend them time you normally have.  I just stared at him, and told him 'whatever...knock yourself out'. I have since read that about traz, here and there, since he told me that.

Btw, after a year on Paxil, when it was brand new, I was able to beat the depression. 

Sorry for the OT, windbag story. I thought it relevant for anyone considering Traz...for any reason. 

 

[Silver Shadow]

Hi, I just wanted to say be very careful when making a cocktail w the ambien. I take flexiril every day and I notice that the worst side effects of the ambien happen when I took it with the flexiril at the same time. Robaxin didnt do it but the flexiril has a different make up I think. It seems so weak compared to all the other muscle relaxants but I noticed immediately the difference when I run out.its the only thing that helps my fybro..I have to take it w the lunesta, bcuz like you said, that lunesta is crap. Especially after taking ambien. Its quite a bit weaker I think. The 3mg works better than the 2 but w the 3 and a flexiril I have had sleep walking and nodding off problems too. Not as bad as ambien but not good. Anyway, everyone is different as u say but just please be careful. I didn't realize I was so bad until my family showed me a video of my late night shenanigans. Take care...ss

 

[monika]

My experience with Trazodone  has been good. I was prescribed it for insomnia. It's inexpensive and doesn't leave me with that groggy feeling in the morning. Ambien doesn't seem to do much for my insomnia. But as far as a recreational drug, I love Ambien. I think all of us could tell some stories about past experiences with it. One thing I have learned using it is not to indulge whenever I am home alone. Too risky for me.

 

[timothy329131]

@ yelloeyes

I was scripted traz for clinical depression.  I was supposed to take in the AM. (30 mg, if I remember correctly) It made me nauseous  for 4 to 5 hours, every day. Needless to say, it only added to my depression. Tried taking it before bed. Went to sleep and woke up nauseous. I stopped taking it. Horrible drug.

One day, my bailbondsman was over to the house, saw the bottle on the kitchen table and asked why I was taking them. I said I wasn't anymore. He asked if he could have them. Told me they are known to extend an erection....NOT give you one, like Viagra, but to extend them time you normally have.  I just stared at him, and told him 'whatever...knock yourself out'. I have since read that about traz, here and there, since he told me that.

Btw, after a year on Paxil, when it was brand new, I was able to beat the depression. 

Sorry for the OT, windbag story. I thought it relevant for anyone considering Traz...for any reason. 

Yeah, trazodone is good for some people with insomnia, but it can also make the depression worse. Your experience on this is not uncommon. 

 

[blissopifree 2]

I was given trazadone a few years back after getting of opiates the doc said it would help with my mood and help with sleep issues as basically I wasn't getting any.

The thing is my sleep was still almost non existent at night but I could barely keep my eyes open during the day feeling extremely lethargic,not a good thing when my job requires driving on a daily basis.So I ditched the trazadone and used zimovane for 2-3 weeks which helped much more..

 

[iron maiden]

I think ambein in great for sleep problems but after taking it your tolerance goes up . If you can not take it a few days in a row it works better. My doctor now has me take remron there another name for it and it helps with sleep and anxiety . Trazodone works but It makes me drowsy ...evail works to but a low dose of ambein and remron is working for me now..I hope someone benefits from my post because nothing is worse then not sleeping .Doctors don't like Rx benzos like they did so we need places like the forum and members giving each other information of meds that work..My doctor Rx bear min to me of some meds and I just get some extra to get by.. Ambein has helped me ..Just take what you need because rebound insomnia is ruff ..Glad ambein never gave the side effects some of had .

 

[crosseyedandpainless]

I have been taking prescribed Ambien for 10-12 years. I have zero side effects from it-- so not everyone has issues with it.

I have a few friends who take it as well-- none of whom have ever reported more than a little morning-drowsiness, easily fixed w / coffee.

WITHOUT it-- I sometimes won't sleep at all for several days, or if I DO sleep-- it's less than 2 hrs of fitful dozing.

Then my body 'hits the wall' and I collapse into deep sleep, only to start the cycle all over again.

My parents were BOTH chronic insomniacs-- so ambien is a God-send   -for me.

 

[Heapsreal]

I have alternated between zopiclone and zolpidem for a number of years. Zopiclone i think keeps me asleep longer than zolpidem. Zolpidem seems to last 3hrs and zopiclone about 6hrs but i do combine them with antihistamines to help me sleep longer. I have a precerence for zopiclone. Zolpidem i like to use half a pill when if i wake up in the middle of the night and its short half life works well for that.

Recently sourced zaleplon  and found it helpful. It seems good for sleep initiation. Its half life is suppose to be 1hr but im finding it working just as long or abit longer then zolpidem, but have only been using it a short while.

My opinion, but purely for treating insomnia, i think the Z drugs are superior to traditional benzos, even the supposedly strong benzos like rohypnol .