[swozey]

I was prescribed Ambien after being a routine Tylenol PM user when I was in my upper teens. I had incredible trouble sleeping that affected my school life. I expected Ambien to behave similarly; at some point I'd start to FEEL like I was going to fall asleep where I was sitting. Sort of that drunk Tylenol PM feeling where your eyes start to close and you're drifting off so you head to bed. Hell I'm pretty sure my doc even told me to take it instead of TPM because it wasn't as harmful to my body.

That didn't happen at all, instead I started to see the room and objects in my peripheral floating, heard voices, etc. Thankfully I just had the urge to wander around my back yard and stare at the faces I was seeing in trees.

I never took it again after that. I don't think the risks of Ambien can even remotely be understated. I have friends that take it, not abusively, but every once and awhile they have some crazy event happen like being found naked on the beach or in someones house (thinking it was their own). Maybe it's a chemical reaction like the article describes but I don't see any harm in more people being aware of what CAN happen on it.

There are people sleep walking, sleep driving, etc on it. Seems like it has a huge affect on inhibitions/repression like the article mentions. The guy I know who went streaking on the beach would never do that in his wildest dreams if he were sober.