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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SLS on July 14, 2013, at 5:15:55
Hi.
Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?
I am wondering if this combination would work to treat severe insomnia.
Does anyone know how these two drugs interact? Are they safe to combine?
Thanks.
- Scott
Posted by mbrational on July 14, 2013, at 8:12:02
In reply to Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by SLS on July 14, 2013, at 5:15:55
I was put on this combination in hospital 2 years ago for agitation, extreme anxiety and insomnia. 10 mg Ambien + 2 mg Ativan IV for the first ten days later then oral. I am still taking 10 mg Ambien and a tiny dose of 0.25 mg Ativan (+ a lot of other drugs: Seroquel, mianserin, trazodone and Atarax) I am sleeping well for the first time in ten years and I did not experience any interactions.
Markus
Posted by Phillipa on July 14, 2013, at 9:34:56
In reply to Re: Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by mbrational on July 14, 2013, at 8:12:02
Worse of insomnia chloral hydrate, Ativan for a year it worked great. Now I just sleep with small doses of valium & Xanax Phillipa
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 14, 2013, at 11:26:58
In reply to Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by SLS on July 14, 2013, at 5:15:55
I was on 2mg of Ativan with 30mg of temazepam....loved it, my doc was nice to give me it....it felt like eased up everything, relaxed
Posted by chumbawumba on July 18, 2013, at 20:41:03
In reply to Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by SLS on July 14, 2013, at 5:15:55
They both bind to the same receptor site don't they? Why not take more of one or the other. I've taken ambien and xanax and yeah it knocked me out but a double dose of xanax would have done about the same thing. The heck with ambien. People do wierd stuff in their sleep on ambien. My friend's wife went to walk out the front door of their condo buck naked in the middle of the night after taking it.
Posted by SLS on July 18, 2013, at 21:01:45
In reply to Re: Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by chumbawumba on July 18, 2013, at 20:41:03
> They both bind to the same receptor site don't they? Why not take more of one or the other. I've taken ambien and xanax and yeah it knocked me out but a double dose of xanax would have done about the same thing. The heck with ambien. People do wierd stuff in their sleep on ambien. My friend's wife went to walk out the front door of their condo buck naked in the middle of the night after taking it.
Benzodiazepines are not all created equal. Some are better hypnotics than others. The strategy I describe takes advantage of the differences in knock-out punch and half lives. Halcion will initiate sleep much more potently than Ativan, but has a 1 - 2 hour half life. It will not maintain sleep throughout the night. In fact, rebound awakenings are common. Ativan smooths this out and allows someone to sleep throughout the night. To have the same knock-out punch, one would have to take enough Ativan to remain drugged all day long. I haven't researched the use of Ambien and Ativan in combination. They do not bind to the same BZD receptor subtypes.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on July 18, 2013, at 21:11:56
In reply to Re: Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by chumbawumba on July 18, 2013, at 20:41:03
My across the street neighbor when she lived in Long Island went downstairs got a gallon of ice cream and ate it. No memory at all. And one night she did something to her husband which I can't post. But lets say he thoroughly enjoyed it. Phillpa
Posted by chumbawumba on July 19, 2013, at 14:00:58
In reply to Re: Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan? » chumbawumba, posted by SLS on July 18, 2013, at 21:01:45
Huh, I always thought ambien bound to Gaba-A at the benzo binding site. Where does it bind?
I've taken Lunesta, it has a longer half life than ambien but I've never felt groggy the next day.
Posted by SLS on July 19, 2013, at 15:20:22
In reply to Re: Has anyone combined Ambien and Ativan?, posted by chumbawumba on July 19, 2013, at 14:00:58
> Huh, I always thought ambien bound to Gaba-A at the benzo binding site.
You're right.
There are two subtypes of benzodiazepine receptor, and at least five types of GABA-A receptor. Each has different properties: anxiolytic, myorelaxent, sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant.
I don't understand all of the details. I'm not sure scientists do, either. I can't find a good summary using Google.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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