[bincongo]

I have a drug list that says Ambien is gluten free. My doctor ordered it knowing I am a Celiac but did order the generic brand. Does anyone know if Ambien is gluten free. I have used Melatonin and it doesn't help much. My sleep problems are even worse since I have been gluten free for 6 weeks.

[cap6]

you might want to check on zolpiderm which is a generic. I believe that is gluten-free. Last time I checked it was.

[bincongo]

 cap6, on 30 August 2010 - 05:41 PM, said:

you might want to check on zolpiderm which is a generic. I believe that is gluten-free. Last time I checked it was.

Thanks, that is the one I take. I was worried about taking Ambien but even it wasn't helping. Now for several days I have been much better and I do believe I was having a gluten attack and it also was causing my sleep problems. I didn't know they go together. If I can stay gluten free than maybe it will help my sleep. The only thing I did to my knowledge was licking an envelope. That was just an automatic thing and I remembered right away it was a no no. It took me days to get better.

[cap6]

Gluten hides so many places - it's frustrating. Be sure to check the Zolpiderm. I take it and it was fine last I checked but things change. I was taking a hormone only to suddenly find it on the Gluten no-no list!

[Aphreal]

I take zolpidem and have never had a reaction. HTH!

[dante'sgirl]

With all pharmaceuticals, the best thing to do is ask your pharmacist to check. They can provide you with a list of the ingredients since they probably won't know what to look for and call the manufacturer if necessary. Also, make sure to let them know you have Celiac and they need to clean their tray and spatula. I wish I could just tell you if the medication is gluten free, but if you are getting a generic, there are many manufacturers (I have seen as many as 10 for some drugs) each of whom use different inactive ingredients. Just because one is gluten free doesn't mean the rest are. So each time you get a refill, if the product is any different, make sure to repeat the check for gluten since it is from a different source. I am a pharmacy student and in my intern work, I have only encountered a few drugs that have been obvious sources of gluten, but there are most likely hidden sources in some others, so the best plan is to just ask the pharmacist to call and confirm. Just as a note, please allow them adequate time to do this. Manufacturers have been very difficult to get information out of in the few times I have called, so it is time consuming and with all the other things the pharmacist has to do, it is probably going to take longer than 15 minutes. Any decent pharmacist is going to be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you are getting something safe, so please be patient with them.

[shezatrip]

Hi everyone,
Reading your posts in regards to sleep disorders. Wanted to share this with
you. I have two friends who have horrific sleep problems/nothing works-not even
Ambien. An accupuncturist had my friend by an asian herb. It is called
Gui Pi Tang ( i do not sell this btw/not multi level marketing)
Anyhow, it is an herbal that cleanses the blood/supports the spleen and the
effects are sleep :-) My friend slept through the night the first time she
took it! I am ordering some to. Will have to google it online to see if you can
order it without going to a chinese accupuncturist. i think you can/however not
sure. The brand name she uses is Evergreen/or Evermoore..something like that.
Again, will have to google it.

[lovegrov]

Absolutely do NOT take any herb or supplement without checking with a doctor, especially if you take medications. Some herbs can cause major problems for people with certain condition or on certain meds.

richard

[janetw]

I've taken Ambien for years - name brand and most, if not all, of the generic versions over the years and have never found one to have gluten.

[nahover]

 bincongo, on 25 August 2010 - 06:51 AM, said:

I have a drug list that says Ambien is gluten free. My doctor ordered it knowing I am a Celiac but did order the generic brand. Does anyone know if Ambien is gluten free. I have used Melatonin and it doesn't help much. My sleep problems are even worse since I have been gluten free for 6 weeks.

Oh god, for your own sake, stop taking ambien...immediately if not sooner! Before I knew I was celiac I was having terrible problems sleeping...so my dr. prescribed ambien...2 yrs later I found out about the celiac and went gluten-free, but by then, it was too late...I was hopelessly addicted to Ambien. I tried breaking it in 1/2, to start weening my self, no luck, no sleep AT ALL on 1/2 a pill! Not even after 2 weeks! So I took 3/4 of a pill, still no sleep...so i had no choice but to continue the reg. dose. 3 years later, we lost our insurance, i could not afford to take it anymore, so I had to quit. No sleep, well except very sporadic 10 to 15 minutes of sleep about every 4 to 5 hours resulting in only about 30 a night. It was unbearable...you lose your mind very quickly with no sleep let me tell you! I started taking massive doses of over the counter benadryl to try to get SOME sleep..i was up to 8 pills! I almost O.D! I went to yet another Dr. begging for help with my sleep, he told me that ambien more than likely permanently ruined my natural ability to sleep. 10 years later I still have to take benadryl every night, though I am down to 3, plus 15 mg. of melatonin. I don't fall asleep till very late and still wake up a few times a night, but this is the best it will ever be for me...read about ambien, and stop taking it as soon as possible!

[bincongo]

I made the original post and at that time I had not been gluten free very long. I do agree that people have to be careful with Ambien but for short term relief and taking a small amount it can work. I now use 1/2 a tablet 2-3 times a week but for the most part I use Melatonin or Melatonin with HTP. For all those having problems with sleep hang in there. It can get better but take awhile and sometimes we get into bad sleep habits because of all the sleep problems.

[Lily127]

Just wanted to say I've been on Ambien for 10 years and have maintained the same 10mg dose with good results in that it helps me sleep when nothing else did. Fall asleep I should say. I also gave it up in 2006 for 2 months and then was back to my normal can't fall asleep routine but luckily didn't find the absence of it too traumatic.

I'm in alot of pain with various conditions so for me it's really a good thing to have to help you be able to ignore your body and go to sleep. I'd miss it alot if I couldn't have it because it's the only time in my life I've been able to just lie down and go to sleep but I'm ok with needing it if that makes sense because for my particular case it really is a blessing. Just my thoughts. Ambien has saved my sanity sleepwise

[cap6]

I have been taking Zolpidern (generic for Ambiem) 1/2 tablet, 5mg, for about 4 years. I wish that I didn't have to but the options at this point aren't good. If I take the full 10mg I do what my family calls "the Zolpiderm thing". I have shopped on-line without being aware - my son found me & walked me back to bed. I found myself in the backyard gazing at the moon - scary!! As long as I only take the low dose I'm ok. If you have other options - take something else!!!
Last time I checked, a couple of months ago, Zolpiderm is gluten-free.

[justjen]

 cap6, on 12 January 2011 - 08:32 PM, said:

I have been taking Zolpidern (generic for Ambiem) 1/2 tablet, 5mg, for about 4 years. I wish that I didn't have to but the options at this point aren't good. If I take the full 10mg I do what my family calls "the Zolpiderm thing". I have shopped on-line without being aware - my son found me & walked me back to bed. I found myself in the backyard gazing at the moon - scary!! As long as I only take the low dose I'm ok. If you have other options - take something else!!!
Last time I checked, a couple of months ago, Zolpiderm is gluten-free.

My husband was on AmbianCR (he has fibromyalgia and diabetes) and he would get up and eat excessive amounts of food and not even remember it!

His warning label from our pharmacy said if you have a prior tendancy to sleep walk or sleep eat or sleep whatever then the Ambien will make it worse (name brand or generic!)

[cap6]

Justjen ~ I've done that as well. Scary. My plan (and plans change!) is to start weaning off my depression meds after I have been gluten-free for a year. I figure that I have enough changes to cope with right now, so for now, it's the Ambien. Oh well.