does ambien skew sleep study results?

[nmevan]

I was given an ambien for my sleep study to insure that I actually went to sleep with all the stuff hanging off me

just wondering if it's possible that the drug increased my AHIs and desaturation?

thanks

evan

[SleepingUgly]

It's not supposed to affect respiratory events. It would, obviously, affect the number of arousals you have, and latency to sleep.

[elena88]

what does it feel like to take an ambien?

[snnnark]

what does it feel like to take an ambien?

Ambiem can be prescribed for central sleep apnea so I imagine that taking it before a PSG may mask Central Sleep apnea.

I actually just had a light bulb moment! I think I now understand what Muffy means by "Unstable sleep begets unstable breathing." If one suffers from sleep onset centrals then taking Ambien prevents the arousal thereby breaking the cycle? Does that make sense?

[NotMuffy]

Ambiem can be prescribed for central sleep apnea so I imagine that taking it before a PSG may mask Central Sleep apnea.

I actually just had a light bulb moment! I think I now understand what Muffy means by "Unstable sleep begets unstable breathing." If one suffers from sleep onset centrals then taking Ambien prevents the arousal thereby breaking the cycle? Does that make sense?

First of all, sleep-onset centrals are a normal phenomenon, so they should generally be left alone (speaking generally).

Pharmacotherapy may be quite helpful in stabilizing NREM sleep and consequently improving SDB such as CompSAS.

However, Bev (OutaSync) demonstrated terrifically long respiratory events that appeared to be directly attributed to Ambien:

Ambien Musings

So "IMHO", I think there is a subset of patients that may have significant untoward breathing-related side effects from zolpidem as arousal threshold is blunted, and one really needs to think carefully about tossing them things down arbitrarily.

[snnnark]

Ambiem can be prescribed for central sleep apnea so I imagine that taking it before a PSG may mask Central Sleep apnea.

I actually just had a light bulb moment! I think I now understand what Muffy means by "Unstable sleep begets unstable breathing." If one suffers from sleep onset centrals then taking Ambien prevents the arousal thereby breaking the cycle? Does that make sense?

First of all, sleep-onset centrals are a normal phenomenon, so they should generally be left alone (speaking generally).

Got it! What I meant was post arousal central apneas that lead to periodic breathing in those susceptible individuals... ?

Pharmacotherapy may be quite helpful in stabilizing NREM sleep and consequently improving SDB such as CompSAS.

However, Bev (OutaSync) demonstrated terrifically long respiratory events that appeared to be directly attributed to Ambien:

Ambien Musings

So the answer to the OP's question could be 1) It may reduce AHI (specifically centrals) or 2) It may increase the severity of the desats if he is wired like Bev and/or 3) It may effect the RDI because events that may have resulted in arousals, won't because of the Ambien.

So "IMHO", I think there is a subset of patients that may have significant untoward breathing-related side effects from zolpidem as arousal threshold is blunted, and one really needs to think carefully about tossing them things down arbitrarily.

Not to mention sleep driving, sleep eating and sleep congressional voting!

[freshair]

When having a sleep study they tell you that they have to get you to sleep for at least 5 hours to get a valid test -If I could sleep normal for 5 hrs I wouldn't even be there---I took my usual sleep med at the clinic before the test and they had no problems with it-they never encouraged it or discouraged it-I had submitted my med list on my first visit to conference with the doctor--These people are the professionals and they know what they are doing--I feel like my old self from 20 yrs ago and I'm now 66--better attitude, energy level up, better mental ability, better reasoning, my friends, my lady friend of 10 yrs and neighbors love me more---to get to this point a person has to walk on the edge to find a solution--My family doctor never recommended a sleep clinic study---I asked for one, it's your body and it's your life-I still take my sleep med--Peace out---FA

[carbonman]

I was just wondering if it's possible that the drug increased my AHIs and desaturation?
thanks evan

I knew for my study, I would never sleep.
I took the dope.
They got enough data to complete a split study.

What does it matter anyway?
A sleep study is probably not going to get
you to where you need to be.
Once you get your data capable system and
get educated,
you're going to be adjusting your therapy
for optimal results.

Become your own best therapist.

[secret agent girl]

.

[avi123]

At the Sleep Study you suppose to disclose all the medications that you're taking, and take what you usually do. Otherwise, the study would be almost useless. For example, in my sleep study report the Doc who analyzed it wrote: Delayed REM may be due to medical therapy with Paxil.

As to taking Ambien, which I also take but at half the dose that I used to take before CPAPing, the problem is that it's difficult to withdraw from it. I take only 5 mg of Zolpidem (generic Ambien) when I put the CPAP mask on. But it still does not avoid the fragmentation of my sleep. So I am presently trying small doses of Xanax, in addition, to see if it helps. Otherwise, I might need to follow this procedure to withdraw from the 5 mg Zolpidem, but at much lower doses of diazepam:

NOTE: Some people find it difficult in the final stages of withdrawal from 5 mg of diazepam to zero, this is a drug which helps to withdraw from the Zolpidem (= Ambien). If you are one of these people it may be of value asking your doctor to provide you with the 2 mg per 5 ml diazepam liquid suspension, and obtaining a 1 ml syringe from your local pharmacy/drug store/chemist. Users can then obtain smaller dose reductions than the 0.5 mg sized cuts using tablets.

Source:

http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/zolpidem.html

[avi123]

what does it feel like to take an ambien?

It feels like taking Aspirin or Tylenol, i.e. nothing. But the Regular Ambien (not the CR) has a short half- life of 2 to 3 hours. You need to allow 8 hours for it to clear your system. Otherwise, you might have a hangover during the next day (dizziness, headache, etc).

See more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

http://www.rxlist.com/ambien-drug.htm

http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/zolpidem.html

[M.D.Hosehead]

I was given an ambien for my sleep study to insure that I actually went to sleep with all the stuff hanging off me

just wondering if it's possible that the drug increased my AHIs and desaturation?

thanks

evan

I may affect the numbers, but it's better than not sleeping and getting no numbers or spurious ones--which is what happened during my titration study.

[secret agent girl]

.

[M.D.Hosehead]

Sorry, I meant "it" not "I" above.

Spurious.

I had a miserable night in the lab. I scarcely slept in my titration, and there wasn't enough sustained sleep for accurate titration. I got a prescription for a higher pressure than needed, which led to more leaks and a really difficult start to my therapy. It took a couple of months to sort that out. And without CPAP.com I probably would have given up.

Conceivably, sedation could relax throat muscles and require more CPAP pressure that one would need at home without meds. But IMO I would have had a much better study with Ambien.

I'd be interested in opinions of those with lab experience.

[LoQ]

I'd be interested in opinions of those with lab experience.

I've had 1 diagnostic lab study and 2 titration studies. For the diagnostic and first titration, I did not take a sleeping aid. Both were extremely miserable nights for me, and I did not sleep very much either time. The second titration study was done at a different lab from the other two. The bed was far more comfortable, by a long shot, but I still had trouble getting to sleep, so after a period of time they unhooked all the gear, gave me an Ambien, and within 30 minutes I was asleep.

The results from the two titrations were roughly the same, except that in the first titration, they did not bother with oxygen desats. They just concerned themselves with clearing obstructive events. In the second study, they got about the same pressure required to clear the obstructive events, but it took another 10 cm of pressure or the addition of supplemental oxygen to fix the desats.