Are Bush Administration figures high on more than life? (Ambien)

[TomInTib]

This is from March 16th, but I couldn't find it on DU. Definitely worth a read.


Slate columnist Bruce Reed has an article today noting some of the more bizarre apparent side effects of the popular sleeping pill, Ambien, and wondering if they don’t explain the Bush administration.

Reed recalls the recent talk blaming fatigue among senior Bush staff for the no-longer slow motion train wreck the administration has become. He offers up a laundry list of examples, to which we can add the apparent schizophrenia on whether or not Iran is arming some elements of the insurgency in Iraq.

Reed isn’t the first to wonder whether Ambien is having an untoward impact on the conduct of our nation’s affairs: in November of 2003, I spotted a Colin Powell interview in which he extolled the benefits of the drug. The president’s father was fond of Halcion, another sleeping aid with side effects that include temporary amnesia and a variety of mood disorders, and that may have been responsible for one of the more entertaining speeches ever delivered by Bush père:

<snip>

Secretary Powell: Yes. Well, I wouldn’t call them that. They’re a wonderful medication — not medication. How would you call it? They’re called ambien, which is very good. You don’t use ambien? Everybody here uses ambien.

Pretty interesting read at:

http://www.btcnews.com/btcnews/1238

[madaboutharry]

1. For some reason

scenes from "The Night of the Living Dead" are popping into my head.

[ThoughtCriminal]

3. No, Invasion of the Bodt Snatchers

Fall asleep and the pod person takes over your soul. When they saw the results, they couldn't wait to take a nap.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

I Love Ambien. Nothing Wrong With It Whatsoever, And I Really Have

trouble seeing how all the problems of this administration, or any of them for that matter, are in any even vague way related to the tiny little pill.

[BlackVelvet04]

5. side effects include

Drugs.com lists the following possible side effects:

* allergic reaction including difficulty breathing
* hallucinations
* abnormal behavior
* severe confusion

http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/medication/a/ambieneffects.htm

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Blah Blah. Overwhelmingly Overall It's A Very Safe & Effective Medication

used by millions and millions of people who are thankful for its creation. I have my bottle sittin right in front of me on my computer desk actually LOL

[Dr.Phool]

11. I have my sleeping medicine next to my monitor also

And I'm taking it now.

It's called Stolichnaya.
:evilgrin:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Hehehehehe

:)

[NJCher]

7. exactly

Exactly what I would expect you to say.

:eyes:





Cher

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. I'm Sorry, Your Post Contained Nothing Of Relevance. Can I Request That

you elaborate more, with any form of substance or context, your disagreement with my position? That would be a lot more helpful to contributing to a conversation.

Thanks! :hi:

[unblock]

8. yeah, but YOU probably use it correctly

if you take it when you're already in bed, and don't try to get up within the next 4 hours (peferably 8), then you're likely to sleep through the problem periods for ambien.

however, if you are still awake when the ambien kicks in (anywhere from 5-30 minutes), or worse, if you try to "fight" the medicine to stay awake, then all sorts of weird stuff can happen.

i once woke up from an ambien sleep to find that i had eaten something in my sleep (that NEVER happens), washed the dishes (that REALLY never happens, ask mrs. unblock!), and threw out some perfectly good dishes because i apparently mistook the garbage bag for the dishwasher. i don't remember one bit of it, but i was alone that night, so it must have been me.


needless to say, i will never use ambien again.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. Wow. I've Been Awake For Over An Hour On It And Never Had Anything Like

that happen! Sorry to hear it had that affect on you. I love it, but I will admit it can make memory quite hazy on the things done prior to dozing off.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. dee dee dee dee dum Dupe!

[Jara sang]

4. Send Bush some Ambien and a bag of pretzels.