ABC: McCain's Ambien Use: a Security Threat?

[deminks]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Politics/story?id=4919842

In a presidential race marked by references to preparedness in the face of the 3 a.m. call, the revelation that presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain has taken the sleeping pill Ambien during his travels raises concerns that the rare side effects of the medication could impair his judgment.

"Taking more than the recommended dosage of Ambien or combining it with other sedative-hypnotics — for example, alcohol — may result in amnesia, fugue states and sleep walking," said Dr. Peter A. Fotinakes, medical director of the St. Joseph Sleep Disorders Center in Orange, Calif. "Used appropriately, Ambien is a relatively safe medication."

Though rare, such side effects associated with Ambien have made headlines.

Patients who claimed that they engaged in a bizarre variety of activities while asleep after taking

(snip)

But while the overall risks of behavioral and judgment effects due to Ambien may be low, sleep experts agree that in a high-importance role such as the presidency, proper planning is needed when considering its use.

"Ambien should only be taken when you have a window of seven to eight hours for sleep," Greenblatt said. "Your staff should know that you've taken the medication, and that you should not be involved in any decision-making during that time."

(end snips)

Somehow, I hear am Ambien defense being concocted if the POW defense wears out.

[JBoy]

1. So does McCain plan a nightly handover to his VP?

I can just hear his secret service detail "OK, Eagle One is now fuzzy PJ'd. Eagle Two has the ball".

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Pfft. There was a time in McCain's life when he didn't have side effects ... wait ... n/t

[Stuart G]

3. Ambien is addictive....

Dangerous stuff..another addict..like Bush.......

[K8-EEE]

4. "If you experience a sudden urge to gamble..."

on nuclear war......

Jesus Christ people....

[tuvor]

5. Why are they asking this only now? Powell was quite open about it.

Colin Powell was quite open about it five years ago, and suggested that the whole bush admin used/uses it:

QUESTION: So do you use sleeping tablets to organize yourself?

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.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/former/powell/remarks/2003/26028.htm

[Patiod]

6. Most of the people I know who travel overseas for work use it

Although I agree I'm not sure someone who might get the "3 am phone call" should be taking it....

[Qutzupalotl]

7. Surprising to see this on pharma-supported ABC.

The caption says planning is the key when taking Ambien. So, be sure to schedule those 3 AM calls for when you're off it.

Personally, valerian works for me.

[ihavenobias]

9. Valerian root can work but it does smell like stinky feet

:)

And melatonin can cause some crazy, bizzare dreams/nightmares.

[gi4obama]

8. My ex gf was on Ambien and

one night she hopped in her car with her pjs on and took off down the road. She ended up on a local highway going around 70 mph. After her car flipped about 4 times she finally woke up.

[Stump]

11. Not too unusual...

I know a dude who went grocery shopping in the middle of the night and didn't even know how the fuck he had groceries the next day. Scary shit.

[silverojo]

31. I saw something even scarier

An intelligent schoolteacher was admitted to ER, unable to form words or even stand up, and her movements were very limited. Turns out it was some bizarre type of seizure. She'd alternate between these awful spells, and being able to speak perfectly coherently. It was truly scary to witness, and I swore never, EVER to take Ambien.

The fact that McCain's even touching that stuff scares the hell out of me. It's seriously bad shit.

[ailsagirl]

39. I tried it once-- never again. That stuff is WEIRD!!!!!!

[Odin2005]

44. Sleep-Shopping!?!

:wow: :wow: :wow:

[ailsagirl]

40. OMG-- that's awful

[kysrsoze]

45. Our friend walked off the roof of his condo building and fell to his death while on Ambien

I'm not kidding. You can check the Chicago Tribune from late last summer for a report on his death. He was 30 years old and in perfect health. In an earlier incident, he woke up to find coffee spilled all over his apartment and a bunch furniture/decorations knocked over.

This is some really nasty stuff, and I don't understand why it's still on the market.

[struggle4progress]

10. McCain: perfect for those who want an ill-tempered misogynistic Bush-loving drug-addict as President

[OhioChick]

12. Bad side effects and

I heard it's a bitch to get off of.


Side-effects at any dose may include:

Anterograde amnesia
Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity
Delusions
Altered thought patterns
Ataxia or poor motor coordination, difficulty maintaining balance<30>
Euphoria and/or dysphoria
Increased appetite
Decreased libido
Amnesia
Impaired judgment and reasoning
Uninhibited extroversion in social or interpersonal settings
Increased impulsivity
When stopped rebound insomnia may occur

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

[RNdaSilva]

41. People choose to ignore the many reports or deny the effects...

without ever attempting to do the research.

Do the research.

Randomly select ten RN's and ask their opinion and/or experiences with patients on Ambien. Less likely to be influenced by drug lobbyists.

I refuse to get in an argument with the uneducated.

There was an earlier thread here that had many testimonials, including RN's. Where are you?

[Liberal Dose]

13. Ambien? What's wrong with using plain old Melatonin? I used to use it when I worked the nightshift.

No crazy ass side effects like sleepeating, sleepdriving, sleepredbuttonpushing...

[trof]

25. Yep, I used it for time zones.

I really helped when I was trying to sleep on the 'wrong' side of the clock in places like Amsterdam and Tokyo.

[Fleshdancer]

14. New SNL skit: Presidential Ambien Commercial

Side effects include:

-real estate amnesia
-flip-flopping
-creepy smiling
-answers all questions with "POW"
-constant desire for war


:rofl:

[EFerrari]

18. Compulsion to charge San Juan Hill; redigging the Panama Canal.

lol

[leveymg]

15. Screw the Ambien. What about the Percocet and Vicodin? How does McC control chronic pain, anyway?

Why isn't anyone asking the obvious question?

[Oak2004]

29. *chronic* pain meds (i.e., meds used continuously) don't affect judgement

Short term/short acting pain meds do. If he is on the kind of meds that control chronic pain (MS Contin, Oxycontin, Methadone, etc.), assuming he's using as directed, the only time he should have cognitive issues is for a week or so after a dosage change upward.

However anyone on true chronic pain management also has short-acting breakthrough meds available, for use when pain starts to get out of control. Those can addle the brain and (hopefully) users know not to drive, make important decisions, etc, for a few hours after using their breakthrough meds.

If McCain has daily severe chronic pain and is still being prescribed Vicodin and Percocet, he's got a doctor not qualified to treat severe chronic pain. Vicodin, Percocet, and the like are for short term use, and carry with them all the problems that accompany breakthrough meds, plus a slough of other ones, including potential liver damage. Those drugs are meant for things like postsurgical pain and dental pain, not for daily use indefinitely.

[dysfunctional press]

36. i take methadone daily for chronic pain- for the past ten years...

and for the forseeable future, due to mechanical damage from an arthritic auto-immune disorder(ankylosing spondylitis)

i also take vicoprofen for frequent migraine headaches...i can't take imitrex for them because of how it works, it's contra-indicated due to my also having raynaud's syndrome.

the opiates aren't all that harmful to the body, and can generally be taken indefinitely. the problem with vicodin and the like are the things that are added onto the opiates.

[Oak2004]

37. Yes: the Vicodins, etc., contain tylenol, which is a liver poison

Vicoprofen contains ibuprofen, which if used continuously, will cause stomach damage.

The irony of how our culture mishandles pain management is that opiates are extremely safe drugs when not abused, but the "alternatives" (which do next to nothing for severe pain) are anything but safe.

[dysfunctional press]

48. methadone requires a new hand-written prescription every month...

no refills, no calling it in to the pharmacy- and the prescription needs to be filled within 72 hours of being written, or you have to get a new one. it's all a real pain in the ass. i'm just lucky that my regular dr. does the prescription- i went to a "pain clinic" once, and they treated EVERYONE like they're a junkie- the "dr." came across to me as rather sleazy. i left with a prescription, but never went back.

i also use pot- which is a very effective pain management "tool" for the condition i have- i always chuckle at the advair commercials when they tout themselves as being the only product that "combines a bronchial dilator with an anti-inflammatory". i guess they mean the only 'legal' product. :hippie:

[ArbustoBuster]

16. New side-effect: Sleep warring

You may wake up in the morning, having started a major war. If this happens, call your doctor or the local poison control center.

[CreekDog]

17. he's less of a security threat

when he's asleep.

[EFerrari]

19. See, that's what I always think. If these mfers take long vacations

and drug themselves into a stupor, it's just that much less time that they have to screw up the world.

[CreekDog]

20. the problem is that Mittens doesn't need any sleep

if there's an AC adapter nearby.

[meow2u3]

21. McTantrum's judgment HAS BEEN impaired

God forbid an Ambien zombie like him should have his finger on the war button :scared:

He just might nuke the world while he's sleepwalking and "forget" he started World War III :nuke:

[RNdaSilva]

30. Bump...

[City Lights]

22. Can't believe I'm reading this from abc...

:wow:

[RNdaSilva]

34. Bump again...

[Vinca]

23. I'm afraid it's more than Ambien going on with McBush.

In my younger years I worked in a psychiatric hospital with elderly patients suffering from dementia - among other things - and this guy would fit right in with the bunch that often appeared completely normal a good part of the time.

[symbolman]

24. That would explain so many houses...

Sleep Mortgaging, real Estate Binging.. :)

You KNOW this guys on pain Meds.. Hell, I've got arthritis of the spine and while I appear "normal" - some of the time I'm in agony..

I'm sure he's in worse shape than me, and rich enough to gulp that shit down.. They don't mention physiological changes in the brain either..

He's probably hooked in something, at his age being hooked is not much of an issue to many pain specialists..

Maybe he'll be discovered like Elvis :)

[RNdaSilva]

26. Here's a link to some examples of Ambien usage.

http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/ambien/TIKS5AEILDIK0FCPT

I had many links in another thread addressing this very same issue. That plus personal observations.

I don't care if it's occasional usage or an addiction...it is a very serious issue. One of these days someone just might take McCain's Ambien usage seriously. Who wants to gamble McCain, in a somnambulistic state, igniting a nuclear war. Some laugh this off...it is not laughable.

Hoping that this issue does not die.

[RNdaSilva]

27. p.s. The side effects are NOT rare...they are common.

The pharmaceutical lobbyists would have you believe that they are rare.

[RNdaSilva]

28. Another link...

http://www.askdocweb.com/ambien4.html

[beac]

32. OT a bit, but has anyone else noticed that a Google link-ad that pops up

frequently next to McCain articles is I "Hate" my Yellow Teeth? :rofl:


As for the Ambien, I'm sure we'll be hearing how he was "deprived of sleep for 5 years" any day now. :eyes:

[Caliman73]

47. Seriously...!

"you know, when I was in a NVA prison camp for 5 years being tortured, I didn't get to take Ambien. All I could do to sleep is to think that one day I'd get back to the States and own so many houses I'd loose track." :boring:

[KillCapitalism]

33. I tired Ambien once.

I'd say it's a hardcore narcotic IMO, it messed me up way worse than alcohol or any weed I've ever smoked.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

35. What A Ridiculous Article.

Lord knows there are more than enough legitimate things to attack McCain on then this petty stupidity. His warped mentality and logic are far more of a security threat then his Ambien use ever could be. His taking ambien is perfectly fine. His being a douchebag GOP moron isn't.

[SpiralHawk]

38. Ambien is one of the republicon Drugs of Choice

They just love their chemical fascist fantasyland.

It is another occult republicon reality: they are drug users and abusers, and project their dark shadow onto others...

[Pithlet]

42. I'm not so sure the side effects are all that rare.

Most people I know did some weird stuff while on it. Not all were as dramatic as driving, but it's not benign. I went on-line and did some heavy duty shopping while on it. Bought stuff I never would have otherwise. I would have no memory of it the next morning. Fortunately I was able to send it all back for a refund. It seriously impaired judgment for me, and I took it as directed. It's not stuff to mess with. I will never touch it again, and I'm all about the modern medicine normally. I think they underplay how addictive it is, too. I stopped taking it before I really got hooked, and it was extremely hard. I can remember searching the trash several times looking at the empty free sample boxes, convinced I must have missed one. Scary.

[dkofos]

43. Not if cheney picks himself as VP again.

[Solly Mack]

46. Powell said all the Bush admin. took Ambien

McCain...he's just so different


lololololololol