If you have trouble w/sleep or hangovers

[mcjohn]

I have always had problems sleeping well and at one point been prescribed Ambien. I have had bad luck with almost everything I have tried. I have always been so crappy feeling in the morning. Ambien said in the ad that you won't wake up groggy and that is pure B.S. If you drink at night then take Ambien for sleep you just doubled the intensity of your hangover in the morning. Same with others that I have tried.

But alas! I have found the savior! Alka seltzer PM and alka seltzer morning relief. They usually have 2 tablets in a pack so here's what I do.
I like to drink beer a good bit and that causes me not to sleep too well. It's rare to have this effect but many folks have it according to my allergist. So I take only 1 tablet of the PM (2 in packet) before bed. Because it dissolves in water that you drink it hits you quickly and effectively. I don't recommend taking both tablets b/c that will leave you too groggy in the morning.
When I wake up I do the same with the morning relief kind and go jogging 30 mins after taking. Remember only 1 tablet. It's nothing but caffiene and asprin and you'll jump out of your skin if you do something like jog with 2 tablets in you. The asprin keeps my knees and legs feeling great during a jog in the morning and my mind stays sharp for the whole day after a night of partying. Figured pilots would appreciate my tip. Has improved my QOL!

 

[lowtimedriver]

Keep in mind that the FAA states that you can not fly within 48 hours after taking OTC stuff like Alka Seltzer PM, or Tylenol PM etc.

 

[Purpledog]

If you drink at night then take Ambien for sleep you just doubled the intensity of your hangover in the morning.

That's probably why the insert and sticker say "Do not take with alcohol". Just my guess. Haven't tried Alka Selzer though.

 

[mcjohn]

Keep in mind that the FAA states that you can not fly within 48 hours after taking OTC stuff like Alka Seltzer PM, or Tylenol PM etc.

I've had bad experiences with Tylenol PM. That stuff really sticks with you. I believe it has the same sleep aid chemical as the Alka Seltzer PM but the alka stuff is way better. It uses asprin instead of the tylenol stuff which is important.
Yes I know about the FAA regs on that. I'm not saying go fly after taking the PM of course. But I did say to take only half the packet (1 tablet) for the PM so it will be worn off in the morning and then go jog. You'll feel or be clean as a whistle!

 

[PacoPollo]

Keep in mind that the FAA states that you can not fly within 48 hours after taking OTC stuff like Alka Seltzer PM, or Tylenol PM etc.

OK Dad....

 

[ferlo]

Elvis, is that you? I knew you'd come back!

 

[mcjohn]

Elvis, is that you? I knew you'd come back!

Who you talkin to?! Hey this is my thread and we're discussing sleep aid abuse.

Just kidding. Thanks for bumping it. It was just about to go to p.2

 

[urflyingme?!]

Only way they're going to find that stuff is in the autopsy.... (right?)

 

[mcjohn]

Eight hours, 1/2 a pack of Alka Seltzer to throttle. Dangit, it doesn't ryhme.

 

[JimNtexas]

A good friend who has sleep problems takes Ambien, he gets 25 pills every six months and rations them out. He says it works exactly as advertised. He doesn't drink, so he doesn't know about hangovers. He won't take it if he is going to be flying in the following 24 hours just out of an abundance of caution. He's never had any side effects from it.

 

[mcjohn]

Ambien plus 1 beer = (euphoria) you shouldn't fly for at least 24 hours. Ambien has been shown to have some very strange effects on people. I just saw recently where some folks have "sleep driven" their cars in the middle of the night and cracked them all up.

I started this post intending to inform of a way to have a very mild and effective sleep aid that won't mix too dangerously with alcohol.
The idea is that you take a half dose of A.S. PM that dissolves in water which causes it to be absorbed so quickly into your body that the light mild dose has a pronounced effect. And then to be sure none is holding you back in the morning you take A.S. morn. relief and exercise. It is purely asprin and caffeine equivalent to a cup of coffee.

 

[whaleroast]

Oh, I long for the good old days....
going to bed drunk and waking up with the hangover you deserved. No trying to hide it, mask it, or deny it.

 

[NHflyer]

My wife was taking that crap until I tossed them down the can. It made her nuts. She would take them before bed and get so high she would get up and wander around the house, falling all over things. I'd put her to bed and 10 minutes later she would be back up. The next day she remembered none of this. I worried what she would do if I wasn't around to stop her. It worried both of us so she doesn't consider using it any more. On a positive note, she got a good night sleep.

 

[dojetdriver]

I've had bad experiences with Tylenol PM. That stuff really sticks with you. I believe it has the same sleep aid chemical as the Alka Seltzer PM but the alka stuff is way better. It uses asprin instead of the tylenol stuff which is important.

Take the Tylenol PM Simply Sleep. It has the same sleep aid but without the tylenol in it. Try taking just one with a fatty food such as a granola bar, peanut butter on toast, candy bar, ect. Hits you fast.

Personally, if I just take 1 and get 7 hrs of sleep I feel fine in the morning.

 

[mar]

Bottom line

If you're gonna experiment with sleep aids do so on your days off first.

I've tried Ambien and it works well for me. No hangover effect.

Alcohol will intensify the effect of any medication. If you want better pain relief try ibuprofen with a beer.

 

[mcjohn]

Take the Tylenol PM Simply Sleep. It has the same sleep aid but without the tylenol in it. Try taking just one with a fatty food such as a granola bar, peanut butter on toast, candy bar, ect. Hits you fast.

Personally, if I just take 1 and get 7 hrs of sleep I feel fine in the morning.

Good tip but the idea behind the Alka Seltzer stuff is the powder form. The way is fizzes and consumed from a glass of water hits you quicker than any other way. The fatty foods works for me but it will dilute the effectiveness of the pill. Pill without food takes 2 times longer to absord to the body than the fizzy stuff so pill with food may take hours.

 

[Bdfg1]

Mixing drugs with alcohol. Smart thinking there.

 

[mcjohn]

Some people go to sleep when they drink alcohol.
Some people can't go to sleep when the drink alcohol.

I tell you. If you have to mix alcohol with something to sleep do not let it be Ambien or the many other similar drugs. That is not smart thinking.

Maybe consider a powder form half dose of a simple asprin based sleep aid that your stomach will enjoy.

 

[JediNein]

Mixing drugs with alcohol. Smart thinking there.

Throw in some guns and now we'll have a really fun party.

 

[Dubya]

Whatever happened to counting sheep?

W

 

[HMR]

Just an idea...

How about cutting back on your drinking?

 

[TwinTails]

Now why in the heck would you want to do a stupid thing like cut back on your drinking? Bunch of friggin Sally's around here. Excedrin works well in the morning. It has caffeine and pain killer in it. All sleep aids I've had leave me dragging a$$ for the whole next day.

 

[mcjohn]

Now why in the heck would you want to do a stupid thing like cut back on your drinking? Bunch of friggin Sally's around here. Excedrin works well in the morning. It has caffeine and pain killer in it. All sleep aids I've had leave me dragging a$$ for the whole next day.

That's why you want to take 1/2 a dose at night and then jog in the morning. My point has been that 1/2 dose has never done a thing for me until I tried the Alka Seltzer and it's because of the absorbtion rate of the fizzy stuff. TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT. I shoud be recieving my check from Alka Seltzer any day now .

 

[wmuflyguy]

Mixing drugs with alcohol. Smart thinking there.

Had some friends in college mix Vicodin with Vodka shots.

I woke up at 3am and they were passed out stone cold in the hallway, barely breathing.

 

[mcjohn]

If you thinks that's dumb, one time my sister consumed an entire box of NyQuil LiquiCaps in an attempt at a psychedelic experience. She almost died. My dad and I have had to bail this same sister of mine out of jail 7 times.

 

[A Squared]

Here's a lesser known side effect of Ambien:



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/16/o...43176400&en=444f3e410d0fb9f5&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Editorial
Sleeping Your Way to a Fuller You

* Sign In to E-Mail This
* Printer-Friendly
* Save Article

Article Tools Sponsored By
Published: March 16, 2006

Medical researchers may have inadvertently discovered a perfect way to slow the indiscriminate use of sleeping pills in this country. Just warn all users that the most popular sleeping pill may cause some of them to eat while asleep and gain lots of unwanted pounds.

That thought comes to us after reading a report on studies by researchers at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Minneapolis and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Both groups have found that some users of Ambien, the best-selling sleeping pill in this country, develop an unusual side effect: an eating disorder in which they sleepwalk into their kitchens, forage for food or even cook it, devour hundreds or even thousands of calories, and then return to bed. The next morning they can't recall the events but find a telltale messy kitchen.

Some bizarre cases were cited in an article by Stephanie Saul in The Times on Tuesday. One woman gained 100 pounds before finally realizing that Ambien was at fault. Another woman in a full body cast managed to sleepwalk to the kitchen, where she was found at various times frying bacon and eggs, lighting the oven, or eating a sandwich. Still another sleepwalker wolfed down a whole package of hamburger buns.

Sleep-eating can occur spontaneously or in association with other drugs, so Ambien may not be the only culprit. But the researchers think that there's something about Ambien that leads to sleep-eating in some people. Presumably only a very small percentage of users are susceptible, but with millions of Americans taking Ambien every year, the sleep-eaters could number in the thousands.

 

[wmuflyguy]

If you thinks that's dumb, one time my sister consumed an entire box of NyQuil LiquiCaps in an attempt at a psychedelic experience. She almost died. My dad and I have had to bail this same sister of mine out of jail 7 times.

Whew, that is pretty bad.

The people I speak of now fly for some regionals, scary.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Is it possible to hold a medical while taking prescription sleeping meds?

 

[mcjohn]

Basically, what I've gathered from the FAR's, they are pretty much written to cover any and all possibilty of absolutely "anything" going unreported and hold the pilot responsible in liu of a federal offense.