Ambian and weight gain? - Interstitial Cystitis Network Support Forum

JessicainArkans · 05-04-2004, 09:23 PM

If some one could tell me by experience if they have had side effects i.e. (weight gain) from Ambian I would appreciate it.
I have been taking Amitryptaline and I do beleive I am getting a veracious appitite, I have heard it does cause weight gain in some people.
I too do not want to be obserd about weight issues but I just lost 30 pounds after gaining so much weight after my diagnosis almost 3 years ago. All I eat is bread & Chai teas NO KIDDING!!
I am aware that the Chai tea has a lot of sugar and I need to slow down on them but they seem the only pleasure I get out of my oh so limited IC diet!! I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THEM UP!!!
yet I am scared the weight is starting to come back.
Can anyone tell me about the Ambian?

Thanks for all your help!!
JessicainArkansas

SrMaggie · 05-29-2005, 05:18 PM

I have not experiened weight gain with Ambien. It really does work to get me into a deep sleep. I don't wake up anymore during the night. My mail order company has really messed me up though with the Ambien. I never got the RX they sent in early May. I've been authorized to go to a local pharm. at no cost. They're waiting to hear from my dr. Guess what? It's a holiday weekend. I've just been all around the barn on theis noe.Peace.

raynebow_jewell · 01-11-2006, 07:06 PM

My Ambien works great with no weight gain. I watch my weight carefully and I've actually lost 6lbs since I started it. I don't attribute my weight loss to the Ambien - I do Weight Watchers. When you do W.W., you have to write down everything you eat (and track points). I find it helpful, even if I don't count points, to have a record of all that I eat, so I can track what causes a flare.

chernobyl · 01-12-2006, 01:44 AM

Weight gain is not a side effect of Ambien but it definitely is for amitriptyline. I've been taking the Australian equivalent of Ambien for around two years with no weight gain. I took amitriptyline around 5 years ago and gained weight in a relatively short space of time, I've just started taking them again this week and I expect it will probably do the same. This time I'm not so worried because I lost way too much weight when I got sick, I'm kind of hoping for a few extra kilos! I think you'll find that most antidepressants have weight gain side effects.

frisbeecollie · 01-12-2006, 02:25 AM

Hi no weight gain with ambian or elavil . But I wake up at 3:00 in the morning then can't go back to sleep.
OH by the way, I love Chai tea too. I make my own in my expresso machine and use Stevia to sweetin it . Taste great!

SrMaggie · 01-12-2006, 04:45 AM

That is a great idea - Weight Watchers to help with catching what causes flares. I've been trying to do WW for the past few months. I sometimes just don't have the energy to be aware of all the components. Exercise is the main thing I need to work on. Now that I'm feeling better, I think I can start exercising with a little encouragement from my friends.

pomeranianic · 01-12-2006, 04:57 AM

I have been taking Ambein for about 6 years. and I no three other people on it. They didnt gain any weigth from it.
The onyl thing you need to becareful of you you take it make sure you go to bed.
If you stay up for even a little while It will give you memory loss. You odnt remember what you did lst night. I have toalked to people the nigth before or did something and didnt remeber waht I did. sometimes a little embarresing.

rhea · 01-12-2006, 05:25 AM

Its the Amitryptaline not the Ambien that is causing the weight gain. When they put me on it I gained 30lbs in 4 months....now it is taking forever to lose it....

SrMaggie · 01-12-2006, 07:54 AM

Ambien sure does shut out the memory. I made the mistake of paying some bills one night after taking it. I was obviously still function physically, but mentally, it was disaster. It was fortunate that I hadn't put the checks in the envelopes. Nothing was in the right place on the check.

Amytriptline really caused me to have cravings for sweets. I realize that it was my giving in to the cravings that caused the gain and not the medicine itself, but I'm having a very hard time motivating myself to get it off. It seems like it's too much trouble. But when I see myself in the mirror I get disgusted that I let myself get this way. It will happen, I'm sure. It just takes time and energy.
Thanks for sharing about the two drugs.

patricia1 · 01-12-2006, 07:57 AM

I agree with Rhea it is the Amitryptaline. I gained over 40 pounds on it and it has taken almost 4 yrs to get it off. It was so hard to lose it.

corena · 01-12-2006, 11:19 AM

how much Elavil is everyone taking to reduce Interstitial Pain? Also, can anyone tell me that they can take Elavil and some type of pain medication (tramadol, oxycodone, also, at the same time? I developed bad hives from the combination meds. Also, Elavil causes my heart to race, now I have to trade heart meds to slow the heart down.
WOW...this sounds horrible, doesn't it, but then again I have IC very, very bad, constant pain unless I have pain meds.

Baba Yaga · 01-12-2006, 02:22 PM

same here, no weight gain with ambien:

VERY IMPORTANT REGARDING MEMORY:

Do NOT do important things between taking your ambien and going to sleep. You will NOT remember anything starting 5-15 minutes into your dose. Usually if you get reminded of it later you will remember, but I have done things that I didn't recall at all once I was told. So don't use the phone, don't answer it. Take a shower, brush your teeth, pet your cat, go to bed and look at a book.

Baba Yaga · 01-12-2006, 02:23 PM

Also I would write really incoherent posts on another forum on ambien.

chernobyl · 01-12-2006, 03:32 PM

Wow, I've never had the memory problems with Ambien, I function fine after taking them! Except now I am taking amitriptyline as well which keeps me awake (I really wish they would help me sleep like they are supposed to), the Ambien doesn't work at all with it

. I'm trialling taking the amitriptyline during the day so that I'm not laying awake all night.

domaincat · 01-14-2006, 12:17 PM

Ambien may have worked fine for some of you, but for me it caused a big disaster and I was in the psych ward hospital for around three weeks back in 1998 and I still am trying to recover from the many afteraffects and back memories from the Ambien and being in the hospital. Ambien I was placed on by my medical doctor as I have insomnia and it is a sleep pill so I thought it may help me sleep. I asked the doctor for a sleep pill, it was someone else's idea. So I got Ambien and was only on it a few days or so. Well I did get tired and I did sleep. My brain was like asleep during the day too. I had delusions and I had heard voices and hallucinations. I had to go to the hospital and was given the wrong diagnosis at first, because of these concerns. Then they did take me off of the Ambien and gave me another sleeping pill, and things did get better. However, still embarrassed that my friends saw me that way. Still had to take many months off work for all of this change and I had to be placed on psych meds to get over the experience and they kept changing over the years. That's what caused me lots of trouble and now I am not working, not able to work, and yet I can't get disability either. Do not use Ambien if you have not used it, they have many side effects go read up on it. This drug is far too risky.