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Close friends of me and my wife had a son commit suicide the day before thanksgiving. The night before he had driven his car and wrecked it with no memory of even waking up, let alone driving. He is released from the hospital, goes home and kills himself with a shotgun. He was 22 yrs old with no history of any mental conditions, had a great paying job, many friends (my son was one). He had been prescribed Ambien 3 weeks prior to his death to help him sleep. Since his death his parents have been on a mission to try and get Ambien off the market. Below are some sites showing the possible dangers from taking this oft prescribed drug.

Study: Popular Sleeping Pill Ambien Linked to Increased Death Rate - US News and World Report

Ambien & Fatality | LIVESTRONG.COM

Read some of these stories:

Ambien Death | Ambien Reviews

I'm sorry to hear about this. Did the incident make the local news?

Ahso!;1415028 wrote: I'm sorry to hear about this. Did the incident make the local news?


I don't recall seeing it on the news. Does that make it less true in your opinion?

How incredibly sad. I wish more doctors/scientists would study things like

this better. I hesitate to say much about it, though, out of respect.

How is your son doing?

valerie;1415046 wrote: How incredibly sad. I wish more doctors/scientists would study things like

this better. I hesitate to say much about it, though, out of respect.

How is your son doing?
He is doing alright. He is wrestling in college so that keeps him busy. He lost his Grandpa and friend within just a few days and really the first close people to him that he has known that died. November was a rough month to say the least. Thanks for asking.

My mother was prescribed Ambien soon after my father passed away 4 years ago and she was having trouble sleeping at night. She had been complaining of being unable to sleep and my well-intentioned niece called my mother's physician and described the situation. Without hesitation, he called in a prescription for a bottle of Ambien to the pharmacy. My mother refused to take even the first pill fearing that she would become dependent on it and simply didn't want to go down that path. She's cautious by nature and I'm glad she tried to combat the sleeplessness on her own in time. Who knows what effect they may have ultimately had on her already distraught and grieving mind. Sounds like they alter some internal wiring! Those were interesting articles to read, YZGI, thanks!

YZGI;1415029 wrote: I don't recall seeing it on the news. Does that make it less true in your opinion?It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings. It was a simple legitimate question.

Ahso!;1415074 wrote: It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings. It was a simple legitimate question.
Hurt my feelings? What makes you think you hurt my feelings? I answered the question, then asked you a question. I don't remember crying about it.



Not many suicides make the news anymore unless it is someone of notoriety.

YZGI;1415078 wrote: Hurt my feelings? What makes you think you hurt my feelings? I answered the question, then asked you a question. I don't remember crying about it.



Not many suicides make the news anymore unless it is someone of notoriety.You're apparently carrying something over to other threads and I thought this might have been it. Sorry if I was wrong.

Look I'm simply following what seems to be protocol here by not commenting because that's apparently the respectful thing to do.

I said I was sorry it happened. Okay?

Ahso!;1415081 wrote: You're apparently carrying something over to other threads and I thought this might have been it. Sorry if I was wrong.

Look I'm simply following what seems to be protocol here by not commenting because that's apparently the respectful thing to do.

I said I was sorry it happened. Okay?


I got no problem with you Ahso. I made a joke in the other thread. Sometimes my joke are funny sometimes not. I do my best.

The point of the thread was more on the possible dangers of Ambien, not on me, my family or the family of the young man. I was made aware of the possible danger of this drug, with all these gun threads going I thought I would make a point that there are other dangerous things that are killing people in not only this country but all over the world.

Ahso!;1415081 wrote: You're apparently carrying something over to other threads and I thought this might have been it. Sorry if I was wrong.

Look I'm simply following what seems to be protocol here by not commenting because that's apparently the respectful thing to do.

I said I was sorry it happened. Okay?


I just re-read this. What do you mean by "I'm simply following what seems to be protocol here by not commenting because that's apparently the respectful thing to do."

I don't understand. Is it that you doubt the story? If so I will PM the young man's obit then Pm you a link that shows he and my son were on the same wrestling team all through highschool, and the same wrestling team since they were around 7 yrs old.

I'm puzzled.

I remember my doctor trying to give me some Xanax after I had a panic attack and when I asked if they were addicting she said "no, they're habit forming." Very reassuring... I went without in any case.

YZGI;1415092 wrote: I just re-read this. What do you mean by "I'm simply following what seems to be protocol here by not commenting because that's apparently the respectful thing to do."

I don't understand. Is it that you doubt the story? If so I will PM the young man's obit then Pm you a link that shows he and my son were on the same wrestling team all through highschool, and the same wrestling team since they were around 7 yrs old.

I'm puzzled.No, my first question had to do with what any officials had had to say about the incident. I was curious to see how your local media framed this.

I can, at times, be insensitive and since Valerie made the point of respecting the subject by not commenting, I followed her lead. I saw where Tabby related a personal story and commented on the articles and figured I would try to be careful.

That's all there is to it.

I've read about the apparent dangers of Ambien in the past, but thought I'd see how the thread developed. I believe I've made the point on several occasions in this forum that I disfavor the use of behavioral or mood altering drugs because the drug companies make no secret of the fact that they really don't understand the effects of these medications because they don't really understand the brain well enough yet.

That doctors prescribe these medications so readily is dangerous, and the fact that because of television and magazine marketing of these products average people have been requesting and at times even demanding them. It's all very dangerous.

Ahso!;1415107 wrote: No, my first question had to do with what any officials had had to say about the incident. I was curious to see how your local media framed this.

I can, at times, be insensitive and since Valerie made the point of respecting the subject by not commenting, I followed her lead. I saw where Tabby related a personal story and commented on the articles and figured I would try to be careful.

That's all there is to it.

I've read about the apparent dangers of Ambien in the past, but thought I'd see how the thread developed. I believe I've made the point on several occasions in this forum that I disfavor the use of behavioral or mood altering drugs because the drug companies make no secret of the fact that they really don't understand the effects of these medications because they don't really understand the brain well enough yet.

That doctors prescribe these medications so readily is dangerous, and the fact that because of television and magazine marketing of these products average people have been requesting and at times even demanding them. It's all very dangerous.


Fair enough. Thank you for the explanation.

It is interesting such high numbers, but one thing to consider is that when people need assistance to sleep, there is likely already some underlying issue.



It is a bit close to home for me, though.

I travel a lot for customer business, and end up arriving late from an air trip with a meeting early the next morning.

I always have had a hard time sleeping in a new place the first night, combined with being hyped up after traveling, and have a hard time getting to sleep so I can get to the customer site, wide awake and ready for whatever.

I asked my doc for Ambien scrip so I could sleep the first night out.

Works pretty well, and a 30-day scrip can last me a year or longer.

So now, I have something else to keep me awake in that new hotel next time.