Reading all your messages has been like hearing the latest updates on my three sisters. That's a compliment and sincere thank you. Crohn's disease, Graves disease, fibromyalgia and arthritis (Rheumatoid/Osteo)have reared their ugly heads among my 3 sisters but left me inexplicably unscathed. The family is an autoimmune minefield...LOL. After the ONE night I went home to get some sleep I came back to my father's house to find 2 cars and no father. When your 82 year old father is MIA without explanation you naturally worry. Turns out he had a second serious bout of Atrial Fibrillation and went to the hospital without telling me. Ask me if I wasn't feeling guilty for leaving him and upset with him for not calling me. He didn't want to interfere with me taking my best friend to a colonoscopy appointment Monday AM. I didn't sleep again Monday or Tuesday nights but got a couple hours sleep earlier tonight when I landed back at my father's with Pop in tow from hospital/cardiology office. No Coumadin yet until results of 3 week montoring device show if he's having small episodes of A-Fib when he gets chest tightness on treadmill at gym. Coumadin and exercised induced symptoms are the worst for him. He's extrememly active physically (so he doesn't fall asleep!) although we're having memory issues. Well, I've whined again but it feels better to get it out. I went outside yesterday at first light to rake and do a little garden clean up. It was glorious and relaxing. If all stays well for next week or so I'll have cooked my 5th Thanksgiving dinner and actually gotten somewhat used to it. Part of family will be here and Dad can have his turkey dinner without dietary restrictions of blood thinner. He's all about his food but luckily for me not picky...LOL. All in all, I'm a pretty lucky chickadee tonight. :) Good wishes for all of your health challenges as well. I think I'm going to get some Lavender heat wraps to relax me when I'm exhausted but can't sleep.

Long Term Effects During longer-term treatment (28 to 35 nights) in controlled clinical trials at doses less than 10 mg, the most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of Ambien and seen at statistically significant differences from placebo-treated patients were dizziness (5%) and drugged feelings (3%). Does Ambien increase total sleep time? Yes it does. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study, subjective measurements showed Ambien significantly increased total sleep time compared to a placebo for all 4 weeks. Switching to Ambien? There are no definitive clinical trials that address switching from other sleep medications to Ambien. Therefore, it is advisable to allow for an adequate washout period when switching from other sleeping pills, particularly long half-life products like benzodiazepines. Discontinuing Ambien As a general precautionary measure, gradual tapering off of the sleeping medication rather than abrupt discontinuation may be needed. This helps to minimize the potential for withdrawal reactions. Storing Ambien Store Ambien at room temperature away from moisture, heat and children, but not in the bathroom.

I've been on Prednisone since May when I was hospitalized for a first-time asthmatic-bronchial attack. When I came home I was on 60 ml a day, & we now have it down to 5 ml a day. I'm hoping that will get to every other day soon. During this time the side effects have varied (& sometimes almost driven me nuts)- I usually have a few effects going at the same time. They include weight gain, facial puffiness (though not the "moon" face), lots of muscle aches, especially in my hips, lots of muscle cramps in my feet, legs & forearms, intolerance to heat, excessive sweating, heat flashes, hair thinning, crankiness, gastroesphogeal reflux, easy bruising, thinning skin, insomnia, odd dreams, & for a while, high blood sugar. While this medicine is needed, it's as bad as some chemotheraphy: the treatment is as bad or worse than the disease. Sigh.

mcpeg, I'm an American and certainly take no offense to your concern and I would agree totally if in your position. That said, I should add that I have problems with all the people coming here for free health care too. People come from Mexico to have children here to be covered by US care at taxpayer expense and to the detriment of other citizens. I don't think that's right. Our state has a more lenient welfare system than many others and we get busloads of people who come in for a weekend to make claims, collect payments and go home. I don't mind helping out, but I don't like being taken advantage of. The problem of course is the laws of our respective countries and states/provinces. Just like the US is too stupid to tax actors who make millions and have their residency elsewhere, including Canada ;) (Dan Akroyd, Michael J. Fox, Adam Sandler, etc) and pay no taxes here. I don't think that's right either. But we have a dyslexic dimwit in the, well, I won't get into politics, not appropriate. But I do think you are justifiably concerned about it and I for one, share your dissatisfaction, and you needn't be sorry for feeling that way.