This is scaring me

[rfaust6024]

Please get to a doctor ASAP...this is beyond Ambien.

[Chocaholic]

Could have been worse. You could have pee’d in your wife’s shoes!

Sounds like a good reason to see the doc, tell him what happened, run a few blood tests and gain some educated guidance. Probably nothing to worry about, but better to use it as a wake up call to get checked out.

Good luck with the new house. You’ll need your health!

[spaghettimonstr]

Forget the ambien. I've found that a single toke of cannabis puts me right to sleep with no side effects whatsoever. It's straight-up legal here in WA.

[daepp]

Not to make light of your situation, and I of course second the others' suggestions that you see your doc, but Ambien can be such a troublemaker the internet if full of memes about it:

[pavulon]

If you go to a doc, consider going in not seeking a different or the same prescription. A lot of people want a pill to fix their issues. It's often times not the answer. There are other people you may want to consider seeing. Mental health is a very real thing.

[RKDinOKC]

If you are concerned about dementia your primary doc should have a standard test they can go thru that will show proficiency in all areas of your thinking.

Typically drawing the face of a clock is the first issue. That was the first thing that showed up for my Mom. Then counting backwards by 7's out loud from 100. Tested her because she missed a dentist appointment, she couldn't find their office.. But was able to go other places and back home no problem. She didn't really have nightmares, but would wakeup in the night disoriented and not knowing she was home or started looking for people that she thought were visiting but weren't.

[dewolf]

Roll a joint 60 minutes before bed.

[DanielDudley]

This is your wake up call, if you will pardon the pun.

Go see a doctor, it is time to get off this bus before it picks up speed.
Some people on this board are alive today because they took the advice of people here and went to get checked out. Please go see a doctor.
You are a never take time off kind of guy, much like myself. Maybe take a look at where you want to be in 10 years.

I can predict your probable, almost certain future. Look at what you are doing now, and look at what the results are. That is your future. If you want something different, you need to do something different. My dad is 94 today because he changed his path when he was in his early 60s. I pushed him on that path, because I could see what he could not.

He has enjoyed many, many good years. If he had not taken a different view of life, and changed his lifestyle, I don't think he would have made it to 70. Maybe being who you are has gotten you to where you are today, but maybe it is time to look in a different direction, using what is available to you now, instead of continuing to give of your personal resources in order to reap.

You are a smart guy. Where do you want to be in 10 years ?

[KFC911]

I'm just waiting on daylight....been up for a few hours now . Never taken a sleep aid ever, but get 4-6 hours every night...for better, or worse, I've never required much and wake up alert at a mouse fart. The one ambien tale I have...doctor prescribed...she never took another ever...sobering it was.

Go see a doc, but dammit Patrick, you're retired man...sleep when your body needs it and "loaf" when ya get up....unaided if ya can...YMMV.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

I can predict your probable, almost certain future. Look at what you are doing now, and look at what the results are. That is your future. If you want something different, you need to do something different. My dad is 94 today because he changed his path when he was in his early 60s. I pushed him on that path, because I could see what he could not.
You are a smart guy. Where do you want to be in 10 years ?

Thank you for the concern, but I don't think the past two weeks are any indication of my future. I don't ever expect to buy a new house and move all my belongings out of the house that has been home for 23 years.
This is especially stressful because I am leaving a home that I love. Just finished remodeling it a year ago. The stress of a major remodel was considerable, but it was worth it. We made it into our "forever house" and never expected to leave.
We find ourselves saying things like, "Remember when we built that?" "We painted that room together, on New Years Eve 2010" "I love this kitchen" all the time. We have so many memories here. Picking up and moving into someone else's dream home is taking more of an emotional toll than we ever expected.
It will get better. Going through this is not a lifestyle I have to change, it's just something I have to get through.

House remodel finished - FINALLY!

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Thank you for the concern, but I don't think the past two weeks are any indication of my future. I don't ever expect to buy a new house and move all my belongings out of the house that has been home for 23 years.
This is especially stressful because I am leaving a home that I love. Just finished remodeling it a year ago. The stress of a major remodel was considerable, but it was worth it. We made it into our "forever house" and never expected to leave.
We find ourselves saying things like, "Remember when we built that?" "We painted that room together, on New Years Eve 2010" "I love this kitchen" all the time. We have so many memories here. Picking up and moving into someone else's dream home is taking more of an emotional toll than we ever expected.
It will get better. Going through this is not a lifestyle I have to change, it's just something I have to get through.

House remodel finished - FINALLY!

Wishing you the best, my friend.

[Tobra]

Ambien should have never been allowed on the market. Flush the rest of it if you have any more left.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Typically drawing the face of a clock is the first issue. That was the first thing that showed up for my Mom. Then counting backwards by 7's out loud from 100.

Not sure I could count backwards by sevens backwards (and I didn't pee in the closet last night).

Also can't do the alphabet backwards, what dunderhead thought that was a good sobriety test?

+1 on the Internet is full of stuff get thee to a doctor.

My brother has a friend that is a doctor, they are pretty sick of people coming to them with internet diagnoses.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Not sure I could count backwards by sevens backwards (and I didn't pee in the closet last night).

Also can't do the alphabet backwards, what dunderhead thought that was a good sobriety test?

+1 on the Internet is full of stuff get thee to a doctor.

My brother has a friend that is a doctor, they are pretty sick of people coming to them with internet diagnoses.

The thing about counting backwards from 100 by 7's, is you have to remember where you were as you do each step.

[Crowbob]

These mental status challenges are not necessarily designed for the patient to determine if the patient can get the correct answer. The intents for some of them are to observe the patient's ability to persevere, to stay focused on the challenge, to observe the patient's frustration and ability to self-correct and how the patient attacks particular mental tasks.

As far as doctors being miffed by internet diagnoses goes, allot of their consternation is a result of their expertise being challenged. People are sometimes not as forthcoming in the clinical setting as they are sitting in their underwear in the computer trying to determine if that last shot of vodka or those extra cannolis are making their side ache.

[87maniac]

AMBIEN. I use it and it works, with caveats:

- the key is be IN BED when you take it, & do not get out of bed before falling asleep!!!
- DO NOT watch TV, computer immed. after taking Ambien= big trouble.
- wean yourself off slowly, otherwise HORRIFIC nightmares.

[bickyd]

Mr wdfifteen. My advice is put on a 40 pound pack and go for a 10 mile hike. Take audible notes as you do this for three months and write a book on how well you feel and sell it. Then buy a beater 69 911 and fix it with the money. rinse and repeat. warning. the side effects of this will be an extreme need for sleep so be careful.

[tabs]

Stress is a wonderful killer.

A trip to the MD is a good idea. Before you go think about correlating stress with your aberrant behavior. Talk about the Ambien, talk about the stress. See what he says.

You wonderful people really self medicate that much?

[cabmandone]

Stress does some crazy stuff to your body. You said the move was stressful. Lack of sleep will do some crazy stuff to your head as well and I'm guessing the stress of the move made for some short nights of sleep. If what you had happen is a first and you haven't had memory issues, I'd give it a week and see if things improve. If not, I'd go see a doc. Personally I'd do all I could to get off of sleep meds and reduce stress.

[RKDinOKC]

Sorry, I was just describing the two questions on the test the doctor gave my Mom that she started showing dementia with. And the counting was the second time she was given the test.

The first test all she did not pass was drawing the clock face. She couldn't put the numbers around the clock correctly and the hands did not point to the time she was asked to show. Watching her she was confused that she did not know where to place the numbers or hands.

Another thing was it took her a couple of hours to reconcile and balance her checkbook. She would ask me to help. Just me sitting there watching and not actually doing anything she would get it right. My older brother tried to help once. He pushed her when she was slow thinking and it made her make mistakes and confused her even more. She just needed someone to tell her she was doing okay not someone to push her.

I really learned a lot about helping someone with Dementia and feel very sorry for sufferers the way most family members and professionals treat them.

My sister took care of her Father-in-law with dementia. They even built a new split level house with a basement and apartment for her in-laws. The could let him loose in the basement and not worry about him. Talking about peeing in the closet. They had their washer and dryer in that basement. You had to pre-run the washer before doing laundry because he would pee in the washer. No one ever actually caught him doing it and frankly don't know how and old man that barely could walk all bent over go to it do pee in it, but you didn't want to try a load of laundry without the pre-run. Never was a problem with baskets of dirty clothes or folded clothes or even the dryer, just the top loading washer.