Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Tales of Sleepwalking and "The Ambien Driver"

From "Some Sleeping Pill Users Range Far Beyond Bed" in The New York Times:
A registered nurse who lives outside Denver took Ambien before going to sleep one night in January 2003. Sometime later — she says she remembers none of the episode — she got into her car wearing only a thin nightshirt in 20-degree weather, had a fender bender, urinated in the middle of an intersection, then became violent with police officers, according to her lawyer...

A federal prosecutor was persuaded that Ambien played a part in a well-publicized case last summer involving not a car but an airliner. A US Airways flight from Charlotte, N.C., to London last July was diverted to Boston, after a passenger who had taken Ambien became "like the Incredible Hulk all of a sudden," according to his lawyer.

The man, Sean Joyce, a British painting contractor, became agitated, tore off his shirt and threatened to kill himself and fellow passengers, according to court documents. If convicted, Mr. Joyce could have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail for interfering with a flight crew...
Technorati Tags: , , , ,

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had never sleepwalked before taking Ambien. Since I've been taking it I've eaten things that I don't remember eating (the next morning I see the empty wrappers in the trash), had a large bump on my head and don't remember how it got there (I evidently fell), and sent emails that I don't remember sending. It's very scary to see replies the next day - I have to look in my "sent mail" to see what I wrote. I'm just glad that I've never gotten in the car after taking it. It really does need a stronger warning.

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should have respected the prescription ! Most of the times policemen found in the blood ambien and other substances and alcohol also ! Personally in that kind of situation I don't wonder why drivers have accident !

Anonymous said...

Why are uninformed people so ready to criticize?
If you "Google" Ambien, you can read how many Ambien sleepwalkers unknowingly eat and drink. I never remembered my sleepwalking at all. I only found out when I questioned my husband about his drinking so much wine. It was me, of course. It was also me who started the car in the closed garage and left it running all night. I had never sleepwalked and haven't since I stopped the drug.
p.s. Compassion doesn't cost anything.