Prescriptions listed as controlled subtances [View all]

Namely, Ambien

I have had restless legs since the mid 1980s. I tried every remedy I heard about to get to sleep. They are horrible. In the 1990s, RLS was finally listed as a sleep disorder. I went to my dr. and got a prescription for Ambien, and I've been taking it ever since, probably since 1995 or 96.

There have been reports that Ambien can cause erratic behavior, especially in older people. When I turned 65, 7 years ago, my doctor started warning me about those dangers. I assured her then, and since that I take the pill, wait for about 1/2 hour, till it kicks in, and go to bed. I don't drive, drink, eat, climb steps, go outside. I don't have hallucinations, although I know I'm close to falling asleep if I think I hear a radio in the distance. I know that sensation is also related to my head position and if I move my head, the sensation stops. In a way, it's relaxing to try to hear what the pretend radio is playing. I had the same dr. and n.p. this whole time, and they both retired earlier this year. The n.p. recommended a n.p. in the office, which is fine by me. I made an appt. for a well-check in Oct. when I called to get my other meds renewed.

I recently had to get a new prescription of Ambien, so I called the dr. office and asked for a renewal. Since it is a controlled substance, they will fill a prescription for 90 days, then you have to renew it. The office called back and said they'd fill it for 30 days, but I had to go see the new n.p. I made an appt. and went today. She kind of smiled when I told her I'd been taking it since the 90s. She said that Ambien is not recommended for people over 65. I explained my bedtime routine and that I've had no trouble. I still have a lot of trouble sleeping and staying asleep, but at least I get 2-4 hours of better quality sleep if I take the Ambien. I've been taking Pramipexole for about 2 years and it really helps with the RLS, but the condition isn't cured, just controlled. I had a bout last week and it was just as miserable as always.

Anyway, since Ambien is a controlled substance, she wants to see me every 3 months. I had to initial and sign 2 pages of conditions regarding using a controlled substance. The way things are, I feel like it'll be a meet-up with my drug dealer.

I have a beef about the frequency of seeing the dr. every 3 months instead of annually. I have a co-pay, so that will increase. The cost to Medicare will increase because of those visits. It's inconvenient to me. It's going to increase my anxiety (yeah, I have that, too) There should be some flexibility in the controlled substance checklist. But, I imagine that the Ohio overlords (rwnj) think we are all lying about how we use our drugs and how they affect us, so we all have to sign a paper promising not to sell our drugs, or get the prescription filled in several places, and agree to a psych evaluation if the drs. think I need it. I felt pissy about signing it, because in the last paragraph, it says 'pain medication' and Ambien isn't for pain. I waited till the nurse came back to sign it, because the signature page required a witness. She was a little taken aback, but by golly that was one way to let them know I took the damn thing seriously, even if I think it's a massive crock.

I treasure those few hours of decent sleep, because they are one of the last pleasures I can indulge in without gaining weight, killing my liver, or my lungs, or getting an allergy attack. Oh, these golden years!