Ambien CR and Daily Headaches

[Jake]

It turns out that my constant headaches over the last 9 months were not caused by ambien. They are the result of my TMJ disorder. The nightly teeth grinding and clenching finally manifested at constant, chronic headaches.

I posted many times earlier in this thread about the full on gauntlet of doctors, medications, etc. I tried and from which I found no relief.

However, about a month ago, I awoke with a ver sore, bruised-like feeling on my right temple and I had a broken back molar. This gave my physical therapist the insight he'd needed. I have since met with a TMJ specialty dentist and have been fitted for a mouth splint which I wear nightly and just last week I flew to San Diego to get Botox shots in my massater and temporalis muscles. The Botox takes about 2 weeks to start working, but it should give my jaw and temple muscles the break they need.

I am starting to see chinks in the armor and I would say that the last 10 days or so, even though a few have still been bad, are among the best I've felt in almost a year.

If you have chronic headaches, I highly recommend you look into TMJ disorder as being part or all of the cause.

[Kim]

Jake wrote:

It turns out that my constant headaches over the last 9 months were not caused by ambien. They are the result of my TMJ disorder. The nightly teeth grinding and clenching finally manifested at constant, chronic headaches.
I posted many times earlier in this thread about the full on gauntlet of doctors, medications, etc. I tried and from which I found no relief.
However, about a month ago, I awoke with a ver sore, bruised-like feeling on my right temple and I had a broken back molar. This gave my physical therapist the insight he'd needed. I have since met with a TMJ specialty dentist and have been fitted for a mouth splint which I wear nightly and just last week I flew to San Diego to get Botox shots in my massater and temporalis muscles. The Botox takes about 2 weeks to start working, but it should give my jaw and temple muscles the break they need.
I am starting to see chinks in the armor and I would say that the last 10 days or so, even though a few have still been bad, are among the best I've felt in almost a year.
If you have chronic headaches, I highly recommend you look into TMJ disorder as being part or all of the cause.

Hi Jake, I am so glad you figured it out! Was worried when you said you were hanging on by a thread. I am suffering migraines however am unsure if they are related to Ambien which I take only occasionally and only suffer migraines about 3 times per month. I am going to stop taking Ambien to see if it helps.

[Sue]

Glad to hear you finally found the cause of your headaches! And letting us know.

[kmac]

How did you stop taking the Valium back then? I'm on a very low dose and want to stop taking it. Did you go to the dr.?

[corona glen]

must be a Ambien sales rep. Why would they be on this site if he/she wasn't having side effects?

[corona glen]

referring to Lovingsleep....above comment

[just a thought]

I think Ambien does cause headaches...among other things...ie.moodiness,exhausti on, depression. This is how I got off Ambien. Two nights with a valium (cut in half). After that, one night with half of one benadryl. Then nothing. That should help to get you unaddicted. Make sure the night with nothing is not a work day the next day. In other words, give yourself the option of sleeping in the next morning. This will relax you so you will worry less about not sleeping. After that...take each night as it comes. You will sleep eventually. Don't resort back to Ambien. There are alot of "cognitive therapy" methods out there that have proven to be effective for insomnia. I plan on looking into this myself.

[Laura]

I have followed this post for a while and thought I would share my experience. I have taken generic Ambien for 3 years and started having daily left frontal headaches in November of 2008. It's hard to believe it has been a full year now! I have been consulting with a neruologist for 9 months and also had a MRI, MRA and a CAT scan of my sinuses but have had no diagnoses except for "transformed migraines". I also believe this to be a result of long term use of Ambien. I found giving up Ambien to be very difficult but have done so with the help of 6 mg of melatonin. This was not immediately effective - it took about two weeks of very bad sleep -but totally worth it to get rid of the addiction to Ambien. Headaches are still present daily, however, if not quite as severe, after about a month, in spite of Topamax. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I fear the headaches may never go away....

[anton]

Laura wrote:

I have followed this post for a while and thought I would share my experience. I have taken generic Ambien for 3 years and started having daily left frontal headaches in November of 2008. It's hard to believe it has been a full year now! I have been consulting with a neruologist for 9 months and also had a MRI, MRA and a CAT scan of my sinuses but have had no diagnoses except for "transformed migraines". I also believe this to be a result of long term use of Ambien. I found giving up Ambien to be very difficult but have done so with the help of 6 mg of melatonin. This was not immediately effective - it took about two weeks of very bad sleep -but totally worth it to get rid of the addiction to Ambien. Headaches are still present daily, however, if not quite as severe, after about a month, in spite of Topamax. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I fear the headaches may never go away....

when did you completely stop ambien.

[Laura]

I stopped nightly use in september but have used an occasional pill (perhaps 2/month). Each time has intensified the left side headache so much that it has reminded me why I quit taking it. I gave it up completely 2 weeks ago.

[Sue]

Laura,

How are you doing today?

[Laura]

Today is actually my first day without a single thought of a headache in as long as I can remember - that must be good news! Hopefully, this will continue as the amount of time grows since the ambien usage stopped.