Holy shit!! I just saw an Ambien ad saying "try it for free!"

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't that a lot like "the first taste is free?"

These motherfuckers just crossed the line.

The American pharmaceutical cabal has just become the street dealers with government approval.

Write whomever you can think of, the pharm ads have finally breached the wall.

Unfuckingbelievable.

(Seen on the Scifi Channel at 7:54 PM CST)

[OrlandoGator]

1. Umm...doctors give out free samples all the time.

Is this some crazy new concept to you?

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. this is a prescription drug

[OrlandoGator]

5. Yeah, docs hand out free Rx samples all the time.

Whenever I get a prescription, I ask the doc if he has samples...more often than not he does.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. yes but there is a difference between YOUR Doc giving it

to you than the pharma offering it, there is a difference.

By the way last time I went to the doc, we were talking of these commercials, and she told me that one patient (female) asked her for cialis, honest

[OrlandoGator]

15. I guess that's why they say "ask your doctor"...

...so that when someone doesn't know what a drug is used for, the doctor can explain it to them.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the big controversy here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. You still have to get it from your doctor

It is a prescription medication. It's not like this pharma company can just mail out free samples. I'm sure they just send a coupon or something and the recipient has to get a doctor's signature to have it filled.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. And if we get it from our Doctor, it's got to be okay?

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. Only if you trust your doctor

But I would imagine if your doctor doesn't think you should take it, he won't sign the prescription.

[SlowDownFast]

35. key phrase: "Only if you trust your doctor"

Doc's are in cahoots with the pharm industry. All kinds of goodies for the docs IF they prescribe the certain drugs that the pharm industry is pushing.

Doc's nowadays will prescribe about anything you tell them you might think work for you because of some pharm commercial you saw.

Don't believe me? Try it next time you see him/her...

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Then find a new doctor

They aren't in short supply.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. Advertising to try a sleep aid (read: narcotic wannabe) on National TV...

That's a hell of a lot different than the last free sample I got at the Dr's office which was then pulled off the market because it was killing people.

[Redstone]

18. And I'm glad they do. When we were having financial troubles,

our pediatrician was able to provide us a good, FREE supply of allergy medicine for our son--almost a year's worth.

I don't see anything wrong with the drug samples at all. After all, if your doctor wants you to try a new medication, and you can try it without cost, where's the downside?

Redstone

[OrlandoGator]

49. My doctor saves me a lot of money with samples as well.

I still fail to see what is so horrible about free drug samples. It's not like you get them from the Burger King drive-thru...you still have to get your doctor's approval.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

50. It's not the "free" part, I have no problem with that...

It's the advertising an addictive relatively non-essential drug on National television.

If big pharm took the money they use today in pitching prescription drugs to the country that voted Bush into office and passed the savings on to the user, medicine would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

[Nobody]

53. Mine gave me samples when I had no insurance

Three months worth, in fact. He thinks that everyone who works any job at all, no matter how little it pays, or how temporary, should have health care coverage. He hates the BS the insurance juggernauts put doctors and patients through.

[SouthernDem2004]

2. What you have against Ambien? I take it some times. /nt

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. If you don't like reality you fall into the realm of...

the Fucking druggie.

Just like the people you bust except you jump through hoops to get it legally.

People get tired enough, they fall asleep.

Ambien is a cash cow for Pharma.

[SouthernDem2004]

10. Simple world you must live in. Scientologist?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. Worse than that.... A fucking Atheist English major!

Your worst nightmare.

LOL

[SouthernDem2004]

14. Ah, unemployed :)

Seriously though,

Ambien is used for sleep management by some. I work 3rd shift (midnights) and have children. Between going to work at night and going to court during the day as well as caring for my children, sleep has to be managed at times. I can not wait until I am tired enough to sleep sometimes. Being tired at work is not safe for anyone.

Peace

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

17. Dope is dope.

I have no bad feelings for it, but call it what it is. When you use a drug for reasons other than real health or psychiatric reasons, it's unnecessary and falls into the recreational category.

Hey, when I did speed as a kid, I got a shit load of creative stuff done in record time. Can I use the same argument that you use to take it back up? (Even though it would probably kill me post haste today?)

No problems here with people using recreational dope, but when hypocrisy enters the fray and people start doing time because they wanted to buy Valium on the street, I get miffed.

[pitohui]

19. she's calling it what it is

ain't no way recreational to take a drug to combat falling on your face on the job or in a foreign country -- ambien is used to manage jet lag -- going 36 hours without sleep kills

a friend of mine died because she fell asleep while driving on the way home from working an 18 hour shift

shift work and travel through time zones can screw a person

taking sleeping pills for safety reasons is a health measure

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

21. No one has ever died from lack of sleep.

Bad choices, maybe.

My sister died because of prescription drugs.

Causal. No question about it.

[pitohui]

22. my friend died from lack of sleep

and her son, a police officer, was first on the scene

a terrible tragedy

she was working, no drugs, no alcohol in her system, she was at work in a casino and she was a nice older lady with a gaming license trying to make extra money for the holidays, driving home at 4 a.m. she fell asleep and totalled her car

she was not some fuck-up making a bad "choice"

she died for lack of sleep

believe the coroner or believe unknown poster on the internet

i believe the coroner

people die of lack of sleep all the time

people who work shifts have a significantly shorter life expectancy


i am sorry about your sister, as i am sorry for my friends who have died of (mostly deliberate) overdose

they would not want their legacy to be that other people could not get drugs that helped them improve their lives

people who can't sleep have accidents

they kill themselves and others

any technology to change this is a great boon

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

24. Even a Google of the subject doesn't show lack of sleep

as causal. Contributing, but not causal.

[pitohui]

29. that is ridiculous

i believe someone's interpretation of what google sez or i believe the coroner, google is a sales showroom not the arbiter of truth

we are never going to agree

i believe the coroner

i believe the studies showing life expectancy of shift workers is significantly less

word games don't interest me

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

39. Link? report? Something verifiable?

Please, show me one verifiable cogent source that states a cause of death as lack of sleep.

[Lochloosa]

42. Here..try these

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-46,GGLD:en&sa=X&oi=scholart&q=cause+of+death+lack+of+sleep

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

44. I did. Still didn't find it.

[davekriss]

51. that is not true

There is a rare condition where the brain simply can't shut off and there are instances of people going years (yes I said years) without sleep before the body simply gives out in death. A famous professor from the UK came down with this and died. Not really germane to your argument here, but just wanted to point out your inaccuracy.

Germane to your argument, you say "bad choices, maybe" in a world where human beings often have limited choices; our freedoms (short of revolution) are not continuous, but discrete within a panoply of available options that depend on where one finds oneself in the socio-economic matrix, often by accident of birth (pre-politically conscious).

Whereas I may will to choose to be President of the United States, I will fail in the execution -- because my last name is not Bush, I did not/could not attend Harvard or Yale, I do not espouse the political values of the owning class, I cannot attract millions from millionaires, etc. etc.

In some circumstances the available options are work the swing shift midnight to 8 am then hurry to the day job then hurry home to feed the kids -- or give up the kids. A choice, yes, but from a limited array. So (I think the argument above goes) ambien becomes a tool for survival. It is a f*cking shame that so many people here in America have to focus on "survival".

TYJ, you say you were an "english major": Congrats, my underdrad is english literature too (from a top 10 school, but not good enough to be prez!). I'm not, though, an aetheist; I would classify myself as an anarcho-syndicalist-neo-buddhist-charismatic-christian. That should leave you much for ad hominem! ;)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

55. "anarcho- syndicalist-neo- buddhist-charismatic- christian"

Now that's a mouthful! LOL.

I wish I had that on the tip of my tongue 5 minutes ago when a pair of Jehova's Witnesses knocked on my door.

All I could come up with was "No thanks, I'm a Pagan. Have a nice day." Your statement would have been a lot more fun.

As to the disease you mention, I have never heard of it, but this would certainly not be the first time I have been wrong. Interesting.

:toast:

[Midlodemocrat]

52. Ambien has the potential to be addictive

which is why any reputable MD will only give you 7-10 nights worth of the stuff.

If you have ever suffered from insomnia, this stuff is a lifesaver. It is impossible to go about your life when you are completely, utterly exhausted.

And, FWIW, the 'free sample' is a coupon you send in to get reimbursed for trying the product. I don't have an issue at all with docs sampling drugs. Some people's lives depend on the samples.

[Ilsa]

20. Sleep is a health and safety issue for many people.

My brother went sleepless for several days and was pratically schizophrenic. He was lucky that when he crashed, he found a relatively safe place to do it. He could have been hurt or killed.

Heavy machinery operators cannot afford to be drowsy on the job because of several poor nights' sleep. That is why it is prescribed by doctors to be used occasionally to prevent reliance.

Being chronically exhausted doesn't help workers or families. I've worked the third shift, and have had to go back and forth between 1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts. It's very hard on the body trying to sleep when you can't because you know you need to be rested by 6pm.

[SouthernDem2004]

30. You can use as many unrelated comparisons as you wish. Fact is

a lack of sleep is unhealthy. Being extremely tired at work can be deadly.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

41. There's no arguing that. There is arguing that so many addicts believe

they need an aid from Pharma to correct it.

Christ, what a bunch of wimps America has become. It's amazing mankind survived 12 years poast its beginnings without big pharma and Dr. Welby.

[djg21]

45. You are uniformed and niave.

Insominia and sleep deprivation are in fact significant health issues, with serious physical and psychological consequences. Ambien, and pharmaceuticals like it, are a real blessing to many.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

48. I am neither

I am not saying that there is not a use for such drugs.

I am proposing they are over used. This is a class 4 drug that is considered addictive. The advertising of addictive drugs and throwing out "try me for free" is what raises my ire.

Read the contradictions: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/zolpid_ad.htm

[AndreaCG]

6. I took Ambien for months

then stopped when I looked in the mirror and realized I had shaved my eyebrows. Went to work and never noticed (apparently no one there did either or else they kept their mouths shut.)

My psychiatrist said usually people get bad reactions immediately if it happens at all. He said people make long rambling calls that they don't remember till they listen to the answering machine tape. He was also relieved that I didn't jump out the window (not that I could have cause the lower ones only stay open when propped with a book.)

[Pithlet]

13. I had a similar experience

I did and said things that I have no memory of. I'm sure for some ambien is great and works for them. I won't knock the drug for everyone. But, I certainly can't take it. I ordered a bunch of stuff online, and didn't find out about it until the bill came. Phone calls? Check. I even had a funny but embarrassing incident here on DU.

I definitely wouldn't qualify as a spokesperson for the drug. One of the few perscriptions I've ever taken that I reacted so strongly to.

[tamtam]

38. I've taken Ambien before

I have a good friend who is addicted to this crap and he takes it during the day. Anyone who has ever taken Ambien knows that it is crazy to take this stuff during the day. He goes to work and has long conversations with me and doesn't even remember it. What is so dangerous about Ambien is that it is similar to Benzo's because you tend to build up a tolerance.

Ambien is meant to be taken for only 7 to 10 days but I know people who have been on it for years. If you have taken Ambien for a long time and you quite you get hit with re-bound insomnia.

I quite taken it after a week and I would never take it again. I know it helps some people and that is good, but your not suppose to take it for long periods of time.

I cringe every time I see the commercials because I know what it can do to some people. This is not a drug for someone who has problems with drinking and drugs and yes it does mess with your memory.

[djg21]

46. Is that the drug, or the user?

I use ambien too. I keep a bottle of 10 mg tablets in my drug cabinet. The drug is to be uised to extablish a sleeping pattern. It is not intended for long-term use, and the label and instructions that came with it from the pharmacy make clear that it is not to be used for mor than seven days.

The fact that your friend elects to abuse the drug is no reason to condemn it. People also abuse cough syrup, mounthwash, and all sorts of other medications that, when used correctly, provide medical benefit. Your friend needs help.

[Pithlet]

7. This is nothing new

Prescription drug companies have been offering free samples through advertising for a long time. You still have to see your doctor to get them or get a prescription.

I had a bad bad experience with Ambien. The worst was when I stopped taking it. They say you have to be on it for an extensive period of time for the bad withdrawal, but I had only taken it a handful of times. I had the worst panic/anxiety attack, and I am not prone to those at all. I thought I was going to die.

[Disturbed]

11. Colin Powell's fave drug.

Wonder when we will see him in TV ads promo ing it.

[ocean girl]

23. Me too - I've tried Ambien several times

and each time I feel very weird with lots of anxiety and very strange dreams. Also, I've never had an anxiety attack until I tried Ambien.

My husband used it for a while and I found him one night hallucinating with the lava lamp and he didn't even remember it the next day.

I have come to the conclusion that it is an evil and dangerous drug - I'll stay up all night before I take it again!

Please, everyone, be careful with this drug.

[djg21]

47. I love it!

No joke. I have serious bouts of insomnia, and find that ambien can really help. I can take half of a ten mg tablet, have a night of restful sleep, and feel great in the morning. I'd hardly call it dangerous and evil. If used properly, it is quite efficacious. I suppose if it is abused, it can be dangerous just like any other narcotic.

[SOS]

57. Ambien can be very dangerous

My wife landed in the ER the first time she took it.
After taking the recommended dose, she still didn't fall asleep. Instead she entered an LSD-like dream state - still walking around.
She washed the windows, inside and out, in the middle of the night in a blackout.
Washing the outside, four floors up, at night, in a drug-induced blackout could have been fatal.
By 6 AM she was hallucinating. When she woke me up she was in a terrible state. We went to the emergency room. There they calmed her down with a shot of old-fashioned Valium.
It may work for some, but that crap will never enter our home again.

[pitohui]

16. promotion been going on for 2 years

i never cashed in my coupon but this is nothing new

all over the internet

you can get your doctor to give you an Rx gift card that gives you just 2 free

you need to test them and see if they work before investing $$$

i've been too afraid to take the test tho as i've had paradoxical reactions to sleeping pills before

the poster who says sometimes sleep must be managed is correct

i manage with alcohol but ambien if you can tolerate it is almost certainly safer

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I have taken Ambien

It is a very mild sleep aid. In fact, it didn't work for me. So as much as this is kinda sleazy, it's not like they are pushing major narcotics on innocent people.

[la la]

33. I take Ambien-

I have since menopause -about 7 years ago - without it, I was getting no sleep, no rest, becoming more and more edgy, nasty body aches from tossing and turning, bitchy and would have probably been fired. Everything is calm now, I take it right before I go to bed. I fall asleep easier, but still wake up about 3 or 4 - before I would not fall alseep till 4 or 5 and have to be up at 6.

My sister inlaw has had strange reactions from it, but she takes so much other shit, that who knows what's giving her the reaction.

If you can't take it, don't take it. How difficult is that to decide?
Different reactions for different people.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. I have a very low tolerance for

drugs and alcohol. And Ambien did nothing for me. I'm glad it works for you.

[DemoTex]

31. The soft-weenie drugs are doing the same thing.

Ask you doctor about Cialis today. Hey, I ain't seeing Doc today and he damn sure ain't taking my calls about a limp weenie. Besides, I'm worried about the warnings about erections lasting over four hours. What's the point of the drug, dude? A four hour erection was not a problem in Olongapo City, PI, in 1970. The problems came later (3 days, to be specific). Not me .. but some of my men.

[1932]

32. I'm your mamma, i'm your daddy/i'm that nigga in the alley

i'm your doctor, when in need
want some coke, have some weed
you know me, i'm your friend
your main boy, thick and thin
i'm your pusherman

- Curtis Mayfield

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/curtis-mayfield-pusherman-lyrics.html

[Lannes]

37. Just got one from the doctor recently

Its expensive as hell so it was a good thing for me.Sometimes doctors give it to patients that only need a temporary supply that cant afford it.I get upset when pharmaceutical companies try to peddle drugs for one ailment as a treatment for a bunch of others with very little evidence.

[Qanisqineq]

43. I've gotten "coupons" for free drugs from my doctor

I just had to take the coupon thing to the pharmacy and got it for free. He gave me my Rx like that for almost an entire year, until the coupon things expired. And these drugs were different kinds of stimulants.

[Deja Q]

54. Ban commercials. Let a QUALIFIED DOCTOR give the patient free samples,

after diagnosing the problem.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

56. THANK YOU!

Go to the head of the class and pick a goody from the goody bag!