Rep. Kennedy Latest Ambien Zombie

Rep. Patrick Kennedy is checking into the Mayo Clinic to the usual howls from the media whore media, but they and he instead should be checking into the well-known side effects of sleep aid Ambien. Kennedy took Ambien at bedtime, prior to getting into his car, driving down to town, having an accident, and later telling cops at the scene that he was "late for a vote." None of these actions can Kennedy recall.

Via KATU:

Reports of bizarre Ambien side effects begin to surface

MINNEAPOLIS - Some people taking a popular sleep aid are reporting they are waking up to a nightmare of weight gain or other bizarre activities.

Multiple cases of 'sleep-eating' have been reported by people taking the prescription sleep aid Ambien, which is made by Sanofi-Aventis.

Ambien users say they have no recollection of getting up and eating while using the drug, but wake to find empty food containers and other evidence of late-night snacking.

One woman claims she gained over 100 pounds from eating while using the drug, but initially could not figure out why she was gaining the weight.

She says she found crumbs in her bed and other evidence of late-night bingeing in her kitchen. Initially, she blamed her children, who replied that she was eating the food. She says she thought they were lying.

Doctors investigating incidents of sleep-eating say that victims would sometimes eat odd or even unsafe items, such as butter-covered cigarettes and raw meat.

They also said there were reports of people injuring themselves with knives and other kitchen appliances as they tried to prepare food while asleep.

Ambien's maker issued a statement saying the side effect is known but is rare, and that "when taken as prescribed, Ambien is a safe and effective treatment for insomnia."

They say the side effect is disclosed in the product's labeling material.

There have also been complaints that people were getting up and driving while using Ambien, and then having no recollection of their actions.

Incident reports showed that people driving while using Ambien were sometimes driving down the wrong side of the road or exhibiting bizarre behavior.

Another Ambien user said he took off his shirt and threatened other passengers during an airline flight. He says he woke up in a jail cell without a clue as to why he was there.

Ambien is the most popular prescription sleep aid in the United States, with over $2 billion in sales. They say that while some parts of the brain sleep, other parts are active. They say Ambien may be affecting brain activity while sleeping, leading to the unusual behaviors.

This morning's websearch finally has turned up the Ambien connection in the media whore media, to wit, in WaPo, here. One supposes one must retract one's earlier snark?
Patrick Kennedy
Ambien