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Sleep Walking While Awake
Zolpidem & Alcohol
Citation:   rhcpfan. "Sleep Walking While Awake: An Experience with Zolpidem & Alcohol (exp63775)". Erowid.org. May 30, 2020. erowid.org/exp/63775

 
DOSE:
  oral Pharms - Escitalopram (daily)
  5 glasses oral Alcohol (liquid)
  25 mg oral Pharms - Zolpidem (pill / tablet)
    repeated oral Alcohol (liquid)
  12.5 mg oral Pharms - Zolpidem (pill / tablet)
    repeated smoked Tobacco - Cigarettes  
BODY WEIGHT: 175 lb
I was prescribed ambien for a bout of insomnia I was going through as the result of taking a new anti-depressant (Lexapro). The first night I took it I slept like a baby. I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested.

The next night I went to a bar with some friends and downed about 5 drinks in a couple hours. Around 10 pm I decided to walk back to my apartment. I immediately thought of the Ambien and how it would react to alcohol. I took two of my 12.5 mg Ambien CR and downed then with a beer. I continued drinking alone surfing the internet waiting for some effects to kick in. I then took another Ambien.

It is now around 11:30 pm and I have been drinking pretty heavy. I walk outside and am talking to various people on my phone and smoke the last of my cigarettes.

I decide to walk to a nearby gas station (I live in the city) to buy more cigarettes. Now I am seeing double vision. One person walking towards me = two people. It is very clear and vivid double vision so I cannot really tell which is real and which is fake. I do remember feeling a buzz, but not too messed up. I buy my cigarettes and I sit on the sidewalk just watching cars and people go by and talking on my phone. My vision is incredibly messed up and I cannot walk straight. Somehow hours pass before I make it back to my apartment, which is only a block away. I do not remember what happened during this time.

When I get back to my apartment I see my roomate has locked the chain lock. It is 2 am and I am locked out. I call, knock, etc. but he is sound asleep. I am not worried or even anxious. I sit in the hall and am reveling in how distorted my vision is. I take the elevator down to find a maintenance worker to let me in to my apartment. I vomit in the lobby, walk around aimlessly (more black outs) and eventually find someone to cut the lock.

I wake up the next morning and large parts of last night are blacked out. I feel out of it. I have phone conversations this day that I cannot remember right afterwards. I type on the computer and type the wrong words.

Overall, ambien and alcohol do not mesh together. It was interesting, but even though the distorted visuals in was in no way like tripping. More like sleep walking while awake and not remembering what I did, which is kind of scary in my opinion.

Exp Year: 2007ExpID: 63775
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: May 30, 2020Views: 1,742
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Pharms - Zolpidem (143), Alcohol (61) : First Times (2), Combinations (3), Difficult Experiences (5), Hangover / Days After (46), Various (28)

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