I hope this is the right place for this question. We're using MMJ with our teen who has severe autism and related extreme self abuse/aggression. His behavior is much improved and he's much happier, but he's still only sleeping about 3 hours a night. Dying here as his Dad is out of town for the next ten days which leaves me with two autistic teens and a teenage drama queen. :D

David does have scripts for both Ambien and Lunesta, which are last resorts for me, but I'm at the point where if I don't sleep, I'm going to be unable to wake in a heartbeat in case D. wakes and tries to wander out, cook (he's very good at feeding himself LOL!), drive the car (his heart's desire, to drive), or harm himself in some way.

So, I'm toying with using the Ambien or lunesta, but am very concerned I might do something that could hurt him/cause him to have a bad experience while in a totally disinhibited state.

Any experience here in combining those? Tried benedryl last night and it only seemed to wind him up more. :( But, at least he wasn't trying to hurt himself or anyone else, so that's really huge progress in my book.

Thanks in advance. If there' s a better place for me to ask these questions, just point me in that direction and I'll skitter out of here with my tail tucked between my legs. :D

Liane

you can use ambien or lunesta with mj, but dont be fooled into thinking they will stay in their bed sleeping, many users sleepwalk and do everything they normally do while awake only they are asleep and wont remember it in the morning. id say give it a shot but be on guard.

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they call me ishmael, and mobys music sucks. smile if you get it.

Yikes, maybe I'll hold off another night and pray for a miracle. If he gets combative and is actually asleep....scary. Thanks so much for the uber-speedy reply!

it not a problem, ive known people who dont use MJ and do use ambien and they have actually drivin across the state to their friends house on the coast then freaked out in the mornin.

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they call me ishmael, and mobys music sucks. smile if you get it.

No personal experience with either myself but i do have friends who take ambien and try to stay up for recreational purposes, they smoke all day and night so i can't imagine there being a negative interaction. That being said if you stay manage to stay awake i understand that either of those medications can be quite intoxicating, not exactly what you want in your situation I'm guessing. I have however heard of a medication called Vistaril which is nothing more then a double dose of benedryl, they perscribe it as a sleeping medication, even pregnant women. Since the benedryl had no negative side effects i would probably explore that option.

Best of luck,my heart goes out to you and your family.
P@ssw0rd

Hi LovingDavid, how are you.
sorry to hear of your problems. I'm not and expert on that medications, I mean I suppose they're american ones and I've never used them with my clients. I worked with autistic clients with severe challenging behaviour for pretty long time and to be honest drugs never worked for me.But I understand you need something that would keep him safe for the night and give you a bit of rest. I would consult other parents with autisitic children about that problem. try to google american on-line forums for parents, they're communities similar to our but directed on autism.They should give you fast and reliable answer. in longer perspective I'd consider sensory therapy for the lad.it's not a fast solution but works pretty well with many autistic people.
I'm terrible sorry I can't give you much help here. I hope everything will be fine.
all the best.here you've got some links to UK's forums and one from Michigan.
Autism-PDD Forums: Parents of Children Living With Autism
The National Autistic Society - Links: online forums for parents/carers of people with an ASD
Chat rooms: PARENTING YOUR AUTISTIC CHILD
Autism-Michigan

Thanks for sharing your insight. We've blown through a room full of sensory integration specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, behaviorists, speech therapists. Nothing seems to help along those lines, at least not for the behavioral extremes he suffers. :( Generally DH and I tag team him, but DH is out of the country for a while and I'm on my own. D's much bigger than he used to be. :(

One oddity about my son is that he doesn't really experience REM sleep. And what keeps me going is if I feel this bad, he has to feel a thousand times worse. :(

I used both and they didn't have any effect on me. They don't work for everyone.

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What I freely have been given let me freely share

Cannabis has very little interaction with other drugs.

It is unlike any other drug and the endocannabinoid system is unlike any other system in the body. Basically the endocannabinoid system regulates almost every other system in the body. It's quite an amazing set up.

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-Michael

Thanks, Michael. Your knowledge and research astounds me!

I think we're probably going to have to look for a more sedative strain that what we have. He is going good on it except at night, when it sends him out of sleep and into a blind rage in no time, probably around the time he's probably starting to come off it. Didn't hit him until the third day, so I'm a bit baffled. Trying none for 24 hours to see if the cannacaps were truly the issue, or if its something else going on with him neurologically.

Liane

You need a pure strain of indica and a sativa or maybe even a hybrid.

Indicas make most people sedate. Sativas are energizers. So, you probably want a hybrid for day - so he isn't too amped - and a heavy duty, narcotic-like indica for night time. I can get you set up growing safely and secure indoors, yourself. And cannabis is a very forgiving plant. So, even people who claim to have a black thumb can do it.

Remember, you can call on me, anytime you have a question or concern, ok? Just PM me, email me, send a carrier pigeon, smoke signals (my personal favorite) or whatever you want, and I'll help with anything you need.

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-Michael

I was taking three different sedative types of drugs and got absolutely no relief at all in some cases they proved to only gas me up. Not what ya want when ya haven't slept in days. I do know however that if I get the right MMJ it has the safest and most powerful natural effect on me and I am out for the count in dreamland sleep 8 hours or more and wake up without a hangover. Take that Big Pharmaceutical!LOL

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well. it is true it doesnt work for everyone.
and there are alot of differences within the sativa family with alot of variations from strain to strain.
i suggest you watch the national geographics recent video. )i think its national geographic). anyway i'll describe it. its doctor who makes a research documentary on cannabis. all the way from historical perspective. looking for the origins of the plant and even the history of when animals began to develope thc receptors to the differences in thc/cbd ratios and their effects on different diseases.
it is interesting and could give you enough insite on what to look for in strains for your particular affliction.

peace
ileso

(we have this documenatary somewhere online)

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