Houston home journal. (Perry, GA) 2007-current, September 22, 2007, Page 14, Image 36

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INFORMATION FOR MTUCTS Ambten CR™ 8 (idyMem tartrate extendetFreicase tablets) Your doctor has prescribed Ambien CR to help vou sleep Ihe following infor mation is intended to guide vou in the safe use of this medicine. It is not meant to lake the place of your doctor's instructions. If vou have any questions about Ambien CR tablets be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist Ambien CR is used to treat different types of sleep problems, such as •trouble falling asleep • waking up often during the mght Some people may have more than one of these problems. Ambien CR belongs to a group of medicines known as the “sedative/ hypnotics", or simply, sleep medicines There are many different sleep medicines available to help people sleep better Sleep problems are usually temporary, requinng treatment for onfv a short time, usually 1 or 2 days up to 1 or 2 weeks Some people have chronic sleep problems that may require more prolonged use of sleep medicine However vou should not use these medicines for long periods without talking with your doctor about the risks and benefits of prolonged use. Itat combos side effects: • headache • somnolence (sleepiness; • dizziness You mav find that these medicines make vou sleeps during the day How drowsy you fed depends upon how your body reacts to the medicine, which sleep medicine you are taking, and how large a dose your doctor has prescribed Daytime drowsiness is best avoided bv taking the lowest dose possible that will still help vou sleep at night. Your doctor will work with you to find the dose of Ambien CR that is best for you. To manage these side effects while vou are taking this medicine • When you first start taking Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine until vou know whether the m«kme will still have some carryover effect in you the next day. use extreme care while doing anything that requires complete alertness, such as driving a car. operating machinery, or piloting an aircraft • NEVER dnnk alcohol while vou are being treated with Ambien CR or any sleep medicine Alcohol can increase the side effects of Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine • Do not take any other medicines without asking vour doctor first This includes medicines you can buv without a prescription Some medicines can cause drowsiness and are best avoided while taking Ambien CR • Always take the exact dose of Ambien CR presenbed bv vour doctor. Never change vour dose without talking to your doctor first WBBMIBHIIHI. There are some special problems that mav occur while taking sleep medicines. “Steep-Drivim" and other complex behaviors: There have been reports of people getting out of bed after taking a sleep medicine and driving their cars while not fulh awake, often with no memory of the event. If you expert ence such an event, it should be reported to vour doctor immediatelv. since “sleep-driving' can be dangerous This behavior is more likeh to occur when Ambien CR is taken with alcohol or other drugs such as those for the treatment of depression or anxiety Other complex behaviors such as preparing and eating food, making phone calls, or having sex have been reported in people who are not fully awake after taking a sleep medicine As with “slcep-dnving'. people usually do not remember these events Memory problems: Sleep medicines mav cause a special type of memory loss or “amnesia * When thrs occurs, a person mav not remember what has happened lor several hours after taking the medicine This is usually not a problem since most people fall asleep after taking the medicine Memory loss can be a problem, however, when sleep medicines are taken while traveling, such as during an airplane flight and the person wakes up before the effect of the medicine is gone Thrs has been called “traveler's amnesia-' Be sure to talk to your doctor if you think vou are having memory problems Although memory problems are not very common while taking Ambien CR. in most instances, they can be avowed if vou take Ambien CR onfv when you are able to get a full nights sleep (7 to 8 hours! before vou need to be active again Tolerance: When sleep medicines are used every night for more than a few weeks they mav lose their effectiveness to help you sleep This is known as “tolerance" Sleep medicines should, in most cases, be used only for short periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days and generally no longer than 1 or 2 weeks If your sleep problems continue, consult vour doctor who will determine whether other measures are needed to overcome vour sleep problems Dependence: Sleep medicines can cause dependence, especially when these medicines are used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses Some people develop a need to continue taking their medicines T his is known as dependence or “addiction * When people develop dependence, they mav have difficulty stopping the sleep metkine if the medicine is suddenly stopped, the body is not able to function normaftv and unpleasant symptoms mav occur see Withdrawal They may find that thev have to keep taking the medicines either at the presenbed dose or at increasing doses just to avoid withdrawal symptoms All people taking sleep medicines have some risk of becoming deoendent on the medicine However, people who nave been dependent on akohd or other drugs in the past mav have a higher chance of becoming addicted to sleep medicines. This possibility must be considered before using these medicines for more than a few weeks If you have been addicted to alcohol or drugs in the past. >t is important to tell your doctor before starting Ambien CR or anv sleep medicine. Copyright, sanofi-aventrs U.S. ILC 2007 v4MBENCR' BIMMWEMSiWe Withdrawal: Withdrawal symptoms mav occur when sleep medicines are stopped suddenly after being used daily for a long time in some cases, these symptoms can occur even if the medicine has been used for only a week or two In mild cases, withdrawal symptoms mav include unpleasant feelings In more severe cases, abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting sweating, shakiness, and rarefy, seizures mav occur. These more severe withdrawal symptoms are verv uncommon. knottier problem that mav occur when sleep medicines are stopped is known as “rebound insomnia * This means that a person mav have more trouble sleeping the first few nights after the medicine is stopped than before starting the medicine If you should experience rebound insomnia, do not get discouraged. This problem usually goes awav on its own after 1 or 2 nights. If you have been taking Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine for more than 1 or 2 weeks, do not stop taking it on your own. Always follow vour doctor s direct ioov Changes in behavior and thinking: Some people using sleep medicines have experienced unusual changes in their thinking and/or behavior These effects are not common. However, thev have included • more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal • confusion • strange behavior • agitation • hallucinations • worsening of depression • suicidal thoughts How often these effects occur depends on several factors, such as a person's general health, the use of other medicines, and which sleep medicine is being used. ft is also important to realize that it is rarely clear whether these behavior changes are caused bv the medicine, an illness, or occur on their own. In fact, sleep problems that do not improve mav be due to illnesses that were present before the medicine was used If you or your family notice any changes in vour behavior, or if vou have anv unusual or disturbing thoughts, call vour doctor immediately Pregnancy: Sleep medicines may cause sedation of the unborn babv when used during the last weeks of pregnancy Be sure to tell vour doctor if vou are pregnant, if vou are planning to become pregnant, or if you become pregnant while taking Ambien CR. SAFE US OF SIBHNt MEON3NB To ensure the safe and effective use of Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine, you should observe the following cautions: I Ambien CR is a prescription medicine and should be used ONLY as directed by vour doctor Follow vour doctor's instructions about how to take, when to take, and how long to take Ambien CR Ambien CR tablets should not be divided, crushed, or chewed, and must be swallowed whole 2. Never use Ambien CR or anv other sleep medic me for longer than directed by vour doctor 3. If vou develop an allergic reaction such as rash, hives shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat when using Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine, discontinue Ambien CR or other sleep medicine immedi atefv and contact vour doctor 4 If you notice any unusual and/or disturbing thoughts or behavior dunng treatment with Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine, contact your doctor 5. Tell your doctor about any medicines vou may be taking, including medicines vou mav buv without a prescription You should also tell vour doctor if vou drink akohol DO NOT use alcohol while faking Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine 6. Do not take Ambien CR unless vou are abie io get a toil night s sleep before you must be active again For example. Ambien CR should not be taken on an overnight airplane flight of less than “lofl hours since “traveler's amnesia’ mav occur 7 Do not increase the prescribed dose of Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine unless instructed bv vour doctor 8 When vou first start taking Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine, until vou know whether the medicine will still have some carryover effect in vou the next dav. use extreme care while doing anything that requires complete alertness, such as driving a car. operating machinery , or piloting an aircraft 9 Be aware that you mav have more sleeping problems the first night after stopping Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine 10 Be sure to tell vour doctor if you are pregnant, if you are planning so become pregnant, or if vou become pregnant while taking Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine II As with all prescnption medicines, never share Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine with anvone else Always store Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine in the original container that vou received it in and store 4 out of reach of children 12. Ambien CR works verv quickly You should onfv take Ambter CR right before going to bed and are readv to go to sleep Ambien CR"* € zolpidem tartrate extended release tablets; AMB-APRO7-IFP-Ab Revised April 2007 Gaming Customize your game worlds "User-gen"content is redefining the way we play. :n| M I 'WTO 3H SSHH9 -IHbS BY CHARLES HEROLD ONCE UPON A TIME, profes sionals worked hard to enter tain the public, but increasingly the public is being asked to entertain it self. And they are stepping up to the challenge uploading homemade videos to sites such as You Tube, submitting mini television series to VHl’s Acceptable TV and blogging all over the Internet. One of the most fertile areas for this so-called “user-generated content” is computer video games. Modification of games (e.g., changing the look or creating new levels) has existed for at least a decade. Game designers hadn’t expected it, but some companies such as Id Software discovered that en- couraging these “mods” ex tended the sales life of then games, which players would buy just to play free mods that were traded on Inter net sites such as moddb .com. Valve’s Half-Life series has been particularly “modder”-friendly, with mods like Counter-Strike and The Ship going from free downloads to re tail shelves. Another popular method for designing user-made games is with Macromedia Flash, w'hich can be used to create games played on Web browsers. And a new site, Kongregate.com, is working to make it self the “You Tube of Gaming,” allowing anyone to upload games to the site. sanofi-aventis U S. ILC Bndgewater. Nj 08807 14 USA WEEKEND • Sept. 21-23,2007 Creating mods or flash games requires some technical expertise, but there are easier methods. At kids.discovery.com, on line puzzle game WhizzbalU, in which a player moves a ball by correctly placing tubes, catapults and conveyer belts, has a design interface so simple that most of the almost 20,000 Wh izzball! puzzles are designed by players. The Sims 2 lets you easily design clothes for your avatar and upload them to the Internet. The ultimate in user-gen content is Second Life, a virtual world where you can build cities and games. According to its developer, Linden Lab, 99% of the content has been created by users, who can employ a graphic design interface to make pretty much anything. Modifying games by changing the look or creating new levels started at least a decade ago. tar and customize their own virtual digs, which can be visited by others. Living spaces can be decorated with furniture and real-life digital media content, in cluding photos and videos. A “Hall of Fame” feature lets you show off 3-D trophies that are unlocked and won via in-game achievements. The big question here is this: If every one is busy creating games online, w r ho will be left to play them? ca Eli left, and Alyx Vance, two of the leads in the ic i fi game Half Life 2 l 3 More recently, Sony be gan rolling out a real-time online 3-D community called Home. The service, w-hich is available through the Play Station Network, lets PS3 owners create an ava-