Sleep Medication

[Valjean]

For some time now I have been a huge fan of Ambien sleep medication. For international travel it has been a godsend for me. I don’t sleep on planes but one Ambien and I get a good 4-5 hours of sleep. Yes it’s not 8 but it’s better than a nap. When I land for the first 2-3 nights I take an Ambien and get a really solid 6-7 hours and within the few days I’m on the new time zone without jet lag and that waking up at 2AM or 3AM and not being able to sleep. And I never have any hangover or effects from this – just feel rested and ready to go. So that’s my unpaid testimonial.

Went to the local pharmacy counter today in Bangkok and they told me they didn’t think Ambien was sold here in Thailand. Questions:

Does anyone know if Ambien is available in Thailand?

If yes, does it require doctor prescription? (in the US it does)

If no, do people have recommendations for alternatives? Yeah I’ve tried some of the herbal stuff but I’m in to hard drugs

[Old Man River]

For some time now I have been a huge fan of Ambien sleep medication.  For international travel it has been a godsend for me.  I don’t sleep on planes but one Ambien and I get a good 4-5 hours of sleep.  Yes it’s not 8 but it’s better than a nap.  When I land for the first 2-3 nights I take an Ambien and get a really solid 6-7 hours and within the few days I’m on the new time zone without jet lag and that waking up at 2AM or 3AM and not being able to sleep.  And I never have any hangover or effects from this – just feel rested and ready to go.  So that’s my unpaid testimonial.

Went to the local pharmacy counter today in Bangkok and they told me they didn’t think Ambien was sold here in Thailand.  Questions:

Does anyone know if Ambien is available in Thailand?

If yes, does it require doctor prescription? (in the US it does)

If no, do people have recommendations for alternatives?  Yeah I’ve tried some of the herbal stuff but I’m in to hard drugs

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As I put in a similar thread a few days ago, Ambien is availble in Thailand under the brand name Stilnox. However, you can only get it at a hospital and need a doctor's presecription. As you have described, since it is a relatively safe sleeping aid (short half life of only 2 hours), doctors normally have no problem prescribing it. However, please note that Bamrungrad lumps it with more dangerous pharmaceuticals. Hence while the doctor's prescription may be for a higher amount for convenience, the hospital will only allow you to purchase 15 tablets per visit. Depending on your travel requirements, this may be sufficient. Interestingly, I have not found other reputable hospitals to have the same policy.

Hope this helps.

[Orion76]

As said above, you can go to a hospital and just tell the doctor you need some pills to sleep on a plane and get over your jetlag, I have done this several times at Bumrungrad before and the docs were sympathetic to the request. He'll probably ask what worked well for you before and give you the same.

If you only need 10 pills or so at a time this is the easiest way to go.

Edited November 25, 2005 by Orion76