About Ambien

Discussion forum about the side effects of Ambien. Share your experience and opinion about Ambien. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.

Severe neuropathy
Date: 5/10/2012
I have been using Ambien on and off for about 4 years now, mostly for stress related sleepless nights. I now have numbing, burning, and pain in my feet. Have been to several Drs. and have been diagnosed with severe neuropathy and still trying to figure out why. Has anyone had this type of side effect from the Ambien and if so did it go away after discontinued use?

Pam

AskDocWeb: Neuropathy is listed as one of the rare side effects of Ambien along with abnormal gait, abnormal thinking, aggressive reaction, apathy, appetite increased, decreased libido, delusion, dementia, depersonalization, dysphasia, feeling strange, hypokinesia, hypotonia, hysteria, intoxicated feeling, manic reaction, neuralgia, neuritis, neurosis, panic attacks, paresis, personality disorder, somnambulism, and suicide attempts. If you experience side effects that do not go away, always report them to your health care provider.

Change of taste
Date: 5/20/2012
have a few symptoms and trying to find reason. first-change of taste. foods i eat now taste awful. second-excess saliva and dry mouth at the same time, trouble with speech and walking like am drunk. what ever information you can give me is appreciated.

Cheryl

AskDocWeb: Ambien is one of the drugs that can affect taste. The other symptoms you list have not been associated with Ambien and should be discussed with your doctor.

Ambien works!
Date: 5/28/2012
It does put me to sleep however i usually only can stay asleep for about 4 hours and I do get terrible ha’s. . I am attempting to come off working nights and stop taking meds to help with sleep. BUT AGAIN – IT DEFINITELY WORKS.

Matt

My nightmare
Date: 5/29/2012
I was injuried on the job and placed on workers compensation as a result. I had surgery and complications of my knee injury have kept me from returning to work. I have been battling retirement and stressed to a point I had a stroke. I have battled back from my stroke and continue to battle with stress, insomnia and pain. I was placed on Vicadin, lexapro and ambien. The ambien never really gave me a good night sleep(3-4 hours only). After three sleepless nights I took a ambien at 2am and awoke at 5am I took another pill and this is what happen next.

I awoke the next day in the ICU at a local hospital, on a ventilator tied down to the bed. Apparently I got up, got dressed took all the pills in my possession (approx 90 pills) drove down the road until I past out. I apparently stole an item from a local store and was charged with retail theft. The worst is I was fired from my job, lost my pension and all medical benefits and the workers comp issues is an ongoing battle and my nightmare continues.

My nursing license is now at risks and my wife is threatening divorce. I have been a 28+ year police officer with numerous Commendations and Awards with no job, medical coverage, need surgery and trying to keep my 25 year marriage intact. I initially thought I was losing my mind until doctors concluded the ambien and the combination of lexapro and vicadin were the result of my behavioral changes and actions. I continue to battle without the use of these medications in hope of regaining my life.

BD

Addicted to Ambien
Date: 6/3/2012
I was addicted to Ambien, I was taking 12.5mg and would even get off work early to come home so I could take it and get high, that’s what I got addicted to. If I would have just took it and went straight to bed but I didn’t. My family started telling me how crazy I acted when I took Ambien, eating, buying stuff online, my husband said we even had sex; none of this I remembered…Ambien was all I ever thought about, how to get more, my weekends were spent in a daze, most I don’t even remember…My low point was when I ran out of pills, I had went through 30 pills in 5 days. I was in a panic, I was on the internet trying to purchase some when I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t order them; the next 5 days was hell, I could not sleep, could not stop crying; my husband wanted to take me to the hospital, but I knew I couldn’t; I didn’t want anyone to know, I did a lot of praying and finally I got through it, amazing how much better I feel; I was lucky, some people have arrest records and even worse..Beware of Ambien…..

Bye Bye Ambien

Quit Ambien because of memory loss
Date: 6/4/2012
I have been on 25mg of elavil for 3 days. I had taken Ambien 10 mg for 10 years and the only reason I quit is because I had memory loss Elavil has not helped the insomnia. My question is does the Elavil take time to get into your system? Should I continue taking it until it does?

Lissette

AskDocWeb: It doesn’t take long for Elavil to get into your system but it usually takes 2 weeks for it to reach maximum effect. Always consult with your doctor before making any change in your personal treatment plan.

28 days later
Date: 6/5/2012
I am the lady that had been on 10mg. for ten years. Today it is 28 days since I quit. The only major withdrawal symptom has been not being able to sleep. I called my doctor and he prescribed Elavil. I have tried it for 5 days and it does not work for me, I am still without sleep plus feeling the groggines and tiredness from Elevil. It doesn’t have Ambien but it doesn’t work. I called back and he says there is a new pill that has 1.7 mg. of Ambien. Do you know the name of that pill? I hate going back to Ambien even at a lower dosage. I will lose the 28 days of conquering that horrible habit but really need to sleep. Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated. By the way, the reason I quit Ambien was because of loss of memory.

Lissette

AskDocWeb: Ambien tablets come in 5 mg, 6.25 mg, 10 mg, and 12.5 mg. It is likely that your doctor was referring to Intermezzo, which comes in a 1.75 mg dose for women and 3.5 mg for men. It’s manufactured by Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc. and received FDA approval just last year (November 23, 2011). Their marketing partner, Purdue Pharma, launched Intermezzo in April 2012. It contains the same active ingredient as Ambien (zolpidem tartrate), just at a lower dose. Intermezzo is for the patient who can fall asleep without difficulty but wakes up in the middle of the night. This is the only FDA approved drug for middle-of-the night insomniacs.

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