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.

Love/Hate relationship with Ambien
Date: 12/13/2006
This is difficult to write about because of my love hate relationship with this drug, so much that can be said about Ambien. I’ve had sleep problems for many years, now. I first tried Ambien about 5 years ago and have been hooked ever since. The first 3 years was very casual, I could go days with out taking them no problem. This last 2 years however has become a different story, I take at least one and a half every single night. Yes Ambien lets you sleep, perfectly at that. When I take Ambien all is good, I do what I want, and sleep when I want. No problems whatsoever…my wife begs to differ though, she says I become a walking zombie, and gets really irritated at my endless rambling about things that don’t make any sense.

In the beginning it was hard to remember the night before, because Ambien does cause short-term memory loss. After countless experiences of realizing that I had eaten everything in the house including a cinnomon-dijon mustard-cheese sandwich that I tempted my wife with than ate myself, then sending bizzare emails and text messages to long lost friends etc, it’s become habit to remember that stuff now. But my stories pale in comparison to a friend that I have who’s Ambien problems have nearly cost him his life, multiple DUIs, hospital trips, jail, permanent face scars from his car wrecks and just falling into walls and such at his house.

The part I struggle with is just the addiction I have now to this drug. If I run out, I go into panic mode and just won’t sleep at all. Like right now, 3am. I’ve been out of Ambien for over a week and haven’t been able to get my prescription re-filled. Maybe 2 hours a night of sleep out of pure exhaustion, but bad sleep at that. Going to sleep doesn’t have any appeal to me whatsoever. This is where this drug has brought me. My advice would be to stay away if you are considering taking it or not quite addicted yet. Ambien What if you never had to lay in bed sleepless again – the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true…” comes to mind.

Jake

Sleep walking on Ambien
Date: 12/13/2006
I used ambien and slept very well for the first time in many years. There was a problem though, I would be placing a load of laundry in the washing machine and not know I was doing it. My wife asked me what I was doing and it was like I woke up at that point and did not know how I got there or what I was doing. This is just one instance. I have had many other times with similar things. I was told by my physician to stop the ambien and have not had a sleep walking problem since. I hope this may help someone.

Mark

Beware of Ambien
Date: 12/14/2006
I would CAUTION anyone thinking about using this drug. After having several weeks of insomnia my Doc prescribed ambien. The 1st night I was out, but I cannot say I had the experience of having slept. I was not rested or refreshed. Subsequently I began feeling more exhausted, irritable, like I wanted to crawl out of my skin and thinking about suicide being the only relief. But I skipped a night and then tried it again for a few nights. I did not sleep more than 2hours the second time and not at all after that. I felt I was on some kind of “upper” from hell. I was confused, crying for no reason, had occasional tremors and after taking the pill and going to bed, had shallow breathing and near panic attacks. Last night was the worse. I will not take it again but I worry about what I’ve read are the withdrawal effects of severe insomnia. BEWARE OF THIS MEDICATION!

Frank

Weird experiences with Ambien
Date: 12/15/2006
I have had many weird experiences with Ambien and Ambien CR. It seems CR causes me to do so many weird things that I have actually blocked my door so that I cannot get out and do something embarrassing or dangerous (my son will get me out in case of danger). When I finally woke up after taking 12.5 mg of Ambien CR for the first time in months (I had been on 20 mg of Ambien previously), it was 3:00 PM! I had a terrible headache and nausea. That wasn’t the worst…I had managed to get to the rest of the sample box my physician had given to me–I had taken 10 pills totally (and had to get through difficult packaging) and I have no memory of this whatsoever!!! Scary. Good thing I didn’t overdose. However, I must say there are times when it works wonderfully. However, tonight it is 3:00 AM and I am still not asleep. I took the medication 3 hours ago. I feel nothing. Other times when I took it, I kind of chose not to go to sleep right away because I was enjoying the feeling (a high?) of relaxation. Can see the potential for addiction… I would welcome thoughts on my experiences with Ambien. Thank you,

Lisa

AskDocWeb: With your experience with Ambien it sounds like you should not be taking this drug.

Can’t go to sleep without taking ambien
Date: 12/15/2006
I’ve been on Ambien for over a year. I had my days and nights so mixed up until I was going days and days at time without any sleep. Now, I can’t go to sleep without taking ambien. I tried to get off this medication for 7 days and it was the worst seven days of my life. I was very angry, I cursed all of the time for no reason. My body was so tired and I was praying to God that my body would shut down and rest. I tried reading books and exercising trying to get my body tired but nothing worked. I have taken ambien and I would call people crying for no reason. I would get in my car and drive. The sad thing about it all is that you don’t remember what happened to you that night or who you talked to. I just want my body to get back to normal and I want to get off this medication. I wouldn’t want this feeling on anyone. Some nights, the ambien doesn’t work and I catch myself taking something else on top of this or I would take another ambien.

Tamisha

Ambien anxiety attacks
Date: 12/17/2006
I have taken ambein only when I can’t fall asleep for several years. It worked good until I took it 4 nights in a row. I became depressed the next day with anxiety attacks, feelings of fear, feeling overwhelmed. I stayed of it for a week and took it again and had the same reactions. Now I have decided going without sleep is more desirable.

Rosalie

Dry eyes
Date: 12/19/2006
Dry eyes…I’ve been taking 10 mg ambien for several years. After reading comments I will reduce to 5 mg and see if I get any relief. I have plugs in eyes and take restalis but my eyes continue to be dry. Thanks.

Km5

AskDocWeb: You may want to take a look at Causes and Treatment of Dry Eyes.

Getting anxious
Date: 12/20/2006
I am about to take Ambient CR 10 mg. when I take other over the counter sleeping pills (Tylenol sleeping pill) I get anxious after one hour or two. I think it is due to the antihistamine (not sure). Does this have the same kind of the ingredients as the over the counter sleeping pill?

Sam

AskDocWeb: No, both Ambien and Ambien CR have ingredients different from any over the counter sleeping pill.

Worried about Ambien effects
Date: 12/21/2006
I’ve been taking ambien 4 about 2 months now. I’ve had full conversations with my girlfriend without remembering them. I’ve also called my family members at odd hours and had weird conversations. I’m beginning 2 worry about the long term effects of this drug. I took 1 and a half pills one time and I saw double and couldn’t walk down the stairs 2 get a drink of water. When I remember this incident it seems like it was a dream but I know it really happened.

Ben

No problem
Date: 12/21/2006
I’ve never had a problem with Ambien – it’s a sleep medication so yes, IT CAN make you tired, groggy acting, etc…if you don’t sleep after taking it. To read some of the reports here I can only suggest that some shouldn’t be taking any medication other than milk toast based over the counter drugs. Then again, I’m sure some would complain that something like Tylenol PM make them want to “cut themselves” and “go to dairy queen wearing only their nightgown and slippers”. You know, sometimes it’s not the medication, sometimes it’s the person taking the medication!

JoePublic

Couldn’t stand the way Ambien made me feel
Date: 12/22/2006
I took Ambien CR for about three weeks to help with problems waking up many times in the night. It works great. I fell asleep and stayed asleep. I started to notice that I felt agitated all the time during the day. It became so bad I had trouble doing normal daytime tasks such as driving. My concentration and memory were affected. I had trouble finding my car in a parking lot which NEVER happened before. I also noticed I stopped having dreams. These symptoms stopped almost immediately after I quit taking Ambien. I was disappointed because it really did help with the sleep, I just couldn’t stand the way it made me feel during the day.

Kathy

I colored my daughter purple
Date: 12/31/2006
I started taking Ambien while my newborn son was in the hospital with a lethal form of skeletal dysplasia. I fell asleep while talking to my sister on the phone. Furthermore, I wrote email to people that was somewhat coherent and somewhat not coherent and signed the emails “love, Zenu the Alien”. Alter Ego??? Anyway, I stopped taking it and a few months later I took my last one when I quite my job to start a home daycare. I was sitting at the computer the next morning and suddenly heard my youngest daughter say “who did this to me?” I looked up at her standing on the stairs and to my horror, her whole forehead was marked purple. My stomach sank because I was thinking “OH MY GOD! SOMEONE WAS IN MY HOUSE!” Then she lifted up her jammie top and written on her stomach was “Cami did this”. She had other writing and marks on her back. I started thinking maybe my sister snuck into the house and did it to her as a birthday prank. My husband came home from work and looked at the writing and said “that is your handwriting!” It was…I colored my daughter purple. In a way it was hilarious, but in a way, it was very scary. I will never take Ambien again! I slept good (aside from the sleepwalking). Now I just take Melatonin if I can’t sleep. Just thought I would share.

Jody

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