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.

Use extreme caution!
Date: 8/29/2007
I was given samples of Ambien and later prescribed 10mg by my doctor, though they were well aware of my treatment for clinical depression. I found initially that far from taking effect in 10 to 15 minutes, it could take three to four HOURS for it to take effect, and then I’d sleep for 16 to 18 hours! Worse, and yes, I’m aware now that this wasn’t a good idea, I’d “lead” the dosage by taking it several hours before I figured it’d put me to sleep, so that when I got home it would take effect and I could then sleep. One night I was pulled over going home, apparently I had damaged somebody’s lawn by driving across it repeatedly! I was cited and released and the next morning could remember almost nothing about the whole experience. I put the Ambien away and haven’t touched it since. The amnesia apparently is compounded by several commonly prescribed SSRIs and mine is one of them. Avoid this unless your doctor is VERY aware of the potential for strange behavior and amnesia.

Turtle

He loves it so much
Date: 8/29/2007
My husband has been taking Ambien for over a year now and he loves it. He loves it so much in fact, that when he runs short, (sometimes he has to take 15mg) he panic’s…He worries about what he will do when he is out. It amazes me that medical professionals will continue to prescribe medications that clearly states it IS NOT for long-term use…instead of people wanting to sue the company that makes Ambien they should look at the Doctor that continues to prescribe it. It really does work in helping him sleep but I have witnessed the memory loss first hand and it has caused problems when I tell him important things and he doesn’t remember it and then thinks I just didn’t tell him. Ambien is a wonderful sleep aide but patients and Doctors need to heed the warnings on the label…they put them there for a reason.

Susan

Dependent on it
Date: 8/29/2007
Been taking ambien for 8 months now. It works great and I haven’t suffered from any of the side effects. But I am dependent on it and that scares me.

Carol

After several years of Ambien
Date: 8/29/2007
I was a chronic insomniac and very stressed, both physically and emotionally, by lack of sleep. My psychiatrist, who also treats me for depression, prescribed Ambien which worked wonderfully well for me and gave me back quality in my life. Unfortunately, I have found that, after several years, Ambien has aggravated my asthma. I recently switched to Trazodone rather than Ambien, and have immediately found asthma relief. Indeed, I have gone from four nebulizer treatments necessary to just keep my asthma under tenuous control to only one nebulizer treatment before bed as a precaution. I understand that breathing problems are a rare side effect of Ambien, and I have inherited (as have all my siblings and their children) asthma. I write this just as a precaution. Ambien can be taken safely by a majority of people, I believe. It certainly gave me back my life. Finally, I suffered no withdrawal symptoms after several years using Ambien every night. One cannot place a price on sleep.

Dr. Jennifer

Too easy
Date: 8/30/2007
Having suffered chronic back-pain for 18 years, zoplicone has been a god-send. But, it is addictive and easy to become dependent. I have used and withdrawn twice from it — natural sleep is better, but there are times when natural sleep won’t come. I think that doctors and patients need to remind each other that the pill is a temporary measure and that it needs to be withdrawn from as soon as the patient feels able. It is too easy to just sigh together and keep prescribing. But we do not tell a person to smoke cannabis night after night. What is the difference?

Dee

Ambien blackouts
Date: 8/30/2007
I was using Ambien on a 3rd night of insomnia only, but then was having “blackouts” where I wouldn’t remember a chunk of time, like those listed above, so I switched to just taking them on nights I was upset or fixated on something and couldn’t sleep, which seemed to work okay if I went straight to bed after taking it. My sister, on the other hand, has been taking the Ambien CR for quite some time (maybe a year). Her boyfriend is starting to report not only the memory blackouts, but also the crazy behavior that other people are talking about. Like getting up in the middle of the night to eat a whole box of cookies (she’s skinny and has never had or remembered these eating binges) or saying that she was using a butcher knife to get some ice cream out of the freezer. She has also gone into her 17-year-old son’s room and demanded that he get up and play video games with her! I am trying to encourage her to at least switch to every other night.

Sharon

Never again
Date: 8/31/2007
I started using ambien CR a few months ago, due to trauma which occurred in my life, and insomnia as a result. For the first couple of months it worked, and I would sleep 8 hours. A month ago I noticed I would wake up with anxiety after 4 hours. And always feel groggy during the day. It started to require 2 ambien to fall asleep. That’s when the tinitus (ear ringing) started, all day long. And the shakes, I felt like I would jump out of my skin. The other night I stopped taking the ambien altogether. I was awake for one night and one day, but it was better then the side effects. Last night I went to sleep without the ambien and it was a much more productive sleep. I will never take ambien cr again. Just an aside note: I drank swaths of valerian root tea all day and that helped me sleep quite effectively last night minus the ambien.

Marianne

AskDocWeb: Please note that there are some health concerns with using valerian.

Extreme nausea
Date: 9/3/2007
I have been taking Ambien for several years now. Has anyone had any reoccurring bouts of extreme nausea taking this drug? I am mean nausea similar to morning sickness (NOT a chance of that with me) or sea sickness. I am trying to pinpoint the cause of this nausea. It is not constant but when I have it, it lasts a couple weeks at least. Then I get extremely hot – like a hot flash. Thanks.

Pam

AskDocWeb: Yes, others have reported some nausea. It is listed as one of the side effects that you should report to your doctor.

Ambien and red wine
Date: 9/5/2007
Please answer a question for me. I take Ambien 10mg before bedtime. It works well for me. I have been ordered by my nurse practitioner to consume 4 ounces daily of red wine for it’s beneficial cardiovascular effects. I know not to take any form of alcohol at the same time I take Ambien, but is there a safe time when I could drink the wine and then later take the Ambien?

Anna

AskDocWeb: For four ounces of red wine you could drink it with the last meal of the day. That wouldn’t affect the Ambien you take later at bedtime.

Ambien and memory problems
Date: 9/5/2007
I am on a daily dose of Methadone 60mg, propoxyphene for getting my tooth pulled(temp), and took my daily dose (temp) of Ambien 10-15mg when I needed to sleep. My question is, could the side effects, I have found doing research, of Ambien such as amnesia (temp) and abnormal behaviors be the cause of me acting different in a supermarket causing an employee to think I was suspicious of stealing products? I have had someone accuse me, however it is on camera and there is no visual proof of me stealing anything at all! The employee is saying she saw me steal and then leave, and they see me wandering in the area for about half an hour looking all over and looking into products. I have had other things happen that same week that I didn’t know I did and had no memory of the incident. I was pulled over for driving my truck crookedly and given a warning, however I can’t remember it happening barely at all just bits. I also have had friends and family tell me of odd things I have been doing while using the ambien that week. I am very concerned because I was given a citation for retail theft and I can’t recall anything from that time but bits that don’t prove anything, I never saw later any objects that weren’t mine in my purse at home or anything. I did that week after these incidents call my doctor and went off the ambien immediately and told them of what happened.

Could taking ambien cause me to go to the grocery store and back and have no memory of the whole time? I was pulled over for driving odd at 7am and I can’t remember any of it but bits. I have done other odd things that my family have told me about. But the grocery store one is the worst and it got me in trouble…Could this be due to the ambien?

Now I need to prove to the judge that the ambien could very well be the cause for anything I may have or have not done. I believe the employee is mistaken and I don’t deserve to be punished for something I did not knowingly mean to do. I have been doing research and I have found a lot of evidence that the side affects of ambien can cause all these things to happen, odd behavior and amnesia and much more. I wanted to ask you if you could help me with proof or information on the subject of this incident? I would appreciate any help at all! Thank you for your time and I hope I hear back from you soon,

Nicole

AskDocWeb: You need to contact an attorney and let them prepare your defense. There was a class action lawsuit last year but we haven’t heard the results yet. Read more Ambien Feedback. Ambien – 31 – 32 – 33 – 34 – Page 35 – 36 – 37 – 38 – 39 – Last Page 120

---

If you find this page useful share it with others. If you have used Ambien, use the form below to add your review of Ambien, feedback or suggestions that may help others. Please note that all addresses are held confidential.