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.

A good alternative for insomnia sufferers
Date: 10/14/2007
I think Ambein is a safe reliable drug for true insomnia sufferers. I have been taking it for years, and have no real problems. The positive for me, is that I get to sleep. It’s a good thing. I believe when taken properly, it’s a good alternative for insomnia sufferers. Remember to allow proper amount of time (7 to 8 hours) for rest. Take as low a dose as possible. I do this, and no side effects. If you abuse it, it will create problems.

Paul

Ambien for three years
Date: 10/14/2007
I have been on Ambien for three years. It has been a life-saver for me as I couldn’t sleep due to pain and migraines. I take half to go to sleep and take the other half in the middle of the night and sleep another 2-4 hours. Taking the second half seems not to be as effective any more–I may sleep one hour more. I have also been thinking I should cut back or quit because of all the reasons others have given: memory problems, hangover effects, feeling drowsy the next day, dry mouth and throat (drinking water every hour or so all night long), strange behavior after taking the pill, strange taste in throat, clearing my throat all day long, hyper-breathing during the day. But feeling exhausted from not sleeping isn’t the answer either. It was recommended by my doctor to cut back by taking only half or three quarters. I only weigh 105 lbs. so the dose is probably too strong to start with. I also look forward to studies of long-term users.

Elaine

Pretty bizarre
Date: 10/14/2007
At a friend’s house one night, who had taken the drug to go to sleep, well, it got pretty bizarre. Instead of going to sleep, he decided to stay up and watch TV. He started saying bizarre things like he was “in the TV” WITH the people that were on whatever show. He said this many times over, how he was no longer in the room and was inside the TV set. He then looked at me, and asked who I was and what I was doing there. Then, he started looking for a door handle in the door so he could escape from “me”. The problem? It was an open wall, there was no door, window or anything else where he was groping for the door handle. It got worse. He then got violent, wanting to fight me. He put up his fists and decided I was his worst enemy, stating as such. Fortunately for me, the effects of the drug were SO severe, he was like a drunk trying to fight, I countered every blow easily. This eventually died down, he fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning – I know because I stayed to make sure nothing ELSE was going to happen. The next day? He remembered NOTHING of what had happened the night before. NOTHING. I can’t imagine what a person going through that kind of dementia would be like trying to drive a car…

Benb

Curious
Date: 10/18/2007
Has anyone reported sleep walking, sleep driving, eating binges, curious? I’m asking because for awhile my partner as noticed, well complete chaos in the kitchen in the morning; and I have no recollection getting up to eat. Recently I found myself driving, thought it was a dream; actually more to the story. Please respond.

J.C.

AskDocWeb: Yes they have, just read what others are reporting, it’s an eye opener.

Ruined my moral values
Date: 10/22/2007
Well in the process of getting off ambien after taking what I thought was the only thing to help sleep but after finding out I got in my car and stole someone’s credit card number and charged on it. I thankfully did not kill anyone on the way but ruined what I called my moral values. I am thinking about suing, can you help?

Chris

AskDocWeb: No, the purpose of this website is to share information about side effects and publish consumer reviews of health products. We provide you with a forum to share your experience with others when you take these products.

Ambien tragedy
Date: 10/25/2007
My daughter, who is 19 years of age, was prescribed Ambien by a counselor for sleep deprivation and anxiety. She has gone through a horrible time with the loss of her father and then soon after, traumatically, the loss of her job. She was beside herself and could not sleep, could not be calmed with the anxiety that she felt, so we sent her to a reputable counselor. She did spend 15 min. with her, gave her trileptal and ambien. No warnings of either, just to take the ambien at least half hour prior to bedtime and to make it the same time every night if possible, and to take it with the trileptal. She did and was awoken by a phone call from a friend who had been out and had too much to drink and didn’t want to drive. She drove her home, but on her way back, remembers barely dropping a cigarette and when picking it up, awoke in an ambulance. She had hit a telephone pole head on and was suffering from a horrible concussion, breast contusions, horribly bruised knees and thighs. She remembers nothing else until she woke up in the ambulance and the Police Officer was telling her she was under arrest and he’d fill her in when she more with it.

My god! My daughter has had nothing but pain and grief from such a great promising life for the past year and a half, and then all that’s happened in the past 6 months, this happens. I have no idea what to do, who to talk to. All I know is her court date is Nov. 29th, we don’t have the money for an Attorney, I am suffering from liver failure and have had two surgeries recently for brain aneurysms with one left to go, that is on the other side of the two others. I live on disability and it isn’t much at my age of 38. What can I do, or what should I do. Please help. I am of dire straits I should say, even in consoling my daughter. I almost feel I’m failing her by my own ailments and not being able to be with her 24/7. She has slept with me for two nights now, and been in an out of the hospital three times since her accident 3 days ago for her horrible concussion and vomiting. I just don’t know what to do. God, please send me in the right direction. Thank you.

Cara

AskDocWeb: About the only thing you can do is to console her and be by her side when she needs you, giving what emotional support you can.

Weird dreams
Date: 10/27/2007
I have been on Ambien for about 1 year and a half after some house fires. About three months ago I started having weird dreams like it just did the dream. And about a month ago, I started getting depressed and started having thoughts of wanting to hurt myself. So go and tell your doctor to switch you to something else.

E.

Fantastic
Date: 10/27/2007
I have been using Amien CR for about a year and it is fantastic for getting a full night’s sleep about 4-6 hrs. Sometimes I wake and then can go back to sleep. I am 68 years old and I have real problems with sleep if I don’t take the Ambien. I take it almost every night.

Bill

Increasing memory loss and forgetfulness
Date: 10/29/2007
I have been using Ambien for several months. I have noticed increasing memory loss and forgetfulness. I am 57 years old and attribute some forgetfulness to menopause. Could the Ambien be responsible for the increased loss?

Claire

AskDocWeb: Yes, memory loss is one of the side effects possible with Ambien.

Ambien stomach problems?
Date: 11/2/2007
My niece is taking ambien and she is having severe problems with her stomach. Could the ambien be the reason for this? Has it been known to cause ulcers?

Nancy

AskDocWeb: Ulcers were not listed as a side effect of Ambien but there are other gastrointestinal effects; 7% of users experienced nausea, 2% constipation, 1% abdominal tenderness, 1% abdominal discomfort, 1% GERD, 1% frequent bowel movements, and 1% vomiting. (Source: PDR 2008)

Feeling like crap the next morning
Date: 11/4/2007
I have been taking Ambien CR for a while now. I have had no side effects. But I was wondering is it okay to take Nyquil for my cold, while I still take my Ambien to sleep. For now I am just taking Ambien to sleep, but my coughing wakes me up, and I end up feeling like crap the next morning. Please Help Me Sleep.

Dana

AskDocWeb: Don’t take both without talking to your doctor first.

Bold-faced lie
Date: 11/5/2007
I am better than my wife to report on Ambien. Why? Because I was the one who had to put-up with the effects, the same side effects she denied even while exhibiting them. First, I thought she was going crazy. She increasingly began forgetting conversations we had (many hours after she woke). We would fight about things she denied ever saying, even after the rest of the family agreed she said them. She became abusive in public, not caring what anyone thought. She had a glassy “crazed” look in her eye that got worse each month. Of course, she had the often reported other side effects of sleep walking and talking and utter crazy behavior that she likewise wouldn’t remember. She clung to the reports distributed by the very makers of this drug; reports that said it is not habit forming or addictive. That is a bold-faced lie.

After a year of this, she decided to prove me wrong by not taking an Ambien one night. The next morning she told me, “I didn’t sleep at all last night, I was shaking like a leaf and couldn’t sleep.” She blamed me, and said these were the reasons she was taking Ambien. I corrected her and told her a mild case of “not being able to fall asleep” turned into a terrible addiction, and her shaking was called a “withdrawal symptom.” The real kicker: She works in a doctor’s office. I told her it was me or the Ambien. My kids wanted to plan an intervention. We talked her into tapering off the Ambien for a week coupled with increased exercise and a lot less TV reality garbage when she should be sleeping. Result: Ambien-free for a half a year (she was on this “drug” for 18 months when she quit), and she finally admits it was an addiction that she is not proud of. She never sleeps eight straight hours, but she is always rested. I read this forum by mistake, I Googled something totally different and enough key words matched this forum. But I read the entries and must say that this forum is absolutely riddled with people who are in complete denial. No, it is not good, stop taking this drug while you still can.

David

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