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.

Lots of memory loss
Date: 4/15/2009
I take 10mg Ambian. I’ve been taking it for quite some time. I experience lots of memory loss. I wake up and find things put away in the wrong places, stuff I put away while on the pill. I don’t remember putting these things were they are. I have conversations and I do not recall them. I sleep great though the night and feel good the next day. I’m afraid of losing my memory.

Diane

Memory loss, trembling, tinnitis and headaches
Date: 4/15/2009
I have read many of the horror stories of Ambien side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I have been taking very low doses (2.5 mg to 5mg) irregularly over the past 6 years and more regularly (nightly) in the past 6-9 months. I began noticing memory loss, trembling, tinnitis and headaches in these last 9 months, but never associated it to the Ambien until I developed severe hives after a major surgery 3 weeks ago. Researching hives, I discovered that all the side-effects I’ve been experiencing point to the Ambien. I’ve stopped the Ambien and have been experiencing night headaches and of course, insomnia. My question is: After stopping the Ambien, does anyone know if these side-effects eventually reverse, or am I to experience them for the rest of my life? Thank you,

~CJ

AskDocWeb: There have been a few posts from those who have their side effect reverse but others are still waiting to find out they are permanent or not.

Get angry fast and weird dreams
Date: 4/16/2009
These aid have been a life saver for me. Come from a family of non-sleepers. My only issue is that I seem to get angry fast. The weird dreams are worth the sleep. Wondering if anyone else has my side effect….

Sally

Ambien works great
Date: 4/17/2009
I have taken Ambien off and on for years and it works great for me. When I run out, I take Tylenol PM. I get a restful sleep; no side effects with either. I am peri-menopausal, so need meds to help me sleep through night sweats/hormonal fluxes. My mother is 90, has mild-moderate dementia, insomnia, and some depression. She is on low-dosage anti-depressant which can keep people from sleeping well. She has been taking Ambien for a month or so and doing well. Her caregiver at her retirement hotel says it is addictive and just gives to her as she thinks she needs it. In my mind, at her age, I am not worrying about her becoming addicted. It is more important she get as much sleep as possible. I think the medication is great, but everyone is different. If problematic for someone, then take another medication or do behavior mod to help your sleeping.

Suzi

Trying to get off Ambien
Date: 4/17/2009
I have been taking ambien for 3 yrs and my husband and I decided I needed to get off it. It was controlling my life. I would go out of town and forget to grab it and I would try everything to find one tablet. I am trying to get off it and I am on my third day with out it. My first was bad I could not sleep, my whole body was aching real bad, my head felt foggy and I was real tired but could not sleep. My second day was not as bad I fell asleep and stayed asleep for about 4-5 hours but I had alot of dreams which I did not experiance while taking ambien. Last night was my 3rd night it was not bad I slept longer but still dreaming alot it wakes me up then I try to fall asleep again. My body is not aching but I feel a little shaky and my stomach is cramping.

I quit cold turkey and am taking melatonin it seems to be helping knock the habit of ambien. I was like everyone I am not addicted to it. It works for me, but when I looked at it, It was making me where I did not fall asleep right away with it and I would wake up the next morning sleepy and droggy. I would get up in the middle of the night and eat and did not remember. So if you think you don’t have an addiction you better rethink it. Try to get off it as soon as possible. It is hard to kick the habit but it is worth it in the long run.

Rhonda

Peripheral neuropathy and parasympathetic nerve dysfunction
Date: 4/21/2009
I would not recommend this product. Would someone tell me if taking ambien for about 7 years every night could be the cause of my peripheral neuropathy and parasympathetic nerve dysfunction, oral, facial and ear pain? Please help me. The doctors are baffled. And if so, I was off of ambien for 5 months and saw no change. Was that not long enough? How long does it take to reverse the damage?

Susan
P.S. I need to add, could ambien also be the cause of my burning tongue and roof of mouth. There is no swelling just a constant burning sensation. I take L-tryphtophan and melatonin but sometimes still take an ambien when I am sleep deprived. Please advise me. Thank you!

AskDocWeb: Ambien is one of the drugs that can cause metallic taste and several people have posted comments about a burning sensation on their tongue. Ambien may also cause myalgia or muscle aches or pains, which should be reported to your doctor.

Using zolpidem
Date: 4/23/2009
I’ve been using zolpidem (sub.) for ambien and had no side effects. I sleep more soundly and rest easier.

Virginia

Ambien 10 mg
Date: 4/24/2009
I do suffer from insomnia, but for the past 2-3 weeks I’ve been relieved by Ambien. Tonight I threw up my Mexican Meal… question: could it be the ambien or Mexican food? Curious…

Felicia

AskDocWeb: It could be either, vomiting is listed as one of the less serious side effects. If it happens again talk to your doctor.

Hallucinations and loaded gun
Date: 4/24/2009
I am the caregiver for a 78 year old woman with COPD. She was recently prescribed the generic form of Ambien CR (Zolpidem). The first week of taking a 10mg tablet at her bedtime went fine. Last night (or rather, at 3am this morning) she woke up, woke me up in the next room saying there were 11 men in the house. I knew she was “dreaming” as she has always had very vivid dreams and talks loudly in her sleep but I got up a walked around the house. Nothing was disturbed, the doors & windows were all locked. She was adamant that there were these people in the house and they had proceeded to the back yard. We do have a loaded gun in the house. She wanted to call the police. I tried to reason with her, lit up the back yard so she could see there was no one there. I went on line and looked up some of the hallucinations on ambien and was shocked at how many people have had similar experiences. She will not be taking the pills tonight, I will be moving the gun to a safer location and will discuss this side affect with her doctor. I do not know if it is because of the generic form of Ambien…I have nothing to compare it to.

Debbie

AskDocWeb: According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, in elderly patients an initial dose of 5 mg is recommended.

I couldn’t figure out what happened
Date: 4/28/2009
I have used Ambien CR on and off for about 4 years. I use it about 4 times a month to reset my sleeping pattern back to nights when I first get off my night shifts. There has never been any problem (at least that I know about) until yesterday. I took my dose to sleep during the day(in other words my night) and I was surprised to wake up tired and noticed my back door and cellar door open. I also found garden plants(herb cuttings) in my refrigerator and a bouquet of flowers in my table. All the gates to my garden and backyard were open. I couldn’t figure out what happened and thought I had a nice burgler or I was losing my mind. My dogs never barked to wake me up. It was very disconcerting but I liked the flowers. Later on I was telling someone at work about how strange I felt and she informed me that people do things on Ambien and have amnesia afterwards. Lucky for me I only played in my gardens in my pj”s. and my dogs watched over me. I will never feel safe taking Ambien again.

Roseann

Seeing double
Date: 4/29/2009
I have tried Ambien and Ambien CR (time release). Not sure how diff the chemical makeup is but I have had no memory loss or weird behavior on regular Ambien “but” AmbianCR… look out. Seeing double – drowsy after 8hrs of sleep – doing things I don’t remember (phone calls, text messages, walking around the house, etc. I think it is important to indicate if your problems are from Regular or CR. Thanks for everyone’s posts.

Gary

Waking up every 2 hours
Date: 5/2/2009
I took Ambien tonight for the first time. It helped me fall asleep, but I woke up 3 hours later, and then again an hour after that. I am constantly waking up every 2 hours. What can I do? I just want a good night’s sleep!

Elizabeth

AskDocWeb: You can consult with a Sleep Clinic. This is the type of problem in which they specialize. They can help you address the cause of waking up so often rather than treating the symptoms with sleeping pills.

What a nightmare
Date: 5/4/2009
Accidentally took this product last night,(it is my roommate’s Rx.) I thought it was a muscle relaxer I had been taking for a strained neck and back. I spent the better half of today trying to convince myself I didn’t want to die and that I didn’t want to kill myself, then approximately 14 hours after I took the drug I snapped out of it. What a nightmare.

Susan

How do I get help
Date: 5/5/2009
I have been taking ambien (10 mg), almost every night since 1997; I usually break the pill in half and that’ll be good enough. I love a light beer or margarita, too, when I got out. Aside from eating in bed and forgetting that I did . . . is it dangerous? Too late now to ask, I guess, but I don’t know how to wean off it, as I lay awake in bed and think and overthink and worry and want to throw something and get depressed, etc. etc. etc. how do I get help getting off it? (melatonin and over-the-counter doesn’t work for me . . . maybe dynamite?)

Janet

AskDocWeb: Look in the yellow pages of your phonebook under Physicians, Sleep Disorders for a sleep center, sleep clinic or sleep disorder center. They can help you solve your sleep problem rather than just taking pills to cover up the symptom. And yes, alcohol will increase drowsiness and may also increase dizziness which, depending on what you are doing, could be dangerous.

I am not this person
Date: 5/5/2009
I have taken ambien for several months, but only recently in the last couple of weeks have things gone downhill. While on the drug, I take very dirty pictures and send them to random guys in my phone. Last night, I took one and I actually went to bed and got a phone call from one of my friends and I ended up getting into my car and driving thirty minutes to hook up. I am not this person when I’m not on the drug and its starting to really concern me.

Sarah

Mixing Ambien
Date: 5/5/2009
I have been taking Ambien for almost 4 years. Started with Ambien 10 mg. Then went to Ambien CR 12.5 mg. For the last few weeks I’ve need to take 1 CR and 1/2 of the Ambien 10 mg. Is this a problem to mix them?

LJM

AskDocWeb: Yes, that may cause serious problems. Please talk to your doctor before continuing.

Don’t remember a thing about it
Date: 5/7/2009
I have been taking Ambien for over a year. I cannot sleep without it. I have experienced memory loss though, and sometimes don’t remember driving, what I cooked for supper, what I did during the evening and even having sex… This medication is very powerful. I have woke up several times with hickies on my body or neck and don’t remember a thing about it. This is just some very helpful information I’m sure you will benefit from reading.

Lisa

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