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.

Hair loss?
Date: 6/21/2009
I am having hair loss due to ambien can this be?

Alison

AskDocWeb: Hair loss is not listed as a side effect of Ambien.

Horrible nightmares
Date: 6/22/2009
I have been taking Ambien CR for several months because I have chronic sleep disorder due to pain from Fibromyalgia. At first it was great to go to sleep and wake up in the morning without being aware of every time I moved during the night. Over the last couple of weeks I have been horrible nightmares that awaken me, and I tend to feel sick and drugged all night until the Ambien has worn off. I have also noticed that my blood pressure is starting to go up and I am very anxious. Does this sound like symptoms that could be created by Ambian CR?

Susan

AskDocWeb: The fact that the symptoms last only until the Ambien wares off should tell you something. Hopefully you realize that anxiety raises blood pressure and nightmares can produce a lot of anxiety.


Date: 6/22/2009
Strange dreams but restful sleep. had some side effects like mild headaches, apathy, confusion and depression after taking the medication for a week. it did alter my personality to a degree. good to have on hand for those times when I have severe insomnia and haven’t slept for more than 3 days, but I would not take this drug for an extended period of time for fear of dependency and more severe side effects.

Ed

Frightening drug
Date: 6/23/2009
This is a frightening drug. My mom’s been taking it for about 6 months and she’s undergone a substantial personality change. She is hypersensitive, extremely elated, and her perception is askew. They’ve lowered her dose to 6 mg. and are trying to wean her off.

Ellen

Ambien Blackout
Date: 6/24/2009
Last summer my husband was having trouble sleeping. He was very stress about his work and was having trouble relaxing to go to sleep and if he was able to get to sleep he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night. His physician, depite my protests, prescribed to him the generic Ambien. The couple of times he took the RX he acted very strange the next day. I had no idea that this drug may have been responsible for that. If I would have I would have begged him to not take it again. I knew there were problems with side effects from this drug, but I guess at that time the warnings were somewhat different then they are now. I was worried about the sleep walking, driving, ect. The last time my husband took this drug, we went to bed like any other night. The next morning I woke up and he was already up. I went to the familyroom to find him (in the basement on the other end of the house) What I found nobody should ever have to experience in their lifetime. I found my husband with a gunshot to the head. The police officers that came to investigate what happened were at a loss. There was no note. Of course not, my husband did not want to die. The theory is that he had no idea, due to the drug, of what he was doing. They call it an Ambien Blackout. Obviously this does not happen to everyone that takes it, but one person is too many. I have now heard other reports of the same type of thing happening. I feel I need to get the word out. If I could just help one person from having to go through what happened to my wonderful, loving husband and myself. I am now faced with trying to find a way to get through everyday of the rest of my life without my best friend, my husband. To his honor, please think twice before taking this drug.

JJ

Did not remember it the next day
Date: 6/26/2009
Once again I am searching for a way to stop taking Ambien. I may have the record here. I have been easily been taking this for 12-15 years. I had two clinical depressions and the Dr.’s have allowed me to continue using this for sleeping. I had no problems til the last couple of years when I walked to a neighbors house in my pajamas had a glass of wine and did not remember it the next day. More and more I am asleep and get up to eat or have a glass of wine and my husband tells me in the morning what I did. No real memory…bits and pieces come back when he tells me. I have tried to cut back or stop but can not go without sleep. I have not read here how anyone who has been on this long term can get back to a normal life of sleeping on ones own. I too look forward to bedtime and the knowledge with Ambien I do get to sleep. Help!

Frances

AskDocWeb: Look in the yellow pages of your phonebook under Physicians, Sleep Disorders for a sleep center, sleep clinic or sleep disorder center. They are the specialists when it comes to sleep problems. Ongoing problems with sleep can indicate other problems that are not being addressed. A Sleep Clinic can help you address the cause of your sleep problem rather than treating the symptoms with sleeping pills.

Wonder drug?
Date: 6/29/2009
Thank you all so much for your posts. I have been taking ambien for about 2 1/2 years – 5 mg – every single night. It worked for me. I slept well most nights and was grateful for ambien. I went into therapy six months ago because of unmanagable melancholy, problems with marriage/relationships. I told my therapist that if someone told me I had been in a coma for two years I would believe it. I started to realize that my life stopped working about the same time I started taking this “wonder” drug.

I’m a working artist – I stopped painting. Couldn’t figure it out. I was grouchy, thought everyone disliked me. I had always had good friendships and got along with people well. Now I felt completed isolated from everyone. I had severe panic attacks. My doctor prescribed lorazapan. I was happy I had something to help me get through the day and ambien to look forward to each night…how else would I manage? I thought I was losing my mind…thought I might be developing alzheimers. I had a constant metallic taste in my mouth, then a serious sinus infection. Antibiotic was prescribed. When I looked up the side effects of Ambien, I had been suffering with just about all of them. I had been taking this little pill for 2 1/2 yrs. – only 5 mg – and it never occurred to me once that all of the things that were happening to me could be because of it.

I went cold turkey a week ago. Didn’t sleep the first night at all. Each night has gotten better. I feel better. More relaxed, no more heart palpitations, no more anxiety. My memory seems to be improving. I’m reading again. I’m planning my next painting. I will never take this pill again. For all those who write about how well ambien is working please pay attention to your day to day life. Yes, I slept better with ambien, but my waking hours became a nightmare.

Nancy

Drug screen?
Date: 6/30/2009
Four days ago I took 20mg of ambien. Will it show up in a drug screen?

Lacour

AskDocWeb: Ambien has not been reported to cause any problems on a drug screen.

Severe memory loss and nightmares
Date: 6/30/2009
I have been taking Ambien on and off for 10 years. I am experiencing severe memory loss. I only take 2.5 mg. I cannot take it continually(night after night)…if I do, I get either horrible nightmares or I do not sleep at all. I only take it occasionally but I think even this is not good. This is the worst drug on the market…however I do need to sleep. I am going to ask my doctor if I can try Adavan…Does anyone have any suggestions to improve my memory? Natural supplements? No more drugs please. This is scary. Could this be compared to early onset of Alztimers?

Mary

AskDocWeb: Yes, several people using Ambien have said that they thought they might be developing Alzheimer’s.

Use extreme caution
Date: 6/30/2009
My husband has used Ambian for years. In the last year he was also prescribed zoloft for his anxiety. He often complained that the ambian stopped working and would have to wait a few days before going back on it. Well after going off the zoloft several months ago he recently went back on it for 2-3 weeks. I came home 1.5 weeks ago to him dead. It is believed that the mix of the zoloft and ambian and maybe extra pills that he got suicidal and took his life with a gun. I advise everyone to use extreme caution with these drugs and if you have weapons in the house. Please do not take the warnings lightly. This has turned our families upside down.

Holly

I don’t ever want to stop
Date: 7/1/2009
I’ve been an insomniac since day l. First incident I can remember was at 3 yrs old. On average it takes me 2-4 hrs to fall sleep. Once I fall to sleep I sleep OK. I just dread the length of time. Ambien I used on occasion in the past. Now with my cpap on I’ve used them for the past 2 weeks and am sleep great…now I don’t ever want to stop…finaly sleep.

Pete

Loss of memory and gained a lot of weight
Date: 7/1/2009
I have been on Ambien for the past ten years. I have started experincing loss of memory. My husband claims I have conversations with my during the night which I don’ remember. In addition I have gained a lot of weight because the drug seems to open my appetite. I raid the refrigerator without any memory. I will like to get off this medication but nothing else seems to work.

Bobo

No memory of this!
Date: 7/1/2009
I went to bed after taking ambien and woke up covered in chocolate pudding- I had made it in my sleep and took it to bed with me, pot and all. -no memory of this!

Jan

Giggle fits
Date: 7/2/2009
I have been taking zolpidem (generic Ambien) on and off for about two years. At the 10mg dose, I would have giggle fits for fifteen minutes, then fall asleep, then wake up a few hours later with weird concepts in my head that I’d want to act on immediately. In one instance, I sat straight up, reached for my shoes and got ready to leave the apartment, insisting to my husband that I had to go out NOW and buy milk. “Why?” “Because we need it for the cookies!” “It’s 2:30 in the morning, we don’t HAVE any cookies, and we don’t drink milk. AND you’re naked, except for your sneakers. Take them off and get back in bed.” I actually have no memory of this. My husband told me in the morning, and I wrote it down, along with other episodes like it (insisting that he teach me how to drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, even though we like in New York and neither of us drives, etc.). He took it once, and didn’t go immediately to bed; instead, he stayed up and played the worst three hours of online poker he’s ever done. At 5mg, or, better still, 2.5mg every second or third night, I sleep soundly. If you must take it, take the absolutely smallest dosage that’s effective for you. AND GO STRAIGHT TO BED. Don’t get up to brush your teeth, check the locks, read a last chapter or ANYTHING. If you’re in bed, the odds are in your favor that you’ll stay in bed.

VJB

Sometimes it never kicks in
Date: 7/5/2009
Ambien worked well in the beginning but sometimes it never kicks in. I wonder if there is anything besides an empty stomach that makes it work better. Why does it work better some nights than others?

Steve

AskDocWeb: There are several reasons for the effectiveness to vary from one night to the next.

• Your stress level
• Changes in sleep location
• Changes in sleep attire or clothing
• Changes in sheets, blankets, or pillows
• Changes in laundry detergent, fabric softener
• The regularity of your sleep time (changes make going to sleep more difficult)
• Your diet (food and drink that contain stimulants)
• Your anxiety level (fear)
• Your ability to cope with problems
• Your physical health (injuries or illness)
• Your physical fitness
• Your level of body fatigue (how tired you are)
• How long ago you ate your last meal

Each of the above may vary from one night to the next. Even the mental conversation you have with yourself while going to sleep varies every night. It is difficult to get to sleep if the tone of your voice inside your head is fast and excited. Read more Ambien Feedback. Ambien – 60 – 61 – 62 – 63 – Page 64 – 65 – 66 – 67 – 68 – Last Page 120