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.

Some times it doesn’t work
Date: 2/24/2010
Ambien I took Ambein for about a year and couldn’t figure out why sometimes it worked great and other times not at all. One night a pharamacist told me that Ambien was meant to take on a completely EMPTY stomach. It does not work properly with food. Also, you should take it just before lying down. Not take it (all sleep meds for that matter) and walk around waiting to get sleepy). They are meant to take and get horizontial within 15 minutes. After 30 minutes they usually lose effectivness as a sleep med. That often causes people to take MORE. This is where I have found the people who have “weird” experiences with Ambien. I asked them and all took more than what was prescribed because the prescribed dose didn’t work. And, their Drs didn’t tell them not to eat for 2-3 hrs before taking or get to bed within 15 minutes. My own Dr didn’t know about Ambien not being fully effective if not taken on an emply stomach, so never knew to tell patients. The 2-4 page leaflets that come with RX’s are a bit too mch to read and Drs DO NOT know fully about most of the newer meds and how they should be taken. Talking to your pharamicist (who has spent 6 years vs 6-12 hours) studying pharamacology can be very helpful. Call or go in when they are least busy and can spend the time telling you about your meds and how to take them correctly.

Jupiterhaley

Two thumbs up!
Date: 2/26/2010
I have used Ambien over two years and I find that it alleviates tightness of muscles, and I have no significant after effects. I highly re- commend it for treatment of Fibromylgia. Two thumbs up!

Marilyn

Sleep walking
Date: 3/1/2010
I have been taking Ambien for 7 years and initially had no problem with it. I take 20 mg on my doctors advice. It doesn’t always give me a good nights sleep. For the last six months I have been sleep walking. I get up between 1 and 3 PM and carry on a conversation with my husband and eat. I remember nothing in the morning. In my worst episode I could not get up. My muscels were like jelly. I called my husband to help me since I had to go to the bathroom. He tried to help me but I was dead weight and fell between the bath tub and toilet. He had to call the paramedics to get me off the floor. At the ER they thought I had a stroke and did a CT Scan, MRI and EEG. This was a very scary episode for me because I lost about 4 hours where I was semi awake and remember nothing of.

Sandie

Depressed appetite?
Date: 3/4/2010
Can taking ambien cause a depressed appetite. I have stopped taking it last 2 days as I am now taking antihistimines precribed fr other doctor. for rashes and take prilosec for reflux. now stomach growels when hungry (prediabetic) I am relying on antihistimine for sleep instead of ambien. Now I’m having dreams returning to me that’s the only way I know that I’m asleep at all. Insomnia for months, but I’m not tossing or turning.

Karen
AskDocWeb: Anorexia (decrease in appetite) is listed as one of the possible side effects that may or may not be caused by Ambien but was reported by some users.

Dangers of Ambien
Date: 3/5/2010
ambien can be very dangerous IF the consumer is not responsible. It is not meant to be taken long term. Also, if the patient has a history of depression, or any type of addiction, ambien should not be prescribed because of the potential of addiction, and worsening of depression. While I understand everyone’s concerns, we have to accept personal responsibility. I suffered from insomnia once, (when I was younger, i would have terrible sleep hygiene. wake up at different times on the weekends, etc…)this was the cause of my insomnia, but I didn’t know it at the time. I thought there was something wrong with me. So I began taking ambien for many years, and developed a severe addiction to it. After 10 yrs on it, and often taking 30-40 mgs of it every night, I began reading on how to come off. I began first with developing a sound and steady sleep hygiene (this is critical), then I began to taper off ambien for 3 weeks till, eventually I could sleep on my own with a good routine. i have been off now for almost a year. If I could do it, many of you could do it.

Ivan

Chills
Date: 3/8/2010
I noticed that im having chills with this medication should i contact my doctor is been going on for a while.

Jose
AskDocWeb: It is not listed as one of the possible side effects with Ambien but if it becomes a concern for you then get your doctor’s opinion.

Restful sleep
Date: 3/13/2010
I have always liked ambien and get a real restfful sleep. Using for 18 months.

Bob

Sleep driving
Date: 3/13/2010
I inadvertently took a 10mg dose of ambien before leaving for work. Thirty minutes into my commute I rear ended a pick-up truck. My car suffered substantial damage. I exchanged information with the other driver, called my wife to explain what happened, and drove the damaged car to work. I explained to my employer why I was late, and was examined by a nurse. In the meantime my wife arrived with my sister and my employer told me to go home with her and she drove me to the body shop. I contacted my insurance company and left the car there before returning home. I returned home about five hours after I left. I have no recollection of any of these events. Apparently when my wife and I returned home, I got agitated and went to me bed and slept for three hours having no clue of what had happed since I left for work.

John

Severe vision loss
Date: 3/19/2010
I have been taking ambien daily for 1 year and 3 months. I have had severe vision loss. I am seeing a neuro-opthamologist who has no idea what is causing my vision problems. I am stopping the ambien so that I can eliminate that as a cause for my vision loss. I am scared to death about this. My Dr. said it would be unheard of for ambien to cause vision loss or vision problems. Anyone else have severe vision loss?

Denise
AskDocWeb: On page 2922 of the 2010 Physician’s Desk Reference, glaucoma is listed under adverse events. It is reported as a rare event, less than 1 out of 1,000 patients, but it is possible.

Horrible pain
Date: 3/20/2010
I’ve taking Ambian CR for about a week and I’ve had stomach pain all week, feels like my entire stomack down through the colon is twisting. I have thrown up as well. Boy does it hurt! I’ve taken the generic version of Ambien before without problem but I realize now that Ambien CR is causing this horrible pain.

Nancy

Worse than sleep driving – coma
Date: 3/21/2010
i was prescribed ambien for sleep and it almost ruined my life. according to family members I was walking around doing things I would never do normally. I left home (driving) and got pulled over by the police for swerving and driving 20 miles an hour, luckily for me I had prescription in my purse and I have never been in trouble so the cops drove me home. But it only got worse I ended up in the hospital in a light coma. So I would not recommend this medication to anyone.

Jennifer

MAJOR incidents with Ambien
Date: 3/22/2010
This drug was made by the devil. Although it makes me sleep 70% of the time, I have had MAJOR incidents. Sleep-walking, sleep-eating, fighting with the wife, violence, pulling out a gun, blackouts, and my wife even caught me downstairs totally naked and fondling myself. I don’t remember it. I have long term depression, anxiety, and God knows what else. Going to a psyche in a month to help me manage my baggage. They told me ahead of time that they will take me off Ambien. It’s time. I have been on it for 5+ years.

Motdot

Sleep Driving
Date: 3/22/2010
Sleep Driving caused by Ambien. First of all I would like to thank all of you who have posted your experiences with this drug. I had an experience with sleep driving as well and did not realize that it was caused by Ambien. I mistakenly took one (confusing it with another bottle of medicine) in the morning. 20 minutes later I left my house to commute to my train. I somehow made it to the train in one piece and without hurting anyone else. I had absolutely no memory of the drive.

I am surprised that doctors and ads do not warn of this risk. It is incredibly frightening and surely must be addressed by the FDA and the company. I also felt an addictive nature to this drug as well after only taking it for a week. Like the other entries, while it helped me sleep it is a very dangerous drug so take with caution.

Sue

Hooked on Ambien
Date: 3/25/2010
Hi Everyone, I was on Ambien for five years, and I became addicted to it. I relate to a lot of these comments, I was hooked on Ambien for five years and I couldn’t stop regardless of my wreckless behavior. I have done some horrible things while on Ambien. I crashed my car five times, one time into a house, and one time into a railroad pole. I received eight traffic tickets driving while on Ambien, three of them DUI’s. I spent thousands of dollars, and I tried to break into a pharmacy (on Ambien).

I have been clean for two years, and I urge everyone who is addicted to reach out for help. I know that not everyone who takes this drug is going to become addicted, but there are certain few who will. Most of my damage was done when Ambien first came out, in the mid 90’s when no one has heard of it. Ambien has become so much bigger, and everyone seems to know what Ambien is all about these days. It’s a good drug for those who use it properly, but I do not fall into that category. If anyone wants to talk or if you need help, please e mail me at xxxxxxxxxxx.com!

Mike
AskDocWeb: The privacy policy here prevents publishing email addresses but we will be glad to post responses.

Miracle for some and nightmare for others
Date: 3/27/2010
I have read all of these posts and have concluded that Ambien is a miracle for some patients and a nightmare for others. For me, Ambien has been a miracle. I have suffered from chronic insomnia for the past couple of years and have been prescribed Ambien for the past year. I have never felt or slept better. As with all drugs, the patient has to weigh the pros and cons and assess their own experience. If it works, stick with it responsibly. If it doesn’t then speak with your doctor to find a different solution.

Sean

Eating everything
Date: 3/29/2010
I hate Ambien. Plain and simple. My husband was having lots of trouble sleeping, getting up several times a night. He started taking Ambien nightly. He comes in from work and goes to take a shower (he gets home mid evening, not 5) and takes his nightly medications, including Ambien. He makes it through dinner fine and is coherent, but then….We have two young children that I normally end up wrestling to bed alone because he is out. If he wakes up or stays up b/c, I don’t know, maybe I’d like to see my spouse and have an intelligent conversation without little voices interrupting, he is eating everything! Cookies, candy bars, anything he can find in the kitchen. We have conversations while he is still awake, walking around, and he remembers nothing. And, his normal snoring is amplified to an intolerable level. So, now I cannot sleep, but with children in the house, someone has to be able to be conscious.

I am concerned about what else he may start doing, especially after reading some of the posts on this site. I have asked him to not take it until the boys are asleep, but evidentally when I do, he is already under the influence. I have asked him to talk to his dr about getting off of Ambien, but that conversation, after months, has yet to happen. I am worried about addiction, worse side effects, etc. -any suggestions?

Jenn
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