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.

Sleep on Demand
Date: 3/29/2010
I have used ambien nightly for nearly seven years. I have done so because I work for a high-ranking government official, and we travel across time zones on nearly a weekly basis. I and others on my team call Ambien “SOD.” This stands for Sleep on Demand. I will admit that Ambien is addictive, but that is all. I trust this drug to put me to sleep, knowing that I will wake up in about four hours, and will be fully functional again in six hours.

Honest

The good far outweighs the bad
Date: 3/30/2010
I have used Ambien every night for 17 years although i still have some bad nights it still works well, there is some memory loss and if you try to wake up before your 8 hours is up you will be groggy….The good far outweighs the bad!

Glenn

Ringing in the ears
Date: 3/31/2010
I have been taking Ambien for 10 months. I developed ringing in the ears, severly. I did not discover this was a side effect until I developed an over active bladder. While researching this I discovered that Ambien was the link to both medical issues. I am trying to get off this drug. Will the ringing in the ears be permanent? I am going to an acupuncturist but have had no relief.

Dona
AskDocWeb: If the ringing is drug induced, it may or may not go away with continued use. If it lasts for more than two years it is considered permanent.

Nerve pain
Date: 4/5/2010
I have been taking ambien for almost a year and it does work great for getting a good night of rest but I have been experencing a numbling- burning pain in the back of my leg. I had been to the doctors for it and they said it was nerve pain and gave me Lyrica 250mg three times a day. Well was taking the meds for a month and there was no help at all so I stopped taking the Lyrica about the same time of stopping the Lyrica I ran out of my ambien refill. After about 7 days my numbing- burning pain had gone away. What a great relief. So I was thinking that maybe the ambien was causing the nerve pain, so I got my ambien refilled and I started taking the ambien and by the 5 day or so the numbing-burning pain was back so I stopped the ambien and once again it was gone in about a week. I do have to say that I have had lower spinal fusion 5 years ago and am wondering if that would have anything to do with the pain.

Jeanne

No side effects
Date: 4/5/2010
Ive been taking 5mg Ambien every night for the last 8 months and it seems to be working with no side effects. Im wondering if I can take it forever?

Stephanie

AskDocWeb: If you are a long term Ambien user, do not stop taking it without first checking with your doctor. Suddenly stopping Ambien after long-term use may cause withdrawal symptoms such as muscle cramps, sweats, shaking, and seizures. Many people experience rebound insomnia for the first few nights after they stop taking it. Your doctor will gradually reduce your dosage before stopping completely. After stopping check with your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects: abdominal cramps, agitation, nervousness, feelings of panic, seizures, flushing, lightheadedness, nausea, sweating, tremors; uncontrolled crying, unusual tiredness, unusual weakness, vomiting, increased mental or emotional problems.

Weird things that make no sense
Date: 4/5/2010
Ambien is great at helping you get to sleep. However, my husband told me that after taken this medication I start talking about weird things that make no sense. When he tells me about it the next day I have no memory of anything I said.

Rachel

Tinnitus
Date: 4/5/2010
I have taken Ambien for 9 months, the last two months 10 mg nightly. I have experienced tinnitus for 6 months. ENT could not find the cause. Does the side effect of tinnitus end once Ambien is descontinued? Where can I find current information regarding tinnitus as a side effect of Ambien. After researching it on the computer I have concluded it is a side effect from Ambien, the only drug I am taking.

Dona 60 years old.

AskDocWeb: You are correct. Tinnitus is listed as one of the infrequent side effects that affects about 1% of users. You can confirm this on the data sheet published by the National Institute of Health, a U.S. government website.

Profound depression
Date: 4/6/2010
I am a 62 year old widower. My doctor prescribed Ambien three months ago. I take one every night and loved it, so much so that I soon began to look forward to taking it each night just to be “knocked out” for awhile. I became unsociable and am now suffering from profound depression. I have learned that I get up and eat without knowing it and I call people without remembering it. One night I stayed with my sister, took my Ambien and went to bed. The next day she told me that the night before I swore at her and her daughter like a sailor and was aggressive and angry. I do not have a memory of doing any of these things. I started researching Ambien on the web to see if depression was a side affect since it was the only change in my life but instead found all these other side affects and then some. I am just grateful that I did not drive while taking it. I can see now that I was/am addicted and protective of that addiction. Please, please take care when using this product – especially those of you who believe it is only a great sleep aid. It is MUCH more than that. Thanks for this forum.

Jeff

Ambien sleep experience
Date: 4/6/2010
I was on Ambien at two different periods in my life. I first took the regular Ambien and slept great after dealing with insomnia. My doctor would ask each visit how I was sleeping, and I could always tell him I slept great. I mentioned that I noticed I sent texts that I did not remember sending, and he prescribed me several other medications. I went several months trying different medications, and they either had no effect or I felt zombied out the next day. My doctor once again prescribed me Ambien, but he gave me the controlled release. All was well for awhile, but I noticed I stayed awake longer and longer before the medication kicked in. I was also starting with the texting and emailing that I didn’t remember. One morning after getting off a graveyard shift at work, I took my Ambien and got into bed. Apparently, I got out of bed and started drinking alcohol. I have NO recollection of the next 23 hours. I found out through asking and finding receipts that I drove to a liquor store and purchased some rum. I drove in the area around my job; this I know because a coworker told me. I went to my then ex-boyfriends apartment and apparently had sex 3 or 4 times. He tried to get me to fall asleep, but I eventually left his apartment. My mom told me I talked to her about 3pm and told her I needed to pick up my son, and she said I sounded really tired. I guess on my way back home around 3:30pm, I side swiped one vehicle then rear ended another. I was arrested for DUI and was taken to the jail. I woke up at 3am wondering what had happened. I had to plead guilty to DUI, I lost my license, and totaled my car. Needless to say, I never took Ambien after that night! I would much rather go without sleep then live without remembering.

Teresa

Strange and bizarre things
Date: 4/6/2010
I have just recently started taking 10mg of Ambien. It works great when i do get to sleep and keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night, but when I do not fall asleep while taking it is a whole different story! I am fearful for continuing taking it for I have been told by my husband that I have done and said strange and bizarre things that I have no recollection of doing. I have been told that I was walking outside my house completely naked!!! I have woken up wearing completely different clothing. Lost all inhibitions while having sex with my husband with little or no memory of it all! I wonder what might happen next… it scares me to think with everything that I have read from all your feedback and my own experiences that I might do worse things. Could I end up dead, or hurting someone else? That is something I will not take a chance on! It may work for some people with no negative side affects, but my advice is to try Ambien and see if it does work for you, but for those of you that have these same side affects I strongly suggest never taking them again for the safety of yourself and others! I will never again take another Ambien!

Sara

zolpidem
Date: 4/7/2010
I have been precribed zolpedin for a remedy to get over some sleep issues. i took it for a 5 day period 5mg I still do not sleep thru BUT I have lost the dark circles and I am rested enough to stop…no side effects so far but I am thinking to many take things as perscribed rather then listening to there own body. I was also taking zoloft and had huge side effects very scary.

Joanne

Terrible itching
Date: 4/7/2010
Worked great for about 2 weeks then had terrible side affect, broke out in a terrible blistery rash, terrible itching.

Frances

Ambien with CPAP
Date: 4/8/2010
I take ambein while in bed.. I read or watch TV for awhile. Take an Ambein an put my cpap on… I need CPAP because of sleep apnea. I couldn’t used to wearing a something strapped to my face… ambein solved that prob. The combo for me is the ticket! I have no other sleep disorders because th ambein.. I do not have daytime drowiness/ sleepiness and I sleep 6-7 hours each night… people that are having problems maybe having some other undiagnosised sleep disorder…

Gloria

Next day drowsiness
Date: 4/9/2010
Ambien 5 mg beginning 4/8/10. Noticed 4/9/10: More fatigued during daytime next day 4/9/10. Sleepy, but not enough to really take a nap. Will this daytime sleepiness wear off?

Wanda

AskDocWeb: Next day drowsiness is listed as one of the possible side effects that should be reported to your doctor. It may or may not go away with continued use.

VERY DANGEROUS drug
Date: 4/12/2010
My mother killed herself while using Ambien. She had trouble sleeping and tried to kill herself the first time by taking a large amount of Ambien. She was found in time by her husband and lived. The second time she tried, March 25, 2010, she was successful. She shot herself while on Ambien. This is a VERY DANGEROUS drug. My mother had everything to live for and never would have done this if she was in a rational state of mind. She was not herself while taking this drug. Please STOP using Ambien and find a natural way to cure your sleeplessness.

LG

Totally blacked out
Date: 4/13/2010
I took an ambien after consuming a very small amount of alcohol the other night. My boyfriend asked me when I woke up if I remembered passing out in the closet on the floor. Totally blacked out on this medication. Mixing it with alcohol especially is a horrible horrible idea. I don’t remember a thing about the night and it was terrifying the next morning especially not being able to recall everything he was telling me. Be careful if you take this stuff, it can be really really dangerous.

Annie
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