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.

I awoke in the hospital
Date: 6/17/2011
Hello there, I have been taking zolpidem tartrate for about a year now. First was taken with Triazolam and then moved to Temazepam. Last time I took Ambien I had taken 70 mg of it and 7 tylenol pm with it (have taken benzodiazepines for a few years now severely high drug tolerance). Thought I went to sleep, apparently I woke up in the middle of the morning changed to some extremely short shorts and shirt ( i do not wear these in public) and took 27 more ambien and 21 more tylenol pm ( I do not remember doing any of this). I awoke in the hospital with my supposedly best friend (who was an untreated schizophrenic at the time) just saying I had done some weird things like humping a door LOL and breaking my mirror in my car. Hospital said I had liver toxicity from all of these tylenol pm. Sometimes Ambien acts like a truth serum for me. They kept me for being “suicidal” which I am not just went sleep walking and tried to go back to sleep (I think that is why I had taken more pills but didn’t notice the amount until I was released from psychward next day).

Ambien is a good drug for maybe 20% of the population of people with insomnia in my opinion. The rest…like me I think should not take anymore…but horrible withdrawal comes with these benzo’s and non-benzo drugs like ambien, lunesta etc. What’s even more interesting is that my DR who was already notified about my behavior in the hospital…still let me have two more refills of this interesting drug…so much for having DRs that care….

Best advice..Do not start on any benzodiazepine or gaba binding drug (ambien, sonata, etc). There is always Sleep MD which has natural ingredients such as chamomile, valerian root and melatonin. Rozerem to me is just like a stronger form of melatonin. If otc meds do not help I would advise to ask the DR for Rozerem first. Good luck for me tonight…haven’t taken ambien in two months. Just got my refill today. Benzo withdrawal is horrible so whatever happends..happends. Good Day everyone.

Marie

Dependency of ambien
Date: 6/20/2011
What is the best way to defeat the dependency of ambien. I knee a substitute drug to ease me down slowly. Can you help.

Mike

AskDocWeb: Although most people don’t like to hear it, the best way to deal with a dependency problem is with the help of your doctor. He or she can evaluate your condition and if they can’t help they can refer you to someone who can help.

Cant relax because of anxiety
Date: 6/20/2011
I took benedryl for a week and now ambien for the last 3 nights and I sleep great but as the day goes on I cant relax as I have so much anxiety! What can I do as I cant sleep as I’m under so much stress!

Cliff

AskDocWeb: You might start by learning a little more about insomnia. There are also quit a number of tips on this page.

Thank you for all the horror stories
Date: 6/23/2011
I am so glad that I read this. My doctor just prescribeb me 15 Ambien to try and I am NOT going to pick up the prescription!! Thank you for all the horror stories. Your time writing about your horror stories saved me!

Tiffany

20 mg of ambien?
Date: 7/2/2011
Dam you take 20 mg of ambien, you should switch to some stronger drug instead of taking higher doses of that. like nonbenzo or benzo only z drug

vilig

Awful digestive problems
Date: 7/2/2011
Ambien, now I’m not sure if it is just the generic that is causing the awful digestive problems that I’m having or if it’s the name brand as well. I know all too well to make sure my stomach is completely empty when taking it and make doubley sure I don’t eat anything right before I drop dead asleep.

In the a.m. I have the following sensations: It feels like there is a pool of bile/undigested food just floating around in my stomach. On top of having a slight hangover effect compliments of the Ambien, I feel like puking, but I don’t, I just burp up awful gas. When I swallow I can taste something awful that makes me soo queezy! I feel my whole digestive system has died and is now functioning as it would in a zombie’s body, which means food and everything else just floats around in my stomach for days/wks/months! Ambien definately f**ks up your digestive system and I hate the manufacturers for it!!

Eric

AskDocWeb: Nausea and vomiting are listed a possible side effects that should be reported to your doctor. There is also a possibility that you have developed an unrelated problem so it is worth getting it checked out.

Anything like ambien but without bad side effects?
Date: 7/12/2011
My mother has been on ambien for over 5 years now & I am worried about the side effects of it getting worse. Is there something to replace it that is like ambien but without the bad side effects?

Chrystal

AskDocWeb: All prescription sleep aids have side effects but not everyone has the same ones. Lunesta or Sonata work well for some where Ambien doesn’t. There are also over-the-counter sleep aids like Melatonin supplements and herbs such as Valerian Root that work well for some but not for everyone.

Significant damage
Date: 7/16/2011
After taking Ambien I got out of bed at 5 AM and got on my John Deere Gator and was driving around our farm. I crashed at full speed into the corner of our barn and was thrown from the Gator and did significant damage to the bumper on the Gator and to the corner of the barn. I had the impression of the steering wheel imprinted onto my stomach for several weeks.

My fear is that I could have easily been driving my pickup, or other vehicles, on the state highway that is in front of out house. It’s scary what I did and what I could have done. This possible side effect needs to be explained to people stating this medication and those around him or her should be aware of this problem. My doctor told me that I was the 6th case she has seen of one of her patients driving vehicles while on this drug.

John

AskDocWeb: For those not familiar with the John Deere Gator, it is a utility vehicle used to travel on rough terrain (ATV).

Ambien affects personality
Date: 7/19/2011
Yes, the Ambien has effected my personallity. I always get very angry the next day. I end up screaming and furious. My head feels pressure. I sleep so great with it, but it never fails. I am set off the next day. I can remember thinking that I don’t really think the situation is all that bad to merit the intense anger I am feeling, but all I can see is aggressive anger in the form of screaming and blaming. I haven’t done aggressive things or weird things other than scream, but my memory is affected. I totally forgot 3 different appointments in one week. They were just gone from my memory. Normally, I am pretty good about keeping on top of things.

Also, all of this goes on when I only take about 1/4th of the 10mg. When I took the entire thing, I laid on the couch paralyzed with depression. I don’t ever lay on the couch sad. I usually am the busy beaver type. It lasted 2 weeks and when I stopped the med. I immediately was ok.

Sandy

Dangerous sleep medication
Date: 7/20/2011
I think its the most dangerous sleep medication I have ever heard off. My boyfriend had been taking it and he would sleep walk at night. He didnt remember how he got home he would see things that arent real. I came to check up on him and he tore up all his bed sheet and pillows because he thaught there were bugs everywere come to fimd him in a coner with pillows stacked up in a coner he almost took off.

Erica

Terrifying and dangerous things
Date: 7/20/2011
After taking Ambien I have done some terrifying and dangerous things. I was on 10mg and only ONE pill a night. Among what I have done:

1. I got dressed in one sock one shoe and a flimsy nightgown to go to the summer fair in December. Thankfully my husband caught and stopped me.

2. I got up, went to my sewing room took down a pair of titanium razor sharp thread snips, got back into bed and attempted to trim the loose threads from my husbands arm tattoo. All with no memory of anything but a good night’s sleep. No more Ambien for me.

Johnnie

Having amnesia episodes
Date: 7/20/2011
I am a 25 year old doctor. The pressure of studies have been too much lately and I have been self medicating with zolpidem 10 mg everyday for 2 months. Lately I have been having amnesia episodes after taking them. sometimes I take 2 pills too. I study at night n sleep during daytime. I am 190 cms tall n 90 kgs. I smoke 5 cigarettes a day for the last 5 years. Pl tell me how to quit zolfresh.

Tanmay

AskDocWeb: Sorry Tanmay, this forum is for reporting the side effects of Ambien. Since you refer to this drug as Zolfresh, which is manufactured in India, we are going to assume that you are not in the USA. You will need to talk to a local doctor about your self-medicating.

Can Ambien show up as a benzodiazepine?
Date: 7/28/2011
Can Ambien show up as a benzodiazepine (sp?) on a urine test? I had a urine screen of which came back high levels of benzodiazepines. She said that she knew that I was taking Ambien and sertraline for a while then ambien and cymbalta. She said that I was acting weird and like I was “on drugs” and I was not. Now that I think about it – I was up late and took Ambien later than normal. I had to get up at 6am to be there by 8am- could the Ambien have cause any/all of this?

Julie

AskDocWeb: Ambien will not show up on a drug test as benzodiazepine. Its hypnotic effects are similar to those of the benzodiazepine class of drugs but it is molecular structure is distinct from the classical benzodiazepine molecule. If you appeared to be “acting weird” then you may actually have been doing that. Some of the possible side effects of Ambien that may alter behavior are:

• Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity
• Delusions
• Altered thought patterns
• Ataxia or poor motor coordination, difficulty maintaining balance
• Euphoria and/or dysphoria
• Increased Libido or decreased libido / destrudo
• Impaired judgment and reasoning
• Uninhibited extroversion in social or interpersonal settings
• Increased impulsiveness

And to top this off, there is also the possibility of amnesia so you may not remember the weird behavior. Read more Ambien Feedback.

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