Get Informed: Ambien

266

Patient Comments About
Ambien

Active Ingredient(s)

Zolpidem

What does it do?

Ambien

This product is commonly used for the treatment of insomnia. It is believed to work by acting upon GABA(A) receptors in the brain.

Last Text Update:
 2010-Jul-31 4:15 PM
Last Data Update:
 2010-Jul-30 9:12 PM

Other Names

  • Ambien
  • Ambien CR
  • Zolpidem
  • Zolpidem Tartrate
  • Stilnox
  • Stilnoct
  • Edluar
  • Zolpimist

How Safe Is It?

Your Risk Rating
Please log in
Average Risk Rating
1:
Pregnancy Category
C
Black Box Warning:
No

Facts & Figures

Date Approved
16 Dec 1992
Est US Patients*
8,055,000
Generic Available
Yes
OTC Available
No

User Age Distribution*

15

< 21

29

21-39

35

40-59

21

60+

Age (Years)

* Estimated number of US people currently taking Ambien or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.

Other Resources

Recent alerts for Ambien

Ambien Safety Report

1:

The iGuard risk rating for Ambien is blue. It means that normally has a low risk of serious or long-term side effects if used under normal medical supervision.

Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings

  • Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Ambien interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.

What is Ambien used for?

iGuard is currently tracking more than 59,500 patients that use Ambien (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.

Disease / Condition % Average Severity
Insomnia 94% mild 6 severe
Back/Neck Pain 8% mild 7 severe
Fibromyalgia 8% mild 6 severe
Pain-Generalized 3% mild 7 severe
Other 3% mild 3 severe

How well does Ambien work?

iGuard regularly polls our more than 59,500 users taking Ambien (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iGuard.org.

Average Satisfaction Score

(out of 10)

Average Effectiveness Score

(out of 10)

70 70
83%
of patients are confident that the good things about Ambien outweigh the bad things.
12%
of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Ambien.

Common Side Effects of Ambien

iGuard regularly polls our more than 59,500 users taking Ambien (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.

27%

27% of patients experience side-effects on Ambien

8%

8% of patients experience significant side-effects on Ambien


Most Common Side Effects...

  • 10% Grogginess/Confusion
  • 5% Memory/Speech Problems
  • 5% Mood/Behavior Changes
  • 5% Insomnia
  • 5% Fatigue
  • = 10%

Less than 1%: Dizziness, Drowsiness, Dryness, Headache, Restlessness, Sleep Walking, Vivid Dreams


Global Patient Feedback for Ambien (Zolpidem) ( Post a comment )

Comments, Questions, and Answers
Show Newest | Oldest first
English comments | Global comments

Question/Comment:

I have been taking ambien cr for a few years now. I have tried other sleep medications and this one is the best.

44 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-07-30 12:01:35

Question/Comment:

I started taking Ambien to help me sleep through the pain and itching of the staph infection I currently had. I took it once, and have moderate hallucinations, which was bad enough to convince me to stop. It was a normal dose. I have since had yet another staph infection, and decided to try it again. My boyfriend didn't know I had taken it, and tried to wake me up. This caused severe, terrifying, and vibrant hallucinations. I couldn't stop crying for an hour! When I finally went back to sleep, I slept the rest of the night, and woke up the next morning feeling like I had barely slept at all, and can still remember some of my hallucinations. They got slightly violent! I will never take Ambien again!

18 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-07-21 04:29:20

Question/Comment:

I have been taking Ambien for several months and it really helps me to get sound sleep. I only take it 5 days a week and alot of those times I only take 1/2 of 10mg. The only side effect I notice is vivid dreams.....which I can handle for some good rest.

51 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-07-10 13:11:23

Question/Comment:

I have been taking Lunesta for 4 yrs now, the effectiveness is wearing off, but still getting 5-6 hrs of sleep, although it is interrupted, i wake up, but generally go back to sleep, I am tired all the time, but Lunesta worked better than Ambien CR, for me!

47 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-25 02:44:24

Answer/Reply:

Have you tried taking a medication vacation?
Stopping all sleep meds for say a week or two (maybe more), letting your body (neurochemistry) re-equilibrate.

Then try say, melatonin 3mg or so for a week.

Then try your Lunesta again and see if it doesn't work like it used to.

Male Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-07-16 11:12:24

Question/Comment:

I had taken Ambien for a few years and quit because I developed ringing in my ears. After being off of it for 2 years the ringing gradually went away. But I decided I could tolerate this side effect in order to sleep again. Sure enough, the ringing started when I resumed the Ambien. I split a 10 mg pill into fourths and find that is enough to let me sleep.

60 yr. old female

59 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-22 18:22:01

Answer/Reply:

You have probably just clued me in on the ringing ear problem I have been having. We dismissed the Tylenol and other meds but didn't think twice about the Ambien. My audiologist said it was from loud noises in my past. I just took it tonight for the first time in 4 nights and alas the ringing is here again. Thanks for the heads up girlfriend. iGuard, I think she's on to something worth warning about.

57 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-06-28 01:38:49

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DISCLAIMER: iGuard is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. iGuard cannot and does not take into consideration every possible interaction or account for individual responses to medicine. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have before making any changes to your treatment. The use of the iGuard site and its content is at your own risk. The iGuard site and the information contained in it is intended for users in the United States and information in other countries may be different.

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