Ambien side effects

Because of a couple tragedies that ocurred in my life, I was unable to sleep. Ambien was prescribed and with it, I woke up completely rested! BUT there were several dangerous events to share with you.

I drove several times & have no recollection! If it weren't for receipts, checks, etc. I wouldn't know anything about it! I'm a married woman and I took a male acquaintance to a liquor store 1/2 hour away once!
I drove to a city an hour from my home at least once!

Additionally, I've had phone conversations, conducted business meetings, taught a religion class...ALL with no knowledge or memory of these acts.

Yes, I would find dirty dishes in the sink in the morning too! I ate so much food! I didn't gain weight though...probably because the Ambien also removed ALL inhibitions in my life. My husband selfishly took complete advantage of this...if you know what I mean. This was not right! I'm still angry about this. It wasn't until he realized that I was driving in my sleep that he encouraged me not to take the Ambien anymore...I haven't taken it for two years. I do miss it because it really left me rested. Now I only take over-the-counter products and they leave me groggy.

Extreme weight gain during the past three years on ambien and ambien cr. Unfortunately this is the only medication that helps with my insomnia; I've tried a bunch of different prescriptions and over the counter sleep meds...

I have been taking Ambien off and on for 10 years, I first used it after the death of my father, went to it again years later during my divorce and again when my sister was told she had breast cancer, now again while I am out of a job. My doc gives me 10 mg which I split in half, it seems to be enough for me. We did try the Ambien CR...omg my hubby found me walking around the house naked after setting off the alarm system. So now I stick with the regular Ambien. For those of you who have problems, find what med works for you, "one size" does not fit all!

I used Ambien 2-3 days per week for the past few months. I just woke up after having several vivid/complicated nightmares. Each nightmare was worse than the one before. The last nightmare woke me up. I was being framed for murder of a white woman after a minor traffic accident (I'm a black man). I'm very bothered by this and don't want to sleep now, fearing more nightmares. This has happened after I slept without taking Ambien.

I have had one episode of sleep-walking, where I ate the meal that I had prepared for lunch the next day.

I took Zolpidem (Ambien) last night for the first time. It was prescribed to me by my oncologist as I have been having trouble sleeping ever since I have started chemotherapy for breast cancer one week ago. I fell asleep quickly and slept well for 5 hours, but awoke at 2am with a headache. I took 1 gram of Tylenol at 2am but was unable to go back to sleep because the headache became increasingly worse and did not go away until I drank some coffee at 5am. It was the worse headache I have ever had. The caffeine made it go away finally.

After just one dose of Ambien I experienced my 1st panic attack. I was 38 weeks pregnant and my physician prescribed it since I was not sleeping for more than 30 min at a time because of the urge to urinate as the baby was compressing my bladder.
I took it again thinking that maybe it wasn't the Ambien and I began having daily panic attacks. These episodes didn't last minutes as do regular panic attacks they lasted 4 and 5 hours. My husband, a physician, noticed that my heart was not beating rapidly as it usually would during a regular panic attack, I was actually having bradycardia (low heart rate). He still didn't put the side effects I was having and the Ambien together. After being seen by multiple physicians I was admitted to the hospital for these severe attacks and after having an echocardiogram, a CT of my brain, and multiple lab draws a psychiatrist finally examined me and took my history realizing these panic attacks had never happen prior to my taking the Ambien. He took me off the drug and within 48 hrs this awful hell started to lift. It took me a year to get over the post traumatic shock from this horrible 4 weeks of my life. I gave birth to my newborn and was unable to care for her or even myself while experiencing the side effects caused by this hellish drug.
Meg in Sugar Land

I have been taking ambien for about five years. I have experimented with 5mg, 10mg and ambien CR, and mixing small doses (5mg or less) with one Advil PM. Mixing the two worked very well for a while. All I want is to feel rested and sharp during the day. I have been known to cook elaborate meals and make a MESS in the kitchen only to wake up the next morning with chicken burrito all over my bed with me. I have also sent emails and made calls I don't remember. I also... and this is the worst... did some online shopping and bid on many EBAY items that I had no memory of. When you wake up and your credit card is laying next to your computer on the bed... your in big trouble.

I was taking Ambien for a year. I ended up with a sever sore throat that lasted for months and trouble breathing. After going to nine doctors, and missing work for a month I was diagnosed with esophogitis and acid reflux. I even went to the emergency room by ambulance because I was having trouble breathing. I was aspirating stomach acid. I was talking with my gastrologist about surgery. I decided to make a list of what was different in my life that might be causing these symptoms. Ambien was on the list. I have been off Ambien for two months now and all my digestive problems, sore throat, breathing problems and acid reflux have ended.

I have taken ambien for about 6mos not on a regular just on weekend, when i can devote the time to sleep...and feel tired in the moring...but when i take it i get sexual arouse and if my wife tells it...can get a little rough sexually..she likes it when it take it..but i don't remeber what happen the next day..but later on it comes to me....and she looks satisfied when i look puzzled...is this a common side effect and if so can i remeber it the next day or same night...

ALTHOUGH AMBIENT HAS HELPED ME WITH MY SLEEP CYCLE, I HAVE GAINED AN EXCESS AMOUNT OF APPROX. 10 LBS. IN THREE MONTHS, MY DIET AND EXERCISE HABITS HAVEN'T CHANGED AND I WAS WONDERING HOW COULD I HAVE POSSIBLY GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT IN SUCH LITTLE LIME. MY CONCLUSION.... AMBIENT! I'VE SINCE BEEN OFF AMBIENT BECAUSE IT HAS MIRACULOUSLY RESET MY SLEEP CYCLE, I AM GRATEFUL. VERY DISTURBED BY THE WEIGHT GAIN.

I've beentaking Ambien for several years and haven't had any terrible adverse effects. I've had some amnesia after drinking alcohol and taking Ambien, but my memory usually returns by the next day. I've also had muscle twitches and weakness & went to a neurologist for testing, but they found nothing wrong. I figured it was probably the Ambien. I stopped it for 2 weeks, once, but still had some of the symptoms. I've thought about trying to stop again, but I need to weigh the pros and cons. I actually sleep now, and generally have a lot more energy than in the past. I'm on a regular sleep schedule and can get 6-8 hours of sleep per night. I think I'll just deal with the side effects.

I'm not allergic to it but when i take it about a half and hour later..I'm sneezing my head off for a good 2 to 3 minutes..is this common??? It's only with this med that I take. I just think its funny,,and my husband knows when i take it b/c I'm sneezing about 30 minutes later.

I was really relieved to read another posting from a woman who is also experiencing sexual side effects from Ambien. My husband told me I become sexually aggressive and kind of wild and I don't remember any of it the next morning. My husband loves it when I take Ambien and the unusual side effect has become a private joke between us. And I guess I prefer to have this side effect instead if eating in the middle of the night and not remembering it. I just think women who are not in a monogamous relationship should be careful and know that this is a potential side effect and be careful who they are around when they take Ambien.

I have to take 25 mg of Ambien and 6 mg of Ativan just to get to sleep for the last 9 months. My only side effect so far is eating a lot right before I go to bed as this drug makes me hungry. And I fainted three seperate times when i drank alcohol before taking my pills (I fainted on my way to get food in the middle of the night) I sleep fine for 8 hours, but am worried about any long term effects this amount of ambien will have on my brain. I've heard chronic derealization is a side effect. What is that? What other negative side effects are there? Are there any better sleep aid medications? I have taken Lunesta and have to take a lot of that too and have the same experience in terms of being hungry. Basically they're the same to me so far.

I have been taking Ambien on and off now for about 1 year and at first I started having bad headaches, dizziness, loss of thoughts, dry mouth, etc, but mostly my headaches became very bad until my blood pressure went up and I was put on B/P medication, so I stop taking the Ambien and I really feel like I am just lost and very irritable, and I feel like I am in a dream and I can not stand a lot of noise or any little sound just bothers me, my eyes stay red and burning and what I feel like is a really bad head cold or allergies.

I love taking Ambien because it gives me about 5 to 6 hours of sleep. Prior to taking Ambien, I never slept through the night. The most sleep I ever had was a couple of hours here and there. I'd be up at night trying so hard to fall asleep. Now, I actually look forward to taking my pill and going to bed. It's less stressful knowing I am going to fall asleep. I wish I had started taking it a long time ago. I must admit to waking up in the morning and not remembering phone conversations. Also, on numerous occasions, I have found an empty bag of M & M's on my nightstand when I wake up in the morning! Absolutely no memory of getting out of bed and going into the kitchen and bringing candy up to bed. Maybe it was my dog, Bailey!

Was put on Cymbalta after taking Prozac because I just did not feel "myself". While on the Cymbalta, I could not sleep at all and my psych tried Rozarem first, then Lunesta and then Ambien CR instead of taking me off the Cymbalta! Still did not keep me asleep. Within two weeks of using this drug (with the Cymbalta) I had a "medicinal black-out" - one of the side effects. I apparently thought my husband was walking the dogs and went out garage where I fell down steps, cracking two ribs. I walked in and told my husband I think I fell. He thought I was drunk and just put me to bed. I have absolutely no memory of any of this. Also had three pychotic breaks while taking the Cymbalta and finally took myself off of it. This is day 17 of withdrawal. I don't hate anyone enough to wish this on them. You have brain zaps (like a cattle prod), vertigo, pain in your joints and muscles that make you scream. I would not let anyone go on either of these drugs, ever! I just went to a specialist yesterday in St. Louis that told me all my symptoms were related to my Mitral Valve Prolapse and that I have MVP Syndrome and I'm not crazy at all. For all of you suffering from panic attacks, depression, eating disorders, heart pain, insomnia, etc., have yourself tested for MVP. I have known I've had this heart defect since my late teens and I'm now 48. No one has ever told me that these symptoms are related to my prolapse just psychological issues!!

dizziness, light headed, double vision,not with it next day

light headiness, dizzy, double vision

I dream constantly every night, the curtian moving in the room could wake me and I have fibromyalgia. Ambien (regular) works wonders for me for about 4 hours. I'm out. Sleep wake rested...just don't know what to do with the rest of my night. Puts my fibromyalgia into remission. I tried CR to see if I could get 8 hours of sleep. OMG, the 4 days I took it around 10pm..up at 7a but I don't remember anything until about 10a and parts of my day after were missing. Drowsy all day, irritable. NO MORE CR.

I love this little pill I took ambien 10mg for quite some time and it really worked for me the only reason I stopped is because my ins. doesnt want to pay. I will say this, that if I did something after taking ambien like puting things away the next morning I had a tough time remembering where I put them ( like my keys, books ect.) and my family thought that after taking it that I was an actual pleasure to be around they would often ask me to go take my pill

I have MS and have been taking Ambien for a few months now to help me sleep. My husband and daughter told me this morning that last night I got up from bed and was completely naked and walked out into the living room. They said I looked very wasted and was looking all around the house for some soda and them went back to bed. I can't remember any of this. It scares me. what if they were not home, would I of drove to the store naked looking for soda? This is a very dangerous side effect. It only happened one othere time when I got up and was surfing the TV channels looking for a TV program. Again, I don't remeber it happening. I also It is making my MS symptoms worse, I am having more stiffness and spasms along with blurred vision.

Developed sleep walking, eating, talking, running machinery and watching TV while I was supposedly asleep. This was witnessed by my niece who was very scared. It lasted for about an hour. This is not the first time but this is the first time someone witnessed it. I had suspected all along because I saw used dishes and empty containers in the kitchen in the morning. Have been off it for 3 days now and thank God. Never will I take it again although it seemed to work well for 2 years. I have gained so much weight from the night eating. That guy on the news who says he drove his car after taking Ambien, I now believe him!

Ambien 4 yrs Ambien CR 1yr memory loss, I don't sleep very long. Sometimes I will close my eyes and I can't move or speak, headache. I don't know how long it last. I can hear whats is going on around me, but I can't call out for help. depression.

i've been on ambein for5 yrs and i have no side affects it really helped me noe i can sleep and when i ake i feel very refreshed

I first got immediate good sleep from Ambien. However, I began to develop a kind of nervousness, almost like jet lag. When arriving at work I was nearly shaking in my hands. I thoght it might be some mild alcohol consumption to I stoped that. Then I went to good meals 3 times a day. Still nothing. I just stopped Ambien and feel like a new person. I don't sleep well at night but at least I'm back to what I think it normal. I was at a point where I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. As soon as I got off Ambien I am normal again. Jim

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I TAKE ZOLPIDEM (AMBIEN) - THE SIDE EFFECT IS TINGLING IN MY LEGS

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Ambien worked well for sleep but I could not take the side effects. I took it for 3 months. I had increased sweating, prickly burning sensation in chest, legs and feet. Also got an upper respiratory infection which I believe may have been caused by this as I have not had so much as a cold in years. I am now back to restoril. It does not work as well but the side effects are less.

I have been on ambien CR for 3 months and although it helps me to sleep I cannot stand the side effects. I can actually feel my sweat glands working overtime and I have a prickly on fire feeling under my arms. Seems like it affects the nere endings.

I take 5mg of Ambien if Ican't fall alseep...It works wonders for my insomnia...I fall alseep...wake completely refreshed no side effects at all. Ambien doesn't have any negitive effect on me at all.

I began taking ambien for occasional sleeping difficulty. It
became a very easy thing to do. Taking such a small pill every night can't really do any harm, right? I believe that long term it can. We know that there are side effects with any drug, but if ambien is not addictive, then why after taking it for more than seven or so consecutive nights, is it suggested that you slowly taper off the drug after consultation with your doctor? If that's not addiction, I don't know what is! Stopping this drug suddenly, (after extended use), can cause negative physical, as well as psychological reactions. How sad it is that, as a society, we have put so much faith in
in the healing remedy of medication. I guess we all must do our part to help grease the wheels of the pharmaceutical industry?

heartburn,chronic nasal problems,sneezing,problems catching breath,even though I take asthma and allergy meds

I have taken Ambien only once. The next morning I had a bad taste in my mouth all morning.

The perfect little partner. I love Ambien, because of my occupation, I often find my sleep pattern shifting from day to night and sometimes "none". So, needless to say I have trouble maintaining a normal sleep pattern, and somewhere along the line developed a mild case of insomnia. Ambien is great.
The only side-effects that I have noticed are the mild hallucinations...but is this "really" a side effect? Ambien is classified as a hypnotic, so of course you are going to be drowsey and experience mild distortions in time, space and certain realities...but nothing scary like that from actual hallucinogens...If people don't take the time to read and teach themselves about the chemicals they put into their own or their childrens bodies, they shouldnt get upset or scared or mad about what they experience.

Personally, I somewhat enjoy the 10 mins of mild hallucinations just before I go to sleep...it's a little bit entertaining. As I said, It is listed as a hypnotic, it is part of what helps you fall asleep.

Know your drugs before you take them people.

This drug is ending my marriage. I took ambien for several nights in a row, one night, after I took a 10mg plus, I tried to give my wife one. I did not even know what i was doing, and she woke up. She obviously is pursuing divorce now. This stuff lowers your inhabitions and makes you do things strictly on impulse. I was taking a bit more than I should have and for a longer period than I should have. Docs just prescribe and prescribe, I have never taken recreational drugs before. I was just having trouble sleeping. Now my wife, myself and our 3 children are all going to suffer. And the ambien was also making me suicidal during the breakup. I have 10 months here in NC to win her back. But she does not beleive it was the drug, even after I show her the descriptions of the side effects. My life is over.

I started taking Ambien, due to a severe back pain. I started to realize that I started doing things that was not normal for me to do. My boyfriend had asked me to make him somehting to eat, and I had taken Ambien prior. I made a huge mess and broke a plate. I had little memory of that incident. I warned my boyfriend, if I take Ambien just to make sure , that I am in bed with the door closed. I had one hallucinatoin. I had thought I saw a ghost. I had taken Ambien due to my severe back pain, and my family told me of my bizzare behaviors. They told me, that I had made a big plate of food, and started eating huge size spoon fulls with almost a half of cup hot sauce on it. My son also stated that I drank soda, and I am not a soda drinker. My son told me, that I had ate three bowels of cereal at night, and I am only about 105 pounds. Everthing they told me it would sound as if I was drunk, or on drugs. And I don't drink or do drugs. What scared me the most was, that my son told me that my eyes were open, that I was real paranoid, asking him who were those people there, and why was that man going through my personal papers. He told me that I went into the bathroom, and locked the door, and started the bath. My son had told me, that he knew it was not me . He said that he kept talking to me through the door until I came out. I almost don't want to believe what they are telling me, because the only memories that I have was taking Ambien, and waking up in the moring. But what tells me they are telling the truth was the look on their faces when I got up this morning. My son said no more Ambien. I could have drowned in the tub, and my son, and boyfriend thought I was a wake the whole time. It is scary to think, that someone would eat so much hot sauce, and sit in a bath of water, and have no memories what so ever. For me I will never take Ambien again.

Sudden weight gain and swelling, especially in the ankles.

my husband is on ambien and has slept all day. now he has woken up and just stares into space. when i speak to him no matter what i say he rolls his eyes and says yes or no. this really worries me.

I've been taking it on and off for many years. I split the 10mg pills in half and only take it sun-thurs so it gets out of my system on the weekends. I have experienced amnesia, doing things that I don't remember on a couple of occasions. I don't take it until I get into bed but if it doesn't put me to sleep soon I'll get up and do things and then have memory problems. Otherwise, no other side effects.

I have taken 15 mg of ambien for about two years. Its generally worked fine. One time however I took the medication and couldn't sleep and drank about three glasses of wine and ended passing out on my floor not remembering anything from the night before. Yes, I am an idiot for drinking after taking Ambien.

Has anyone else taken this strong of dosage? Has anyone gone through coming off of Ambien?

My grandmother has recently been hospitalized for a few problems. However in the past few weeks she has been taking ambien for pain and sleep relief. She has seen everything from my dead father and great grandfather to the grim reaper and tiny male ballerinas dancing on the wall, dogs and other hospital patients in her face! She also felt her body floating to the ceiling. It's been a very scarey time for her. Her blood pressure has been spiking real high and her speech is constantly slurred now. They are running tests to see if this could possibly be stroke related but so far have found nothing. Her doc has taken her off ambien and she sounds a bit more coherent today however her speech is still slurred. If this is truely the effect of ambien someone ought to lobby to have this stuff removed and banned from medical practice. She has never been this sick in her life and it seems as if she is speeding downhill at a rapid rate since starting to take ambien. She is 73 years old and still has a healthy body so why is her mind al of a sudden going out of control This stuff sounds like it is more harm than good.

I have been taking for quite some time-I warn my family prior to taking-due to weird behavior. Vivid hallucinations & dreams; having conversations I do not remember; calling people on the phone w/ vague recollections the next day & actually making plans; sleep walking; eating; confusion; insomnia when not taking

Horrible headaches if I get less than 8 hours of sleep.

I was having trouble sleeping in college, (imagine that) and my doctor put me on Ambien. The first couple of nights, I was strongly hallucinating, and I would even fall asleep while eating! About the fourth or fifth night on Amien, I had a siezure and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. After that, I won't go near the stuff. My mother tried it for a night just to see what it would do to her and she experienced the heavy hallucinations as well. I am now terrified of any sleep medication.

I have administered Ambien to patients during hospital stays and I have seen more than approximately 90% of instances where very undesirable and dangerous side effects occured. In my patients the usual pattern is complete amnesia once the med has taken effect or after a short course of 1 or 2 hours of "drop dead" sleep. People experience complete disconnection with their immediate reality they have no idea what is going on usually becoming argumentative and at the least very suspicious of what is going on. Disoriented to place, time, situation. Become angry, often uncooperative and occasionally violent. Always with paranoid ideations and dellusions of persecution. Many times these drug induced symptoms take up to 6 hours to abate and then a persistent mild paranoia may plague the person for hours after.

I eat eat eat all the time during the night...foodI donteven like. I have gained 12 pounds since Feb. Not good People tell me I call them in the middle of the night and try to talk to them and keep them on the phone till all hours of the night. I love the sleep I just had my furst nightmare yesterday but me getting fat MUST STOP!