| Key to ratings for ambien: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
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| 1 | sleep loss | Unable to spell basic words, erratic behavior,unable to recall plans or event, "fogginess"- conscious knowledge that I am unable to spell or make sense and can't clear my head to get back on track. | It frightens me. I will not take it ever again. Never took it regularly- only when desperate for sleep. | F | 47 | 1 years | 11/18/2009 | 3 | anxiety related insomnia | None. This stuff is the bomb. Knocks you out like a ball bat and you wake up fresh and chipper like a squirrel. | I gave it a 3 because while Zolpidem is a great sleep drug, it has a nasty hook if you don't watch. At least for me, it did, despite the fact that I was trying to be pretty careful with it, only taking it 4 nights a week and only taking 5mg (as opposed to 10) at least part of the time. It isn't a benzo, but acts on the same receptors and has a short half life. When I tried to go to 5 mg every other night, I started getting tight chest anxiety and shortness of breath. So, now my psych is tapering me over time. My opinion is that it is very good stuff for very short term insomnia, but you have to be careful with it. Real careful. It has withdrawals (at least for me) that were like the shorter half life benzos and that's nasty stuff. | M | 57 | 7 months | 11/17/2009 | 4 | I was injuried and could not sleep | A firest I thought the drug as great. I whould sleep for like 7 hours with no pnoblems. But then the effects seemed to ware off sooner and sooner. this causing me to take more on amore just to get a good night of sleep like everybody ralse aroung the this F*ck*mg palce! c:} | this is lot more adidictive drug usage then we wehought but we did have fun. I cant find my parents. F ptln for lifr | M | 26 | 1 years | 11/16/2009 | 2 | cancer treatments, radiation/chemo | Nausea, hair loss (not due to chemo), muscle weakness, extreme stomach pain, diarrhea, anxiety | I took ambien during cancer treatments as they give you steroids during chemo, therefore I could not sleep. It worked for about a month, then I started having the major side effects listed. I stopped taking them after reading too many horrible reviews on the internet. I gave this a "2" because it did work for a brief while, but the side effects were just too much for me. Think carefully before taking this if you are sensitive to medications... the side effects may be worth it to you if you have chronic insomnia. I went to my doctor, who is more of a holistic MD, and he gave me supplements to try instead. It's been 1 week since my last ambien and I feel 100% better. I've had no side effects from stopping this drug either.... I know some say to wean off of this, but I had no problems going cold turkey. | F | 46 | 2 months | 11/16/2009 | 4 | fibromyalgia | I resited taking this sleep aid, but it improved my quality of sleep. I sometimes have trouble getting my Rx filled, with insurace approval issues. When I'm without it I sleep poorly and feel terrible. | F | 58 | 2 years | 11/15/2009 | 2 | Have problem to go to sleep | Bolemia. I gain so much during the last 24 months | I am using Circadin for few months and i sleep like a baby. never had so good sleep for many years. i have energy in the morning and i am starting to have motivation for sport and aerobic. | M | 56 | 2 years | 11/13/2009 | 5 | insomnia | SLEEP | I have always been a restless sleeper most of my life. A traumatic event 1 yr ago kept me from sleeping at all. Was prescribed Ambien over a year ago & now sleep wonderfully and feel refreshed in the mornings. I do have to take the medication while I'm in bed because I become dizzy/disoriented if I take it & don't go directly to bed. I fall asleep w/in 10 minutes & sleep a solid 6 hrs a night. Have not had any of the strange urges that everyone else has reported. Love it! Doc said he would more than likely keep me on forever because uninterrupted sleep is important for physical/mental health. | F | 47 | 1 years | 11/12/2009 | 1 | cannot sleep | loss of memory, takes more and more to stay asleep | drove my car, crashed into someone. apparently talked to police, spoke to a friend who called me just as accident happened. when mhy husband came home from out of town and saw wrecked car, i had no memory of what happened. had to call policeman involved to see if i hurt anyone. also gained weight from eating through the night - also with no memory of doing it. consider this a dangerous drug. | F | 60 | 11/10/2009 | 3 | Difficulty Falling Asleep | Quickly falling asleep is the only "good" side effect. The rest were odd/bad/scary: hallucinations, severe memory loss before sleep and after waking, sleep sex, incoherent speech, eating large amounts of food, texting, calling, posting odd/incoherent things online, drug/alcohol seeking urges. Completely changed my personality! | I did not take Ambien nightly, only as needed. Worked very well for me at 1st. Side effects began with incoherent speech. The longer I took Ambien, the worse the side effects became. The following behaviors that I exhibited ARE NOT normal for me & a bit embarassing: hallucinations, memory loss before bed, eating large amounts of odd food, stupid phone calls/text messages, strong urges to snoop through my bf's stuff. Went through his personal items & scattered stuff everywhere (that was fun explaining). Strange sexual behaviors like spending hours (yes hours) looking at pornographic material online. Went back through my browser history next day & was shocked/appalled. Really started questioning Ambien when side effects escalated into dangerous activities such as seeking alcohol, pain killers, Valium, even more Ambien if I could find it around the house. Final straw was the day my boyfriend hurried home after receiving nonsensical texts & strange "personal" pics from me. He arrived & found that I had cuffed my hands/legs together & had his loaded pistol lying on the bed. Of course I was asleep on the floor by then and didn't remember a thing. Everyone reacts differently to all medications. If this drug works for you then wonderful! However, if you or a loved one starts this medication, please, monitor the side effects and/or reactions. They could be potentially harmful to yourself or others. | F | 30 | 1.5 years | 11/8/2009 | 2 | insomnia | funny if you fight falling asleep, increased my anxiety, worked only for 3-4 hours, then wide awake, at which point I would do random, ordinary things that seemed sensible - eat breakfast, try on different outfits - with little memory of what I had done | would recommend for someone with trouble falling asleep, not if you have trouble staying asleep. Ambien CR would be $260 per month with my insurance coverage. no thanks. | F | 35 | 6 days | 11/8/2009 | 1 | Middle of night awakenings | Sleep walking, sleep eating, sleep emailing, sleep talking to people, sleep doing lots of stuff and not remember having done any of it, short term memory loss | I was prescribed Ambien CR because I was waking up a lot in the middle of the night and having a hard time falling back to sleep. It turned out that it was asthma...I was waking up because I couldn't breathe. I'd take the medication before bed and I'd wake up early in the morning and do stuff. Complex stuff...have absolutely no recollection of having done it. I cooked, made coffee, did email, talked to people, ate...did lots of stuff. Luckily I never drove. I also had short-term memory problems. It was frustrating. As soon as I stopped taking the medication the short-term memory problems went away. I take and have taken some toxic medications, but this one really scares me. I will never, ever take it again. | F | 37 | 4 months | 11/8/2009 | 1 | Sleep | Severe involuntary movements,i.e.leg thrashing, tossing, turning, and told that it looked liked I was having seizures during my sleep. (I have no h/o seizures). Also woke up a couple of hours after falling asleep. | I never would take it again. Scarey stuff for me. | F | 55 | 5 days | 11/6/2009 | 1 | trouble sleeping | sleep texting after 1/2 dose! | Doc gave to me after breakup. I did what he said and was laying in bed when took 1/2 a pill. Was asleep almost immediately but was up at 4 a.m. wide awake. However what I later found out was that I had texted one of my employees who happened to be a supervisor where I worked nonsense all night.I didn't believe him but then I checked my texts...OMG!! Will NEVeR TAKE AGAIN!!!! | F | 37 | 1 days | 11/6/2009 | 1 | insomnia/depression | Sleep eating, walking, talking, texting, calling others; then the final: sleep driving. Totaled my car. Thank God nobody else was hurt. Lacerated bladder, brain bleed. Dont take this shit! | SOOOO sorry for the losses so many have had. I could easily become dependent upon Ambien. Sleep is so important and I've been sleep deprived for years, esp now as a college student and band member. | M | 21 | 4 months | 11/6/2009 | 1 | Unable to sleep | Woke up in the ER with my wife and son standing next to me. They found me under my car in the middle of the night bleeding. | M | 62 | 3 months | 11/6/2009 | 2 | insomnia | hallucinations,foggy the next day. | found myself standing in front of a bay window watching giant crows walking and talking to each other.I knew i was hallucinating,laughed at the bizarre scene and went back to sleep.first and last time i will use this drug. | M | 54 | 1 days | 11/3/2009 | 1 | insomnia | Short-term memory loss, night-eating, forgotten conversations, lost time. Weight gain due to eating all night. | I thought I was getting great sleep on Ambien but I was really puttering around the house all night, eating, watching TV and doing chores. I don't think I was ever fully asleep on Ambien, just in a hypnotized state of mind. | F | 47 | 6 years | 11/3/2009 | 5 | I had been having a terrible time falling to sleep and staying asleep. My husband is a horrible snorer and hotflashes were waking me often. Since starting to take Ambien everything is much better. I often don't wake up even once and I have had 0 side effects. | M | 54 | 365 days | 11/1/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | Twenty minutes after taking Ambien I fell asleep. Shortly after that I began sleepwalking. I don't remember much after that except for throwing up but my husband said I couldn't stand, walk or talk. The few words I did say were creepy. I began throwing up and couldn't physically breath. Luckily he got me back in bed and calm. I fell asleep but woke up several times trying to talk to him. He could only make out a few words but again they were scary. In all I woke up several times and ended up staying in bed three hours. When I woke up I had very little memory of any of it. I felt incredibly nauseous and laid in bed all day. Later that day I ended up throwing up several times. It made me throw up every time I ate. Overall, terrible experience! | F | 21 | 1 days | 10/30/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | Hallucinations | It helps me sleep, but I got a little freaked out the other night. I went to pee and I thought the shampoo bottle was trying to say something to me. I need the sleep, but I don't know if it's worth trying to have conversations with household items. Anyone remember Jimmy the Flute from an old 70's kid's show? That's what it looked like. | M | 41 | 30 days | 10/23/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | When I stay up about 15 minutes after taking drug I have to go to sleep or I will have a drunk feeling and slight hallucinations in the dark. | I have had insomnia since I was born. I have never been able to sleep, stay asleep, or wake up in the morning. This drug has allowed me to get my 9 hours of sleep (uninterrupted!) every night. I don't have a groggy effect in the morning. I have had severe depression and anxiety attacks over the last few years and have tried several prescription meds to try and get back to normal. Since taking Ambien I am able to sleep and stop taking other prescriptions. I think everything else in my life probably was based on the fact that I was always tired and had little to no sleep. | F | 23 | 6 months | 10/22/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | nothing severe or serious that I noticed except drowziness, which I expected and some after wakeup dizziness and fatigue(minor) | worked for awhile so I could get some sleep, and stay asleep, for a decent amount of hours (7-8)...unfortunately, it stopped working for me. Strongly recommend that you do not abruptly discontinue due to possible withdrawal effects. I tapered off using pharmacists and doctors suggested schedule but I tapered off even slower than suggested. Seems to worked out ok. | F | 39 | 1 years | 10/22/2009 | 1 | insomnia, headaches | I detest this drug. I have been taking 2.5 to 5 mg in 2 separate doses for about a year. It makes you feel like you're in a BLACK HELL HOLE the next day. Yes and it gives bizarre dreams. (frightening and violent ones.) I can't work or drive the next day sometimes. Lay in bed all day waiting for it to wear off. No taste sensations and some nausea as well. Our culture and lifestyle are so whacked with problems that our population suffers so much anxiety and insomnia. ALL THESE SYMPTOMS SHOULD BE GIVEN GREATER PUBLICITY AND REPORTED IN THE STUDY RESULTS!!! Those Ambien commercials are INCOMPLETE. | I'm trying to wean off of it. Forgot to mention dry eyes and inability to keep eyes open or focused as another symptom. Today is a perfect example of Ambien poisoning. | F | 46 | 2 years | 10/22/2009 | 3 | Insomina | Had to stop and no longer taking Ambien. I was getting depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts during the last 3 months when I was taking Ambien during work nights. | I believe the side effects are still lingering on, the cycles of depression are less regular. | M | 45 | 5 years | 10/20/2009 | 4 | Sick and needing sleep | mild hallucinations before falling asleep | I sleep great when I take Ambien but make sure you are ready for bed and in bed before you take it cause it comes on fast...don't try to stay awake. The next day I feel a little foggy-headed but that wears off and is counter-acted by the fact that I am rested and refreshed from a good night's sleep. (I only take it one night at a time now and again when needed.) | F | 27 | 1 days | 10/17/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | Dependance (I get rebound insomnia VERY badly when I run out or don't take it), and it doesn't last long enough. I end up waking up after about four hours and I have to take another one to get the rest of my sleep. And yea, it's true that you shouldn't pick up the phone and call anyone when you're under the influence of Ambien...you'll feel like you're in complete control of your mind at the time, but the next day you'll be like, "Oh sh*t, did I really say that?" It can be embarrassing. | I love Ambien! If they ever took it off the market I'd be so screwed...it really helps my quality of life. Without sleep I'm a wreck. | M | 30 | 7 years | 10/17/2009 | 5 | insomnia, restless legs syndrome | I had mild hallucinations after my first 10mg dose. I never had them with the 5mg dose, but the 5mg dose didn't work to well for sleep. It probably wouldn't have been a problem if I had gone straight to bed instead of staying up. On the plus side, I realized that I was hallucinating at the time and thought it was funny. It only lasted for about 5 minutes and then eased up and I went to bed. It has not happened since that first dose. | When I first started taking it, I was waking up after about 5 hours and was unable to get back to sleep. Thankfully, it now lasts the whole night. It leaves me more alert in the morning than other sleep meds that I have taken, which is really nice. | M | 46 | 3 months | 10/14/2009 | 3 | INSOMNIA | I have been taking ambien cr for 30 months experiencing chronic vaginal pain, tingling in face, lips and hands feeling of fullness ,pain when sitting or tight clothes ..horrible | can you stop cold turkey | F | 58 | 2 years | 10/12/2009 | 5 | insomnia | amnesia, night eating | take dose at bedtime, and then in the middle of the night when I wake up, which is why I take the generic, not the CR. When took CR, would still wake up after 4 hrs, then you can't take another dose! have learned not to email or call people after taking bedtime dose. I do think it's addictive, as I can't sleep without it, but I've had insomnia for over 20 years, taking many different types of meds for insomnia, and this works the best. A good night's sleep is well worth it! Don't always need a full dose, sometimes only need it at bedtime and not in the middle of the night. Do pay attention to warnings about using with alcohol, driving, or taking other sedating drugs | F | 46 | 3 years | 10/7/2009 | 1 | insomnia | I began taking ambien about 6 years ago, 10mg and it worked great! then about 4 years ago I began to notice that my mouth was burning the tongue and roof of my mouth, the nerves in my teeth hurt and all of my teeth are numb. My ears hurt and there is pain as well as fullness sensation. My feet tingle, are numb and burn as well as my fingertips.I don't know of it has been my long use of ambien or not. That is my QUESTION; I came off ambien for 6 months and saw no change in my symptoms. Is there anyone out there who has experienced similar symptoms and got better. The doctors are baffled by my symptoms and they are only getting worse.Please reply if you think you can help. I am going to the Mayo Clinic soon for an evaluation. | I think ambien is safe as long as it is taken for a short time and not on a daily basis. I was taking way too much because 10mg wasn't working anymore and with a chronic pain conditon I have all I wanted to do is sleep. If anyone who reads this can of me some help, then please let me hear from you: My question is how long does it take for ambien to get completely out of one's system? | F | 53 | 6 years | 10/7/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | well the first two months i been taking it, the drug worked wonders....then more recenly ill take it and it makes my mouth dry out and everything just starts to move real slow...i get full body shakes and confusion...also if i try to talk it is just mubbles...i also hallocinate that there are people watchin me...but all this last for about 15 mins then im fine... | IT puts me to sleep and thats all i care about | M | 19 | 5 months | 10/5/2009 | 5 | Trouble staying asleep | My problem was insomnia where I would fall asleep fine but wake every night at 2-3AM and lay awake for hours. Ambien CR helped me get the full 8 hours sleep I needed. No side-effects except in the morning if I took the pill too late in the evening. Then I would still feel groggy, spacie in the AM. | I take 1/2 a pill per night. These seems to be no addiction or tolerance problem as I only take the pills periodically as needed. | F | 51 | 1 years | 10/4/2009 | 2 | insomnia= brought on by menopause | i did sleep well after taking Ambien. after a month or so had to increase my dose. the big problem is that I cannot focus my eyes the next morning and had a groggy/confused thinking, especially in the morning after. As far as i know i never got up in the night. | I had to stop. my eye sight was getting so bad smd I need to be able to concentrate at work. the benefits do not out weigh the bad side effects. I wish I had kmown about the eye thing before. I know it is not one on the worst side effects after reading some of these horror stories. I feel as though there are some lingering problems with my eyes | F | 46 | 4 months | 10/4/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | Loves that it helps me to fall asleep pretty quickly, but sometimes not quickly enough. I have made cell phone calls to my friends and been horrified the next day when I have looked at my cell phone record and not remembered any of them. I turn into a real chatter box after I take the Ambien. I very seldom wear jewelry and last night I woke up with 4 necklaces on, multiple bracelets on and rings and bracelets laying all over the bathroom. I don't remember doing any of that. I am afraid to ask my husband if I was acting any differently last night for fear of what he would say. I have had insomnia for as long as I can remember and being able to get a good night's sleep makes all the difference in the world to me. It is worth a little weirdness just to get some rest. People that don't have insomnia just don't have a clue how miserable your life can get. | Just don't leave your house when you are taking this medication. Call people, clean your house, put stuff away where you won't be able to find it later....just don't leave your house. | F | 56 | 2 years | 10/3/2009 | 3 | insomia | groggy | M | 81 | 5 years | 10/1/2009 | 3 | Insomnia from fibromyalgia/Savella | None | I will start taking this medication tonight to try to sleep more than one hour. I have been going to bed, sleeping like a rock for one hour and then my mind runs in circles all night and I don't get any more restful sleep. Reading these comments has quite frankly scared the crap out of me but I have alerted my husband to watch me for several nights and make sure I am just sleeping and not wandering around the house eating, or doing something else stupid...I will post my results on here in a week. | F | 33 | 1 days | 9/29/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | I night eat. It could be perimenopause or my acid stomach. I did this before I took Ambien but only before my period but it seems to happen more now. I think it puts you in an hypnotic state. You would only do what you might normally do. | I take it every night. I believe that it is a life saver for me. Very few people understand. I don't like the night eating and wish I could stop. It upsets my family. Wish I knew what a sleep specialist thought about how long I've been taking it. If anyone knows, please respond. Besides insomnia that started in childhood, my fibromyalgia has increasingly gotten very bad since I was first diagnosed 13 years ago. | F | 47 | 8 years | 9/27/2009 | 1 | insomnia | Glad to find this page..THIS DRUG IS CRAZY...same effects as the person who wrote on 9/21....Some things i was doing I didnt believe until my wife actually Video taped it! Very restless.....sleep sex (masterbating while sleeping)...sleep walking nude, general out of touch feelings, talking in sleep....I guess this drug effects a lot of people differently...wish there was a discussion form on this to communicate with others who have gone through similar episodes. | M | 35 | 2 months | 9/27/2009 | 1 | cr12 for insomnia | I had a full blown manic episode and I am not bipolar | I don't think anybody should take this medicine. I caused a lot of problems for me. | M | 53 | 10 years | 9/25/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | Memory loss, sleep eating, sleep sex, hallucinations, and violent outbursts. I've been off Ambien for 3.5 years and my vision isn't still isn't normal: I have permanent tracers and find it difficult to focus on any fast-moving object. | I started taking this drug when I was 15 and didn't stop until I was 17. I therefore have 2+ years of unremembered nights. A few examples of what I was told I did under the influence of Ambien: called/texted/instant messaged people with aggressive messages (both sexual and violent); threatened my father; spoke in gibberish; wandered around my house and street; took extra Ambien; had sex; and drank alcohol. However, the worst by far was tearing open my chest with a razor blade. My mother walked in and found me in a pool of blood. I have no memory of this. When she called my boyfriend over to help calm me down, I hallucinated he was my rapist (the reason I was taking Ambien in the first place) and cowered in a corner begging him not to hurt me again. This drug blew my mind apart and left me with a mutilated chest. Please be careful when taking this. | F | 21 | 2.5 years | 9/23/2009 | 5 | The stuff works well. However the hypnotic side effects and memory loss have been used against me by lovers and family. They know to wait until I'm about to fall asleep to ask for money or favors. I've learned to wait until I'm alone before taking Ambien. I've also learned not to hide anything or clean house after taking the drug. I lose things for months if I do. | Ambien's memory loss side effect is a great way to watch a movie or show you really like. I never remember the ending and get to watch the movie several times as if it were the first time. | M | 52 | 4 years | 9/22/2009 | 4 | insomnia | amnesia, complete memory black outs, other than that it works wonders and helps me sleep! | i have had full conversations and not remembered them while taking ambien. very powerful, but it works for insomnia. | F | 30 | 2 years | 9/22/2009 | 1 | insomnia | DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG. My husband took 20mg before bed. Then the nightmare began, at some point in the night. Sleepwalking. Drinking a fifth of gin (my husband almost never drinks). Taking more Ambien as well as finding my pain meds left over from my c-section. He also sent a total of 9 emails to female friends on Facebook, propositioning sex. 9 women! And, each email began with, "I know you are happily married, but would you ever consider having an affair / phone sex, etc. I was horrified, but based on the content of emails, it is clear he was totally out of it. | See above horrifying discription, but I ended up being unable to wake my husband at 6AM. Had to call 911 and he was taken to the hospital. He has absolutely no recollection of what happened. He almost died. Thank God he did not go up to visit my 7month old son who was sleeping upstairs. This is such a scary drug I can't tell you. It needs to be taken off of the market. | F | 39 | 30 days | 9/21/2009 | 2 | insomnia | didn't sleep well | M | 47 | 1 days | 9/18/2009 | 4 | insomnia condition of bi-polar | in dim lighting hallucinating floating objects around the room, loss of balance, hand eye coordination, increased inhibition | I thought it would be a great idea to apply for a credit card to buy a 1900 imac computer. upon waking up and seeing the receipt slip in my email, it took an embarrassing phone call to cancel the order | M | 27 | 1 years | 9/17/2009 | 5 | Insomnia fibromialgia | Ambien is great for helping me get 6 hours of sleep. Without it, I hardly sleep, am in pain all night and feel exhausted in the morning. Tylenol pm used to work for me unitl the pain in my legs and knees got so severe I couldn't stand going to bed. I take it most nights now and feel very dependant on it. I am not sure it is from the Ambien, but I am agitated and mildly depressed off and on. | I know I am dependent on it and would like to quit it to see if the agitation goes away. I hate being pissed off all the time. Maybe I am just a bitch :) But a rested bitch. Maybe I don't really want to know. | M | 57 | 2 years | 9/16/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | None, really, except becoming dependent. | I have arthritis and have had trouble sleeping for years. I take 1/2 to whole Ambien 10 mg around 4 nights a week. My only worry is becoming too dependent on it for a good night's sleep. I only sleep a fitful 1-2 hours a night without it. I have had severe adverse reactions to other drugs, but not this one. To those who can't tolerate ambien, trust your instincts and don't take it. | F | 48 | 3 years | 9/11/2009 | 4 | in oder to sleep at night | have tingling and numness in my legs hands and sometimes in face, which my be due to ambien, on not, due to arthritis in neck and lower spine | may have caused sleepwalking--I have had episodes since taking | M | 81 | 2 days | 9/9/2009 | 3 | sleep difficulties | I am writing to offer condolences to the woman who discovered she'd slept with her son's friend after taking Ambien with a glass of wine. My heart aches for you! You must accept your innocence even if others don't. At first I thought Ambien was a wonder drug. I had to sleep in an arctic field camp (with continuous summer daylight, heat and mosquitoes) sharing a weatherport with six other people, and between the Ambien and earplugs got the best two weeks of sleep ever. Then on vacation in Hawaii (where I slept on the Murphy bed in the living room because of my husband's snoring and my light sleeping) I took it one night after a glass of wine and walked down to the water. All I remember after being at the shoreline was waking up the next morning fully clothed in bed with my husband. Thank God I'd found the right unit, and was in bed with my own husband, but it could have all come down so differently and I wouldn't have known or remembered a thing. I have not taken Ambien since. | I was only taking Ambien on an as-needed basis when traveling or having a particularly difficult time sleeping. I don't think I ever finished one prescription's worth. | F | 53 | 3 weeks | 9/8/2009 | 1 | Chronic Insomnia | Didn't drive the car or shag the girlfriend's sister, but I have had some serious memory loss. Woke up in the floor a couple of times, and made a few phone calls in my sleep but that's about it. | I'm seriously considering quitting! I want to quit but when I tried, I couldn't sleep at all. And it made me really moody the next day. So I guess I'll still take it for now, but I really wish that I had never started taking this medicine. If you're reading this because you are thinking about taking it, DON'T DO IT! It's really scary to think that I'm addicted to this crap! | M | 32 | 2 years | 9/8/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | Regular waking, sleep walking and eating without memory of doing so. | Ambien worked wonderfully for me when I started taking it, but over time became less effective even with dosage increases. After a period where I had to take it almost daily for close to three months even 10mg wasn't enough to keep me asleep all night and I had to change medications. | F | 31 | 17 months | 9/7/2009 | 5 | Fibromyalgia & insomnia | I do get that blackout thing but I make sure to go to bed as soon as I take it. I watch tv or read until it knocks me out. My friends know if they call late I may not remember talking to them. I have been taking this every night for years & it has helped me so much. | This drug has made my life so much better & I have not found anything else that actually puts me to sleep. | F | 51 | 7 years | 9/3/2009 | 1 | Imsonia | I could fall asleep quickly, but in a few hours, wake up again. Sleep walking, sleep eating etc. | I will NEVER EVER take this drug again. I was going through a bad time with a relationship break up, losing my job, and having to find a new place to live. I couldn't sleep for all the stress so my doc gave me some ambien. The first couple of nights were good, I would still wake up but I'd go back to sleep. Then I started sleep walking... finding things in my room or in my kitchen when I would wake up. Then one night I went to bed and the next morning I woke up in the hospital. I had an interview to go to that morning, evidently (by counting the pills in the bottle) I had taken about four more ambien in the middle of the night, got up the next morning and DROVE MY CAR IN MY SLEEP and wrecked. I totalled my car, I missed my job interview. I was so out of it, in this unwordly haze, that I took the bus to my sister's house because I didn't have enought sense to call someone to come get me. This is a bad, bad drug. It should be banned. | F | 44 | 14 days | 9/3/2009 | 2 | Insomnia | Anxiety, loss of appetite, mild depression. Symptoms less after being off ambien for a week but they have been occassionally recurring during the second-third week. | Began at 10 mg for 1 1/2 months. It would give about 4-5 hours of sleep. But I did not like the off-balance feeling and other sensations. I did not have lapses of memory or wandering but a gradual and then faster increase in anxiety for no reason. Then I began cutting back to 5 mg and then none every other day to wean off (I asked my pharmacist how to wean off ambien). Although I would never take ambien again (as another respondent said I would rather be sleepy than ever feel this way again), for some it might be useful for occassional insomnia - but one should be watchful for any adverse reactions. | M | 60 | 2 months | 9/1/2009 | 3 | sleep problems | Memory loss while drug was in my system; unusual behaviors. | Ambien really helps me sleep, but what I do while I am 'sleeping' scares me and my family so much I am afraid to take it. For example, my daughter says I woke her at 3AM and told her the house was on fire -- it wasn't, but she says she couldn't get me to believe her and I insisted she call 911. Another night, I found myself driving my car 10 miles from home at about 2AM in my robe and slippers, with no memory of getting in the car or driving. Most frightening of all, my wife says I hit her in the face when she refused to get up and make me a grilled cheese sandwich in the middle of the night. This drug is frightening! | M | 68 | 3 months | 8/31/2009 | 2 | Sleep Trouble | Severe stomach pain, drowsiness next day | Worked very well for sleep, but I couldn't continue due to stomach pain. | F | 35 | 1 months | 8/29/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | Depression, anxiety, headache, hangover, dizziness during the day, Amnesia up until mid-day (don't remember anything before lunch). | Seemed to work okay for a while, but found that I was taking more at night without remembering -- and discovering that while I should have 15 left in the bottle, there are only four...hmmm. I feel so bad today that I think I'm done with this stuff. | M | 46 | 2 years | 8/26/2009 | 1 | insomnia | To the person who wrote about their Mother who shot herself, yes she was very lucky, my husband was not. A very healthy, wonderful 43 year old man under some stress and had trouble sleeping. Physician prescribed Ambien under my protest (I had heard of some of the side effects, apparently not all). Every time he took the meds he acted different the next day. Somehat weird but I never put two and two together at that time. I was looking for sleep eating ect, the side effects that you heard of at that time. | The last time he took this drug, I found him the next morning. Ambien took my life away when it took my husband from me. I agree that not everyone has this type of reaction but just the few that have is way too many. I love and miss my husband everyday. Since then I have heard from many of the people I know about some really wierd and dangerous side effects that I did not know then. Please DO NOT take this drug or let anybody you know take it. After all it is not a sleeping pill, it is classified as a hypnotic. This is the beginning of the problem. When people lost their sense of smell due to a cold med, they yanked it from the market, why is Ambien sill out there? If is was not, myself and many people that knew my husband all agree that he would still be with us. Heartbreaking | M | 43 | 5 times | 8/25/2009 | 5 | insomnia | mild visual hallucinations and slight drunk-like effect about a half hour to an hour after administration. other than that, none. | works fantastically for me. the nice thing about ambien is that its half life is only a few hours. for people that struggle with calming their minds down at bedtime this is the perfect remedy. it knocks you out, being a hypnotic, and by the time the effects wear off you are already in deep sleep. some might find it effective to split a 10mg pill and take 5mg before bedtime and again during the middle of the night if you wake up. this would be useful for those that have trouble staying asleep.when you wake up the next morning there is little left in your system and you feel refreshed and well rested. as far as i can tell, there are no hangovers or cravings for this drug. and if there were cravings i'd imagine them to be miniscule in comparison to other drugs like the benzodiazepines. in my experience, a good way to reduce tolerance and make sure the same dose is effective day after day is to adopt a vigorous workout routine and include lots of physical activity in your daily regimen. this cycles the medicine and other chemicals out of your body through sweat and circulation and allows kind of a clean slate for administration of the drug again the following night. i notice that when i don't work out the dose takes a longer time to work and is not as powerful as when i've exercised that day. it has a lot do with metabolism. | M | 30 | 2 weeks | 8/20/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | Over the past 12 months, I have been depressed, suicidal thoughts, almost quit my 6-digit job, performing way below my capabilities, no interest in sex, eating everything in sight, dizziness, and passing out and hitting the floor. I didn't make the connection until watching an ambien commercial and really hearing the potential side affects. I am off of it and would encourage everyone to do the same. I think I am better off not sleeping. | M | 45 | 12 months | 8/19/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | No side effects. | I take 5 mg (sometimes 2.5 mg) just before I go to bed. I sleep for 6 to 7 hours and always feel normal in the morning. It's a very good drug for me. | M | 69 | 3 years | 8/18/2009 | 4 | insomnia due to anxiety | the only side effect i have experienced is loss of short term memory (the last 2o min. or so before falling asleep). it comes back to me mostly if someone reminds of what i did or said though. | I love Ambien. If you know what it's like to not be able to fall alseep even when you at your sleepiest then you should love ambien. try not to take it every night and it works better. | M | 37 | 7 years | 8/18/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | Complete blackouts and loss of memory! My wife told me that I became very aggressive about having sex and then like someone turned a switch, I would roll over and go back to sleep. I have Zero memory of any of this! That type of behavior scares the hell out of me! | Still can't sleep well but at least I'm not tearing off my wife's panties in the middle of the night! You may read this without fully understanding the consequences but I would tell you; LEAVE IT ALONE! Anything that can cause you to act completly out of character without any memory of what you've done, is extremly dangerous. ***CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED*** | M | 45 | 2 years | 8/15/2009 | 4 | Adjust to odd work schedules/jetlag | Nothing bad. I always take it and then immediately go to bed. I fall asleep within a half-hour and sleep about six hours. It's a good, deep sleep, so I don't need much more. The following day, my brain is a little fuzzy and I have some minor trouble with names. | I would not want to take it on a regular basis because it would be easy to become dependent on it. I take it only when, because of my work schedule, I have to sleep at odd hours or when I take trans-continental trips. For other times, an Advil PM and a little patience do the trick. | F | 59 | 2 years | 8/14/2009 | 1 | insomnia due to bipolar | suicidial thoughts and actions,aggressive behavior,memory loss,not remembering incidents. she was on 10mg and sometimes after taking it she was still up hours later and this is when there were strange behaviors that she does not recall. | My 14 year old daughter has been taking ambien for over 6 months now and last week she had an episode where she took a handfull of pills,was very threatening to myself and to the family pet, she has bipolar disorder so the rage and manic behavior is nothing new but have never seen her have the suicidal behaviors or thoughts. I remembered hearing about this on tv and thought I would check it out. seems as though this is not a rare occurance. this seems like a very dangerous drug to me and I will no longer be giving it to my daughter and we will see if her behaviors seem to improve. Also a few of these messages say that these problems are only occuring in people with psychotic problems I have been reading most of them and the main thing everyone has in common is insomnia and strange bhaviors due to this drug. Maybe the fact that some people have a mental disorder just makes them more likley to have more severe side effects. There are way to many problems listed here for us to ignore and something needs to be done about this drug it is my duty as a parent to protect my child from harm and I thought it was the doctors duty to perscribe safe and helpful medicines. Hopefully others will read this and not take this medicine and definately do not give it to your children. | F | 14 | 6 months | 8/14/2009 | 1 | My mom is taking Ambien | My mom is 71, had always been energetic, very fit, years of routinely walking and exercising, after death of my father she had a hard time with insomnia, started taking Ambien about a year ago with a few months of not taking it inbetween(which I had no clue she was taking), started complaining she was not feeling right, lethargic, confusion, loss of balance, back ache, agitated, anxiety, weight loss, depressed about her condition. | Went to see her Dr., results of all blood work is good, blood pressure fine, sugar level fine. We asked him if these problems my mom was having could be caused by the Ambien. Told me it was not a narcotic. He made me feel like this: well if you think this Ambien is the problem then stop taking it. How easy to prescribe a medication to someone who respects your judgement and then leave them with a worse condition of withdrawal. | F | 47 | 1 years | 8/14/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | Well, I've been taking this med for about a year now. Things have been fine other than feeling overly tired when I wake up and less than an hour after taking it I become what seems like very, very drunk. Last night, however, was the first time I saw the figurines on my night stand moving. I'm not kidding. I even grabbed one and it was moving in my hand. I have never taken more than prescribed (5mg) and I'm too chicken to abuse it! It's helped me sleep great, but these recent side effects concern me enough to get in touch with my doctor. 'Til then I'll cut the pill in half! | This med has helped me a great deal. I suffer with depression so 7-8 hours sleep is essential for me. It is habit forming though. If I run out of pills (forgetting to refill) I'm dead. If I take Tylenol PM in place of the Ambien it causes me to get the shivers. I asked a pharmacist about it and they didn't see where the two meds could clash, but it did on me. So, for now, I can't forget to refill my prescription or I'll get no sleep at all. | F | 41 | 1 years | 8/9/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | Ambien had been a godsend to me. I have a young child with ADHD who cannot sleep at night causing problems with my sleep when I have to constantly go in and out of his room to keep him there. I have a prescription for 10mg but I quarted them because I only need 2.5 to help me get back to sleep with all the distruptions going on. | Weight gain, not remembering conversations that were had while on it. | F | 38 | 1 years | 8/6/2009 | 4 | I slept only 3 hours before waking | After 4 years found problems concentrating on one subject. Almost like an ADHD thing from what I read. Could be stress related? | Great for sleep. I would sleep only 3 hours per night and then wake up - wide awake. Went to sleep at 9:00PM woke at 12:00PM. Went to sleep at 11:00PM woke up at 2:00PM. Ambien let me sleep all night. I Wake up once or twice per night but fall back asleep quickly. Only take 5 milligrams sometimes but mostly 2.5 (split pill). No other drugs other than beer. Lots of stress in 2008-2009 being a supervisor. Never had a noticable concentration problem until after about 36 months of use. Not real bad but sort of noticable. At this point a slight lack of concentration is better than laying awake for 3 to 4 hours a night and dozing off at 5:00AM when the alarm goes off at 5:30 AM. Take it at bedtime and go directly to sleep. Don't be dumb and go out to the store or try to make a midnight snack after taking the sleep pill. I have not read all the posts and I am sure there are some negative experiences which are regretable. The drug so far has been helpful for me to sleep. | M | 52 | 4 years | 8/2/2009 | 5 | Severe Insomnia | Mostly, I fell asleep and woke refreshed. No amnesia, no hallucinations, none of that crazy stuff you hear about. My psych. doc. told me those crazy things you hear happening while on Ambien happens with people who are psychotic to begin with. | Tried sleep restriction, Lithium, SSRI's, Trazodone, Elavil, Seroquel, Remeron, you name it... none worked. Ambien is the only med. that works. My psych. doc. put me on 20 mg/night. Been on it almost three years. No tolerance. | M | 36 | 3 years | 8/1/2009 | 4 | insomnia | I have slept ate for years on it. I wake up with crumbs in my mouth....I have also cleaned my house with little or no memory. Lately I have been getting up and taking another half of pill. Once I woke up with a melted fudgecycle all over my sheets. I try very hard to stay in bed! | I am totally addicted to it and have been for years. I get paranoid when running low. | F | 44 | 7 years | 8/1/2009 | 1 | To sleep through night | I only took 10mg, 4 times over the course of 9 days - so not every day. I took on Wed, did not take Thurs night but awoke after a nightmare with most TERROR I've ever felt in my life. Had no idea I could feel terror like this. Took 3 hours for husband to calm my hysterics (I'm a VP in NYC...not emotional!). Dream was about an evil spirit but once awake I could not let go of feeling that somehow it was real! (ridiculous!!). Finally fell asleep and had another evil dream - but when awoke realized must be the drug. I'VE NEVER in 44 years had such an experience. I do NOT plan to take this drug ever again. | F | 44 | 4 days | 7/31/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | I learned first hand the difference between a delusion and a hallucination and it was not fun at all. The only things I actually remember was the blinds downstairs were clacking together and I was convinced there was a lion in the den eating my dogs and the clacking was their bones breaking, and there was a green fairy with shifty eyes that wanted to steal my right kidney. | Apparently after taking it I texted a friend "10 foot long strands of multicolored spaghetti are filling the room" she immediately called my boyfriend who woke up and found me crying and screaming uncontrollably in the bathroom. He spent the next 6 hours holding me because I was trying to knock down a cabinet with my head because I thought there was a monster in there trying to escape and eat me, and I was convinced that leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) was walking on the roof with an ax. I also lost most of my voluntary muscle movements. Those were the really prominent ones that he told me about. | F | 21 | 1 days | 7/30/2009 | 1 | Chronic Insomnia | Amnesia and eating. For the last year, I thought my almost 3 year old son was coming down at night and eating, because I would find bowls and spoons and food all over the counter. I knew I didn't do it, so he must have done it, and gone back to bed. Sadly, I now know it must have been me. Last week I woke up in the emergency room on a Sunday. The last thing I remember was taking my normal 20 mg dose (as prescribed)on Friday night. I now know my mistake was taking it before going to bed, while I was putting my children to bed. I found out Sunday morning that I had somehow between Friday night and Saturday night, purchased beer (I'm in recovery and don't drink) and had taken a total of 40 ambien. My son was found outside in the street and was almost hit by a car. My neighbor came over, called 911, I was taken to the hospital and my children are not under protective care with CPS. I am charged with criminal neglect, have lost my children and may go to jail. Please don't take this drug. I | F | 44 | 2 years | 7/29/2009 | 5 | trouble staying asleep | Very few, if any. No drowsiness. No bad dreams. No sleepwalking. | I love Ambien. I use it only when I travel or when I wake up in the middle of the night--never to get to sleep per se. Dr. tried to "limit" my prescription to 20 pills every six months. I dumped my doctor! 5 mb gets me back to sleep if I wake up (around 3 a.m.) It does the trick, no problem. | F | 55 | 5 years | 7/26/2009 | 5 | Severe Insomnia | None. This is the only medication I have taken that caused no side effects. | I couldn't sleep, and hadn't slept for about 3 years. I'd just be up almost all night, finally getting to sleep at about 5am, no matter what I did. My doctor had me do a sleep study, which medically confirmed my problem. Ambien worked initially, but then I'd wake up after about 4-5 hours. Then Ambien CR became availabe, and it's been sweet dreams ever since. If you take it as prescribed, you will fall asleep repidly, and the controlled release version will keep you asleep. I have never experienced grogginess the next morning, or any weird "episodes" at night. It works if you take as directed, don't mix it with alcohol at all, or any other medication. | F | 44 | 7 months | 7/24/2009 | 5 | insomnia | sometimes, if i take it and don't go right to bed, i get dizzy and floaty. The computer screen moves in interesting ways and the keys look way funky. I've had a few embarassing and regretable TM conversations that I barely remembered the next day. also, it makes me hungry! | I heart this medication. It has restored my sleep patterns and has saved my life. | M | 3 months | 7/20/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | No side effects when taken as directed. You MUST be in bed, with a glass of water on your night table and take it. DO NOT DRINK, DO NOT TAKE STUPIDLY TAKE WITH OTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WITHOUT ASKING YOUR DOCTOR. | Like all drugs, you have to take it as directed.Why do so many people have trouble with that?!?!? Don't drink with it, period. Don't mix with other drugs unless cleared by your doc. If you take it while getting into bed you won't have a problem. You will fall asleep very rapidly. I have fallen asleep with the light on and a book in my hand and awoken the same way...truly, it happens quickly. | F | 56 | 10 years | 7/18/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | Strange dreams, odd behavior, wild sex, and not remembering anything from the night before! | I took this medication about 8 yrs ago for 2 years. I abused it and became addicted. It was very hard to get off of it. I think it took me almost 6 months to get a good full nights sleep after I stopped taking it. I am on it again because it works and I am more mature to take it correctly. I hope that this time around it will be short term use and easier to get off. | F | 31 | 2 years | 7/13/2009 | 4 | Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder | Short term memory loss, strange behavior with loss of memory regarding the behavior | I have used Ambien (10mg) for approx. 2 years. It's definitely helped my DSPD, which can be described as permanent jet lag. My normal sleep time without Ambien would be around 5-6am, and it's been that way since I was a child. Ambien has been pretty helpful with helping me push back my sleep time. That is, if you use it AS PRESCRIBED. The only time I experience the weird behavioral things is when I don't immediately go to bed after taking it. Yes, I have completely rearranged my living room furniture in the middle of the night. But again, thats only when I dawdle around after I've taken it. Be responsible, and this medicine might work for you. But, also no medicine will work the same way for everyone. For me the positives outweigh the negatives. | F | 25 | 2 years | 7/7/2009 | 1 | insomnia/sleep disorder | My 24 year old son started taking Ambien one week ago. Although he said he woke up feeling great, he also suffered serious side effects. He began sleep walking with one episode resulting in him going outside and using a saw to cut down two trees in the yard. He went back to bed sweaty and covered in saw dust with no memory of the event. His wife told him about it. Last night, while sleep walking, he called his psychiatrist and told him he has taken 12 Ambien tabs. The doctor told him to go to the emergency room or he would send an ambulance for him. After being treated for a possible overdose at the er and having the er physician sign an order of protective custody it was found that he had actually not taken 12 tabs. Luckily today the attending physician was familiar with these type of side effects with Ambien. Obviously he is immediately off the medication before a more tragic result takes place. | M | 24 | 7 days | 7/7/2009 | 1 | unrefreshing sleep | Hallucinated - told my husband he had four eyes - and took a picture of it to show him! | F | 48 | 20 days | 7/6/2009 | 5 | yes | None at all | I have had trouble sleeping for years. Been on Ambien, 10 mg, for about 3 months. It has worked wonders for me. I have always had vivid dreams, so no change there. I wake up feeling better than I have in years. Even if I wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I remember doing so. Nothing crazy to report.I think some of the folks here need to consider other meds they may be combining with abmien - it is a strong drug and doesn't interact well with many other drugs or alcohol. THe one time I had a few drinks and took an ambien, I snored, talked and giggled in my sleep (or so my boyfriend reported). Don't jump to the conclusion that it's automatically just the ambien causing this behavior. Also, note many of these folks aren't going to bed when they take it and aren't educating themselves on what they are taking. I would recommend ambien to anyone who needs to solve insomnia. It's truly changed my life for the better. | F | 32 | 3 months | 7/2/2009 | 1 | sleep aid | sleep walking & hallucinations | My mother,an active 78 yr young sr citizen was given this drug the 2d night of a recent hospital stay..never had this drug before!! If one isn't familiar with this drug, nurses in hospital should ask patient before administering if they want to be strapped to the bed..make them aware of the tremendous amounts of side effects or hand them a paper to read about it or something!! My mother was sleep walking & hallucinating (which she has never done before) in her hospital room...she remembers falling, called for nurse (she was right across from nurses station...guess they were off helping someone else)...she proceeded to get up to a standing position and fell again completely backwards and awoke to the attendants getting her up off the floor. WARNING: STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG!! AND THEY TOOK ZICAM OFF THE MARKET, HA! Everyone I have talked to since, rolls their eyes, had a personal bad experience, or knows someone who had a personal bad experience while on this drug... they need to take it off the market before people end up killing themselves or others because they don't know what they're doing while on it&/or before the manufacturer ends up with a class action lawsuit against them .......hmmmm! | F | 56 | 1 times | 7/2/2009 | 4 | Help get to sleep | Waking up in the morning with almost no recollection of what I did the night before. Have discovered I binge ate during the night and one time I even drove to the gas station while in a trance. Also caused crazy sex sessions when both me and my wife take it together, although it screws with erections so it does not enhance the moment. | Started taking it when I couldn't get to sleep but soon found myself taking it almost every night. Eventually because of the episodes I mentioned in the side effects section, I stopped taking it altogether. When used occassionally for insomnia it is a great medication and I recommend it if you need it. Otherwise, be careful about binge eating, hypnotic sex, and sending out emails that you have no idea when out until you checked the sent folder. | M | 33 | 3 years | 6/30/2009 | 5 | could only sleep 2hrs at a time. | No Side effects except occassionally do not remember a conversation just prior to falling asleep. | I sleep so sound that I cannot take Ambien if my wife is out of town because we have a 6 yr old. I do take them when travelling internationally, helps with jet lag. | F | 61 | 2 years | 6/28/2009 | 2 | Trouble falling asleep/staying | Even tho I checked above (2-Not satisfied) All Ambien did 4 me that was good was put me 2 sleep, but I always wake up groggy, really groggy. I take about 1/2 of a 10mg every few nights or so, I have had meals, snacks, that I never remembered eating, or making, I've made phone calls, left crazy e-mails, I've had sexual intercourse with my husband, I've had VERY real, vivid, & scary nightmares, things that no one ever wants 2 c or dream about, the dreams & nightmares are probably the worst, I had a dream the other night I accidentally drank sour milk, & I cud actually taste it on my tongue, it was so real! I was dry heaving in my sleep, my son woke me up & I had tears n my eyes from heaving so hard, Another thing I want everyone 2 know is my husband also takes Ambien. He has driven while on it, I watched him crash n2 a large plant by our garage door last week, he said he didn't c it sitting there, the other night he took 3 10mg Ambiens, I was so afraid I called the consul | To the mother who left that comment about her 25 year old son, I'm sorry for your loss, and I believe you leaving that comment on here will save a life, even if it is just one. By reading it, I promise myself I will never take anymore then 5 mg again. So you've saved me that's for sure. I am sorry for your loss, and hope things do get brighter for you in your future. Take care | F | 28 | 4 months | 6/25/2009 | 1 | INSOMNIA | MAJOR PERSONALITY CHANGE, HYPERSENSITIVITY, ALTERED PERCEPTION | DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG. IT IS DANGEROUS AND ALTERS PERSONALITY AND PERCEPTION. I'VE SEEN VERY FEW POSITIVE COMMENTS IN MY RESEARCH AND TONS OF NEGATIVE. SCARY... | F | 62 | 6 months | 6/23/2009 | 4 | insomnia | I took ambien CR... didn't have any side effects except i became dependent on them and needed more and more for it to work...not cool | helped me go to sleep, woke up feeling awake as i used to wake up feeling groggy | F | 18 | 2 years | 6/19/2009 | 5 | insomnia | no side effects. | I take 1/2 of a 10mg when I go to bed. I wake about 4 hours later, go to the bathroom and take the other half and sleep another 4 hours. Great night sleep. | F | 62 | 12 years | 6/17/2009 | 1 | insomnia | This drug has progressed in the severity of my side effects. My first amnesia/blackout occurred when I didn't go to bed right away (No one told me I should) and apparently my husband found me eating a chocolate cake my daughter had made with both hands. When I woke up the next morning the cake looked like the dogs had gotten to it. I asked my husband what happened and even after he told me I could not "pull it" from my memory at all. Since then there have been times when I have driven, bought online or infommercial items, had sex with my husband, etc. with no recollection whatsoever and most recently I find that I have surfing sex sites has become an issue (At least I think so...dreams/reality are blurred) It's very scary to me and utterly embarrassing. THIS IS NOT ME! I have gone periods of time without taking it but then I go back because I am so exhausted but my short term memory is gone and I have to get me back. | F | 41 | 3 years | 6/16/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | Midnight snacking, tendency to walk around and do odd things. However, this is because I wasn't using the drug as directed, increased dosage, and have a history of drug abuse. I developed a rash the very first day taking the drug, saw a Dr. about it day 3 and was told this could be a very bad sign, so I was taken off of it. | This drug works well if you use it exactly as intended. Take it when you plan to go to bed, not when you plan to watch tv for an hour before going to bed, or surf the web, etc. You'll end up driving to the convenience store, etc. If you have a history of drug abuse, I'd recommend Lunesta instead as this drug has potential for abuse. | M | 31 | 3 days | 6/14/2009 | 3 | prolonged Insomnia | Woke up to find the wrappings and top of ice cream on the kitchen table. Found empty pint container in trash. I do not remember eating it---and no one else could have. Scarey!! | Can not continue with a drug that appears to make me eat and not remember I ate. I try to take it only every other night and take only 1/4 to 1/2 of the 10 milligram tablet. | F | 72 | 8 months | 6/13/2009 | 1 | To sleep after jet lag | I tested the drug the night before I was scheduled to leave on vacation. I hallucinated and remember "repacking" my bags and seeing a woman dancing sideways on my staircase. I nearly jumped over the railing to avoid her and after that lost all memory. When I woke up in the morning, I had all my clothes on, found an umbrella under the rug and the contents of my suitcase were a mess with things missing. Evidently I also tossed clothing in the washing machine but did not find them until 3 weeks later in a moldy heap. I flushed the ambien down the toilet...never again. | This is a frightening drug. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. "Hallucinations" may sound funny to some, but reacting to them under ambien can cause great harm to self and others. Imagine taking ambien and suddenly having to deal with an emergency - like the house burning down and getting the children out -or- needing to drive someone who has a sudden medical emergency. Warning! This drug acts quickly. I have absolutely no memory of what I did under the influence of ambien beyond the first few minutes. Scary stuff. Don't take it. | F | 65 | 1 days | 6/13/2009 | 5 | insomnia | hallucinations, craving for sweets, parasomnias (walking and talking in sleep) | Ambien was a wonderful, wonderful drug for me. I've been plagued with chronic insomnia since I was 15 and those years of popping Tylenol PM have damaged my liver. My doctor prescribed both Ambien and later Ambien CR. I would experience hallucinations with them, but I found them hillarious and entertaining so this was only a plus for me. I talk in my sleep regularly, but haven't walked in my sleep in years; however on the Ambien this started up again. After a few weeks on each drug, they were no longer of any benefit to me so I'm trying Melatonin again (10mg nightly) | F | 29 | 3 months | 6/9/2009 | 1 | mom is taking it to help her sleep | mom has changed and is freaked out by everyone,seems like she has all the symptoms of schizophrenia, delusions, and hallucinations.24/7 like clock work, if you look it up she suffers from all items listed text book side effects. | Would not ever suggest this Med to anyone i know, or even a complete stranger for that matter. Doctor keeps giving it to mom because it helps her, she's going on 7 years taking this garbage. Cant the Dr.s stop giving it to her upon our request??I thought this was supposed to not be taken this long...? | F | 33 | 7 years | 6/8/2009 | 3 | insomnia | some drowsiness and sedation after about 30 minutes, grogginess for several hours the next day | I dearly wish I could say Ambien worked for me. I've had serious insomnia for the past year due to anxiety and depression after a divorce. I've tried numerous sleep aids, both prescription and OTC, and Ambien (not Ambien CR) seems to work the best for me. Unfortunately, that just means I can usually sleep about 4 - 5 hours instead of the 9 or so hours my body truly needs. An improvement over the 2 - 3 hours I was only getting a night for close to a year, but still not enough. I have found that 10mg Ambien along with 1 - 2 BioChem Tension RX Nighttime (OTC, made by Country Life) works a little better than the Ambien alone so I take that combo 2 - 3 times a week. | F | 32 | 1 years | 6/7/2009 | 1 | seelp aide | unfortunatley I am writing this revue for my son who passed away on 13 October 2008 while he was experiencing an Ambien blackout. The commericals say if it causes sucidal thoughts you should contact your doctor immediately. What they do not tell you is hopefully you are not one suffering suicidal thoughts while under an ambien blackout. He might be in the unlucky group that Ambien affects this way but the devastation is 100% when you loose your 25year old son in this way.For those skeptics he was not suffering form depression or suicidal thoughts. The risks of this drug is not worth it. It's not a life saving drug. I hope I save one life. | M | 25 | 6/6/2009 | 1 | anxiety/insomnia | hallucinations/acting out | While on vacation my dog was hit by a car and died. I needed help sleeping so took ambien. I remember waking up in my mother's house, the bedroom I always sleep in when visiting. Everything hanging on the walls took on a face of some evil looking person. The digital clock was flashing in and out toward me and back toward me and back. I sat up in bed and was screaming in a mean voice at my husband asking him who he was and where was my husband. He said I did this for a while and our little boy was sleeping with us and apparently I was flailing my arms around and hit him on the arm. I remember my husband saying in a frustrated tone for me to lay down and that I had already hurt our son once. I don't remember what happened after that but when I awoke the next morning feeling very tired and hung over and very freaked out about everything in the room appearing as people coming at me it was enough to NEVER EVER take this med again. I'd rather be awake all night. It was so real and frightening. I didn't know you could hallucinate and remember it. | F | 40 | 1 days | 6/3/2009 | 4 | Insomnia | After being on Ambien for two years, suddenly stopped cold turkey. Experienced a seizure! | Ambien is great in that it does put you to sleep. However when it says its to be taken in short term, that is the truth! Very addictive! | F | 43 | 2 years | 6/2/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
