Drug Ratings for AMBIENAverage Rating: 3.2 (1308 Ratings)
Compare AMBIEN with similar: |
Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR AMBIEN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 3 | Insomnia | Became very addicted to it, mild hallucinations if you try to stay awake after the medicine begins to take effect | I went from 0 sleep to ~2hrs of sleep, but eventually had to keep increasing my dose to achieve the same effect. This medicine can be great as a SHORT term insomnia aid (max of 7-10 days), but become very addicting and can greatly worsen depression. Try some melatonin and/or 5-HTP - they work great and don't have the side effects. Or maybe your insomnia is due to depression and you may need to consider an antidepressant? | M | 44 | 3 months 10-20 mg 1X D | 3/10/2011 | 5 | insomnia due to anxiety | the only side effects i have EVER experienced was if i stayed up too long after taking it and it becomes like a mild hallucinogenic and you wont remember much if anything after about 10-15 minutes after you took it. BUT it is not for recreation so take it correctly and go to bed and it is the BEST drug ever if you cannot get to sleep!!! | GREAT!!! Don't listen to the hype and just follow the directions! | M | 38 | 6 years 10mg 1X D | 3/4/2011 | 4 | insomnia | Munchies, double vision, loss of memory. | I can totally relate to all these horror stories about ambien. However, the ONLY time I experienced any sleep eating or erratic behavior was when I was stupid and took it with alcohol or when I didn't go to bed right away after I took it. If you're smart with it, it's a wonderful drug for us who suffer from true insomnia. I also experience horrible, violent, vivid nightmares at least 5X a week and ambien is like my "good dream pill." This medication is what finally stopped my fear of going to sleep. Just use it wisely, don't take more than you need and DO NOT mix with alcohol! | F | 25 | 1 years 10 MG 1X D | 3/3/2011 | 1 | insomnia anxiety | I was more tired after taking ambien than before I took it. | Got me to sleep right away and I was wide awake in 4 hours. Could not get back to sleep. Worst sleeping pill ever made. Lunesta runs circles around this drug. | M | 61 | 5 days 30 mg 1X D | 3/2/2011 | 1 | chronic insomnia | i took this drug for a little over two years with no problems. then i hurt my back at work and my dr. put me on a couple of different pain meds and a muscle relaxer. that is where the good part ends. i started getting up and getting on facebook and saying things to people that i didn't even know. and until i saw what i had said the next day, i had no idea that i had even said them. hell at first i thought someone was playing a trick on me. so long story short; my wife threatened to leave me if i didn't stop taking it. it took me about four months to finally get off this stuff, but after reading some of the other posts on here, i'm glad i quit before something worse happened. and for all of you know it alls out there, it was the same dr. who prescribed all four meds to me. so i never thought mixing them would cause any problems. | works great for sleep but just be careful about what you mix it with. and based on the overall experience i had, i would not recommend this drug. it worked good for the first couple of years but the last six months or so were pure hell! | M | 31 | 2 years 10mg 1X D | 2/16/2011 | 5 | insomnia | only once-typed (email to daughter , made no sense.) no other side effect. | this drug is a life saver. Just stay in bed, don't get up and use pc.I was a care-giver for many years,using ambien to help me sleep made my days so much easier.... | F | 76 | 10 years 10mg. 1X D | 2/12/2011 | 4 | Depression / Insomnia | Diminished cognitive abilities. Worsening of depression. Memory loss | Overall Ambien was a net gain. Meaning the positives outweighed the negatives. I just switched to klonopin to address the root cause of my sleep disorder (anxiety). This new medication has side effects as well, they all do. But I prefer to be medicating the core issue rather than a symptom "twice removed". As a caution I would stress that in my experience Ambien made my depressive states longer. Oddly I was correctly diagnosed with Bi-Polar II and believe that the Ambien while keeping me in a more depressed state also PREVENTED manic episodes. Significant memory loss and noticeable diminished cognition. I have always been very sharp mentally. Able to manage lots of information but ambien caused a reduction in that area of my life. God Bless. | M | 38 | 1.5 years 5 mg 1X D | 2/10/2011 | 4 | Insomnia | Euphoric feeling, childlike voice, munchies, nausea, random texts and Facebook status', odd behavior | I love Ambien. It does have those effects that people warn about, but hey- as long as I sleep, I'm all right with it. I've been known to talk strangely, dance around and basically act like your everyday drunk- but I have not sleepwalked, sleep eaten, sleep sex or sleep driven. I have not done anything destructive. The first few nights it made me nauseous, but then it eventually stopped. After awhile the drug doesn't work as well, so I detox for a couple days and then it starts to work again. I usually remember what I did the night before- I just feel so great and tired that I don't care if I look like a fool. I would definitely recommend this drug to anyone who has problems sleeping. It can get addictive so please use responsibly. I sleep great, no nightmares and I wake up refreshed. | F | 19 | 6 months 3 MG 1X D | 1/26/2011 | 2 | insomnia | wacky behavior | I was given ambien along with klonopin for daytime use to ease the stress of losing my job due to cutbacks at my company. My husband said I acted flaky before I finally went to sleep. About after a week on it, I got up from my bed, got on the computer, whipped out a credit card and booked a non refundable Scandanavian cruise on the suggestion of a pop-up ad. Pretty hard to enjoy your trip as your house is in forclosure. I'd rather just not sleep. | F | 28 | 7 days 10mgs. 1X D | 1/25/2011 | 2 | insomnia | Ambien put me to sleep quickly but I woke up within 2-3 hours, and usually couldn't get back to sleep without taking another pill. I started taking half a pill before bed, then another half in the middle of the night. Recently I tried to stop taking it, but found I could not sleep AT ALL. My doctor has prescribed a small dose of amitriptilene (Elavil) for my chronic insomnia, and it seems to be working to keep me asleep all night. | F | 66 | 3 years 10 mg 1X D | 1/18/2011 | 3 | insomnia | I have 10mgs tabs but only ever took a half.I was working late, getting up early,lots of stress and still grieving the recent death of my mother.After not taking Ambien for a few days and only a few hrs of sleep, I took a 1/2 of a 10mg at 11:00 Pm, woke up & was wide awake at 2:am so I took the rest of the pill.To be fair, I had not eaten or drank enough liquids.Dry eyes, dehydated but thinking if I could just get some real sleep,I would be fine.I took the additional 1/2 mg at 2 am.I am told I slept until 4 PM the next afternoon; got up, went to the bathroom & fainted or passed out. My husband couldn't revive me and called 911.They say my eyes rolled back and I was unresponsive, then talking but going into sleep while talking. I remember none of this, not even vaugely.I woke up in the ER. They thought I had a stoke or was having a heart attack. I sort of talked to the nurse and then went right back to sleep. After cat scans, xrays & blood test (that I slept through) I wok | I thought it was the greatest drug ever until last week, now I am afarid of it but still need it. I am afarid to take the ambien & also afarid I will go nuts laying here worring and not sleeping. Has anyone else suddenly had the crazy side effects after taking it with no side effects so long?Will taking 1/4 of the 10mgs every other night stave off the sife effects or does it just get worse after they start happening? | F | 54 | 8 months 5mgs 1X D | 1/11/2011 | 1 | insomnia | Jekyll & Hyde. Did things would never otherwise do. Texting people at all hours, aggressive behavior . Loss of ethical and moral compass. Addiction | Where to begin, this medication nearly cost my marriage. It was not me but rather my wife that was on it and I witnessed the change. My wife started taking it and at first it was great. Take the pill and went to sleep. Then a big change occurred. She was not taking it to sleep, she was just taking it ...and staying awake till 1 - 2 in the morning, texting, emailing people she barely knew, completely irrational. She exchanged 2000 texts in 3 weeks at all hours of the night with someone she have never spoken with. She became very sexually uninhibited and aggressive and argumentative and often only remembered small amounts of her behavior. She could not go to bed without it. I eventually realized she was addicted to it and told her as much. She got very angry at me and then several weeks later called me crying and told me she was addicted. She has been off it now for 2 months and cannot believe how much and how subtly this drug affected her behavior and though processes. You will wake up fine and thats why you will think its ok to take it again. Be very very careful with this drug it is hardcore addictive in a very subtle way. | M | 47 | 2 years 1X D | 1/10/2011 | 5 | insomnia | Eating in my sleep | I love this medication, I have been plagued with insomnia my whole life and now I can get 8 hours of quality sleep and feel GREAT in the morning | F | 49 | 8 years 10 mg 1X D | 1/6/2011 | 1 | ringing in ears/sleep problems | Horrid anxiety, abdominal pain, bladder pain, diarrhea, pain in my eyes, head pain, lethargy, weird spacey feelings all day, sleep deprivation because I couldn't sleep for more than 4-5 hours and did I mention anxiety? All of these went away when I quit taking ambien. | This drug should be banned. When I quit taking it, I hardly slept for MONTHS! And the withdrawals were horrid. My doctor told me it would take six months or more to recover from the brain damage this drug does. This drug is very harsh on the brain, according to several doctors and pharmacists I've talked to. This drug has made my life hell, I wish I had never taken it. | M | 51 | 18 weeks 10 1X D | 1/5/2011 | 1 | sleep problems | Great at first. Then you have to keep taking more and more. very addictive and withdrawals are TERRIBLE. Don't take this drug! | 45 | 3 years 10 mg 1X D | 1/5/2011 | 3 | insomnia | 'Sleep sex' which sometimes I don't remember. Hubby said I sound and act normal so he thinks I'm totally awake... its starting to bother him that I am not remembering | The drug works great for sleep. I can now get between 4-6 hrs which is great for me... I do feel in a fog sometimes... and I am very forgetful since starting ambien. Is there anything better? | F | 28 | 30 days 10mg 1X D | 1/1/2011 | 5 | anxiety at night/insomnia | none | I love it...not only do I sleep like a baby but I get so relaxed and horny...it's like weed without the munchies and the anxiety highs. I do not sleepwalk or drive the wrong way down the freeway, but I feel SO RELAXED and if I take it during the day, calm anxiety-free, I will drink some coffee, and it gives me a chilled out wakeful energy! 30 mg is even better than 15...the horny factor particularly...anyway gotta go and pop and ambien yo WORD | M | 23 | 2 years 15 mg 2X AN | 12/30/2010 | 5 | Sleep Terror Disorder | Outward visual hallucinations that become less as tolerance builds, seems to set up the dreaming part of brain and if still awake rarely causes grandoise hallucinations. | I have been taking ambien for awhile, and use it to keep excessive nightmares featuring the thoughts of everday allday schizo voices that have not managed to hack the visual cranial nerves or photo recepetors of the retina and have mainly stayed auditory. This drug works well to put "vocies" to sleep and become lethargic also in my own motion. Any attempts to sleep without it are mostly random, and the dumber part of the brain, or the brain used while sleeping can't seem to figure out that it is the same voices that bother the me all day, unless, and usually once weekly if no sleeping pills are taken it will just override the hacking attempts of voices during sleep cycle to regenerate and even cause a reverse effect where schizo is in a nightmare that I create for them. Still playing games with the bigboys in the larger scale dimension between organized bacteria and individual bacteria or cellular sized organisms of lazy atoms. Taking the ambien, which is a fine drug, does a fantastic job and does not seem to cause any reliance without it, besides the desire to sleep without nightmares, which was a preexisting condition to taking ambien, at least for myself. If they could make some zoli ambien that can be taken during the day, I would take it as I have noticed if I stay awake, schizo voices, seem to become lethargic and less chatty, and seem as though drunk and much less organized in their attacks on me. | M | 26 | 8 months 10mg 1X D | 12/27/2010 | 5 | Insomnia | Makes me feel drunkish, slightly euphoric and tired (thank God). | First off I just want to say some of the stories you guys post here about your Ambien-induced shenanigans crack me up! Always makes for a good laugh. That said, people who say things like "This medication needs to be taken off the market" need to seriously check yourselves. Ambien is a GODSEND to people who suffer from chronic insomnia like I do. It really is. I've never done any sleep-driving or sleep-eating or any of these other alleged activities while taking it, and I've used Ambien for a decade now. If you're doing crazy stuff like that, perhaps you need to reduce your dosage! I cut my 10mg pills in quarters and it still works like a charm. Please don't ruin it for the rest of us who do just fine on this medication! | M | 31 | 10 years 5mg 2X D | 12/22/2010 | 1 | Neck Pain, Muscle Spasms, insomnia | Doesn't work. Causes me to have anxiety, elevated heart rate, jumpiness, wired feeling, and certainly not tired. Benadryl works much better. In addition, Benadryl is a very good muscle relaxer. For me, Ambien = Bad Side Effects + Lousy Sleep. | M | 33 | 3 days 10 1X D | 12/6/2010 | 4 | Insomnia | I would wake up with a weird taste in my mouth and groggy. Sometime I was anxious. I was very forgetful during the day and sort of hazy. Everything seemed to move slower but I did feel over all past these side effects that I did get a good night sleep. | You are supposed to take it and go straight to sleep. Lay down and close your eyes and you will fall into a deep sleep. I took it one time and walked around my neighborhood with my roommate who tried it and we tripped out. It was crazy! But if you take it correctly you will be fine. BTW, I break my 10's in half, also, I will take trazadone 10MG or 5mg one day and Ambien the next or every other day. You don't have to rely on it always. PS-Don't drink on it unless you want to trip out. Good luck and keep it cool! | M | 34 | 3 months 10Mg 1X D | 11/29/2010 | 4 | insomnia | very drowsy in the morning. Takes me at least 3 hours to wake up. I do not take drugs or drink alcohol. | I take 50 mg seroqeul along with ambien to sleep at night. I can't take ambien alone anymore it doesn't seem to work all night like it used to. I am addicted to it and have tried to go cut down or wean myself off but I get rebound insomnia so have to take it. I take it every night. I have seen posts on here where some of you take it 3 times a week. How do you sleep the other 4 days out of the week. I want your secrets...LOL. | F | 40 | 9 months 10 mg 1X D | 11/29/2010 | 5 | Insomnia | The only side effect I've experienced is a little bit of nausea and vomiting the next day. | For me, Ambien has been a dream. So far anyways. I have a plethora of health problems, and insomnia kind of goes along with it all. I've tried everything. Klonipin worked the best, but it made me very groggy and act "drunk." Also the withdrawals were unbearable at times. I've just started taking the Ambien, and so far it has been amazing. I get sleepy within a half hour of taking it, and go to bed, and sleep for 8 hours. No getting up and doing strange things, I'm alert the next day, and feel refreshed. The only side effect I've had so far is a little bit of nausea and vomting and twice I had a slight anxiety in the morning. Other than that... it really helps me. | F | 27 | 7 days 10 MG 1X D | 11/6/2010 | 3 | cant sleep | no side effects in my case | Nice results from this pill. Now i can sleep very well | M | 42 | 10 days 20mg 1X D | 11/5/2010 | 2 | insomina | Severe Sleep Walking (including violent outbursts), still tired, groggy in the morning | I've been taking ambien for 2 weeks now. The first couple nights i woke up still tired and couldn't figure out why. My wife informed me it's because i was up all night. She's found me downstairs (all of this i do not remember doing) staring out the back door, watching TV, i've had sex and held conversations with her, I've said hurtful things to her, I swear at her a lot (which I never do), and my wife has now informed me last night i hit and threw my 70 lbs black lab across the room (which i never have and never would do, he's fine btw).. she said i kept swearing at her to make the dog stop barking.. which he wasn't it was some other dog.. I'm done with this drug.. it doesn't put me to sleep it just makes me lose my conscious state of mind and do wrong things.. it's been 2 weeks and I'm exhausted every moment of every day because i still haven't had a good nights sleep | M | 20 | 2 weeks 10mg 1X D | 11/1/2010 | 4 | insomnia | imaginary friends, burning my arm with a cigarette in my "sleep", daytime headaches, dizziness, forgetfullness, talking to myself, feeling like I'm in another world. | I have taken EVERY sleep medication out there. Ambien in the ONLY drug that makes me fall asleep and stay asleep. One morning I woke up, and I had a burn on my right wrist. It almost looked like I accidentally tapped my arm on a hot oven. I didnt find anything that I cooked or ate though so I'm not sure if that was it. The next morning I woke up with 3 cigarette burns on my left wrist. Maybe I had an itch and used the cigarette to scratch it? I have no idea. I've learned if I take this medication and then go right to bed and read or watch TV...I wont talk to my imaginary friends. I havent woken up and eaten or cooked anything, havent tried to leave the house, and have not made strange phone calls. I do have vivid dreams and woke up this morning having one of those "falling out of your bed" dreams that scares the crap out of you. Other than that, this drug works for me better than Melatonin, Xanax, Tylenol PM's, Seroquel, Seconal, Lyrica, Valium, Gabapentin, Herbal Tea's..or anything else I have tried. | F | 28 | 2 weeks 10mg 1X D | 10/30/2010 | 5 | insomnia | grogginess upon awakening. | I cut the pill into quarters, I take one quarter, wait 20 minutes then take the other quarter. Then I go to sleep. If I wake up after 3 hours I will take another quarter then hopefully I will go back to sleep. Haven't had any weird side affects except if I fall asleep without taking it I will have some weird dreams. I don't usually remember my dreams while taking ambien. It is hard to sleep without it though. I do recommend cutting the pill in order to try it out. Don't take the whole dose the first time you take it. Some people have a bad reaction. I haven't had one though. | F | 50 | 5 years 10 mg 1X D | 10/23/2010 | 4 | insomnia, family tragedy | uncoordinated i should lay down. | F | 51 | 1 months 5mg 1X D | 10/21/2010 | 1 | insomnia | severe sleepwalking episodes, hallucinations, no memory of events | this drug should be banned as a date rape drug. I first took ambien in 1995 when my stupid doctor had a "bright idea" to go off of halcion (which was working perfectly. I'd wake up in the morning and my place was turned upside down and at first i didn't understand what happened. On the second night, it happened again, and there was a pan on the stove with the gas on when i woke up. I called the doctor and he said this is impossible, so i continued to take it. I was told that on that night, i went downstairs swearing up and down i saw burglars in my place, i have absolutely no memory of it. This side effect, at the time, was not even listed. I wrote to the fda about this, as it should be banned as a date rape drug. Do not take at any costs, I can tell you that if i murdered someone on ambien i would have absolutely no memory. I cannot believe they won't allow rohypnol but ambien is so easily available | M | 42 | 3 days 10mg 1X D | 10/21/2010 | 1 | insomnia | This drug should not be given to anyone in my opinion! I have no memory of the things I did while under the influence of this medication, however after a few nights of my husband telling me how i act, he decided to videotape me because i did not believe that i could do the things he was saying without any memory of them. I then saw myself on the tape reaching for things that were not there, talking to people like my great grandchildren who were not there and at one point actually try to strangle my husband! I was up all night in a trance i guess you could say. This is a very dangerous drug! | I have a friend who takes this medication also and does not remember shaving off his eyebrows and only half of his sideburns and mustache, he actually tried to blame his wife for doing it to him while he was asleep! If you are not crazy before you take ambien you certainly will think you are after you do! | F | 64 | 2 weeks 1X D | 10/20/2010 | 1 | sleep/ shift work | weight gain, dry mouth, Rantings and Ravings, can't think during the work day, "short circuit" of the brain. | My boyfriend suggested I try this sleeping pill since my shift changes every 4 months. I am totally hooked on it now. I take 10mg on the weekend and 5 mg week days, for a year. I have started experiencing a short circuit so to speak, of my brain, maybe 100 times a day I feel like I'm getting a split second of electricity. This started about 4 months ago. Yep. I procrastinate. Going to dr. tomorrow, actually to find out if it has done permanent damage. This is a horrible drug to get hooked on. What a shame it is so easily dispensed. | F | 55 | 1 years 10 and 5 m 1X D | 10/19/2010 | 3 | insomnia | I experienced dizziness, amnesia and depression while on Ambien. Stopping it suddenly and without a gradual cut-back caused bad nightmares and hullucinations. | I have an autoimmune disease which causes insomnia, so the only good thing I can say about Ambien is that it definately puts you to sleep, but watch out for the side effects, which can be many. For me, I would get dizzy if I took Ambien and then didn't go right to bed. It works fast, so you really need to go to bed right after taking it. I also would have conversations that I didn't remember having, and I became depressed. I decided to go off of Ambien after being on it for more than a year and found out quickly that you shouldn't stop taking it cold turkey. I spent a night hallucinating and having the worse nightmares ever. For most of the night, I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. The next day I was dizzy and cold and decided I couldn't live through another night like the one I had just had, so I decided to cut Ambien out gradually, which I've read you should do anyway. I started out on 10mg, and each week I've been cutting the dosage in half. This seems to be working out well and I'll be totally off of it in another week. I don't know what I'm going to do about sleeping, but using drugs like Ambien, especially long term, is not a wise idea. My side effects were mild compared to others who have posted on this site. Just beware if you're considering taking it. | F | 64 | 1.5 years 1X D | 10/16/2010 | 2 | incomnia resulting from tension,pai | It knocks you out quickly BUT frequently wake up at 2 and unable to return to sleep. At least three times the past year, seemed to trigger a "drugged up" state resulting in inane conversation and subequent lack of memory about the conversation. This drug is now out in gerneric form. Have heard many horror stories from peole who have used it. | M | 53 | 1 years 10 mg 1X AN | 10/15/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | Ambien started very innocently for me. I worked night shift and would often have trouble sleeping during the day. My doc prescribed me 10mg and for sure it worked. Slept great on it. Took it and no matter what, I slept. Great sleep. Woke up refreshed and no drug hangover. And then.......the weird stuff started. Id take my ambien and do all sorts of crazy stuff I didnt remember. But by then, if I didnt take it, I wouldnt sleep. Totally addicted. So I kept taking it and the episodes got worse. Ive read a lot of stories on here and know Ive experienced all the bad stuff on ambien. Cooking and eating crazy food, driving, going outside at night - woke up outside on the ground, sex, even found that I shot some guns out the window of my house. And then there is the depression and short term memory loss. | This is a wonder drug but I think it is way over prescribed. It is way too easy to get and way too easy to get hooked on. And it was difficult to get off of. If youve been on it for a while and get off of it, you simply will not sleep. Sleep deprivation is very hard on the human body and the urge to to keep taking the drug is some times overpowering, but can be the best move youve ever made. That stuff is no good............bigole8point@yahoo.com | M | 39 | 5 years 10-20mg 1X D | 10/15/2010 | 5 | to sleep | slow typing skills, lots or error, blurred vision, craved candy, sugar, and pretty horny agterwards | F | 25 | 30 days 10 mg 1X D | 10/14/2010 | 3 | insomnia | sleep, then built tolerance | I want to say that this is a wonder drug if it is a short time as indicated. Death in the family or other big stressful event? Then by all means, go ahead. But under the care of a psychiatrist, I've been on it for 6 years. It has stopped working. I never took more than prescribed or abused it, I simply stopped sleeping. But if I don't take it every night I experience a withdrawal. I am sweaty, pukey, I shake and cry. Tomorrow I will fly to a good facility with a 30 detox and rehab program so that I can be rid of my need for a drug that doesn't work any longer. It's expensive and my husband is disgusted with me. I'm ashamed and sad. Please just do not take very long term. You may end up with what is basically a "habit" and it's not a good place to be. | F | 33 | 6 years 10 mg 1X D | 10/13/2010 | 1 | insomnia | memory loss, sleep driving, double vision | I was on this medication for about 4 weeks with no problems until week 5. I took one night after not using it for about a week. We had been out of town visiting family when I experienced the worst side effect ever! I had decided to take my 5 yr. old grandson to school so he could show me his classroom and introduce me to his teacher. Well, I remember leaving the hotel to go pick him up and my next memory is an officer asking if I was on any new medication that would make me drowsy. My grandson had been with me in the car and I had driven to the school and couldn't remember any of it. The officer called my husband at the hotel and had him pick me up. I was lucky it was a small town and I had a very understanding officer who didn't file any report. I could have been charged since there was evidence that I had hit something and there was scratches on my vehicle. I have no memory of most of the day. It scares the heck out of me to think of what could have happened! Don't let your doctor tell you that this medication can not cause these side effect! It is very scary that this drug is approved. | F | 49 | 4 weeks 10mg 1X D | 10/11/2010 | 4 | help falling and staying asleep | sleep walking, eating, phoning, texting | I have a love/hate relationship with this medication. I love how it never fails to put me to sleep, however, I hate that I now get up and do things while under it's influence. I have found food left on the counter, was made aware of e-mails and text that I've sent, and that I've even had sex with my boyfriend. All of which I didn't remember, and have been mortified and embarrassed. I still take Ambien because I'm so afraid of not sleeping | F | 54 | 4 years 10 1X D | 10/9/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | I was sexually assualted while taking this medicine. As much as I wanted those people to be locked up, I know that I was just as guily. This has ended my marriage of 15 years. Please be aware that you can take this and do things that are completely out of your charcter. And the worst part, you can't remember anything! this medicine has ruined my children's lives. I'm so ashamed. Please be aware of what this can do to your life. | I was a normal soccer mom, until my Ambien nightmare. If you think this could never happen to you, then you are a fool! | F | 46 | 2 years 10mg 1X D | 10/7/2010 | 5 | chronic insomnia | My Sisters husband used to accuse me of making noise in the kitchen an leaving a 'mess' I would get odd cravings tho- like frying just a slice of American cheese till it gets semi burnt. Eatng a hanful of uncooked pastina or orzo, an spilling some | Best sleep med I ever had, and I think Ive tried them all- Id pop one pink ambian, and one blue Xanax, and I was asleep solid in 5 minutes or less, until daylight No side FX- no getting argumentative, slurry or pugnacious, no trying to drive the car, or open a beer- just lay down, close eyes, and then Im waking up 'cause its morning- Best sleep aid ever made. | M | 63 | 4 years 50mg 1X AN | 10/6/2010 | 5 | Insomnia | the only side effect is that it lose effectiveness with a coupple of weeks, so you have to look an alternative until ambien get out of your system and then back again on ambien | Perfect! It makes what is suppose to do, put you in sleep.. I'm 6'1, so i need to take 20 mg (i don't know why the manufacturerers don't consider to make the 20mng pill.. anywa, take it with empty stomache (at least 3-4 hours without meal before bed), put your headphones and lay down onece you take in bed, and it works, no side effect, I dont know why people give bad rates of ambien, is the best sleep medication avaliable, is not a benzodiazepine, so addiction is very low compare to ANY benzo.... | M | 32 | 2 years 10-20 1X D | 10/5/2010 History | 3 | Insomnia | First hand accounts of this drug across the board report numerous instances of people engaging in activities with no recollection. This will likely result in more tragedies for the user and those hurt by the user's hypnotic activities. Only then will FDA be required to halt manufacturing and distribution of Ambien. | Personal account: severe next day depression; uninhibited risky behavior. Driving and cooking an hour post consumption; major online purchases for items I do not recall ordering; Major headache in right temple 20 minutes after taking Ambien. | M | 39 | 7 days 10 1X D | 10/5/2010 | 2 | Insomnia | Have taken ambien on an off over 3 yrs. Due to no insurance and job and the high cost of ambien, I try to use Melatonin. Yrs ago I had a small glass of wine. An hour later I took an Ambien. Went to bed. Or so I thought. Ended up driving to my fiance's house and had butt sex with him. Something I find gross and nasty. Plus we did it outside. I do not remember anything. He told me I was really acting weird and saying stupid crap...screwed him and left. I have found huge piles of wrappers on my floor from food I clearly must have eaten in my sleep. Crumbs on my face and in my bed. I also called my dad who is in his 90s and asked him if he wanted to be in a rock band with me. I do not remember this. My mom yelled at me the next day. Had horrible bouts of depression during the day after taking it to the point of profuse despair unlike any other time. Not every day I took it but sometimes. Addicts be warned: it makes you trip | Ambien needs to give a free bedside seatbelt to keep it's consumers from getting up and doing things that could SERIOUSLY hurt someone. It has caused me to feel aggressive and incoherent. i do not drink much and have never been drunk but I assume this is how it would feel | F | 45 | 3 months 10 1X D | 10/4/2010 | 4 | Insomnia | Some small illussions at first especially when drinking prior to taking the pills. Othere than the obvious mirages, there could be drunk dialing, but that quickly came to an end. I would give anything to have those feelings anymore and the wonder of having to be embarassed for what you did. I would settle for being able to sleep the night full through. before last night, I had sleept 4 hours in 2 days as it takes 4 hours for Ambien to wear out.... I topped todays 20mg Ambien with a Trazadonee and a Temazepam. Hopefully, I will see sleep before work starts in 7 hours... | Ambien works so long as you take time off from it. I am thinking that Vallium would be a good substitute over a time as it will also affect the useage of my Ritalin during the days. | F | 32 | 6 months 10mg 2X D | 9/22/2010 | 3 | sleeplessness | i feel it takes away my balance, like an ear drum ruptured. Eveything is double vision. I can do things, but have a hard time walking because i midjudge the corners. however, it does stop my leg cramps at night. i know when i am going to have one. my legs are 'antzy', continually moving. The Ambien allows me to sleep (when i dont take it, i go sleep on the couch so my husband can sleep uninterrupted.) The only side effect that really bugs me is the double vision. it's like it relaxes my whole body and my eyes can't focus proberly. | F | 44 | 1 days 30 1X W | 9/22/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | Please listen to my warning and do not take this medicine. I beg you to listen for your own safety. My doctor prescribed this for insomnia and told me it was very safe to take nightly. To make a long story short, I just returned from 60 days of inpatient rehab to get off the stuff. I did not take it to get high, but rather to sleep. After awhile, your body becomes addicted and YOU CAN NOT SLEEP WITHOUT IT. In addition, the stuff starts to harm your overall health in terrible ways. Do anything but do not take ambien. | PLEASE AVOID THIS MEDICATION | M | 31 | 4 years 10mg 1X D | 9/20/2010 | 3 | Insomnia | In the past I found out that I was sending crazy texts and IM's to people. I've also called people. So...I would take he phones, and laptop, out of my room. I had also had and episode where I scared the hell out of a guy I was dating when he stayed over, and he said I went crazy. I was upset with him before I took the Ambien. I kinda remember crying (maybe a little), but he said I was crying uncontrollably, and yelling. I had no memory of all that he said. Lastly...I took one last week and was freaked out when I realized that I had given myself an injection while asleep. I found a bent needle on my night stand, and cotton balls (as well as alcohol pads) in my bed. That night I thought about doing it, but decided since it was late to wait until the morning. | There was a long gap before I took that last dosage. Instead of already being in the bed when I took it, my last memory was standing in front of my dresser looking in the mirror. Right now...I'm not sure if my being already being in bed would of made a difference. Just before I took the Ambien I was thinking about the fact that I had already missed and injection. | F | 40 | 10mg 1X AN | 9/18/2010 | 4 | Insomnia and perimenopause | Next day grogginess, headache, blurred thinking and memory loss. | Puts me to sleep quickly and sleep pretty well. I often get up and eat during the night, especially within the first 4 hours of taking it. My foods of choice are always BBQ chips and chocolate. I sometimes do work on my computer which I don't see till the next day. I have more of a desire to have sex with my husband which makes him very happy but I have no recollection of it the next day. We laugh about it the next day but it is strange to not have control of your thoughts and behavior. Thank goodness we have a security system, I can't go far. | F | 53 | 4 years 12.5 1X D | 9/17/2010 | 4 | Sleep problems | When I disregarded the instructions or took more than 1 a night, I would sleepwalk, have memory loss, eat excessively, and would often have strange dreams. | If taken properly (meaning, taking only 1 and going to sleep very soon after) it works very well. If you don't do this, you're going to experience the side effects. | M | 20 | 1 years 10 1X D | 9/15/2010 | 3 | Insomnia | Slurred Speech, Complete Blackouts Before Bed, One Night My Roomate Had To Carry Me Up The Steps To bed, Closest Feeling Is Like Being Drunk. I Have woken Up To Texts i Dont Remember Sending, And Literally Hundreds Of Songs Downloaded And Not Remembering Any Of It. | I Need To Start Going To Bed Right After, Cause I usaully Take It Then Wait An Hour And A Half When I Feel It Kick In. I'm Not Sure If I Should Stop Taking It All Together Or Caustiously Take It. | M | 22 | 3 weeks 10 1X D | 9/15/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | Joint, bone, muscle pains, feeling of being detached from body. Memory loss. Accelerated aging in face. Withdrawal while trying to stop | Please, avoid this drug at all cost. It has robbed me of my health, looks, vitality, memory and family; and still not a good night's quality of sleep. I have driven, shopped, ordered things online and over the phone, texted and called friends - all with no recollection. I was amazed looking at emails and text sent at how eloquent I was expressing my thoughts to people I barely knew. This drug gives temporary relief but can ruin your life. I look like a 70 year old lady and people treat me as such. | F | 54 | 4 years 10MG 1X D | 9/14/2010 | 4 | insomnia | This med works really well for me. I have always had insomnia, and went to dr. due to chronic headaches (I've had them since at least high school). Dr. suggested it could be my sleep, and I tried the ambien. I do have memory loss during the night I take it, especially if I don't go to bed within an hour or so. I sometimes don't remember conversations if in middle of night (if my husband tells me something after I'm already asleep). Overall, great med. I take it a few nights a week. Only take it if you have 8-9 hours to sleep. I would recommend starting on a weekend, in case you have trouble waking up on time. | M | 27 | 3 years 10 mg 1X AN | 9/13/2010 | 3 | Insomnia | I have become so forgetful. I have started back to school and can't remember anything I read! I can't even remember names of co-workers. It is also addictive so you have to wean yourself off after several nights of taking it or the insomnia is awful. I am currently weaning off the drug. I would rather be tired than feel like I am losing my mind. | F | 50 | 6 months 6.25 1X D | 9/12/2010 | 2 | Insomia | Daytime grogginess, rebound insomnia, and strange behavior | I actually haven't taken Ambien in a while but wanted to post my experience. I did not have as severe symptoms as some described here, but I found that my side effects greatly outweighed any benefits. Even if I got 8 hours of sleep, I would be very groggy the next day, which was very difficult when I had to drive a distance the next day. Also, while I could sleep the night I took it, I couldn't the next night. The medicine would take about 30 minutes to kick in, but, when it did, I would do some pretty silly things like send messages to my sister in all caps, a desire to put on all this make-up though I don't really wear any usually, and it made me want to have sex really, really bad. I remember thinking that these behaviors were really strange and not me while I was doing them, but I just couldn't stop. My doctor has tried to put me back on Zoloft several times, but I refuse. If I really, really need something, I just take a benadryl. That still makes me a bit groggy the next day, but nothing like Ambien. | F | 35 | 10 1X AN | 9/8/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | The first few days were fine. I had done quite a bit of research on Ambien and knew that before taking it, I needed to lock my door, hide my car keys, turn off my phone, unplug my computer, and go right to bed. I also told everyone I live/stay with that I was on the drug and what could happen in regards to side effects. This past Sunday, I had a period of about half an hour in the middle of the day where I started getting double vision and hallucinations...while driving. Luckily my girlfriend was with me and was able to drive us home when I explained to her what was going on. Sunday night I took 1/2 10mg pill to go to sleep, counted the pills, and had 6 1/2 left I was fine. Got up at 10:00AM Monday. Around 2PM we went up to a local fast food place for a snack. I was perfectly aware of everything until we got to the drive thru speaker. All of a sudden I got very confused. I don't remember ordering, I don't remember paying. I don't remember anything until 4:30PM when I woke u | I thought it would answer my questions, since melatonin and various other natural and over-the-counter products do nothing. I do have to say that for the first time in a long time I actually had vivid dreams that I remember completely. But are they real or induced? Not worth the risk. | M | 28 | 7 days 10 mg 1X D | 9/7/2010 | 4 | Sleep | M | 50 | 2 years 12.5 1X D | 9/6/2010 | 4 | insomnia after surgery | Unusual feelings of dread, and some diaherrea. Am knocked out cold and cannot be worken up. | Doctor prescribed after cosmetic surgery for sleep. It's worked great but worried about the mental dependance on it. No strange behaviors but I honestly would not know if there was a fire or bomb, i am knocked out cold for solid 7 hours. Tonight going to try to wean, just take 3-4x per week and then later less. I would like to keep for times when insomnia is really bad, and not to use it every night, if possible. Doctors definately prescribe and encourage this way too easily. | F | 51 | 2 months 5 mg 1X D | 9/5/2010 | 5 | trouble sleeping | NONE!! | The only pill that makes me fall asleep at night. Should only take it at hour of sleep. If you have addictive personality, do not take it. The best sleep aid ever. I take it 3 or 4 times a week. Should not pull from the market just because it doesn't work for certain people. Only take it while you are with your family or someone you trust just to be on the safe side. Duh!!! it's a sleep-aid. It's supposed to knock you out. | F | 29 | 10 months 10mg 3X W | 8/30/2010 | 4 | insomnia, irregular sleep pattern | The only side effects I have are that it makes me feel calm and relaxed and puts me to sleep quickly so I need to make sure I am headed to bed. I cannot remember anything that happens right before I go to bed. I do not remember conversations and on one occasion my husband said we had sex and I did not remember. I also have crazy, vivid and realistic dreams. Otherwise I love the way I sleep! No other physical side effects here. I just come up with crazy scenarios and talk jibberish or I forget to get dressed before going downstairs to have a snack. My hubby catches me in the act all the time and makes sure I am clothed and decent. I do not take ambien when I am here by myself, almost makes me feel invincible like I can do things that I unrealistically cannot. It can be scary. | For what the drug is, I feel it works well and helps me sleep well too. It does make my head feel funny but only until I go to sleep. JUST TAKE WITH CAUTION and preferrably NOT WHEN YOU ARE ALONE. | F | 36 | 90 days 5-10mg 1X AN | 8/24/2010 | 1 | insomnia | BETWARE!! I took this medication two nights in a row. Before falling asleep, I had hallucinations. The first night, the throw pillows in a chair in our bedroom were dancing. The second night, I got up to go to the bathroom, looked out the window and saw flying saucers. | After two nights of this, I had my husband dispose of the remaining pills. Valerian root is a much safer alternative. | F | 50 | 2 days 1X D | 8/23/2010 |