Drug Ratings for AMBIENAverage Rating: 3.2 (1308 Ratings)
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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 | | | | |||
| 2 | Insomnia | None, I didn't even experience drowsiness. | My Dr. prescribed it to me when I told him I wasn't sleeping well, due to some stress in my life. The first night I took it, I got in bed, popped a pill and laid awake until 4:30ish with my mind racing. Assuming it was just new RX jitters and I took it the next night and same thing happened. In my opinion its useless. It wound me up rather than relax me. My OCD kicked in and I cleaned my house from top to bottom early into the morning. No loss of memory, no night time desires, no hallucinations....worst of all no sleep. | F | 24 | 2 days | 12/11/2009 | 1 | N/A | I have never taken ambien. I am an RN and would not recommend this medication to anyone or ever take it myself. I have been a nurse working the night shift in hospitals for 12 years and literally cringe when a physician writes an order for ambien, particularly for elderly patients. I have more than a few times had to chase patients wandering down the halls. I have witnessed pts having hallucinations and aggressive behavior on this medication without any memory of the events the next morning. In my opinion, this is a dangerous drug. | F | 35 | | 12/11/2009 | 1 | chronic insomnia | loss of memeory, stubling, eating excessively.... | I posted here back on the 4th of December. It has been 9 days (nights) without Ambien and there have been some rough points, but over-all, I'm just glad I got off it when I did. The problems that stuck out were that I sure as heck couldn't sleep. My heart pounded so loud I swear I could hear it. A little bit white-knuckle. Dreams also got REALLY weird when I actually COULD sleep... and I could feel my body (and mind) actually desiring to take Ambien again. I also keep thinking I see something out of the corner of my eye, then there is nothing. Not comfortable and it is disconcerting. But it IS endurable. Over-all. Totally worth giving it up. It is getting better since I stopped and I am starting to sleep. Seriously, please beware you could do something so horrible when you take this stuff - and not remember ANYTHING. Nada. Not even an inkling of memory. I'll post in a few weeks and give you an update. I told my doctor the problem I had and he told me there was an older anti-depressant that tested very well for helping you go to sleep and not have fatigue the next day and it is only prescribed for sleep now. THIS DRUG IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANY AMBIEN OR LUNESTA SIDE-EFFECTS. I can't remember the name, but I will call and find out, then post it. Good luck. Happy sleeping. If you become addicted or have crazy symptoms, please get help to stop if you can't do it on your own. God bless. | M | 46 | 1 years | 12/10/2009 | 3 | Lack of Sleep | I started taking Ambien because I had a hard time falling asleep. This drug will knock you out the first couple times you take it. I mean DO NOT plan on doing anything with in 1 minute of swallowing the pill! No lie! After I would take it, I would have deep deep conversations with my girlfriend just before falling to sleep. When I wake in the morning I couldn't remember ANYTHING I said. SCARY!!!! Also, it would only keep me sleeping for about 4 - 5 hrs, then I would wide awake! | I never thought I would ever be able to look into a closet and see EVERY shirt in the closet move up and down, until I took this drug. SCARY!!! | M | 33 | 7 days | 12/9/2009 | 2 | Increase urgency and frequency of my urination in the morning. | It help my sleep quite well | M | 69 | 5 years | 12/9/2009 | 1 | insomnia | I took Ambien 10mg for 7 years. I would have rated it a 5 for the time I took it. I felt refreshed every morning. Then suddenly it became ineffective. Even though Ambien quit working for me I still had to taper off the med. I believe I was HOOKED. I was moody, unreasonable, and could not think straight as well as having NO attention span. I have been off Ambien for 4 years and note that I have the residual side affects from being on Ambien for that amount of time. I will never, ever take another sleep aid. I have a recurrence of insomnia and I swear my memory has been strongly affected. It is as though I have mild amnesia and intermittent fogginess. Seven years is a looong time and it was very easy to obtain a prescription. I do not know if I will ever recover. | F | 54 | 7 years | 12/8/2009 | 5 | lack of sleep due to hot flashes | sometimes groggy a bit after waking up | In 15-20 minutes I am out like a light.. wake up 6-8 hrs later. Started with 10mg (whole tablet) found using 1/2 tablet same results. Ambien has been a lifesaver for me. Shuts my "brain chatter" off. OTC sleep-aids never worked for me.I don't recommend this for some individuals...if you experience some of the comments I am reading...STOP TAKING IT!! | F | 52 | 7 weeks | 12/7/2009 | 5 | Insomnia | I was talking to my boyfriend and told him that I saw people walking through walls, I don't remember any of the converstaion. Other than that, I've been able to go to sleep and stay asleep for 8 hours and feel better in the morning than I use to. | F | 19 | 2 weeks | 12/4/2009 | 1 | for sleep | I hadn't taken ambien for months. I needed some sleep and decided to take one. 9 hours after taking it, I got up, showered and got ready for work. I remember driving the first 9 miles. After that I remember nothing. I drove another 15 miles, apparently darting all over the road with people calling the police reporting a drunk driver. I ended up crashing into and tearing down 11 guardrails (which kept me from going over a steep embankment) on the opposite of the road, totalling my SUV. I am incredibly grateful that I did not hurt or kill someone else and I was not hurt either. I was in and out of sleep the entire day after the accident going from lucidness to acting like I was drunk. I remember very little of the events. It is very terrifying to think of what could have happened. | This drug should be taken off the market before someone is killed as a direct result of someone having taken it. DO NOT TAKE AMBIEN. Write your congressmen. | F | 62 | | 12/4/2009 | 1 | On and off for 1 year | amnesia, stumbling, hallucinations | The Devil's Drug and possibly a portal to hell. I have had chronic insomnia for years and started taking Ambien with great success at first. I would fall asleep right away and wake up rested. I guess my body built up a tolerance and I wrote emails, talked to people on the phone (losing several important relationships and getting fired from my job because of the irrational behavior I didn't remember). I became addicted. After putting my marriage in danger 3 days ago (I won't go into why, but it was an "Ambien Incident"), my husband and I stood together and flushed them down the toilet. Never again. Never. I have had high anxiety and hardly slept in the past several nights, but I don't care. I'll live through that and get over it - I would not get over losing all the good in my life. I am determined to get my life back. I'm glad it works for some, but please know it is dispensed like candy and with little warning of danger. It almost ruined my life - don't let it ruin yours. Seek alternatives! God bless. | F | 46 | 1 years | 12/4/2009 | 3 | Insomnia due to anxiety | some tiredness durrig the day. | I have had insomnia for years. It comes and goes due to what stresses I have going on in my life. Most recently its really taken a toll on me, my family and my work. Sleeping for only 2-3 hrs each night, and that was broken sleep. Waking several times wide eyed and alert but completely exhausted. I crashed at work one day and just lost it. Had a full blown anxiety attack brought on by stress and lack of sleep. My dr prescribed me Ambien and he told me some of the side effects but didn't go into detail. I will be talking to my kids to alert them to the possibility of some of the things I have read on here. I took my first dose, 10mg, last night and for the first time in months I actually got some sleep.... 7 hours! I did wake up once to use the bathroom and then went right back to sleep. I do feel a bit tired right now, but not like before. As for now I am just happy to finally have something to help me sleep. I have rated this drug a 3 because I have only taken it for one night so far, if anything strange happens, or if my rating changes I will update my post. | F | 34 | 1 days | 12/3/2009 | 1 | chronic insomnia | first I must admit that I'm probably the biggest hypocrite to ever comment on this site. the first time I entered this site was a couple years ago. I was doing s little homework on my new script, so when I read some of the posts I actually laughed and had my wife read some of them. it's ironic how things can change in only a couple years. | last month I almost killed my wife and the absolute most terrifying part is that I don't remember one second of it. I don't know if I was dreaming or hallucinating. I just don't know what happened but I know what she told me. you may be reading this and laughing at me. well I understand that as well as anyone but like so many others on this site, I'm here to warn you. it may only be 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 1000 but what people lose site of is this; that 1 is just like the rest of us. you reading this right now, you could be that one. if you've already started then stop and if your thinking about it then don't. I will continue to read this periodically but if you read this and then something bad happens later, please come back and try to make others aware. my posting this may have just convinced you not to take it. and you may have been that one. good luck and god bless | M | 34 | 18 months | 12/2/2009 | 1 | insmnia | I had been taking Ambien for about 2 months. I have Fibro Myalgia, and sleeplessness comes with the disease. Taking 10mg every night, my family had told me several times that I had done/said random things. The worst has to have been sleep driving and the events that happened after I wrecked the car.Luckily I did not total my van, only minor damage. I do remember getting out of the van but from that point on it is a blur. | I remember being in a dream, trying to get to someplace very important. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not get there, each step I took, I would fall. I remember hitting my face on the floor, which I later learned was actually the railroad tracks. From then, I have no recollection of anything until around 5:30 when I awoke in the ER with my husband and mother by my side, and in terrible pain. Evidently, when I had gotten out of the van I took a long walk on the tracks. The falling that I thought was a dream was not. Based on my body temp when a local Sheriff responded to the call I had been out there for over four hours 3-7am. Covered in blood from may falls, and a busted nose, my husband was the first to arrive on the scene. He said the only audible words I said "where the f%#k am I?" the rest was gibberish. My body temp was down to 92 degrees, hypothermia sets in at 94.I was not aware of any of this! I still cannot recall what had happened, but was out cold in the hospital until after 5 pm that day. After coming to, I was very disoriented and in a great deal of pain. No broken bones thank goodness, plenty of bruises!but enough to make sure that I will never take any more! I was later told that I had fallen asleep on the train tracks. The officer who found me could see a train coming, and had to literally drag me off the tracks before it made it to me. Each time I hear the whistle I cringe, thinking that could have been the train that would have killed me. | F | 34 | 2 months | 12/1/2009 | 4 | insomnia/ptsd | shortly after i take it i get the drunk feeling, but im not always tired. usually remember very little and very lovey and express my feelings, which is quite odd for me. | i started taking ambien while in afghanistan becaues i was staying up for days in a combat zone without sleep. bad nightmares after death of friends, and major irrability. i have always had sleep problems though the docs there would only give me 10 at a time so i used the sparingly, once i got back home my doctor prescribed 4 months worth to me. i have had sex on ambien and do remember it, my wife says i go a little too long for her....haha. i dont take it if i know im not going to get at least 6 hours of sleep, but on those nights i notice that i dont sleep well and my nightmares return. wife often asks me the next day if i remember doing this or saying that and its usually no. i would say its helped a lot but i think there will be some withdrawl when my prescription runs out. drinking 1 beer with this drug increases its effect 10 fold!! tread carefully when taking this drug. | M | 30 | 10 months | 11/30/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | I became hyper-aggressive sexually. Shortly after taking it, I would start touching my wife's body. We have a great sex life, so normally that wouldn't be a problem. But this was different, this was, as my wife put it, "not me". She said that it was like I was asleep with my eyes open. The last time it happened she told me to stop but I continued. I woke up the next morning to find a note explaining what had happened and that she had went to her mom's to stay. It took me almost three weeks to completly stop taking it and another month to finally sleep through the night without it. | Before these things started to happen, I had experienced a few other strange effects but they weren't anything like this. Once I took the dog out and a few times I got up and ate, without being able to recall either but this was much different. To see my wife of six years in tears, telling me that it was me but it "wasn't me" scared me beyond words. If you are reading this and considering taking this medication, I would say to do your research. I have read page after page on this site, some bad and some good but the bad can be very bad. And the possibility of doing something that could effect you for the rest of your life, I honestly believe is not worth the risk. Scott | M | 29 | 3 years | 11/30/2009 | 1 | loss of sleep function senior citiz | After several months,depression and fear and dependency | Good for one or two days,maximum as with Oxycondon this drug should be rated triple CCC ,terrible when addicted. The idea that it works fast and you do sleep is cool but the consequences of fear that this drug will cause in long term usage is beyond belief and takes about 3-4 nights to get over then NEVER GO BACK ON THIS DRUG again,YOU ARE FOREWARNED! | M | 68 | 6 months | 11/29/2009 | 4 | insomnia | hallucinations, increased appetite, insane amount of sexual stimulation | LOVE IT...ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKEN 15+ MG DURING THE DAY...with a little coffee and maybe 1 mg or 2 of alprazolam | M | 19 | 6 months | 11/27/2009 | 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 |