Drug Ratings for AMBIENAverage Rating: 3.2 (1308 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Age from oldest to youngest 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 | | | | |||
| 5 | anxiety induced insomnia | All of the sensational ones: sleep baking, sleep sex, sleep shopping. BUT THEN I did the RESPONSIBLE thing and only took it once I was in bed and after notifying my ENTIRE family (yes., kids, too) so I was safe from doing anything odd or dangerous. | It is a GODSEND. Fully rested in the am and feel like a new person. I am convinced it has kept me from sliding into a full depression. It works on 3 levels for me: 1. My body gets rest so I can 'fight' for another day. 2. My brain heals. 3. I can endure a difficult day knowing I can take the pill and go to sleep. I consider it a miracle cure for preventing a full blown depression. Wish I had it available to me years ago...could have changed my life. | F | 40 | 90 days | 5/10/2007 | 5 | FMS/CMP, Insomnia | absolutely none, just sleep! | Until my hysterectomy, I never knew this drug existed. My gyn gave this to me for one month after, then dx'd with FMS/CMP, it was decided that I would be on it for long term therapy. It has saved my life. 10mg nightly. It gives you sleep, and when you have been up each night of your life while others do that sleep thing..it is a relief. Ambien is a safe medication for chronic insomnia, especially when other afflictions are involved. The key is a doc who is not paranoid about it!! | F | 40 | 1 days | 2/5/2005 | 5 | Insomnia | Occasional hallucinations | I get a very rested sleep with no hangover! | F | 40 | 5 years | 8/13/2008 | 5 | insomnia due to pain | they don't last for a full night sleep but I usually get 5 hours. | F | 40 | 2 years | 3/16/2009 | 4 | Insomnia, nightmares, back/leg pain | Took Ambien 10mg for 4 years. Took Ambien CR 10mg for 6 months. I always dedicated 8 hrs to sleep, and NEVER drank alcohol. The ambien worked fabulous for sleep. Could sleep through the pain and the nightmares took on a less frightening quality. Negative side affects;definitely amnesia, exhausted during the day, mood swings, trouble concentrating. Doing things I would never do while not taking this med. Emailing, writing messages, phone calls that I don't remember making. This is after I would wake up after falling asleep. Complete inhibition. Sex with my husband that I do not remember. Raunchy sex that made my husband happy, but really started making my self esteem suffer. I felt too drugged to argue. I wish I were joking as I think back to all the things that happened when I took this medication. When switching to the CR, thinking perhaps the increased dose would help me stay asleep, therefore not wake up and do all this stuff (which didn't happen...woke up anyway), aft | I always took Ambien as directed, and didn't drink. I think as an occasional help to sleep, this would be ok, but not chronic like I took it as prescribed by my pain management doctor. I have now quit taking all Ambien as of 2 weeks ago, and the withdrawal was agony. Horrid night sweats, day chills, hallucinating, night terrors (thought my kids and cat were dead one night), anxiety through the roof. Now into the 2nd week of detoxing, starting to feel better, and my hair is starting to show signs of regrowth after taking mass vitamin supplements and scalp massage. I've also since, gotten a divorce. Sometimes it takes an odd situation to show the worst in a person, and my husband knew the Ambien was making me a different person, and he verbally and admittedly took advantage of that. Scary, scary medication! | F | 40 | 4 years | 7/9/2008 | 4 | insomnia from back/neck pain | Learned quickly to disable all methods of communication prior to taking it. Turn off the phone, hide the car keys, turn off the computer, lock the doors and put away my money and GO TO BED. I woke up in front of the TV one morning in my t-shirt and panties surrounded by Wal-Mart bags, my purse open and $300 gone. Did I just shop nearly nude? No. I had given my son money and a Christms list with no memory of having done this. I have had lengthy telephone conversations with no ideo what was said (probably loving-love everybody on this stuff). I have obligated myself to events I can't physically fulfill due to my chronic pain condition, but I felt good at the time I was called upon because I had just taken my ambien. I clean my house around 3 a.m. as it relieves my pain, but pain is much worse the next day. I just bought a bunch of dresses on E-Bay that aren't my size. TAKE THIS MED AND GO TO BED or better yet GO TO BED AND TAKE THIS MED. | The round lavendar pills worked really well for me, but then began to cause increased pain. There was another one that was a skinny white oblong pill that made me ill-very ill. I just tried the brand that has the 54-553 imprint on a round whtie pill and I am feeling nothing-no drowsiness & no crazy feeling.... well except feeling like I wasted my money and will be up all night. Don't take this during the daytime and don't drink with it either. Be responsible. I wish the CR wasn't so expensive because it worked better for sleep, but the kick of la la land leading to sleep wasn't there with the CR. Ambien does spice up the love life for women. | F | 40 | 3 years | 9/5/2008 | 4 | insomnia | Mild side effects like lightheadness, lethargic the next morning, some confusion and sillyness. | Only had a bad reaction once; my wife found me wandering around the backyard at 2am, nude, eating oatmeal cookies. I know, it makes no sense to me either. Had no idea how or why i was out there. | M | 40 | 3 months | 7/9/2007 | 4 | insomnia | Blurred vision, slurred speach, groggy the following day, mild lightheadedness the following day. Memory loss. Have noticed bruises and cuts the following day. My wife says i walk into furniture without flinching. | The first 2 nights i was asleep within 20 minutes with some just some slurred speach and a little loopiness. The third night i was found wandering in the backyard, nude, eating oatmeal cookies. Take it maybe once or twice every other week. I will wake up in another room wearing different clothing than what i fell alseep in, or wearing nothing at all. It does work, but, it messes me up somewhat. Woke one morning in the backseat of my car. Lucky i can never find my keys. | M | 40 | | 6/30/2007 | 4 | sleep aid | memory loss after the first ten to fifteen minutes... and significant withrawal pains a few days to a week later. a gut wrenching twist i would not wish on anyone. | agree with those that say to use caution. do not use alcohol while taking this drug! and go to bed immediately after taking it or you won't know what you did or said... hiding the phone is a really good idea too. | M | 40 | 3 days | 12/29/2004 | 4 | Insomnia | Initially slight motor control problems. With continued use, commiting acts or saying things and having the memory of such erased. I have had conversations, made phone calls, changed passwords to financial accounts and have no memory of any kind of these events. I have also purchased things online and until the strange packages would arrive, I had no idea anything was coming. I also have mild halucinations when on my computer. The windows move around and the words change size and grow and move. Being an inteligent and educated person I simply stop and turn off the computer knowing fully well it was the drug. | I have spoken with other Ambien users who also have similar symptoms. One person is having some marital issues and when on Ambien he tells his spouse things she is not supposed to know. He has even told her things that in fact NEVER really happened. Another goes online and gambles and buys things and has NO memory of this at all. | M | 40 | 3 months | 4/23/2007 | 4 | sleep disorder, sleep apnea | (Using Ambien CR) no side effects to speak of. | only getting about 5 hrs sleep a night with it. Effectiveness seems to wear off with continued use. | M | 40 | 3 months | 10/29/2006 | 4 | rare insomnia, back to sleep aid | sometimes a little foggy in the morning. Maybe one second of weakness in my arm. Much more likely to cry the next day. Increased sexual interest the next day. Existential musings. Well rested. | I've taken a totaly of about 30 ambien tablets over the last year (not ambien CR). Never two nights in a row. Usually I'll split them in half. Recently, my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night - it took me a little longer to respond, but I recall the incident & was coherent. I always take it as I'm getting into bed. My doctor gave me no warnings about this drug, though. I will think carefully before taking any more. I wonder what is worse, driving the morning after taking ambien, or driving on 3 hours sleep. | F | 40 | 30 days | 1/10/2007 | 4 | Insomnia | Side effects for me have been very minor. The only real problmes are lack of concentration or memory loss. Get up walk across the room and forget why, kinda memory loss. Constantly. The other, if after taking it my wife wants to get romantic, right in the middle of it all, it's like some one injected me with saltpeter. Doesn't matter how long it's been or how excited I am, Stick a fork in me, I'm done. | I have found it to be hit or miss. I started on 5 mg but that didn't do much, so now I'm on 10 mg. About 2 years now. Some times I take it, it's like "Insta Drunk" 15 minutes later. Time to stagger down the hall and go to bed. Other times, I have no effects at all and get up to take another one an hour or so later. like now, it's 4:00 a.m. | M | 40 | 2 years | 1/29/2006 | 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 | 4 | sleep disorder | I would give it a 5 if it wasn't for the hallucination like things I experienced a few times. Else than that I had no side effects at all, but if I took them for several nights on a row, I got rebound nightmares one night after stopping the med. These days I get much worse "side effects" and cannot take it, I start feeling feverish and bad. I didn't feel that at all the first 7 years I took it now and then, so I think I developed an allergy. | Ambien is the best sleep med I've tried and I tried almost all of them. Nothing is as good when it comes to put me to sleep, and in a nice way. However, the med is activating, so sometimes (I have depression too), it lifted my depression and then I didn't want to sleep. The really bad things don't happen to MOST people, however is is quite common to have some episodes of experience altered states or hallucination like things. It can be a great med, but of course when you start taking it, it doesn't hurt to be on some kind of watch. Doctors should always inform about this so you can make arrangements so you cannot leave the house "asleep". | F | 40 | 7 years 5-10 mg 1X AN | 5/29/2010 | 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 | 3 | dr.orders | not sleeping | M | 40 | 75 days | 6/3/2007 | 3 | Insomnia | Binge eating, sleep walking, truth serum like effect (confessed what all the Christmas gifts were to my daughter)...its a hypnotic, someone can ask you anything and you have no power to resist telling all. It does help you sleep though, I've been most successful w/ambien when I take it WHILE IN BED, lights out, tv off - no distractions whatsoever...then its off to la la land, otherwise - watch out. | Woo hoo, what a ride. I see Ambien fairies all the time on this stuff...and I do the midnight binge pretty regularly - good Lord I can consume food on this. I've also redecorated the living room, walked the dog, called people and professed undying love...all without any recollection of it. Please please have a family member hide the car keys - you will appear normal and lucid to them when you want to do a 1 am Taco Bell run. | F | 40 | 1 years | 6/22/2007 | 3 | yes | hallucinations | F | 40 | 8 months | 2/18/2008 | 3 | Sleep aid | Tiredness the next day | Ambien works very well as a sleep aid, however, I felt tired the next day. I would probably take it again, but I don't like being tired during the day..it defeats the whole point of using a sleep aid to get a good night's sleep. | M | 40 | 60 days | 1/27/2008 | 3 | sleeping | lack of focus after taking for three years. Memory loss and have to take increased dosage or mix with zanex to work. | F | 40 | 3 years | 1/26/2008 | 2 | insomnia/migraine headaches | immediately after taking it: amnesia, very drugged feeling, loss of inhibitions; next day: intense feelings of violent anger, extreme daytime fatigue; slide into depression; feeling of being addicted to it | My neurologist prescribed Ambien without a second thought and completely dismissed my questions about side effects and addiction possibilities. I believe this drug is a ticking time bomb and major lawsuits will begin, after which it will get pulled from the market. It is extremely powerful, and occurrence side effects on container do not appear to be anywhere near true occurrence, based on anecdotal and personal evidence. | F | 40 | 3 months | 5/5/2006 | 1 | Insomnia | Girlfriend would get up, drive to McDonalds, buy food, drive home and eat it, then go to bed. The next day, she had no memory at all of doing any of it. Got in a one-car accident that totaled the car one night driving home from one of these McDonalds-on-Ambien runs. The next day, she thought her car had been stolen. It turns out the cops came, towed away the car and drove her home with her McDonalds food. She woke finding the inexplicable food and no car. She had no memory whatsoever of the accident or even getting out of bed. The cop told her later that she seemed coherent, but "tired." For this drug to actually be sold, the "fix" must be in at the FDA. | M | 40 | 30 days | 5/5/2006 | 1 | Insomnia | VERY DANGEROUS DRUG WHEN TAKEN LONGER THAN 7-10 DAYS!!!! SHOULD BE PULLED FROM THE MARKET. ALTHOUGH NOT CLASSIFIED AS SUCH, IT WORKS JUST LIKE A "BENZO" DRUG (VALIUM, KLONOPIN,ETC.) AND IS VERY ADDICTIVE!!!! | I used this drug off and on for 2 years. When I finally stopped cold-turkey using Ambien I could barely sleep at all for over 2 months. I had other horrible withdrawl symptoms which among them were: the shakes, moaning, horrible anxiety, depression and constant ear-ringing. I could barely leave my house for several months. While I took the drug I was a whole different person-very mean and angry. Sonata and Lunesta work in a similar way. Please think twice before using Ambien. There are many natural alternatives to prescription sleep meds. (Although they won't work well until Ambien is totally out of your system which can take MANY months). Hospital emergency rooms see many Ambien-addicted people. It is being sold as a street drug and people are crushing and snorting it. The only positive thing I can say about Ambien is that it must have done something to rev up my metabolism because I lost and kept off 20 pounds easily when using it. | F | 40 | 2 years | 12/6/2005 | 1 | insomnia | Anxiety, paranoia, extreme mood swings | I took this drug 5 years ago when I was having trouble sleeping with infants in house. Couldn't figure out why I couldn't handle everyday life events anymore. I was finally sleeping, right?. Finally read about it on here. I had turned from a normal, tired new father into a complete psychopath. It was Ambien. I flushed 45 pills! Felt like a new person in days. Stay far away form this stuff. It made me nuts | M | 40 | 45 days 10 MG 1X D | 5/4/2012 | 1 | trouble sleeping | I felt severely suicidal, contemplating how to do it and started binge eating and I hardly eat that much ever, both are listed side effects. | I would never recommend this to anyone. | F | 40 | 2 days 6.25mg 1X D | 4/21/2010 | 1 | Overseas trip | I asked my doctor if he could prescribe a sleeping pill to me because I was taking a trip to Asia (16hr flight). On previous trips I took over the counter products that made me feel very drowsy when I awoke. I used Ambien on the trip with no apparent side effects and when I returned had a few pills left over. I took one about two weeks ago and had some very disturbing happenings. I apparently got up in the night and made a sandwich and drank a beer. In addition I logged on to my facebook account updated my status and also posted messages on my friends pages. I had no recollection of this the next day and I had no idea what happened. When I got up I thought someone may have broken into my apartment. I was running late so I hurried into work. It was then that I found out about my facebook messages. I thought surely someone hacked into my facebook account as well. I was not convinced that I even did those things until I started reading some of these postings. Thanks goodness that I st | M | 40 | 8 times 1X AN | 3/23/2010 | 1 | Needed to sleep with sciatica | EXTREME heart palpitations with low heart rate, high blood pressure and constant nervousness. | Took a while to realize the Ambien was the culprit. I was near the end of my 30-day prescription and asked the pharmacist if slow heart rate/palpitations were common. She said she had heard of people being very sensitive to Ambien because it "slows" your central nervous system. After 4 or 5 days off the drug, I gradually became myself again. Coming up on two weeks and I feel great. | M | 40 | 30 days | 2/21/2008 | 1 | Insomnia | Black outs, dizziness, muscle pain, muscle twitching, memory loss, brain zaps. | It worked great at first, but then after two months of taking, started blacking out and woke up with muscle pains that weren't there when i went to bed night before. I am weaning off now and feel twitching all over my body and can't get to sleep. Very scary med. | F | 40 | 2 months | 9/17/2008 | 1 | Insomnia | I did not have any negative side effects with Ambien until I stopped (on the advice of my doctor) taking it. Supposedly one is not supposed to have withdrawal with Ambien, but I did. I was a wreck. I had horrible rebound insomnia. I could not go to work by the end of the week. I was hallucinating. I was sweating and shaking. I am glad this medicine is out of my system now. I will never, ever, take it again. | This drug did help me fall asleep initially, but the effect wore off fast. It was SO hard to get off of that I would not recommend it to anyone, period. Ambien is the devil!!! | F | 40 | 6 months | 3/15/2007 | 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 | 5 | terrible insomnia | I had no memory of anything I did after taking it. I called friends, had sex with my husband, etc and had NO recollection of any of it! I sleep like a baby when I take it though and so now I take it and go straight to bed. | I do think it could be dangerous. Like a date rape drug. My husband says I'll do pretty much anything after taking it and don't remember anything the next day. Scary. | F | 39 | 15 times | 5/16/2005 | 5 | Fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, | Ambien works great if you take it as prescribed. Yes you need to take it and go right to bed it is fast acting and if you stay awake you can get hurt it is a halucinagic. I went through a bad time and I would take 4 10mg to start off with then by the next day all 60 would be gone. I would do the weirdest and scariest things, cooking and forgetting the food was burning on the stove, burning holes all in my bed, P.J.'s, and skin. I would imagine crazy things, talk crazy, fight with my Dad and actually clawed him with my nails. My parents said I acted like a drunk in a black-out. After I would take me 2 to 4 and stay awake I would spend the whole day or night being insane and would continue taking the pills till they were all gone. I have even gotten in my car and drove it a couple of times and caused a wreck. I got to like the feeling of not feeling anything that I spent all my money and used all my credit cards to buy the Ambien. I even forged prescriptions and was arrested and was put on probation. It is not a medication to play around with and it is not fun to sit and have a imaginary friend, see things move or in double vision. The high you get might be like WOW at first but in that state you have no idea what you are going to do, like take the whole bottle, burn down the house or get in your car and kill yourself or someone else. So please take it right at the moment you are going to bed, it has worked as fast as 5 minutes so just put your drink by your bed, your 1 or 2 pills and take them right before you turn off your light. If taken right and you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep you will wake up refreshed with no hangover. Also you don't have withdrawls like you would from Valium. Ambien is short acting, it does not stay in your system long, in fact it was originally made for elderly people and was found to be a wonderful sleeping pill. So you don't get any physical withdrawls the only effect you will have to endure is not being able to sleep. The Ambien has been what is making your brain think go to sleep. but without it your brain will have to adjust and it will take time for your natural chemisty to go back to normal. If you have been on it for a long time and you want off or your doctor wants you off of it ask if you can be tapered down so it is not such a shock to your brain. I am sorry I screwed up so bad and abused it, I do hope that my story will keep people from trying to stay awake on it and see what the high is like. The high is not worth it when you wake up in a cell and have no idea where you are and thought you were home in bed. | Ambien is a wonderful sleep medication for people who suffer from insomnia. It is even great for someone who has stress in their life and every once in awhile they need something to let them relax, sleep and wake up ready for a new day. I no longer abuse Ambien it has been many many years since I did that. I do take Ambien every night, I have had many surgeries and I deal with severe pain on a daily basis so Ambien lets my body and my mind relax, sleep, dream and not have to worry or feel pain. It is the best sleeping medication on the market and it can be used long term if you take it right. Doctors are told that you can only take it for about a week and not long term, but I have been taking 20mg everyday for 9 years now and a lot of the women in my chronic pain group also take Ambien everyday and are doing wonderfully on it. I just wish the doctors could see how much it does for our lives and not make it so hard to get. Anyway good luck to all of you, sweet dreams, and please don't make the same mistakes I made. HUGS to all my insomniacs!! | F | 39 | 9 years | 4/21/2005 | 5 | Choppy sleep irregular sleep | While on Ambien, I sleep like a sack of hammers. If I get at least 6 hours of sleep (unusual for me prior to Ambien) I have no problems getting up or functioning the following day. I feel GREAT and well-rested. It's been a very good experience. NO side effects while ON Ambien. | Go to bed IMMEDIATELY after taking Ambien. It is a MUST. You are incapacitated within 25 minutes. TRUST ME. When I am OFF Ambien, for the first few days, I have WILD | M | 39 | 90 days | 3/24/2005 | 5 | messed up sleep patterns | None while ON the drug. | When I am OFF Ambien, for the first few days, I have WILD | M | 39 | 90 days | 3/24/2005 | 5 | Chronic Insomnia | Pleasant strange euphoria within 45 minutes of taking Ambien CR. Happy, goofy feeling while waiting to fall asleep. Also an incredible increase in libido and a mellow sexual "wildness" with my girlfriend, which she does not appreciate because #1 She knows its from the Ambien CR, and #2 I fall asleep immediately following our time together. | I find Ambien CR to be an absolutely wonderful medication. I do not use any type of drugs or alcohol whatsoever, but I have suffered from chronic insomnia and mild depression for over 20 years. My line of work requires that I wake at 3 am, therefore I need to go to bed around 6:30 pm on weekdays. | M | 39 | 8 months | 8/15/2007 | 5 | Insomnia | Having conversations with my husband that I have no memory of...but otherwise, this medicine has been a blessing as I have had life long insomnia. I take it only as prescribed and I do not leave my bed after taking it. | F | 39 | 3 years 10 MG | 6/13/2012 | 5 | Trouble falling asleep | Memory Loss. Scarily vivid, unusual dreams. Dizzy if not laying down. | The first few nights were freaky. Woke, after crazy dreams, to find things written in my handwriting that I didn't remember writing (was that guy in Momento on Ambien?). Was sure that someone was moving my bookmark forward because I couldn't remeber reading chapters (actaully though the maid in the hotel I was staying at might be messing with me). 10mg completely knocks me out consistantly. Never thought such a small bit of anything could have such an effect on a person. | M | 39 | 10 days | 9/8/2006 | 5 | Insomnia | I am a teacher and I noticed that when I take Ambien I yell at my students the next day. I get mad at little things. I have been taking it for over a year, and I noticed one day when I did not take it things were calmer in my classroom. I stopped taking it and have noticed I am much calmer around my 7th graders. | I totally experienced the calls and emails to other people, who later told me I sounded drunk. Never thought I would Ambien dial. I also talked irrationally on a transcontential flight after taking it- so beware. | F | 39 | 1 years | 11/6/2006 | 5 | Not able to shut off brain to sleep | I did have some weird side effects, (goofyness and short term memory loss) but mostly when I stayed up to long after taking it. I had one bad experience with total amnesia; I drove my car one night (no memory of taking a drive), wrecked my vehicle, and had no memory of it the next morning, and wasnt sure how my front end got damaged. So now I take it after im in bed and hubby doesnt leave me alone. Side effects where lessoned by taking with bread I found. | I think Ambien is a god send. I never really new what a deep and sound sleep was until I was given Ambien. Now I seem to need it because 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night just doesnt cut it like before it took it. I take only when I didnt sleep the night before and am feeling the signs of sleep deprivation. I get 10 (5mgs) a month if needed and usually one months will last for quite a while. Love to be able to sleep!! (tried Lunesta and couldnt deal with the horrible taste...) | F | 39 | 3 months | 3/20/2006 | 5 | insomnia | had night time "friends" I talked to.... Hallucinations and sense well being. | would recommend to anyone in for a good experience while getting to sleep! | F | 39 | 2 months | 12/3/2006 | 4 | insomnia | memory loss, very vivid dreams, drug hangover in the morning. One of the strangest side effects (some may consider this a good thing) is a MAJOR increase in libido. | I'm not a huge fan of this med. I've taken this med "as needed" for years. It really works- good sleep aid. You definitely need to time it right or you'll be sluggish and sleepy the next day. It also causes forgetfulness the next day. It also raises libido- but you can't remember anything about it in the morning. Although this med isn't addictive--I could see how someone might become dependent on it for sleeping. | F | 39 | 4 years | 3/7/2007 | 4 | Insomnia | None | It is sad that such an informative web site is turning into a spam chat room with nonsense. Like some other intelligent people have said, take as directed, if you do not need it, don't take it. It seems like people feel like they HAVE to take a pill every night. If you don't, then don't. I have used it for many years, insomnia, chronic pain issues, etc. Some of us would like to know what other people are experiencing, not reading nonsense from people who sit at the computer and find web sites to infiltrate for this twisted pleasure. My experience with ambien is a good one, it does what it is supposed to do provided it is used correctly. If used correctly, you will sleep-enough said | M | 39 | 7 years | 12/13/2005 | 4 | Chronic Insomnia | After taking Ambien for about a week and a half, I happened to make an offhand comment to a physician friend of mine (not the prescribing physician) about worrying about dependency. My Dr. had prescribed one tablet each night - my friend suggested taking it maybe three times a week. I decided to take the weekend "off" and experienced the worst withdrawal symptoms - anxiety that I was having a heart attack - heart palpitations and sleep paralysis (I felt like I was being alien abducted and was conscious the whole time!) After the weekend, I decided I'd rather be addicted than to go through those feelings (LOL) so I took another tablet. I have now changed my doseage schedule to have a couple of days off in between - The rebound insomnia has gotten better, and I no longer have the initial withdrawal symptoms. I sleep like a champ when I take it - will still wake if there are noises, etc & wake up refreshed. The days I don't take it, I am waking up in the middle of the | I think that with any medication, you will have people that will react adversely to it. You don't know how you will react until you take it - for many, Ambien works fine and there are no issues. Obviously for the ones that are sleepwalking, etc. this is not the medication for them! There is no way to tell (that I'm aware of) what reaction you may have... | F | 39 | 30 days 10 1X D | 3/25/2010 | 4 | Insomnia | It's hard to get up and out of bed the next morning. I'm kind of sleepy all day (low energy). Sometimes leads to migraine headaches. | Works great for helping me fall asleep and stay asleep. I try not to take it during the week... it just makes me so "slow" the next day. I really need to be able to sleep a good 10 hours after taking an Ambien. 8 hours is NOT enough. | F | 39 | 1 years 10MG 1X D | 4/14/2010 | 4 | Insomnia during pregnancy | The only thing I noticed when I take Ambien is that I dream more. | Other than that, it has been a big help. I started suffering from insomnia during my 8th month of pregnancy last year so bad that I thought I was going insane. My OB/GYN prescribed it to me. I was hesitant since I was pregnant but she said the baby would be fine. I was finally able to get a good night's sleep. After I gave birth to my son, the insomnia was still there but I had already stopped taking them a week before I delivered. Four days after I had him, I was still awake no matter what time I went to bed. My doctor advised me to take Ambien again even though I was breastfeeding, it wouldn't affect the baby. Well, after being awake for four days, I was at ease. I am now taking Ambien again because within the past week I have been having bouts of insomnia again. Thank goodness it works and I can rest. | F | 39 | 1 years 10mg 1X D | 7/3/2010 | 4 | Insomnia | None.. but it's kind of expensive for me | I am taking Ambien CR. It took about three nights for it to start working for me. I can sleep about 5-6 hours before waking up. I guess some sleep is better than no sleep. I prefer Seroquel but it makes me terriby groggy the next day. I can only take it when I don't have to get up early. Has anybody had any better luck with some other type of sleep med? All suggestions will be greatly appreciated! :) | F | 39 | 1 months | 5/25/2007 | 4 | sleeplessess due to recoverying fro | slept beautifilly on 20mg p/n | short term memory loss | F | 39 | 30 days | 2/26/2005 | 4 | sleeplessness | amnesia at first, then a need to increase the dose. Seems addictive, but it does make you sleep. | F | 39 | 1.5 years | 1/13/2005 | 4 | severe insomnia | Memory loss, stumbling drunkenness, forgetting entire conversations, having sex w/ my husband having no memoery at all of this, food cravings, bidding on ebay auctions and not remembering, sending emails... | Works terrific for me for sleep. Have been taking 10mg this for 3 years now every day (my dr. did not express concern about addiction but I am just not seeing the reports and getting worried). Rebound insomnia if not taken. Certain times of month during hormonal changes it does not work as effectively. | F | 39 | 3 years | 4/24/2008 | 4 | Insomnia | Can't always fall asleep; Don't always stay asleep. | I am very frustrated with people who are complaining about side-effects of a medication in shock, when those same side-effects are described in the materials given to you with the medication. And as for the medication being addictive, any substance can be addictive if you allow it to be. If this were physically addictive many more of us would have problems, yes, it is very addictive to be able to sleep. You have a psychological addiction to deal with. But that is like saying chocolate is addictive. Stop condemning the medication. And why are you taking sleep medication and continuing to do things like shop? (one poster says don't shop on this medication - no, really?) It's a sleep medication, all the sleep medication adverts say don't take them unless you can "devote eight hours to sleep." Come on, people. Don't get this taken away from those of us who are using it responsibly. | F | 39 | 2 months | 11/30/2007 | 3 | sleep deprivation | If I do not go to sleep right after taking it. Then I end up Alice in Wonderland. or Wanderland. I think about sex, but like crazy sex, and am willing to drive for it. I have also made phone calls to my-ex boyfriend, confessing my under the influence of Ambien, lust for him. My libido just skyrockets and I am ready for sex with the shower curtain if I have too. So I just try and go to sleep. I do not drink with this drug because, who knows what I would be doing then. It does make me want to eat whatever's around. My Cocktiel starts to look like KFC. Take then strap yourself to you bed. | Ambien generic works for sleep. I take Xanax sometimes. I actually prefer Xanax, but my doctors says that it will not work for me after awhile so I switch the Ambien. It's great for sex, except you can remember much-which is not good. I do not want to end up farm animals in my bed. | F | 39 | 1 months | 10/30/2007 | 3 | insomnia | I take it right at bedtime but always get up. I have gained 75 pounds over the last 4 years because of black-out binge eating. I have leg & severe foot pain. | The withdrawls are terrifying. I want to stop permanently but I always go back. I got a job as a phone sex operator while I was on CR. It was like I became a different person. | F | 39 | 4 years | 9/30/2007 | 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 | 3 | YEARS of insomnia | Nightmares! | F | 39 | 1 days 10 | 2/19/2013 | 3 | insomnia | Hallucinations, gorging, sleepwalking? | I was awakened by the Hubby at 315am- thought he was dreaming. Apparently he was experiencing a combo of several side effects that are reported here. He was hallucinating, carrying on conversations with multiple people, slurred speach, non-sensical, stumbling around, gorged on ice-cold pizza, half of a cake, sat and watched TV- making up plot lines! Went downstairs and took a shower "to go to church". This lasted for about 2.5 hours. He wanted to drive to the store- I took the keys and cell phone and hid them and stayed awake to make sure he didn't hurt himself. Finally he got mad and stated "I'm going back to bed like a NORMAL person!" after sleeping about 4 hours he was normal- didn't remember much- said he was in a twilight sleep!! | M | 39 | 6 months | 3/12/2007 | 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 | 2 | sleep | sad days afterwards | F | 39 | 12 days | 9/26/2008 | 2 | Insomnia | loss of concentration, memory problems the day after taking it. | F | 39 | 14 days | 8/25/2008 | 1 | to help me fall asleep | It worked well for about a month, then two nights in a row, I had HORRIBLE panic attacks right after taking it that made me want to claw my skin off. Very scary! | F | 39 | 30 days | 4/25/2007 |