Drug Ratings for AMBIENAverage Rating: 3.2 (1312 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (no age reported listed before females) 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 | Amnesia | It helped me sleep, when I actually got into bed. Even if I took it and went straight to bed, I would get up and cook or do some other activity and have NO recollection of it. I am lucky my husband was home, because I also had lost any impulse control. I was worried that I would get in a car and drive, killing myself and others. Such a scary thought. | F | 36 | 2 months 10 MG 1X D | 5/3/2013 | 3 | Insomnia | I'm an insomniac. I've taken ambien a few times a month on and off for years. When I wake up I feel fine but I've done a lot of questionable things on it and stopped using it entirely now. I've gone on Internet shopping sprees, had sleepy sex and said really outrageous nonsensical things to my boyfriend, and raided the fridge on it before I've fallen asleep. I have no recollection until seeing the email receipt, empty fridge or hearing my boyfriends story. I can kind of laugh about these ambien episodes because I'm with a loved one- but I can see it being extremely dangerous for someone alone or amongst people that might take advantage of the state they are in. I've been taking a natural thing called VHP which seems to help me sleep without any of the crazy side effects. Definitely proceed with caution with ambien. | F | 34 | 1 days | 1/28/2013 | 3 | insomnia & chronic pain from Lupus | olfactory hallicuations (not sure if it the Ambien or something related to the Lupus), well maybe there are more things that I thought were from the Lupus. Groggy, headache, vision problems. I am jumpy during the day. Don't normally have that problem. And talk about the munchies. | Well, maybe the cone shaped Cherrib with the yellow curly hair on my ceiling had something to do with this drug. I can see this drug being used as a date rape drug. When I first started taking this drug I would sleep a whole night and wake up refreshed, now I am lucky if I get 4-5 hours of sleep before waking up and not being able to get back to sleep yet I am still feeling groggy throughout the day and can feel like I need a nap. I am having more mood swings and that isn't normally me and actually feel depressed. After reading what I have read in here, I think I am not going to take this for a few nights and see if some of my problems clear up. | F | 33 | 1 months | 10/23/2005 | 3 | I started taking Ambien while I was deployed in Iraq to help with my insomnia. At first it was great and I'm worried now that it keeps me in this sleepy sort of state throughtout the next day. I am withdrawn from everything and I always feel so tired. It is almost having this reverse sort of effect on me now... | F | 23 | 1 years | 11/26/2005 | 3 | insomnia | no side effects really | Ambien works, but doesn't keep me asleep. I wake up about 2 to 3 hours after taking it. Insurance will not cover Ambien CR | F | 50 | 6 years 10 1X D | 1/23/2012 | 3 | Insomnia | Decreased recall of early morning events | I don't believe it worked for me like it does for others. My problem was not that I had difficulty falling asleep, but rather in staying asleep. I went from 1-2 hours asleep per night to 3-4 hours with ambien. Although it increased the amount of hours I slept per night, it was still broken sleep and not a sufficient amount of hours to feel refreshed in the morning. I then attempted splitting the dosage to 5mg at bedtime and 5mg when I woke at night and most times I did not fall back to sleep with the middle of the night dose. Switching to Ambien CR did not make any difference either. I also noticed that my recall memory of events that took place about a 1/2 hour after waking were diminished. | F | 54 | 2 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 3/27/2011 | 3 | Insomnia | Drowsiness during the day. | I have difficulty falling asleep. Ambien has worked well for me for 12 years and I expect it would continue to do so. (Admittedly, there are times when a glass of wine helps.) But recently I stopped the drug for 6 weeks and, while I barely slept, I was much more alert during the day. When I resumed Ambien the drowsiness recurred. I've been complaining to my doctor for years about being tired all the time. Now I know why. I have signed up for a sleep study and in the meantime hope to find another sleep aid. Over-the-counter and herbal meds have never worked for me. | F | 58 | 12 years 5 mg 1X D | 9/19/2011 | 3 | trouble falling asleep | day time memory loss, triggers depression if I use it too often | It is helpful for sleep issues, but is somewhat addictive | F | 53 | 3 years 10 MG 1X D | 9/21/2011 | 3 | sleep | stopped working after 10 days. Dry eyes. No other side effects | F | 53 | 30 days | 11/19/2006 | 3 | TO SLEEP | Hallucinations - seeing things that aren't there. Memory loss - not remembering what I did at all. Having complete conversations with others that I don't remember at all and say things that are totally uncharteristic of myself. Slurred speech,slow reaction to things. | Ambien does what it's suppose to do(put you to sleep),but it also does things that are scary: blackouts, hallucinations etc. I have also had crazy dreams while taking this. I don't remember anything I do, but have others that tell me what I do. Don't take this unless your in the bed - otherwise you will end up outside talking to the trees like me. All jokes aside, do take care when taking this ....extra care if your a girl out with guys you don't know too well. | F | 30 | 1 years | 11/20/2006 | 3 | insomnia | ringing ears | F | 52 | 7 days | 11/8/2006 | 3 | Insomnia/Jet Lag | My most recent experience with the drug is that I had a very vivid hallucination of James Earl Jones tucking me into bed. He talked to me and told me that I was going to be OK. If I did not know better, I would swear that he was there. I take the drug pretty infrequently but seem to be having more and more strange side effects with each use. I like the drug but am afraid I am through after the Darth Vader experience. | F | 37 | 1 years | 9/12/2006 | 3 | insomnia | None when taken EXACTLY as prescribed. | Ambien is fantastic, but only taken exactly as prescribed, and not along with anything else. I recently started taking 100mg of Zoloft daily, and have found that the ambien has stopped working. (I still fall asleep quickly, but wake up about 2 hours later and do not get back to sleep). Very true that it works best on an empty stomach, also very true that you need to get in bed immediately after taking, if you don't want to do crazy things that you don't remember. Not so good with alcohol. Increases hangovers, dangerous, etc. | F | 27 | 9 months | 11/8/2006 | 3 | Insomnia | Initial dose was 10mg. Altered perception within 20 minutes of taking it. Would cook, eat, watch movies, read books, and have conversations I did not remember the next day. Only stays in my system about 4 hours so can't take it too early. Also takes about an hour or two to make me fall asleep, and have vivid dreams thereafter. Not nightmares or scary, just very lifelike. I dont find any of these side effects amusing or entertaining and currently only take it when I am at home with adult supervision. I increased my dose to 15mg and that knocks me out, which is what I am looking for. | If you are the kind of person that has difficulty shutting your brain off at night no matter how tired you are, I do not recommend Ambien. It is just not strong enough for the severe worrier/insomniac type. If it does put you out, it wont last long enough to do you much good. I only way a buck 20 so I dont think the high dosage needs are related to weight. The Dr.s will tell you that a half pill/5mg works as well as 10. I have obviously not found that to be the case. If you just have trouble falling asleep, but tend to stay asleep once you have fallen asleep, this drug will probably work great for you. This is a powerful drug with a lot of side effects and I only take the stuff on really bad nights. I have mostly switched to a different sleeping pill with far fewer side effects that keeps me asleep longer for the not-so-bad nights. For the record I am NOT on it right now :) | F | 36 | 1 years | 11/14/2006 | 3 | Insomnia | Initial dose was 10mg. Altered perception within 20 minutes of taking it. Would cook, eat, watch movies, read books, and have conversations I did not remember the next day. Only stays in my system about 4 hours so can't take it too early. Also takes about an hour or two to make me fall asleep, and have vivid dreams thereafter. Not nightmares or scary, just very lifelike. I dont find any of these side effects amusing or entertaining and currently only take it when I am at home with adult supervision. I increased my dose to 15mg and that knocks me out, which is what I am looking for. | If you are the kind of person that has difficulty shutting your brain off at night no matter how tired you are, I do not recommend Ambien. It is just not strong enough for the severe worrier/insomniac type. If it does put you out, it wont last long enough to do you much good. I only way a buck 20 so I dont think the high dosage needs are related to weight. The Dr.s will tell you that a half pill/5mg works as well as 10. I have obviously not found that to be the case. If you just have trouble falling asleep, but tend to stay asleep once you have fallen asleep, this drug will probably work great for you. This is a powerful drug with a lot of side effects and I only take the stuff on really bad nights. I have mostly switched to a different sleeping pill with far fewer side effects that keeps me asleep longer for the not-so-bad nights. For the record I am NOT on it right now :) | F | 36 | 1 years | 11/14/2006 | 3 | Sleep patterns were thrown off | I hallucinated, but fell alseep after | I took this drug when I was younger, and it made me hallucinate pretty strongly. My parents were suprised when I had a very similiar reaction to it, since I have grown so much since then. My father got very scared, and he stayed with me until i fell asleep. I don't really remember anything from within 15 minutes or taking ambien to when I fell asleep, but my dad said that I was reaching out with my hands and mumbling pretty incoherently. Hearing that, and not remembering anything, made me stop taking the medicine after 2 nights. Scary experience for me... | F | 19 | 2 days | 12/26/2005 | 3 | insomnia | Wild hallucinations!!!!!!! I have never slept so good, but will not take anymore Ambien because of the hallucinations and a new problem I experienced today. I live at the beach and have always been accustomed to riding my bike to the beach in the heat. Today, I experienced dizziness, weakness in my legs and trouble breathing. The only other time I have ever experienced these symptoms was 2 years ago when I took Wellbutrin. When I suspected Wellbutrin was the culprit and stopped taking it, all the symptoms disappeared within 2 weeks. I have been taking Ambien about 3 weeks and am willing to have insomnia to no longer have hallucinations and this weakness while riding my bike. Be careful with this drug. I have always been a very active person and am very leary of most prescription drugs. They can inhibit your ability to live. | F | 65 | 3 weeks | 5/21/2006 | 3 | INSOMIA | I HAVE INSOMIA BUT I DISCOVERED THAT IF YOU TAKE AMBIEN ON A EMPTY STOMACH AFTER 10 MINUTES IF YOU DO NOT GO TO BED . YOU WILL FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING IS MOVING YOU SEE PEOPLE MEMORY LOSS, NEED SEX WELL DO STRANGE THINGS LIKE THINGS YOU WANTED TO DO YOURE WHOLE LIFE BUT YOU DID NOT DARE TO DO. SO BEFORE YOU TAKE THE MED "AMBIEN" EAT 1 HOUR BEFORE AN DGO TO BED EVEN IF YOU DON`T FEEL SLEEPY. " DO NOT DRIVE" YOU CAN ALSO TAKE HELBAL TEAS BEFORE GOING TO BED IT HELPS ALOT. GOOD LUCK AMBIEN YOU ONLY BE TAKEN EVERY 4 DAYS | IS GOOD IF YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. DONT USED IT AS A HABBIT ONLY EVERY OTHER DAY YOU REALLY NEEDIT. DONT DEPEND ON IT | F | 23 | 1 years | 11/22/2005 | 3 | Insomnia | For the past month I have been taking ativan-anti-anxiety drug, then I started zoloft( got very sick from it, was out of work all week) now I am taking ambien( half a pill 5mg) and I can sort of sleep thru the night but feel nervous in the morning. | I have had such problems sleeping and thought that ativan would help but I found out that it can cause insomnia. I am tapering off of ativan( only half of the pill) and I am taking half an ambien(5mg) at night. I do wake up about every 4 hours. I am afraid to take a whole ambien because I am still on ativan. Has anyone every taken what I have taken with the ambien, please let me know.. | F | 31 | 3 days | 12/10/2005 | 3 | inability to sleep | Drowsiness, hallucinations, anxiety, grogginess, hangover. | It made me overly drowsy-- if I took it when I was not already laying in bed I would start hallucinating/dreaming while still awake. Don't take it unless you are already in bed, preferably supervised. I took it when I was plucking my eyebrows before bed and I hallucinated that they were talking to me....not a pleasant experience. I was missing half of my eyebrows for my senior pictures.The side effects outweighed the benefits for me. Yes, it made me sleepy, but it made me drowsy and groggy | F | 18 | 1 years | 9/22/2005 | 3 | Multiple Sclerosis | It takes awhile to work for me. About an hour. I get so tired from the MS, yet it is very hard to fall asleep. I am taking Copaxone for the MS, and take the ambien right after my nightly injection. I wake up OK in the morning. I always feel a bit spacey, have a little unbalanced movement, have speech interruption issues, and pretty bad short-term memory issues from MS, but haven't noticed the ambien making it any worse. I'm actually better in the morning after a good night's sleep! | F | 33 | 1 months | 10/15/2006 | 3 | sleep problems | F | 35 | 380 days | 9/21/2005 | 3 | Insomnia/Husband snores... | READ THE CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. I love Ambien. It was helping me sleep. Unfortunately, I hit into the "rare side effects" category and my doctors never once caught on to the connection. Nerve pain, 7th and 5th cranial nerves actually, manifested as shingles (rare form), intense ear pain, face neuralgia, tooth problem. Surgeries, dental work, earaches, neck pain, headaches, eye pain... and none of the doctors caught it! Have taken antibiotics, antivirals, you name it--but was using the "Ambien pill" more and more to help me sleep through the intense pain (like trigeminal neuralgia). Off Ambien, stuck wide awake--crazy bad dreams are like withdrawl symptoms when I do fall asleep. Not sure of permanent damage... one side of face is still slightly swollen. | I know the side effects I have experienced are rare, and I never in a million years would have thought to connect the pain I have been having to this wonderful little pill that has been so relaxng, so refreshing, and so fun. Sex, absolutely, but only evidence is by soreness from enthusiasm (and fleeting memories like a dream state). I will miss it, but this has definately not been something to "play" with in my system. Happily seeking alternatives now. | F | 35 | 1 years | 6/22/2006 | 3 | Sleeplessness | After 10-15 minutes, there is some very definite hallucinogenic situations that occur. There also seems to be a problem with memory recall and sleepwalking. Wow! This is REALLY A DANGEROUS DRUG!! | Absolutely incredible that this medicine has gotten so far without being reported on. Earliest indications that this medicine can cause hallucinations, can be stretched back to 2003. This medicine goes by various different names in other countries, so a world-wide recall/recognition of Ambien and its Hallucinogenic properties is further exacperated by it going under several different names. Ambien in the US is reported by CBSNews to be the vogue drug of choice, therein referred to as zombie-pills or tic tacs. (A) I find it absolutley outrageous that the medical profession is so lax with administering hallucinogens, in terms of not reporting on the problem, and not telling patients of the problem. (B) I find it outrageous that the likes of the DEA Drug Enforcement Agency is so overtly lax with the #1 prescription sleeping aid drug - even in presence of so many reports - it plays the See no Evil Speak no Evil Hear no Evil Card - I think you need to spell DEA K,A,T,R,I,N,A. (C) The | F | 30 | 4 months | 10/30/2006 | 3 | sleep disorder | For the last few months, I thought ambien was the best thing out there. My boyfriend kept warning me to stop taking it and I could not understand why. I found out that last night I acted like a complete fool and I had no idea...that I was awake! He said I acted as if in an emotionless state talking giberish that made no sense. He stated my eyes appeared wide awake and I was walking around my house as if I were awake but made no sense and looked blank. | It scares me to know that here I thought I have been sleeping every night but really, I was not, I was in a state of mind that I did not even know existed. I was taking 35mg, this is what my doctor prescribed to me. | F | 32 | 3 months | 6/12/2006 | 3 | insomnia | some drowsiness and sedation after about 30 minutes, grogginess for several hours the next day | I dearly wish I could say Ambien worked for me. I've had serious insomnia for the past year due to anxiety and depression after a divorce. I've tried numerous sleep aids, both prescription and OTC, and Ambien (not Ambien CR) seems to work the best for me. Unfortunately, that just means I can usually sleep about 4 - 5 hours instead of the 9 or so hours my body truly needs. An improvement over the 2 - 3 hours I was only getting a night for close to a year, but still not enough. I have found that 10mg Ambien along with 1 - 2 BioChem Tension RX Nighttime (OTC, made by Country Life) works a little better than the Ambien alone so I take that combo 2 - 3 times a week. | F | 32 | 1 years | 6/7/2009 | 3 | prolonged Insomnia | Woke up to find the wrappings and top of ice cream on the kitchen table. Found empty pint container in trash. I do not remember eating it---and no one else could have. Scarey!! | Can not continue with a drug that appears to make me eat and not remember I ate. I try to take it only every other night and take only 1/4 to 1/2 of the 10 milligram tablet. | F | 72 | 8 months | 6/13/2009 | 3 | Insomnia | Strange dreams, odd behavior, wild sex, and not remembering anything from the night before! | I took this medication about 8 yrs ago for 2 years. I abused it and became addicted. It was very hard to get off of it. I think it took me almost 6 months to get a good full nights sleep after I stopped taking it. I am on it again because it works and I am more mature to take it correctly. I hope that this time around it will be short term use and easier to get off. | F | 31 | 2 years | 7/13/2009 | 3 | sleep difficulties | I am writing to offer condolences to the woman who discovered she'd slept with her son's friend after taking Ambien with a glass of wine. My heart aches for you! You must accept your innocence even if others don't. At first I thought Ambien was a wonder drug. I had to sleep in an arctic field camp (with continuous summer daylight, heat and mosquitoes) sharing a weatherport with six other people, and between the Ambien and earplugs got the best two weeks of sleep ever. Then on vacation in Hawaii (where I slept on the Murphy bed in the living room because of my husband's snoring and my light sleeping) I took it one night after a glass of wine and walked down to the water. All I remember after being at the shoreline was waking up the next morning fully clothed in bed with my husband. Thank God I'd found the right unit, and was in bed with my own husband, but it could have all come down so differently and I wouldn't have known or remembered a thing. I have not taken Ambien since. | I was only taking Ambien on an as-needed basis when traveling or having a particularly difficult time sleeping. I don't think I ever finished one prescription's worth. | F | 53 | 3 weeks | 9/8/2009 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 3 | insomnia due to painful breakup | memory loss, possible deteriorating eyesight | I have taken ambien and it's generic (zolpidem) off and on for almost three years now. I take only half the dosage. At first I was taking it every night, occasionally with alcohol. (Yes I know. At the time I didn't care.) I have not had any symptoms of addiction, but I can see where it could become addictive. When you take it, it turns off your mind, which is a truly wonderful thing if you are in pain. Sure beats an extreme alternative, anyway. However, I'm now having disturbing and irritating short term memory loss (can't remember what I said 15 min ago, can't spell anymore, can't find the word I want). I don't know if it's Ambien related, but I wish someone would look into it. I must add that I agree with those that say lay down when you take it. Your brain is asleep, but you may not realize it. Don't take it for a nap! That is not long enough to process the drug. Once you take it, stay home and stay in bed for the night! | F | 36 | 2.5 years | 1/21/2010 | 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 | 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 | 2 | insomnia,pstd | hallucinations,memory loss,cant control bladder,suicidal thoughts,slurred speech | i initially started taking it for sleep. i also was depressed so i eventually started taking it to get high..i would hallucinate and have conversations with the "devil" out loud.he would tell me to take the whole bottle.I kept peeing in bed.I liked the feeling it gave me because i said whatever i wanted to say and didnt care about anyones feelings.But overall i am a single mom and that behavior could not continue.I decided after a week that would not take it again. | F | 21 | 1 weeks | 1/16/2010 | 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 | 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 | 2 | Sleep Trouble | Severe stomach pain, drowsiness next day | Worked very well for sleep, but I couldn't continue due to stomach pain. | F | 35 | 1 months | 8/29/2009 | 2 | Trouble falling asleep/staying | Even tho I checked above (2-Not satisfied) All Ambien did 4 me that was good was put me 2 sleep, but I always wake up groggy, really groggy. I take about 1/2 of a 10mg every few nights or so, I have had meals, snacks, that I never remembered eating, or making, I've made phone calls, left crazy e-mails, I've had sexual intercourse with my husband, I've had VERY real, vivid, & scary nightmares, things that no one ever wants 2 c or dream about, the dreams & nightmares are probably the worst, I had a dream the other night I accidentally drank sour milk, & I cud actually taste it on my tongue, it was so real! I was dry heaving in my sleep, my son woke me up & I had tears n my eyes from heaving so hard, Another thing I want everyone 2 know is my husband also takes Ambien. He has driven while on it, I watched him crash n2 a large plant by our garage door last week, he said he didn't c it sitting there, the other night he took 3 10mg Ambiens, I was so afraid I called the consul | To the mother who left that comment about her 25 year old son, I'm sorry for your loss, and I believe you leaving that comment on here will save a life, even if it is just one. By reading it, I promise myself I will never take anymore then 5 mg again. So you've saved me that's for sure. I am sorry for your loss, and hope things do get brighter for you in your future. Take care | F | 28 | 4 months | 6/25/2009 | 2 | sleep | sad days afterwards | F | 39 | 12 days | 9/26/2008 | 2 | insomnia | Sleepwalking, drug trip-like actions, altered personality, loss of rational thought | Was on Ambien for a couple of years. In the beginning the drug acted quickly and I was able to take as recommended, in bed. After several months, drug stopped taking effect so quickly, and I would brush teeth, shower and do other getting ready for bed things before retiring. Occasionally would regale roomate with one act performances of Medea, or theories of life or other nonsensical antics. We thought it was amusing, until she was away for the night and I went outside and sat in our front yard talking to myself for hours. A kind neighbor helped me back. Went to bed several times without locking the doors. Extremely perilous to take if you live alone, or are in charge of children or pets. Should be monitered much more closely, the cavelier attitude toward this drug is frightening. | F | 35 | 2 years | 10/30/2006 | 2 | insomnia (trouble staying asleep) | rebound insomnia | I've never had a probem FALLING asleep, only STAYING asleep longer than 3 hours. The first night I took Ambien CR 12.5 mg I slept 7 hrs straight (a success), but I noticed the next night (before taking a pill) I was really wired--lots of nervous energy--DEFINITELY coud not have fallen asleep on my own. I took it again and was able to sleep relatively well. Took it for a total of 5 nights with progressively lessening benefit and then tried to go without. OMG! First night it took me 5 hrs trying to sleep, and then I only slept 2.5 measley hours--way worse than BEFORE I tried Ambien. Second night w/out meds was a little better--slept 5 hrs straight. Third night no meds got a total of 7 hrs (in 3 segments). Still feel a little of that nervous, toe-tapping energy. Won't ever take Ambien again. Helen Houston, TX | F | 50 | 5 days | 6/1/2006 | 2 | insomia | slepiness, dizziness. memory problems. | when you here about having a conversation with your spouse that you do not remember and going into the kitchen to eat and find the dishes beside your bed that that you don't remember. That was enough to make me stop the ambien asap. | F | 37 | 1 days | 11/1/2006 | 2 | Couldn't Sleep due to Pain | I thought I was the only one! I found out that I was having phone conversations that I never knew I had. I had to look in my phone logs to actually believe my friends that I had called them. After I got married my husband told me that I was making chocolate chip pancakes, IN THE NUDE! I was taking as prescribed and after I tucked myself into bed. I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I discontinued the use because I feared that I'd get in my car or hurt myself/someone. | I told my dr this and she told me that her fellow colleague took Ambien on his flight home from Hawaii. He got in his car, drove home, and put himself to bed. When he woke up he thought he was still in Hawaii because he had no recollection of leaving the plane, airport, or driving himself home. This stuff is very scary should come with a VERY strong warning. I'm suprised I haven't heard more about this drug in the media or in a lawsuit somewhere. | F | 28 | 4 months | 4/18/2006 | 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 | 2 | Insomnia | Last night I took 1 Ambien and within about 20 minutes, I was hallucinating. I was on the phone with a friend while it all occured. Had I not had someone on the phone talking me through it and talking me into getting into bed, I don't know what I would have done. It was very scary & unexplained until I read this website. I have taken Ambien on several occassions over the past 5 or so years and never had this happen. Be careful. | F | 36 | | 11/6/2006 | 2 | chronic insomnia | My body felt sort of watery and cool, I seemed to have more energy, in a mellow way, v. similar to effects of Lunesta and Ativan. Reduced appetite. Felt a feeling of my brain working slowly and not finding logic in other people's speech or actions before I went to "sleep" in bed and the next morning. | I tried Ambien as last resort before other benzoes, but Ambien doesn't seem to be working. Seems there's not much hope in anything other than super hard core drugs, here's what I've been put on to try and solve the problem, listed in chrono order: Seroquel (which I kicked, even though it's the only one that made me sleep) Trazadone (didn't work and had very uncomfortable side effects), Remeron (knocked me out, but I had night sweats for the first time in my life every night I took it, and had the worst nightmares I've ever had), Rozerem (no side effects, didn't touch the sleep), Lunesta (unpleasant taste in mouth, loss of appetite and odd "watery" feeling in stomach--plus, it didn't work at all), Restoril (didn't touch sleep although it's a benzo), Clonodine (sometimes gives me the nods, but I'm wide awake again in 3 hours). | F | 25 | 4 days | 3/25/2006 | 2 | insomnia | It was like having a bad trip!!!! the nights that I could not fall asleep I would lay in bed and watch everything in my room come to life. It was like being in Alice In Wonderland. At first I thought I was going crazy then finally I realized it was from the Ambien. I almost checked myself into an institution it was insane!!!!! | Built up a tolerance to it. | F | 25 | 1 years | 4/8/2006 | 2 | insomnia | I originally rated this higher but have since discovered that it is the cause of significant intestinal problems. Even at 5mg my stomach feels like it is all shakey and the last time I took 10mg my whole body felt like a bowl of jello inside and my wrists were so weak I could not type. It takes about 3 days to get back to completely normal. I had suspected it but it never was that bad till I took it the other night and then the next day took my regular meds(Nexium, Avelox and Prednisone for infection) and in a couple hours I almost had to go to ER as I thought I might be having a stroke then realized it was the Ambien. Took some Pepto and it started to subside. It is a very weird feeling as my hand don't shake just feel like everything is going at top speed but pulse rate is not high. It does make me sleep well though but will have to give it up. I never took more than twice a week. | F | 70 | | 8/15/2006 | 2 | insomnia | memory loss, acting intoxicated, panic attacks, leg pain (neuropathy). | I used to sing praises about Ambien. I didn't mind the memory loss, until I had children- now I can't remember what happened during the night, and that can be dangerous.... especially when the drug causes you to acted in an intoxicated way. Then it caused me to start having panic attacks and pain in my legs, and it was scary. I had pins & needles and tingling sensations, pain, and panic- I actually thought I might die. Too scary, too dangerous. I quit taking it, and now have to treat the aftereffect of anxiety & panic attacks. I can't recommend this drug. | F | 26 | 6 months | 12/7/2006 | 2 | anxiety, sleeplessness | My friend offered me some Ambien after a death in my family which caused me great anxiety and sleeplessness. Shame on me. Subsequently, I found myself having phone coversations that I forgot the next morning, along with other types of amnesia. I experienced sexual inhibition, a dream-like state, writing lenghty emotional emails, dizziness and staggering, once I fell on the stairs and hit my head on my laptop. I didnt realize the importance of going to bed right away. I didnt like the side effects at all and realized them pretty quickly. I prefer to have more control over my body and my mind, even while asleep, especially with little children in the house. I'm certain the dosage was probably too high for me, but I didnt even want to bother with a lower dosage. I went to my doctor right away and got something else for my anxiety and to help me sleep. Its definitely a good drug for sleeping and probably not dangerous if taken responsibly and with great care and education. But it | I agree with other writers that there should be more information, more public awareness about the potential side effects and dangers of this popular drug, especially possible sexual side effects, the hypnotic-hallucinogenic effects, especially after reading other reports on this site. Now I know I'm not crazy. | F | 46 | 4 weeks | 3/19/2007 | 2 | Insomnia | None that I'm aware of, and that's the problem!! | I usually take this on a Tuesday/Thursday night so I can be assured of a solid night's sleep, and drop my dog at daycare by 6AM the next days. You can't take this every night or you build up a tolerance and it stops working. I will watch a half-hour TV show and check the time to make sure I swallow the pill and give myself 15 minutes before I make sure I am in bed. Sounds fine, right? Wrong. My husband just told me I've been having wild hot monkey sex with him during several Ambien-fueled trances. I wondered why I was waking up all sore, with wild clothing strewn about the house, and have a chronic bladder infection. I believe this only happens, not on the Tues/Thurs I take it, but on a Saturday when I combine it with alcohol. I've always made my H hide the bottle from me so I don't accidentally sleepwalk and double-dose myself, which my dad did on Ambien, and his wife was so scared she called 911. It would be easy enough to say "I'm never taking this stuff again!" and just stick with the OTC stuff I take on the other nights. Problem is, my husband LIKES Crazy Ambien Me! Now I'm afraid if this Sexy Alt-Persona of mine doesn't visit any more, he'll stop liking me!! He told me some horror stories of things I've been doing in a trance, dressing up like a nurse, demanding to take his temperature. I had to tell him to stop talking b/c I was so horrified!! . | F | 50 | 3 years 10mg 3X W | 6/10/2011 | 2 | Insomnia | Occassional memory loss, even during the day. It stopped working after 2 weeks | It worked really well for about 2 weeks, I was falling asleep within 15 minutes of taking it. After that I started doubling the dose I took, and even then it took me hours to fall asleep. It's really habit forming for me. Before I started taking it I could fall asleep on my own a few nights a week, and now I can't fall asleep without it at all. | F | 26 | 14 days 5 1X D | 3/16/2011 | 2 | Insomnia | Upset stomach, nausea, groggy feeling upon wakening | After tappering off Xanax for insomnia, I needed something temporarily to help with insomnia and my doctor prescribed Ambien. He prescribed 10 mg, but most of the time this dosage doesn't work at all and I end up taking one or two more. I feel nauseous, have an extremely painful stomach, and feel very groggy. This happens on every dosage and just gets worse the more I increase. At this point, I'm thinking I'd rather deal with no sleep than these side effects, as they are really taking away from my quality of life. | F | 28 | 2 months 10-30 mg 1X D | 4/17/2012 | 2 | insomnia / sleep apnea | night eating and feeding same to my dog - night walking (outside) - phone calls - ordering a lot of stuff via internet -no REAL memory of this activity but would see the evidence,food all over my house - weight gain (me & dog)- being told of my trips, to my car,neighbors cars and walking down the street | I know that this drug helps many with no ill side effects. However I am doing my best to GET OFF IT. I would rather take daily naps and put up with comments about me not being able to stay awake for lunch, golf or what ever than to continue taking this drug and having all the strange "AMBIEN ADVENTURES" IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE!!! | F | 67 | 7 months | 3/3/2006 | 2 | Sleep | This medication is a hypnotic agent, meaning it induces a state of amnesia. I took Ambien for two years because I could not fall asleep at night. It did help me fall asleep. However I NEVER felt rested the next day. I just couldn't figure out why I was SO incredibly tired all the time because I always thought I got a restful night's sleep. HERE'S AMBIEN'S DIRTY SECRET: Because this med is a hypnotic, you "feel" like you got good sleep because your brain literally doesn't remember - IT INDUCES AMNESIA- You end up assuming you got good sleep because you FORGET in the AM that you didn't! I have stopped taking it after two years of nightly use and replaced with a Melatonin/5-HTP supplement for the past 3 days. I HAVE NEVER felt so rested! I can tell such a difference. Turns out I wasn't sleeping well at all- I just didn't remember in the morning. | F | 31 | 2 years | 1/23/2013 | 2 | insomnia | I took my first pill last night, awoke at 4:30am realizing I had peed myself. Thank goodness I had absorbant bamboo sleep pants on. Will not ever take again. I prefer to be continent! | F | 54 | CR 1X D | 7/8/2010 |