Medication Review: Ambien

The sleep medication, Ambien-generic name of Zolpidem-is sedative/hypnotic drug used in the treatment of insomnia. Ambien is normally prescribed in the short term, but occasionally people do take it over the long term. The problem with Ambien is that the longer you take it, the less effective it becomes. Ambien becomes less effective because the person taking it has builds up a tolerance to it, and then unfortunately can be tempted to take more to be able to sleep. You never ever want to take more than what is prescribed. If Ambien no longer helps you sleep, see your physician to change your medication.

My doctor prescribed a 30 day supply of Ambien for me because I have insomnia. For the first few days I was very happy with the effectiveness of it. When I took the tablet, it took only about 30 to 40 minutes for me to feel very drowsy. I slept well and woke up at around day break every day. But when I was into my second week of taking Ambien I noticed I had a harder time falling asleep. I tossed and turned just like before. I was becoming desperate to have a good night's sleep, so much so, that I considered taking more of the medication to sleep. But I didn't do it-knowing this could put me into a cycle of dependence.

I continued taking Ambien at night, even though it didn't seem to be helping. I thought, maybe I was sleeping some, and just didn't know it. However, to my knowledge, I did not sleep at all. It seemed that I had thoughts running in my mind at a fast rate, almost like turning channels on a TV. I had so many thoughts it was hard to keep up with them. This cycle started to wear thin on my nerves. I became shaky and anxious much of the time. I found that in the daytime I was nodding off. I would feel my head fall and that would startle me awake again. It seemed to me, when I did fall asleep, it was from sheer exhaustion.

After a few nights of not being able to sleep I just stopped taking Ambien. I would not suggest anyone just stop taking it if they have been on it for more than a couple of weeks. You would be better to wean yourself off it. For me, the side effects were quite devastating. I had stomach cramps that really hurt, headaches and my face was flushed like I had a fever all the time.

I think Ambien, used for short term, is good if you occasionally can not fall asleep, however if you have a chronic problem sleeping, like I do; Ambien might not be for you. I think doctors should use extreme caution when prescribing this drug for their patients, and explain to them what may happen when they take it. I think they should also caution their patients not to ever take a second tablet if over time they find it not to be effective.