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Ambien
Sleeping Pill Reviews and
Ratings -- Based on Data From Over 350 Users
What You Need To Know
Ambien (Zolpidem) is a prescription pill that's used for the
treatment of insomnia. The good news is that Ambien is at least
moderately effective for the vast majority of people who take
it.
The bad news is that side effects are common, including but
not limited to strange behavior and little or no memory of engaging
in it. Addiction is also experienced by a significant number
of users, according to our data.
Detailed
Research Findings
SleepLikeTheDead.com
gathered reviews and comments about Ambien from 355 users
of the sleep aid. The sources of this data are over 25 online
message boards in which Ambien users share with others their
experiences regarding their use of the medication.
Our research finding are discussed below and are organized into
four sections: Effectiveness, Side Effects, Addiction and
Tolerance.
Our research has found that both user experiences with Ambien
and Ambien CR are virtually the same. As a result, user data
for both pills is grouped together in the findings below.
All collected data was spontaneously volunteered by users and
was not the result of any organized, scientific data gathering
effort.
Ambien
Effectiveness
Does Ambien work? Out of the 355 users included in the data,
311 commented on whether or not the sleeping pill is effective
for them. Out of these 311 users, 201 indicated that the Ambien
pill is effective; 78 said that it worked OK; and 32 said it
was not effective. In other words, 65% of the 311 users said
it was effective; 25% said it was OK; and 10% said it was not
effective.
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Effective
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65
percent |
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Works
OK
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25
percent |
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Not
effective
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10
percent |
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Effective
Taking Ambien results in a full night's sleep, or at least
enough sleep so that the user can function reasonably well
the following day.
Works OK
Taking Ambien provides some relief from insomnia, but not
enough to allow for an adequate night's rest.
Not effective
The medication provides little or no relief from insomnia.
Ambien
Side Effects
Virtually
all of the 355 users included in our research commented on whether
the sleeping pill causes side effects for them personally or
not.
51% indicated that they do, at least in their opinion, experience
one or more side effects. |
Top Side Effects
The top 19
side effects reported by Ambian users, according to our research,
are listed and described below.
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80
Users |
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Amnesia
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64
Users |
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41
Users |
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41
Users |
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36
Users |
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32
Users |
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22
Users |
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20
Users |
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13
Users |
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12
Users |
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11
Users |
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11
Users |
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10
Users |
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8
Users |
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8
Users |
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7
Users |
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7
Users |
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5
Users |
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5
Users |
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Sleepwalking
Sleep walking includes activities that are typically associated
with wakefulness but occur while the person is asleep or in
a sleep-like state. Ambien users report engaging in virtually
all kinds of activities while asleep, especially cleaning
and cooking. Also common is calling or emailing people while
sleepwalking, which at least sometimes results in an embarrassing
and / or rambling conversation or message.
Memory
loss / amnesia
Memory loss in this context refers to an inability of the
Ambien user to remember what has occurred after taking the
drug, including what one did and / or said. Other people,
such as family members, often inform Ambiem users of their
actions and / or words while they were under the drug's influence.
In addition, diminished memory can also extend and apply to
what one does and / or says during daytime or non-sleep hours.
For example, Ambien users may be more likely to forget where
they placed their keys or the details of a conversation they
had with someone during the day.
Sleep eating
Eating binges occur while under the drug's influence, often
with no memory of it. Weight gain as a result of this activity
is fairly common.
Hallucinations
Hallucination of all kinds are reported, including both seeing
and hearing people or things that are not really there.
Hangover
On a day following taking the medication, users report feeling
groggy, tired, drowsy or on edge.
Sleep talking
Under Ambien's influence, users talk in their sleep or while
sleep walking. The talk can be nonsensical and profanity laced.
The talk can also be painfully truthful when directed toward
someone, resulting in some users to view the drug as a sort
of truth serum.
Anxiety / panic attacks
A racing heart / palpitations, sweating, paranoia, chest pain,
shortness of breath, trembling, shaking, tingling, numbness
and other anxiety related symptoms occur at least occasionally
and often regularly.
Drugged feeling
Grogginess, feeling "out of it", and / or experiencing
a high are common as well as diminished mental and physical
capability.
Sleep driving
A vehicle is driven by the Ambien user while in a sleep-like
state, and later the user has little or no memory of doing
so.
Strange dreams
Vivid and bizarre dreams are experienced and are sometimes
long remembered.
Nightmares
Disturbing and sometimes violent night mares or night terrors
are experienced, often with great distress to the person.
Sleep sex
Sex takes place under the influence of Ambian, often without
inhibition or memory of it the next day.
Sleep injury
Injury occurs from sleep walking while on the sleeping pill,
such as from falling down.
Sleep DUI
Being arrested because of being under the influence of Ambian
while driving occurred, often with no memory of the event
on the part of the user.
Personality changes
The user behaves noticeably different in many important ways
than he or she did before taking the drug.
Headaches
Headaches or migraines occur during the day and / or night.
Can't be woken
When under Ambien's influence and asleep, the user cannot
be awaken even when someone makes a strong attempt to do so.
Nausea
The user can experience quesiness or unease in the abdomine
with an urge to vomit.
Violent
Acts of harm to oneself or others are committed by the user
when under the medication's influence, even when the user
does not normally behave in such a way.
Ambien
Addiction
39% of the users in our research reported having at least
some level of addiction to the sleeping pill.
Addiction in this case can mean that no longer taking the pill
results in withdrawal, including any or all of the following
symptoms: headaches, muscle aches, body pains, irritability,
inability to concentrate, depression, grogginess, ringing ears,
twitches, sweats, rashes, and anxiety / panic attacks. (This
is not necessarily an exhaustive list of symptoms.)
Addiction
can also mean dependence in that one sleeps worse for sometime
upon ending the use of the pill than he or she did before
starting use. Finally, a strong desire to take the pill for
the "high" or feeling it provides can also possibly
be considered addiction.
Ambien
Tolerance
19%
of users in our research reported that they developed a tolerance
to the sleeping pill.
This means that the pill would lose at least some of its effectiveness
and that increasing the dosage would be needed to maintain
its ability to help one sleep.
The vast majority of those who reported developing a tolerance
were those who took the sleeping pill regularly for at least
one month. However, a significant number of long-term users
of Ambien reported developing no tolerance to the drug.
Related
information
Ambien vs. Lunesta
Comparison
Lunesta Ratings
Page
last updated: July 2008
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