ambien side effects : About Ambien

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We searched the United States Food and Drug Administration, Physician's Desk Reference, Universities around the world and hundreds of Internet sites to give you these reports in plain English. We believe you should be fully informed before taking any drug. That includes the side effects that others don't talk about.

What is Ambien?

Ambien is the popular brand name of zolpidem (pronounced: zole PI dem) tartrate, a short-term prescription medication to aid people who have difficulty getting to sleep, have trouble staying asleep, or wake up too early in the morning. (Short-term: usually 7 to 10 days) Ambien was introduced in the United States in 1993 but this sleeping pill was widely used in Europe five years before that. More than 4 billion doses of Ambien have been prescribed worldwide.

Ambien is in a class of drugs called sedative/hypnotics or sleep medications. Although it is supposed to be non-addictive, some people who take it disagree about that.

How does Ambien work?

Non-technical: Ambien affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause insomnia. Ambien causes relaxation and induces sleep. This sleeping pill helps you fall asleep within 15 to 30 minutes, so take Ambien only when you are ready to go to sleep. It is beneficial in providing a decent night's sleep and is out of your body in 6-8 hours so you aren't affected the next day.

Technical: Ambien has been shown to bind preferentially to the omega-1 (BZ-1) receptor subtype of the GABAA receptor, the subtype thought to be most closely associated with sleep. In contrast, benzodiazepine hypnotics nonselectively bind to and activate all 3 omega receptor subtypes. While the selective binding of Ambien on the omega-1 receptor is not absolute, it may explain the preservation of deep sleep (stages 3 and 4) in human studies of Ambien at hypnotic doses.

How is Ambien supplied?

Ambien is available as a tablet for oral administration. Ambien 5-mg tablets are capsule-shaped, pink, and film coated, with "AMB 5" on one side and "5401" on the other side. The Ambien 10-mg tablets are capsule-shaped, white, and film coated, with "AMB 10" on one side and "5421" on the other side. Ambien CR (zolpidem controlled-release) comes in 6.25 mg. and 12.5 mg.