User Reviews of Ambien » Ambien Addiction

Ambien Withdrawal Side Effects

Anonymous Visitor — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:32:35 +0000

I’ve been taking Ambien for over 10 years now, and do not take over 10mg, but I take it every night and have to, because if I don’t I have horrible, parilyzing night terrors. I hear a very loud bang and have a terrible feeling of terror. I had a sleep study last night because my neurologist thinks I may be having night seizures from not taking the medicine. I’m scared to death of trying to get off this medicine and curse the day I started taking it.

The sad thing is that I do get a great night of sleep and have no tired hangover feeling the next day. I wake up well rested and able to function. Unfortunately the doctor wants me off the meds and said I never should have been taking it this long.

Anybody have any help on getting off this stuff?

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:14:04 +0000

I’ve been on 5 mg of Ambien nightly for about 2 years. My doctor insists that is too long. This has been the best, least interupted sleep I’ve had over the past 12-14 years. When I forget to take a pill at bedtime, I wake up at 1-3 a.m. and then I’m up for the duration of the night… may fall asleep around 6 and up by 7 or so. This was my sleep issue prior to taking Ambien. There are days I feel tired but other than that I’ve noticed no particular mood or behavior issues. Addiction to Ambien….. probably…. my real addiction is to the wonderful, full nights of sleep I’ve experienced over the past 2 years. I anxious about the process of eliminating Ambien but know I know it needs to be done. My physcians advice is to add exercise and melatonin. Hopefully, this will get me through the worst of it. Good luck to others that may be going through this type of transition.

Ambien Withdrawl: Cold Turkey

Anonymous Visitor — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:08:45 +0000

I feel it is very important that I share my experience with Ambien and my withdrawl experience. I had never been addicted to anything in my life, not even nicotine when I smoked for eleven years. However, I started taking Ambien over eight years ago, because I’m somewhat a chronic insomniac. Over the eight years, I went from a very non-threatening 2.5 mg per night to requiring over 20 mg per night minimum. Although, I didn’t sleep-eat or sleep-drive, as some people have described, I did make purchases, although intended in the future, without knowing until I got email confirmations. Ambien did cause short term amnesia type symptoms. Sometimes, if I didn’t get to sleep within an hour or two, I might even double it. I did what most addicts do to maintain their supply, doctor shop, on-line pharmacies (dangerous), etc. I ran out of authentic Ambien about two months ago and only had what I purchased on-line (very expensive) that wasn’t real (didn’t work), so I decided that was it, I was going to quit and just not sleep for however long it took, thinking it would only take a few days. However, the rebound insomnia lasted over a month . . . yes, I said a month. Strange things happen to your body when you don’t sleep for that long a period of time, paranoia, hallucenations (sp?), physical maladies, and even seizures (ended up in the hospital twice). To finally resolve this insomia, because there was no end in sight, I was prescribed a small amount of diazapam, followed by lorazapam to help me sleep and bring me more slowly off of the prescriptions. It worked. I am now at the point of using 1/2 diazapam to get to sleep and if I wake in the middle of the night, I lay in bed quietly and wait for sleep without taking anything else. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m sticking to the plan. I have also contracted a pretty nasty cold and have been taking over the counter cold medication for my symptoms. While I was using Ambien, I never felt the drowsiness effect of the medications, now I do. I’m not using this as a substitution, but more as a test of how my body should react naturally to these medications while I’m controlling my cold symptoms. There are also some very good natural sleep aids available that I feel comfortable using regularly that I take when I need to sleep, have time to wait and time to sleep a full eight hours, as these natural sleep aids tend to stay in the body longer than Ambien did. Please, please, please take me serious because I don’t want anyone else to have to experience what I did. If you have already taken Ambien, be VERY careful how you use it, it is VERY easy to become dependent on. If you’ve already found yourself in a similar situation, talk to your doctor to discuss your options. Whatever you do, DON’T cold turkey this medication. I don’t care what the industry tell you, it IS dangerous to quit cold turkey. If your doctor won’t listen to you, find another doctor until you find one that will. Feel free to print this and share my story because it is very important to know what you’re dealing with. I’ve dealt with it the hard way. It is the most physically challenging thing I have ever gone through. It is really nice to be on the other side of that experience, knowing that I can sleep without Ambien and that I am actually sleeping more healthy.

Addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:14:36 +0000

First off, We are all adults and should be able to act like them.

I have a family member that is addicted to ambien. She has lost the ability to control herself with it. IF it is locked away she will drive to the store and get her another perscription and then have no clue that she did it the next day. They say ambien is a good med for people that have self control over thier lives. If you dont then I would not recommend taking this med. It can be very damaging to you, your life and your family.

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:10:24 +0000

started taking ambien after a surgery now i sweat and im sick if i dont take it and without it no sleep have tried other sleeps some help signed hooked

–Dave

Ambien Side Effects

Anonymous Visitor — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:25:56 +0000

I’m really glad I found this website; I can really empathize with all of you. I’ve been taking Ambien for seven years now. I’ve had insomnia for as long as I can remember, but was first prescribed it in 2003. I’ve pretty much been on every drug under the sun for insomnia and/or anxiety – but nothing (except for maybe Ativan), nothing works/worked as well and as life-ruining as Ambien. At first I took it as prescribed, just 10mg and everything was perfect – though terribly suicidal and having an eating disorder (I weighed 86lbs) – the Ambien, I believe, actually kept me from killing myself though agonizing because I gained a lot of weight from night-eating. I’d wake up horrified the next morning to find empty food containers and food scattered on the floor. I’ve driven around – even managed to dent my car (thank goodness I never hurt anyone) – I’ve locked myself out my place numerous times – I’ve called/emailed/texted anyone and everyone rambling nonsense and declaring things I’d later regret. Soon I was drinking vodka and taking Ambien. I did anything to get it – ashamedly, doctor shopping – even pleading with the pharmacists (doesn’t work). It ruined my marriage. Yet even after all of these negative things, I still have strong cravings for it. Of course I have to use many 10mgs to get even close to the effect I once felt. There have been many times where I’d drink, take Ambien, only to wake up to find half the bottle of pills empty. I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle. The only thing worse than the idea of how much you’re ruining your liver and your life by drinking and taking mountains of Ambien – is Ambien withdrawal. THE worst feeling ever. Headaches, shocking electric pulse pains when you close your eyes, panic attacks, inability to sleep for days, horrific nightmares, feel sick, feel like you’re going to die, etc. So yes, coming off Ambien cold turkey is definitely not a good idea if you can prevent it. I love Ambien and the feeling it gives me, but I know it’s also a very dangerous drug and my heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone because of it. Thanks for reading …

Don’t take Ambien

Anonymous Visitor — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:11:14 +0000

I took Ambien for a year or so “kinda” as directed as I kept waking up from a normal dose around 3am. I then started taking more and yes also for the euforia. I quit for about 3 years and my sleep issues returned when I lost my job. That is when it go out of control. I was doctor shopping for multiple scripts and would take up to 10 a night. Finally one night I consumed almost a full script of 30 and thought I could just run to the store and back before it kicked in. I was pulled over approximatley 35 miles east of my house on the interstate. I did get charged with D.U.I! I had no alcohol in my system but a very high level of Zolpidem Tartrate. The D.U.I was reduced to reckless driving however I am thankfull that I was pulled over and did not kill anyone! Needless to say all I remember was waking up in jail!

Well, my family discovered that I had a problem and I tried to go cold turkey. That was a mistake as SEVERE panic attacks and shakes started almost 24hrs later. I went to the hospital were I was given 2mg of Ativan. I was then transfered to a detox facility.

There have been other instances not as severe while on Ambien but noteworthy like backing over my mailbox, thinking their were “squatters” in my house, Arrested for public intoxication because I was running down the road at 1am in my underwear with a remote control in my hand telling the officer I was going to the store to get some batteries (Again, I did not remember this until I was told but did get my remote back).

Ambien is a horrible, evil, drug! even at the hospital the doctors told me that they did not believe in Ambien. Also, Everyone by now has noticed that there no longer are Ambien commercials. Oprah even did a segment on the bone chilling effects of Ambien.

DONT TAKE AMBIEN!

-Greg

Problems

Anonymous Visitor — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:23:45 +0000

my story is a little different than most. about 7 years ago, my ex-wife started working at night. she started not sleeping well and the dr. put her on ambien(she was not taking anything else). to make a long story short, when we divorced, she was taking about 10 ambien, 25 lorcet 10′s, 10 soma’s and a plethora of other drugs. she has lost her children, her husband, two cars and many other things in the process. the sad part is she hasnt quit.

Ambien addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:29:31 +0000

I had a terrible experience with ambien. Yes I was addicted to it but I did not take 40 to 60 pills. The worst experience I had… i only had one of them. If one doesnt go to sleep on ambien they can go into a waking blackout. I did something and I have no recollection of it. However there was 4 other people in the room. I ended up overdosing on ambien shortly after…That time I took 6 or 7…not 40. 40 would kill you…that’s ridiculous. I’m lucky to be alive.

Detox, Dependence & Addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:34:43 +0000

Sixteen days ago I admitted myself to a detox hospital to get off ambien. I spent eight days in a hospital to detox. I had 2 prescriptions and was always running out. This drug was ruining my life because I constantly obsessed about how I could get more. It was all I seemed to care about. I took about 10 a day – and yes, during the day. Very few people could believe that I was able to take ambien during the day and function, however, my body built up a tolerance to this drug and towards the end, i had to take it to get my head to stop hurting. The euphoric feeling i loved somewhat disappeared and i found myself taking them just to function.

This drug changed my personality and I became a liar and untrustworthy. I would love to see this drug taken off the market. I miss the feeling I had when I first took it but even that disappears after awhile. It feels great to get that monkey off my back. Thank you God!

Addiction

Anonymous Visitor — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:30:30 +0000

I am from London – doctors don’t sell drugs in the UK. I know I was stupid and nieve but the doctor gave me ambien to help me sleep and I was pleased…
I have had problems with addiction in the past – my doctor didn’t ask so I didn’t say.
I took ambien as directed. Did not mix with drink or other drugs and I totally lost control of my life within 4 months.
I cooked a dinner and made love to my boyfriend and had no memory. I woke up on Monday morning and thought it was Sunday – I had lost and forgotten Sunday!
It wasn’t until I was found naked on the roof of my building that i realised this drug is more serous than anything I have ever taken.
I think I was going to jump… but I don’t know. The worst thing is not knowing.

Ambien Addiction & Memory Loss

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:25:09 +0000

Help me, i don’t know what to do. I can’t tell my husband about over using my ambien. He thinks he has it hidden. I have servere headaches and have had them for years. I have what it callpuseotumor cycerabal (spelling isn’t right) i have been given a VP shunt and it is on the right side of my head behind my ear. it drain fuild down into my artery in my necck. Any way back to the ambien, when i sleep I DONT HURT!!! I have been on it for years and have tried to talk to my doctor in around about way but he dosen’t talk me serious! I’m on 10mg. at night but if i can find them i will take three a day. I sleepwalk, have memory lapses. I have done many cazy things that my family doesn’t know ab out. I have a problem with short term memory. I was a school teacher and i can’t even spell decently. HELP I don’t know what to do!

Lindsey Lohan on Ambien & Adderall

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:34:09 +0000

One drug prevents you from sleeping, one drug makes you sleep. This is simply not healthy. The doctors out there that throw these prescriptions at our country’s young people should be locked up, not Lindsey. And why should she need either of these in jail?

Lindsey is prescribed Dilaudid, Zoloft, Trazodone, Adderall, Nexium and by different doctors. Think any of them told her ‘try living a healthy lifestyle’? I’d say at this point that this combination of pills is making her sick and unstable. There is no way these are helping her, which I believe is the point of prescription medicine.

Our government needs to step in. Doctors should get an update from pharmacies that show them exactly what drugs their patients are prescribed, *before* they write prescriptions.

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:21:49 +0000

View other Ambien addiction stories here..

It is really a huge relief to see all of these stories and know that I am not the only person in the world that has struggled with an addiction to Ambien and dealt with the side effects and aftermath of the drug.

I have always had a hard time sleeping, but usually managed to take an over the counter sleep aid to help me get to sleep. I first took Ambien after going across the boarder to Mexico and obtaining it without a perscription…the stuff that I got there seemed to be a lot different than what I have gotten here..Sure I went to sleep, but when I fought the sleep the hallucinations started…and they were scary!! I would see in 3-D vision snakes coming out of my alarm clock and bugs crawling on the floors and walls…not fun. I stopped taking it, but it got particullarly bad when a few years later I had my now 3 yr old son and also got laid off of my job when the real estate market took a nose dive. With so much stress my mind would not shut off at night and I would go days with out sleep. Sooo…I started out taking Lunesta but it did not seem to do much for me so then I moved on to Restoril and that was o.k. for awhile but then that lost it’s effectiveness, and so I moved onto the big guns…Ambien by a perscription this time- but my perscription is for a 90 day supply oh and another perscription for same medicine by different doctor for a 30 day supply….you see where this is going right?. It has been a nitemare of a rollercoaster taking this medicine. I could probably go on for pages with what has happened to me, but here are just a few incidents.

At one time I don’t remember even taking the Ambien but my husband came home from a friends house and found me with the bottle in my hand and passed out on the bathroom floor. No memory of what happened.

At one time I had just filled a 90 day perscription (10mg) on a Friday afternoon and took a cople that night and pretty much do not have any recolection of that enite weekend other than little snippets here and there and the fact that I saw bugs and spiders crawling on floors and me. Come Monday morning I was a wreck and only had 35 pills left to my perscription.

At one time I was on my period and taking the Ambien and took to many one night and completely blacked out. Did not remember getting up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom and change my tampon. Few weeks later I was feeling horrible- lower backaches, severe abdomin cramps, fever etc. I could not figure out what was wrong and went to the Urgent Care and told them it felt like maybe I had a bladder infection. They gave me antibotics and sent me home. Few days later still feeling horrible, and laying in bed at 2am wide awake because I was in pain…it then dawned on me that I had my period a few weeks before….went into the bathroom and sure enough..I had “forgotten” a tampon inside of my body. I was suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Well I have tried stopping on my own several times, and have done ok for a few days or weeks, but this time I am hoping to really truely stop. It’s been about a month and half since the last time I took Ambien, and what is so amazing is that yes I actually can sleep on my own!! There are nights when I sleep for crap, but I had nights like that with Ambien because my tolerance had built up. Just this last week though I have been obsessing over wanting to take an Ambien, so went to the internet to try and find something to help me thru this…found this website and after reading all of the stories and horrible outcomes it has reaffirmed my comittment to myself to not take Ambien.

Thank you to all of you who are brave enought to share your stories with us here.

Ambien Addiction & Memory Loss

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:27:51 +0000

I used to be addicted to Ambien.I took it for over 7 years.At first I really did need it.I had trouble sleeping.I took it like I was supposed too.But having battling depression since I was a teenager.I started taking it during the day.And before long I was taking it everyday and I could take 15 or 20 pills a day.There was one time I took 45 pills in one night.I don’t remember taking them.I would drive while I was on Ambien.Somerimes I would wake up in the morning and find food on the counter.I don’t remember getting up to eat it.I tried to quit several times and I always failed.I liked the feeling I got when I took Ambien.Finally March 2008 I decided I couldn’t do this anymore.My marriage was falling apart.I almost lost everything.I have 3 kids and I wanted to be there for them.I have been clean since March 2008.I did it all on my own.No help from anyone.It was the hardest things I ever had to do.I had to prove to my family that I was serious this time.That I was just not saying it so my husband wouldn’t leave.I still have family and friends that don’t believe me.They still think I am still taking Ambien.

I now have memory loss.I wish I could go back and remember the things my kids did just the little things.I hate knowing that I missed some of the things they did growing up.

I want to tell my story,I know I will never be cured.I will admit there are times I wish I could have Ambien.But I have worked to hard to and don’t want to mess things up.Ambien can be very unsafe if taken too long.I don’t know if I will ever get my memory fully back but I am just glad that I am here and I take life one day at a time.Thank you taking the time to read my story.

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:27:34 +0000

I became addicted to ambien Ambien and it ruined my life.

It was a very gradual addiction. Started using it a few times a year when I traveled. Then it was a few times per week at home… And I needed more of it to get me to sleep.
While using Ambien, I always felt uncertain and agitated. My judgement and thinking became disorganized. My short term memory got very bad…thoughts would evaporate and disappear. That I could not concentrate at work is an understatement. My firm terminated my employment due to my inability to form cogent thought patterns and utilize sound judgement.
If I could get a do-over, I would gladly take a couple nights of little or no sleep and have my life back !
Please beware of this drug.

–Patrick

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:21:53 +0000

I take Ambien, I have reduced my dose to 1/2 a pill at night, but I still OFTEN get up in middle of the night and eat, or surf the internet (I find bizarre chat transcripts the next day), and once or twice, I know I have had sex I can’t really recall happening. I am dependent on it to sleep now, if I do not take it, I do not sleep for days, or maybe sleep 2-4 hours for several days straight, until I take one and then sleep a whole sleep cycle (6-8 hours generally). I was prescribed them because my nightmares are so bad that I was avoiding sleeping. I know I still have the nightmares, but at least I do not wake up in a panic from them anymore, and I do not remember most of them. I also take Temazepam for this, WITH the Ambien. It’s a pretty heavy sedative cocktail.

Ambien Addiction

Anonymous AmbienOverdose.org Reader — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:20:32 +0000

I have really 2 options at this point. Dont take the ambian and dont sleep.And then be a misreably mean basket case. Or continue to take it and its power.Which wil either get me promoted to the CEO of the company on a good day, but on a bad day I may be coo coo for coa coa puffs. I ride the fine line…….

–CJ