If you have received a DUI while under the influence of Ambien or another sleeping pill, please post your experience here. We are attempting to create an archive of information for other users who have had legal trouble caused by or related to usage of Ambien or Ambien CR. Several lawyers frequent the site and will likely provide useful answers to any questions you might have.
Before accepting a plea deal that the state offers you for driving under the influence of ambien (or any other prescription drug), remember that they offer these plea deals in order to avoid a trial, because it is not guaranteed that you will be convicted. You were prescribed Ambien for medical purposes, by a medical doctor, and it is not a foregone conclusion that you are guilty of anything.
The New York Times recently published an article stating that government’s are finding it extremely difficult to convict drivers charged with driving under the influence of prescription drugs.
took ambien at midnight fell asleep at the wheel driving at 8 a.m. totalled car and got dui
I just posted my horror story on Tell Us Your Story
I took Ambien for a few years and had multiple blackouts and things happen that I do not remember until people told me the next day. I started having weird episodes during the day after just a few drinks. Then one day I was at a ski resort had a few drinks and one shot with my freinds, then I woke up in Jail the next day being told i had a hit and run, the cops at the sceen said I did not know where I was or where I was going, I was in a part of town I had never been in before. My blood alchohol level was not enough for a blackout and since this just started happening I know it was the Ambien built up in my system reacting to the Alchohol, plus I do not have a spleen wich could of aided as well. I am looking at a Felony Assoult, loss of license for a year, I lost my job, and my freinds and family are completly disapointed. Its like I woke up in someones nightmare. Please be careful if you take Ambien that even during the day if you drink it might cause you to blackout!!!
That’s why you are not suppose to drink while you are being prescribed ambien. Don’t want to come off unsympathetic but given the fact you had been taking it for years means you willingly ignored the warnings. You could have killed someone and you should be held accountable for your actions.
I think this is starting to happen to me as well. It is like something triggers stored ambien in my system and then it is like I am on ambien but hadn’t had any since the night before. I was wondering if there are any studies about the residual effects of ambien….
I was going through a depressing time with the economy. I had been laid off from a good job and took a job for less money. I had to sell things to decrease my expenses that I had worked so hard before to be able to afford my bills. I realized later that I was actually very fortunate then a lot of people because I could sell things to pay other bills off. I could afford my home, paid my vehicle off, and basically had no bills after selling things. But, I still felt sorry for myself. I felt like a faliure even though I didn’t do anything wrong but a bad economy. My friends really looked up to me and I felt like because I didn’t do so well like before I failed them. I started drinking more than I normally did, depressed, hanging with the wrong people because it made me feel better for a short time.. etc But, then after this story I ended up losing two long term friends because of this DUI. One night I had a fight with a friend and a guy friend I was dating the night before I decided to drive. I went home, took no ambien, and just went to sleep. I woke up early where it was daylight out but I still wanted to sleep longer. I couldn’t sleep because how upset I was. I was already depressed over other stuff and now my two friends. I decided around 8-9am to start drinking some wine to help me relax to go back to sleep. Well, then I decided I would take an Ambien with it. About 3 glasses and a Ambien. I decided I would take a nice drive to Circle K to get some cigarettes. Got my cigarettes (and I guess purchased more wine too) was in my neighborhood only going about 30 miles an hour. I lost control of my truck and crashed into trees in front of a mental facillity (was god trying to tell me something?). Totalled my full size truck so bad that it looked like a car, broke my foot, fractured my ribs, had to have chest surgery, and messed up my arm. Through all that I got out of the truck and walked the 2 blocks home. Where the cops were waiting for me and took me to the station. They took blood and released me shortly after. (Probably was lucky I was put in jail for 24 hours) Now, DUI. They never checked for any perscription drugs in my system luckily. But, I know I would of never crashed into tree if it wasn’t for the Ambien. Also, I could of killed someone. I still think of all of this today and wish I could go rewind. Now I realize that my life is not that bad at all, I don’t drink that much or care about it, don’t miss the two friends that I lost as much anymore, and made some new friends that love me for my mistakes, and true friends that support me on building my future backup again when the economy turns around one day! I think Ambien is a good thing for a short time to help people sleep. But, if you are depressed, have mental illness, or got into a fight with someone, or extremely stressed. It is not a good thing because it shuts your mind off and do things you wouldn’t normally do. MOST OF ALL DO NOT drink on it becauase it makes it worse. I should of known better because I drank on it before this accident and one of the times I woke up at someone elses house. I did not remember a thing. That is scary. (I do remember the DUI)
Is it really illegal if 10mg of Ambien causes you to get a DUI? In my opinion it’s no different than a cancer patient driving while on painkillers. The prescription label says “Warning, be CAREFUL when operating machinery.” it does NOT say “Warning, do NOT operate machinery”. Something about getting a DUI for this seems off.
I got charged with a DUI while on Ambien but it wasn’t until the day after. I went to sleep and aparently woke up, got in my car, pulled out of the apartment parking lot, hit the car in the space beside me, then pulled back in my parking space. I remember nothing of this. The folks whose car was hit reported it and a policeman came to my door the next day looking for the owner of my car. My headight was knocked out so he figured my vehicle was at fault. There were no witnesses but I’m still being charged with a DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. It’s not fair!
Talk to the people whose car you hit and explain the situation. Maybe you can come to an agreement where you pay for the damages to their car and the charges can be dropped.
I took ambien by mistake during the day, thinking it was my Ativan. After taking it I blacked out for 48 hours and apparently continued taking both of the medications. By the end of the 2 days, I had taken both entire bottles (right after fresh refills, so roughly 60 pills, 30 benzo’s and 30 ambien). During this blackout I drove, got in an accident, and was charged with a DUII. I was let off with diversion, but still lost my license for 3 months, lost my job, and lost respect from friends and family.
Nick, Where you located in iliinois?
Don’t worry about it man. Nobody got hurt is number 1, number 2, get car fixed,number three let your so called (GEEKY FRIENDS) that you do this and have no control over it and see if they would help you out? If they don’t, tell them too piss off from DDDDD UUUUUUU
David