SLEEP ALL NIGHT

Ambien (zolpidem)

Ambien is available in two forms

• Ambien (and its generic), which help you fall asleep, and
• Ambien CR (no generic), approved to help you fall asleep fast and stay asleep.

Usefull information about ambien:

• Ambien may not be safe for those who have a history of depression, liver or kidney disease, or respiratory conditions
• Ambien may lose its effectiveness if taken longer than two weeks, while Ambien CR can be taken for a longer period of time
• Ambien can trigger unusual side effects such as sleep walking, sleep eating, and even sleep driving
• Ambien should not be mixed with alcohol – the combination increases the risk of these types of side effects
• Did you know there are 2 types of AMBIEN (zolpidem tartrate) CIV tablets?
• AMBIEN is suitable for a short-term treatment to help you fall asleep.

Ambien Side Effects:

In controlled clinical trials of AMBIEN CR, the most commonly observed adverse effects were headache, somnolence, and dizziness.

To manage these side effects while you are taking this medicine keep the following things in mind:

• When you first start taking AMBIEN CR or any other sleep medicine, until you know whether the medicine will still have some carryover effect in you the next day, use extreme care while doing anything that requires complete alertness, such as driving a car, operating machinery, or piloting an aircraft.
• NEVER drink alcohol while you are being treated with AMBIEN CR or any sleep medicine. Alcohol can increase the side effects of AMBIEN CR or any other sleep medicine.
• Do not take any other medicines without asking your healthcare professional first. This includes medicines you can buy without a prescription. Some medicines can cause drowsiness and are best avoided while taking AMBIEN CR.
• Always take the exact dose of AMBIEN CR prescribed by your healthcare professional. Never change your dose without talking to your healthcare professional first. Make sure that you swallow the tablet whole and do not divide it, crush it or chew it.
• In two clinical studies of patients with insomnia, a rebound effect was only observed on the first night after an abrupt discontinuation of AMBIEN CR. On the second night, there was no worsening of insomnia.

 For more about Ambien CR, visit http://www.ambiencr.com/

Watch Video:  A pharmacist explains how Ambien works, why doctors prescribe this hypnotic, and some common side effects of the drug.

First update Dec 3, 2009

Last update Dec 24, 2009