What Is Ambien?

Ambien is a brand name for the drug zolpidem. It is a powerful sedative commonly used to help patients sleep. As a potent sedative-hypnotic, Ambien is usually given to chronic insomniacs who have long-term sleep disorders. However, Ambien should only be used for a period of two to five weeks due to the high risk of the patient’s body developing a dependency or addiction to the drug.

Ambien is taken once a day, typically just before bedtime. After taking Ambien, most patients will sleep in bed for seven to eight hours. So, only take Ambien if you are planning on sleeping for at least eight hours.

Medical Effects

Taking Ambien improves sleep within seven to 10 days, according to the National Center of Biotechnology Information.  Once you start taking the medication, you should set up a regular schedule that allows you to take Ambien at the same time each day. The first time you take Ambien you may notice that you are drowsy the next day, but this effect quickly disappears.

Side effects of Ambien include:

• Severe drowsiness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Difficulty balancing
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Strange dreams
• Stomach pain
• Tremors
• Muscle pain
• Ringing in the ears

If you develop any swelling, redness or difficult breathing immediately after taking Ambien, consult a healthcare professional. You may suffer from an allergy to the drug and in some cases this can be deadly.

Why Is It Addictive?

Ambien acts on a receptor found within parts of your brain called the cerebellum and cerebral cortex, and causes a modulation in the production of neurotransmitters. The overall effect is to decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and to delay the sleep cycle, according to an article in Clincal Pharmacology.This allows patients to sleep faster and for longer periods of time.

However, if Ambien is used for an extended period of time (like months or years), the patient’s brain begins to adapt to the drug. Once the brain adapts, the patient’s will have a very difficult time sleeping without first ingesting large amounts of Ambien.

Therefore, in the short term Ambien has a low potential for abuse as long as it is used as prescribed. However, long-term use of the drug or using it as a recreational drug greatly increases the risk of addiction.

Signs of Ambien Addiction

Signs of Ambien addiction are linked to the patient’s ability to sleep and the effects that occur when the patient stops using the drug. These signs include:

• Difficulty sleeping when not taking large amounts of Ambien
• Taking Ambien with alcohol or other sleeping pills
• Using Ambien as a recreational drug
• Taking it for longer than prescribed

Furthermore, Ambien addicts are at risk for a severe form of withdrawal if they suddenly stop taking the drug. Signs of Ambien withdrawal include nausea, dizziness, muscle spasms, severe seizures and other neurological problems. In some cases, Ambien withdrawal can be life-threatening. To prevent Ambien withdrawal, patients should slowly decrease their dosage of Ambien over a period of time. This gives the body and brain time to adjust to the smaller amounts of the drug.