Is regular use of Ambien a bad thing?

[Burnt Offerings]

I've never been all that big on Ambien, in fact I stopped using it at all for a good three or four weeks right after I was prescribed it because my sleep cycles were improving naturally & I didn't feel like I needed it, but lately I've been taking it every night for the past ten days or so. I like to stay awake for a half hour or 45 minutes after taking it, until I feel the drug really kick in...it's kind of a bizarre feeling but strangely enjoyable IMO, to stay awake for a bit on the drug. I usually succumb to sleep shortly afterwards.

Is there any dangers as far as regular use of zolpidem is concerned, besides being dependent on it for sleep? I don't abuse my prescription (I take 10 mgs a night) but I have a bunch of refills on it & I know that it affects GABA-A receptors like benzodiazepines do, so I thought I'd enquire...

 

[infectedmushroom]

You don't want to rely on any substance to solve an issue like insomnia for too long...sorry for the simple answer, but I think it's that simple. Treat it like a benzo and use it for short term use only.

 

[SixBuckets]

I've been taking it nightly for literally years. No real ill effects. Even the weird 'kicking in' feeling you're talking about goes away after you've been using them for a while. You just fall asleep.

I mean, yeah, I can't sleep without them at all, but I couldn't sleep without them at all before I started taking them either.

Long term use of z-drugs has been loosely linked to some cancers in rats, but they've never found a human equivalent. There haven't been any studies done on long term safety, though.

 

[Rachella666]

Regular use will lead to addiction very quickly, i purchsed Mine off the street so i
quickly became addicted, long use of any prescripton med is not to be played around with, the withdrawals arent pretty xxxRachelxxx

 

[《Plasticity》]

Besides addiction and dependence potential (which really shouldn't be glossed over), cognitive fog and memory issues are common complaints. Daytime anxiety can also be a problem once dependency starts in. The half life for zolpidem is something like 2-3hrs iirc so if you have a fast metabolism, at some point you may have to either increase dosing frequency or take something that will hold you off until night time. My aunt couldn't go 6 hours without entering withdrawal so her doctor prescribed .75mg of clonazepam on top of the usual 15mgs of ambien.

 

[Evergreendreams]

I have used Ambien for long periods of time on and off. It hasn't had any affect on me that is negative long term. And I take 20mg when I take it. I NEVER GO HIGHER THAN 20MG. I have heard stories that people sleep walk and drive without even knowing they did it but I have never met anyone who has done that or done it myself lol I have done some dumb things that my then boyfriend (now husband) has recorded me doing for blackmail purposes haha like dancing or singing stupid songs without remembering. That is pretty funny to go back and watch. But nothing serious has ever happened to me. I also took Ambien while pregnant as well because I was so uncomfortable during the last part of the pregnancy and still working full time so not getting any sleep was affecting my daily routine. My baby is beautiful and completely healthy I don't see any harm from Ambien unless someone takes A LOT of it. I remember when I first upped to 20mg, I would get in the bath and my husband found me asleep in it and had to get me out..that was the only incident. But that has nothing to do with internal damage or OD or anything. That's just the medication working and my stupid ass taking a bath after taking it..but that's my favorite thing to do on Ambien

 

[Evergreendreams]

Besides addiction and dependence potential (which really shouldn't be glossed over), cognitive fog and memory issues are common complaints. Daytime anxiety can also be a problem once dependency starts in. The half life for zolpidem is something like 2-3hrs iirc so if you have a fast metabolism, at some point you may have to either increase dosing frequency or take something that will hold you off until night time. My aunt couldn't go 6 hours without entering withdrawal so her doctor prescribed .75mg of clonazepam on top of the usual 15mgs of ambien.

I posted already, like I said I took 20mg and never experienced withdrawals..that is weird. Only thing is I couldn't sleep the week after not taking it but day time anxiety..no.

 

[《Plasticity》]

When it comes to withdrawal there's always variation between individuals. I frequently hear of people taking benzos for months and notice little to no withdrawal whereas a similar amount and frequency of use put me through hell for 3 months. Ambien withdrawal from even once daily use is well documented, daytime anxiety was just a complaint my aunt had. After doing some research the doctor linked it to withdrawal and added low dose klonopin to her regimine.

 

[RandyWatson]

I've been addicted to ambien for 4 or 5 years. I snort it, and take 2 to 3 a night. I need to stop but I'm so scared to. I've had insomnia all my life and instantly fell in love with ambien. But typical me I start abusing it and now I have a huge tolerance. If I don't take one i'll fall asleep about 4am and have terrible nightmares. I get a script of 30 and a friend of mine gives me her 30 script and I still always run out. Then I go on some Ferris Buellers day off type adventure to try and find just enough to get through the night. But my story isn't filled with whimsical 80's hijinx, its just pathetic and sad.

 

[SixBuckets]

Besides addiction and dependence potential (which really shouldn't be glossed over), cognitive fog and memory issues are common complaints. Daytime anxiety can also be a problem once dependency starts in. The half life for zolpidem is something like 2-3hrs iirc so if you have a fast metabolism, at some point you may have to either increase dosing frequency or take something that will hold you off until night time. My aunt couldn't go 6 hours without entering withdrawal so her doctor prescribed .75mg of clonazepam on top of the usual 15mgs of ambien.

I'm still on the original dose I was put on years ago. I can miss a day without withdrawal - I just don't sleep. I wonder why your aunt's experience was so different to mine?

 

[《Plasticity》]

Who knows, but apparently she's not alone. You can find a few scattered reports of people saying ambien withdrawal begins somewhere around 6 hours after dosing. I know they make a delayed release version, perhaps that's what you are on and not my aunt... never asked her. With a half-life of 2.5 hours I can't imagine an instant release formula keeping people well for days at a time. Perhaps your not particularly dependant and only suffer from rebound symptoms when abstaining.

Aside from that onset of withdrawal varies widely person to person. I can't go 5-6 without kratom hefore going into withdrawal, I've read of people claiming they can go without for over 24 hours. Metabolism plays a vital role in this type of stuff, fast metabolisms run in my family. We all have an ectomorphic body type and trouble gaining weight.

 

[White Indica LaLa]

Picked up my 30 day script five days ago and just took the last one. 10mg instant release. Very addictive and potent for recreation. Called the doctor almost a month early for my refill to "just have it on hand so it saves me another trip to the pharmacy" Can pick it up 3 days early. Although similar to a benzo I find it more euphoric and relaxing when taken throughout the day. Feeling is like a strong benzo mixed with alcohol, heavy body load, talkative and outgoing, totally anxiety free and uninhibited....until it wears off 5-6 hours later. After using Ambien in heavy doses like this for a week or so the only withdrawal I get is rebound anxiety, basically slightly higher anxiety than my normal state. Personally I find it safe and recreational but have a ton of benzo experience and with heavy drugs. I do have "black out" periods on high doses but if I think hard enough I can recall exactly what I was doing and have never done anything other than act completely normal and take 1 or 2 every few hours to keep the buzz going. I can see someone with no benzo experience acting out off these because the way they lower inhibitions is crazy. Worse than alcohol in that regard but as long as you keep you're head on, it's a non-issue.

 

[pasha]

It carries the risk of dependance and withdrawal which is almost identical to that of benzodiazepines. With gabaergics, it's usually the length of use that dictates the dependance as opposed to the dosage.

Example:

2 milligrams of alprazolam for a week causes relatively little to no dependance as opposed to 0.5 milligrams alprazolam taken for 2 years.

 

[SixBuckets]

Who knows, but apparently she's not alone. You can find a few scattered reports of people saying ambien withdrawal begins somewhere around 6 hours after dosing. I know they make a delayed release version, perhaps that's what you are on and not my aunt... never asked her. With a half-life of 2.5 hours I can't imagine an instant release formula keeping people well for days at a time. Perhaps your not particularly dependant and only suffer from rebound symptoms when abstaining.

I've tried both the instant release formulation and the extended release, both for lengthy periods of time. TBH, I didn't notice much of a difference between them, except that I had more of a morning "hangover" from the extended release.

Aside from that onset of withdrawal varies widely person to person. I can't go 5-6 without kratom hefore going into withdrawal, I've read of people claiming they can go without for over 24 hours. Metabolism plays a vital role in this type of stuff, fast metabolisms run in my family. We all have an ectomorphic body type and trouble gaining weight.

I would be really interested to know if there's any link between fast food/glucose/fat metabolism and better-than-average hepatic metabolism. My partner also has trouble gaining weight and drugs/medications seem to hit them faster and wear off more quickly.