What are the common side effects of using Ambien?
Topside effects of Ambien that could be commonly seen in patients using this medication are:
- Sore throat
- Tiredness
- Stuffy nose
- Nausea
- Daytime drowsiness
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Loss of coordination
- Weakness
- Dry mouth
- Nasal irritation
- Muscle pain
- Euphoria
- Headache
- Visual changes
- Insomnia
Inform the doctor if any of these Ambien side effects persist or worsen.
What are the long term side effects of Ambien?
Now that we know the common side effects this medication has let us also talk about the severe Ambien side effects before people start taking this medication.
- Suicidal thoughts
- Memory loss
- Aggressive behavior
- New or worsening depression
- Abnormal thoughts
- Hallucinations
- Anxiety
- Change in behavior
- Severe dizziness
- Rash
- Swelling or itching in face, tongue, or throat
- Problem in breathing
Patients witnessing any of these long term side effects of Ambien should stop using the medication and right away get medical help.
What are the safety measures for using this drug?
Before people start using this medication, let us inform them of the precautions for using Ambien.
- Ambien should not be used co-administered with alcohol since Ambien like any other sedative-hypnotic is a CNS depressant. Using it with any other central nervous system depressant like alcohol, benzodiazepines. Or tricyclic antidepressants would increase the risk of CNS depression.
- Before practicing Ambien, the patients need to inform the doctor if they are allergic to Zolpidem or have any other allergies. Inactive ingredients could be present in the medication. Which may cause severe allergic reactions. Patients with the symptoms of hives, rash, and swelling in the face or throat should right away get medical help.
- The patients should not share Ambien with other people. Even if they have similar symptoms. The doses of this medication are not similar for men and women. Misusing this medication could lead to dangerous side effects.
- Ladies who use this medication should not breast-feed while undergoing treatment as a small dosage of this drug could pass into the breast milk and cause undesired effects in the newborn.
- The patients who are sensitive to lactose should be careful while using this medication as lactose could be present in it.
- Patients who have had sleep apnea, depression, breathing problem. Or a personal/family history of substance use disorder. They need to inform the doctor about their medical history to make sure using this medication is safe or not.
- This medication is not meant to be used by patients younger than 18 years.
- This medication should only be used when required during pregnancy. As using sedative-hypnotics regularly near the time of delivery may lead to undesirable effects like breathing problems or withdrawal symptoms.
- The patients might feel dizzy and sleepy even the next morning after using the drug, mainly if the extended-release tablets were used. The patients should wait for at least 4 hours or till the time they are fully awake before doing work that requires attentiveness.