Ambien Side Effects

Interactions between your drugs (from www.drugs.com)

Zolpidem and lamoTRIgine
Applies to: Ambien (zolpidem), lamotrigine

Using zolpidem together with lamotrigine may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Also avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Cautious dosage titration may be required, particularly at treatment initiation. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

References

1. Divoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI “Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome.” Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3
2. “Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant).” Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ.
3. Lemberger L, Rowe H, Bosomworth JC, Tenbarge JB, Bergstrom RF “The effect of fluoxetine on the pharmacokinetics and psychomotor responses of diazepam.” Clin Pharmacol Ther 43 (1988): 412-9

Zolpidem and ethanol

Applies to: Ambien (zolpidem), Alcohol (contained in alcoholic beverages) (ethanol)

Using zolpidem together with ethanol may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with zolpidem. Do not use more than the recommended dose of zolpidem, and avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medication affects you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Ethanol and lamoTRIgine

Applies to: Alcohol (contained in alcoholic beverages) (ethanol), lamotrigine

Using lamoTRIgine together with ethanol may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with lamoTRIgine. Do not use more than the recommended dose of lamoTRIgine, and avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medication affects you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

From www.therecoveryvilliage.com

Within 30 minutes of taking Ambien, it hits its peak blood concentration. In other words, it takes effect very quickly. The half life, or the time it takes for the medication to decrease by half, is 1.5 hours. However, the effects of the medication may last up to 8 hours after use.

From the FDA label sheet regarding Ambien. Central and peripheral nervous system:

Frequent: ataxia, confusion, euphoria, headache, insomnia, vertigo.

Infrequent: agitation, anxiety, decreased cognition, detached, difficulty concentrating, dysarthria, emotional lability, hallucination, hypoesthesia, illusion, leg cramps, migraine, nervousness, paresthesia, sleeping (after daytime dosing), speech disorder, stupor, tremor.

Rare: abnormal gait, abnormal thinking, aggressive reaction, apathy, appetite increased, decreased libido, delusion, dementia, depersonalization, dysphasia, feeling strange, hypokinesia, hypotonia, hysteria, intoxicated feeling, manic reaction, neuralgia, neuritis, neuropathy, neurosis, panic attacks, paresis, personality disorder, somnambulism, suicide attempts, tetany, yawning.

From the FDA label sheet regarding Ambien (August 29, 2005).

Elimination: Ambien CR administered as a single 12.5 mg dose in healthy male adult subjects, the mean zolpidem elimination half-life was 2.8 hours (range: 1.62 to 4.05 hr).

Next-day residual effects: In five clinical studies; three controlled studies in adults (18-64 years of age) administered Ambien CR 12.5 mg and two controlled studies in the elderly (≥ 65 years of age) administered Ambien CR 6.25 mg or 12.5 mg, the effect of Ambien CR on vigilance, memory, or motor function were assessed using neurocognitive tests. In these studies, no significant decrease in performance was observed eight hours after a nighttime dose. In addition, no evidence of next-day residual effects were detected with Ambien CR 12.5 mg and 6.25 mg using self-ratings of sedation.

Next day somnolence was reported by 15% of the adult patients who received 12.5 mg Ambien CR versus 2% of the placebo group. Next day somnolence was reported by 6% of the elderly patients who received 6.25 mg Ambien CR versus 5% of the placebo group. (See Adverse Reactions.)