Ambien : More dangerous than helpful?

Ambien is one of a wide variety of sleep-aid drugs. Photo from Flickr.

Tiger Wood’s former mistress is just the latest in a long line of people that have claimed the drug Ambien helped them make things in the bedroom even more exciting. Even though this very off-label use seems to be popular on message boards, there are many much more dangerous side-effects that are gaining notoriety as well. Ambien is a very expensive drug – so much so that some have to get a cash loan just to cover prescriptions – so it’s important to know what you’re getting into if you are looking into taking Ambien.

The original intent of Ambien

Ambien is a drug made made for and approved for treating insomnia. Simply put, Ambien puts you to sleep. Chemically, it is described as a “nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic”. Translation – it stops synapses in the brain from firing. This means that it keeps your brain from being awake, remembering things, or controlling muscles easily.

Ambien’s listed side effects

When Ambien was first approved by the FDA, it came with a long list of side effects, the most common of which were listed as daytime drowsiness, diarrhea, and coordination problems as well as depression, hallucinations, and addiction. These are just the side effects of Ambien that were reported before the drug went into widespread use, however.

Off-label recreational use of Ambien

The off-label (unapproved by the FDA) uses of Ambien have been growing in recent years. As ABC 7 (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0310/712179.html) in Los Angeles reported, there are many people using this drug in the bedroom, much like Rachel Uchitel is reported to have claimed. This off-label use of Ambien, however, comes with many significant dangers, including severe addiction.

Ambien users report memory loss and more

One of the most high-profile dangers of using Ambien is the memory loss and sleep-walking. When combined, these side effects have led to individuals who taken Ambien (prescribed or not) eating, driving, shopping, or having romantic encounters in their sleep, only to have no recollection of it later. The social and financial repercussions of these actions often last for days, if not months or years – to the point some people end up taking out installment loans to pay for purchases or damages they have no memory of being a part of. ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1927026&page=1) reports that Ambien has “made it onto the lists of the Top 10 drugs found in impaired motorists”.

Some “Ambien Zombies” speak out

Find out more about Ambien

Ambien is a very powerful drug that must be considered with care. If you would like to learn more about Ambien and the side effects of taking it, you should start with Drugs.com, Ambien’s website, and The People’s Pharmacy.