Effects of Long Term Ambien Use
Ambien is the common name of the short term sleep aid zolpidem tartrate. It falls into the sedative/hypnotic category and there have been reports of addiction. When prescribing Ambien, physicians recommend using the drug for no more than 7-10 days. If further treatment is necessary, the patient should be reevaluated by their doctor. There are a number of possible negative side effects of long-term Ambien use, although everyone’s body will react differently.
The most common side effects in long term trials with Ambien were dizziness and drowsiness during the day. However, these trials strictly adhered to the recommended dosage, 10 mg. Long term use of Ambien is often associated with tolerance, meaning the patient will have to take higher dosages in order to achieve the same effects. If the patient is taking higher than recommended dosages, more serious side effects can occur.
Long term use of Ambien has been associated with sleep walking, driving, talking, and other behaviors that can be dangerous when the operator is impaired. Sleep driving is likely the most dangerous of these behaviors, both to the Ambien user and to others on the road. Sleep talking in Ambien users is frequently more coherent than typical sleep talking, making it more difficult to assess if the patient is impaired. Binge-eating while asleep has also occurred. Hallucinations and delusions have been reported, although they are rare.
Another potential long term side effect of Ambien is antereograde amnesia, the inability to remember events directly after taking a dose. The loss of these memories may be permanent, or they may return spontaneously over time. Patients have been known to take unintentionally take higher dosages of Ambien while under the effects of the drug. There is a potential for addiction, particularly when non-recommended doses are taken.
Long term use of Ambien may also result in withdrawal symptoms when the drug use is discontinued. These can include fatigue, nausea, sweating, and panic attacks. Fortunately these symptoms do not usually require treatment and will improve on their own. The patient may also see a resurgence of insomnia and other related sleep difficulties. It is best to taper off usage gradually in order to minimize these symptoms.
Ambien is not intended for long term use. Unless a physician says otherwise, the drug should not typically be taken for more than 10 days at a time. There are other sleep aids that were created for more continual use that are better suited to long term treatment.
