Yeah, let's take all drugs off the market whenever someone may have a "side-effect" and go back to the dark ages where life expectancy was about 30. Give me a friggin break. Just because someone kills themself after taking zolpidem a la ambien doesn't mean IT'S THE DRUGS FAULT! This approach is the idiocy that permeates the american public. It's not the suicides fault - it's the drugs fault - it's not the criminals fault; it's the gun's fault; it's not the schools fault a child flunks out - it's the parents fault; it's not the smokers fault he gets cancer; it's the cigarettes fault, it's not the drivers fault he loses control of his van and flips-it's the manufacturers, and the list goes on and on. Jumping to conclusions "more2bits" etc. is more dangerous than most dangerous drugs, for in order to prevent lawyers that have driven up health care costs with lawsuits everytime someone kills themself or had an accident that is on ANY medication drug companies just stop making drugs that may be of greater benefit to the public. I suggest that those of you that are so quick to call for removal of drugs or ANY substances shut the hell up unless YOU have been effected by whatever. THEN, shut the hell up and STOP. THAT is what CHOICE is about. YOU can make a choice to take a drug or NOT, but don't think you can infringe upon MY choice. That kind of behavior can have a negative impact on everyone. Enough said.

So if he had a can of Pepsi before shooting himself would you want that off the market, too? this story is beyond pointless.

Working in a medical clinic, I review my patients' medication lists routinely. When I come across zolpidem/Ambien on their list, I always ask them how they are doing on the med and if they have experienced any of the side effects mentioned. You would not believe some of the stories I get. Night-time eating binges, halluncinations, car accidents due to black out periods, night time shopping trips - all things I would have thought were coincidental and possibly made up, except for the fact that I experienced some of them myself. The med does a good job at facilitating sleep, but man! when you are driving along and realize you don't remember turning the last corner or how you got where you did, that's a bit scary. That's when I quit and went to a more natural way of managing my insomnia.

Well they keep playing with these exotic mixes of drugs let people have a nice tea with opium, or other natural substances to sedate themselves but the pharma industry and goverment won't let us and doctors now practice insurance risk medicine so everythings a rsk...

Arsenic is natural along with numerous other naturally occurring poisons. Just because it is natural doesn't make it safe.

I have a friend with PTSD and bipolar who was prescribed Ambien for sleeping. She's on a lot of medications, and getting the right mix is difficult, but Ambien caused her intense nightmares.

Keep in mind pharma companies have been hit with multiple criminal complaints, lawsuits (such as by state medicaid programs) and fines in recent years for concealing serious side effects of certain psychiatric medications as well as marketing them for uses other than what has been approved. Their mechanisms are complex and generally poorly understood, with very different results on different individuals. Any new prescription should be monitored carefully.

The FDA is out of control with their approval of so many drugs with such horrible side effects. Just listen to all the ads for drugs on the market. They can cause everything from bad thoughts to cancer, but the FDA under the Bush admin, hired the pharma executives to run the show and give their pals permission to consistently harm the public. A lot of what is approved here in the US isn't even allowed in other countries because of one reason or another. Some aren't even eco friendly and disallowed in Canada and throughout Europe. Others are just to dangerous. But here in the good ole USA we not only allow these drugs, but overcharge the public for them. Time the FDA was brought under control.

What a load of crap. .05mg isn't enough to put a cat to sleep. This drug is as safe and effective motrin. If you've never had to take it, you need to just shut up. Follow the damn directions for a change. You have about 20-30 minutes tops to be in bed. If you push it and choose to ignore, its on you. The same is true for Valium. The best part of Ambien is that its a NON narcotic medication and it works.

Living is dangerous! Gonna take life off the market?

There are lots of natural 'remedies' out there for many 'natural' ailments -- arsenic has been pointed out, there is also foxglove, or digitalis (for heart ailments), ginger for upset stomachs, etc.

But for an insomniac, more than a cup of hot milk before bed is needed. I know many people who have been on the insomnia drugs for years and all they get is a good night's sleep. Now and then, there is a side effect, and they report it, and it's either monitored, or the meds are changed.

One man's cup of poison is another man's cup of tea. If it's your cup of poison, don't drink it, but don't try to deny it to others for whom it is a cup of life-giving tea.

I get the impression JP works for big pharma because he seems to be unware that pharma has been allowed to falsely minimize the true risks of many drugs and the occurence of side effects in people once the drug is out in the open market is often under reported or not reported at all.

So here's the truth loser, you have your rights, we have a right to be free of idiots like you who will do anything in the name of profit.

By the way, Ambien is in fact a narcotic, deal with it.

Yes it is a narcotic (a benzodiazepine to be exact)...so what's your point "leftrightcenter"?

the way, Ambien is in fact a narcotic, deal with it.

No it's not. Ambien is a sedative hypnotic. Ambien acts on the GABAa receptor at the same location as benzodiazepienes. It's better classified as a benzodiazepine than as a narcotic. Narcotics are a separate class of drugs and they act on the opiod receptors (specifically the mu, kappa, delta and sigma opiod receptors).

These are different classes of drugs.

Leftrightcenter Just FYI. Read the definition: Ambien and Lunesta also don't share the physical dependence properties NOR does a user experience a "tolerance" requiring more to achieve sleep. Its also a class IV scheduled drug.

You deal with it

narcotic

1. Originally, any drug derived from opium or opiumlike compounds with potent analgesic effects associated with both significant alteration of mood and behavior and with potential for dependence and tolerance.
2. More recently, any drug, synthetic or naturally occurring, with effects similar to those of opium and opium derivatives, including meperidine, fentanyl, and their derivatives.

I was prescribed Ambien one time and sort of went into a zombie state. I was walking around and talking (and saying really wierd things) but was completely unaware of what I was doing or saying. My wife and daughter were really frightened. I've read stories of seemingly normal people being stopped by the cops out driving their cars, etc and they had no idea they were doing it. I believe it's entirely possible someone could take Ambien and kill 10 people without having any idea (or responsibility) they are doing it. Take the stuff sometime and you will see.

I have taken ambien and I have definitely walked in my sleep, made food in the middle of the night even though I was not hungry, and actually cleaned it up. I wake up to find signs and I am blown away.

My husband took ambien, as well. He goes to bed a few hours before I do, and it was common to see him walk past me (without noticing me) and into the kitchen, where he would eat massive amounts of food (an entire box of poptarts, or 3 sandwiches, for example) then stumble back to the bedroom. He would have absolutely no recollection of any of this the following day.

It was when he drove an hour through early morning DC traffic and couldn't remember how he got to work, that I put my foot down and had the Dr. take him off of it.

I told the doctor, that if my husband took ambien and cleaned out the fridge, fine, but I would not allow him to put innocent lives at risk on the highway!

I've been waiting for this.

My wife stopped taking ambien after she parked her car on the sidewalk THE NEXT AFTERNOON.

I was given a temporary prescription. I am sensitive to most medications and usually require smaller doses. ESPECIALLY, pain meds.

I took 1/2 of one ambien. Made me sleep, but like Bruce said....wierd. I also felt 'pissed off at the world.

I am not a good example because of my med sensitivity, but I would say this.....be conservative with it's use. Don't take it and try to stay up. For god's sake don't drink. And be aware of the behavior changes that can occur.

The back and forth nasty debate above is pointless. Suffice it to say that medications can have serious side affects and should not be taken lightly.

I don't think the Sunday School teacher sounded like an abuser or misuser....but he's dead.

When I told my doc I wouldn't take them (after the second dose), he said that some people get dependent on it....he thinks psychological dependence.

And what does it matter if a dependence is psychological or physical if it takes over your life or kills you or someone else.

I subscribe to the philosophy that I never have died from lack of sleep.

leftrightcenter,

No, Ambien is not classified as a narcotic in the U.S. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) classification under the Federal Controlled Substance’s Act (CSA), Ambien is a Class IV substance on par with other prescription medicines. Drugs in Schedule IV have low potential for abuse, limited physical, and limited psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III. The drugs in Schedule IV also have current medical use.

Ambien is the brand name for zolpidem, a non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic, central nervous system depressant that is mainly prescribed as a sleep aid.

Why do people play devils advocate and back big corps on practically everything? They are either trolls on the site or trolls in real life. What makes a drug legal and available to the public is when the FDA determines that the pros outweigh the cons. Having trouble sleeping is a con but not as much as wanting to commit suicide. The whole system is bought. There is a drug advertised on the radio that is supposed to help you deal with working odd hours. So if you work second or third shift you should take this drug to make you feel like you work first shift/ downside is you might kill yourself. What BS. And trolls would take this drug companys' side too and compare it to Pepsi. What slaves.

It wasn't the Ambien.

HIGHLAND PARK (CBS 11 NEWS) – Financial troubles and a secret drug addiction may have motivated a Highland Park multimillionaire to stab himself last month, according to an autopsy report released Friday.

The report by the Dallas County Medical Examiner confirms John Rodman Steele died from a self-inflicted stab wound through the heart.

Police responded his family’s home at 4:18am on July 11^th, after his wife, 16 year-old son, and 12 year-old daughter made separate 911 calls.

The report claims Steele was suffering from insomnia and had gone into his daughter’s room to lie with her.

“When his wife called him back to bed, (Steele) brought in an 8-10 inch kitchen knife and began attacking her,” reads the report.

Hearing his mother’s screams, their son ran in and tried to fight off his father.

Arriving officers found Dina Steele, bleeding from her wounds, as she made it out the front door with her two children. John Steele was discovered lying on the kitchen floor with a fatal stab wound to the chest.

While family and friends expressed shock at the violent death, Steele’s psychiatrist, Dr. StephenTankersley revealed he had a 2 to 3 year history of major depression and a Vicodin addiction he had hidden from his wife. The doctor reported he had tried multiple times to get Steele to admit himself for treatment for drug addiction or depression, but that he refused.

“(Steele) relapsed at the beginning of this year and was buying pills off the street,” reads the report.

The report claims Dina Steele also admitted to a nurse the family was having financial issues and that her husband was involved in a lawsuit over a “Ponzi-like” scheme.

Tankersley claimed Steele was not guilty of wrong doing but had been pulled into bankruptcy proceedings and lost approximately one million dollars, of the 30 million he was worth.

Steele’s daughter reportedly said her father had received “some bad news” on the phone the day before his death.

Possible serious side effects can include “more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions.”

Does this sound like something you want to take? If people would stop cramming sugars down their mouths all day, maybe they could get to sleep.

sorry about my imperfect grammer and spelling, and I meant to say that i'm NOT in big pharma. - have to remember that once you post your time to edit is limited.

Creepy. Why was he in bed with his 12 yo daughter just because he was unable to sleep?....sounds like the wife stabbed him after being attacked or something.....very weird.

And? I've taken Ambien before and you know what happened to me? I slept. The worst side effect I had was a sore ear from not rolling over all night. Not EVERYONE who takes it has these wild reactions.

No drug, or for that matter, any product, works the same on everyone...you don't know it's dangerous until you take it. If pain meds put you to sleep, you were not in pain to start with. When you deal with pain all day and suddenly get some relief, you wake up and want to be active because you feel slightly better.

If every product worked the same on everyone, your fried nasty hair would look like the super model on the commercials.

Funny how some people can defend big pharma, but suggest the same rules apply to weed and they go nuts.

for every ailment in life there is a natural way to cure it. government and pharma do not want you to use natural remedies, well because they dont make them tons of money and natural remedies actually work with less side effects. i loath pharmaceuticals and try to always use natural remedies because i dont want more problems just from trying to treat one problem.

when the government classifies a harmless, non narcotic, non addictive plant that has proven beneficial medicinal applications as a SCH1 drug while at the same time labeling harmful, narcotics and non narcotics, addictive and dangerous manufactured drugs as SCH3, there is something majorly wrong and to top it off, the people are too stupid to see they issue.

our life expectancy is not really that much better now than it was 6000 years ago, egyptians constantly lived to old age as did romans and most ancient people. the shorter life span was a result of the dark ages when we 'lost' most of the ancient tech that made our civilization healthier -like clean running water and sanitation, the ancients had indoor pluming!!! the dark ages was 1500 years of pure waste which resulted in millions of unnecessary deaths due to the catholic church's rule (not christianity). the tired propaganda that we lived to our 30's or w/e back in the days is because we didnt have any sanitation due to religious rule, technology was blasphemous and many were killed trying to bring people out of the dark. pharmaceuticals have not made our lives any better, clean running water and sanitation has a bigger impact and always will.

indoor pluming was invented 5000+ years ago but we only 'got it' in the 1800's, there are tons of things that the ancients invented that were either lost of destroyed and we are 'rediscovering' these old techs all the time, the harnessing of electricity was also found over 5000 years ago too. history sure repeats itself alright.

NC open heart

Creepy. Why was he in bed with his 12 yo daughter just because he was unable to sleep?....sounds like the wife stabbed him after being attacked or something.....very weird

I actually thought the same thing. In bed with 12 year old daughter because he couldn't sleep?" When I can't sleep I can be found in the family room with the TV on or in my garage organizing stuff that doesn't need organizing.

Possible serious side effects can include “more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions.

They might add confusing your daughter with your spouse to the list.

Perhaps the daughter stabbed him.....finally......

Benefit: Cures Sleep.

Risks: more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions

This time the benefits don't outweigh the risks.

I remember years ago, the docs all used to order temazepam (Restoril) for the patients to sleep, we'd give it all the time, worked great, patients slept, felt good, no problems.....then along comes BIG PHARMA with friggin ambien and all of a sudden it's all we see getting ordered for patients to sleep....what a nightmare, literally, patients waking up confused, pulling out their IV's, flailing their arms around screaming, blood flying, like a wrestling match to get control of them...totally disoriented and combative!!! It made being a night nurse quite a nightmare! Got so I just wouldn't give it anymore as would none of my colleagues! I think we know the days of "it's just how that one person reacts to it" are over! Don't use Ambien people!!

Zolpidem is a hypnotic and very prone to causing delirium and sleep walking. Having seen its common side effects many times, i wouldn't be surprised if it is causing people to die, one way or another, on an almost daily basis, but the connection is not being made.

And? I've taken Ambien before and you know what happened to me? I slept. The worst side effect I had was a sore ear from not rolling over all night. Not EVERYONE who takes it has these wild reactions.

Apparently thousands (maybe millions?) take it and do only sleep. However, the exception (people who do weird stuff) seems very high as a percentage of the total. So much so that I can't believe they still sell the stuff. I quit taking it after ONE PILL because it just had too much negative effect...

Sunday School Teacher is the headline on this? Wasn't he a 'Successful Dallas Businessman' who served on bank boards?

Everybody in the newsroom is under orders to avoid eye contact, put their hands in their pockets, just stare at the ceiling and whistle. Maybe the public won't notice.

I'm confused, what exactly do we need to ban here?

Exactly mom, if you actually read any of the side effect potential on these new drugs is would scare the crap out of you to say I'll pass.........

i know.geez.how could you take it after reading the side effects and be able to sleep?

Zolpidem has been used by millions, I REPEAT MILLIONS of people affected by sleep disorders who have NOT killed themselves and NEVER validated as the direct cause of a suicide. Mofe people die every year from aspirin - so get off this BS! Article was probably written by someone that can't sleep!

Hummmmmmmmmmmm ... Hopefully we will begin to realize the dangers of legal drugs ... (how can Dangerous Drugs Be legal and perfectly safe and harmless ones be "Illegal?)

It doesn't make sense that had he just smoked a joint to ease his insomnia, ( A illegal safe drug) he would have risked going to jail, loosing his job & home; But by taking a legal drug, he became psychotic, kills his wife and himself ....

Legalize Marijuana ... that's safe as safe can be!

jp, agressive behavior,agitation?

I was having some trouble sleeping and I took that med for about 4 nights. I started thinking some really odd things by the 3rd night and after the 4th I realized that I thought it was that med-Ambien. Within a day or two of quitting my thinking was normal again. I was anxious, I thought I was going to die, the end of the world was coming and I thought I couldn't control my car and would never drive again, etc etc and felt like I would wreck before I got home. I asked my friend to drive and then later that night I had an epiphany. I had heard some strange things about that drug, but had forgotten about it.. Never again.

A very good friend of mine tore her whole house up then drove to my home 3 miles away and she was asleep on my couch when I woke up, She remembered nothing about it, but she threw away her sleeping pills and has never repeated the performance. Very scary stuff.

doggiemom Have you ever read the side-effects for Chantix or any one of a hundred different medications that people use daily? The side effects for ambien are miniscule in comparison. Do some research.

The thing is, even if one person in a million has a negative side effect they have to post it on the list. The drug may be great and help millions of people but negatively affect one. So taking such a drug off the market makes no sense to me. I was on a cancer treatment drug that saved my life but had a list of potential side effects as long as my arm. I fortunately, only experienced a few and trust me, I'm glad that drug wasn't taken off the market.

When a potential drug shows initial positive results, pharma companies can "fast-track" it through the FDA. That means that it is approved without follow-up on potential side effects until after it is already on the market.

Look at Phenphen (pardon the spelling). Thousands took that to lose weight, not realizing that long-term use would/could cause irreversible heart and kidney damage.

@Greenchilegranny - Glad to see chemo saved your life. Wishing you many quality years!!

JP, looky looky fool!

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_die_each_year_from_aspirin

And now:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/28/news/la-heb-sleep-aids-cancer-death-20120228

Took all of 30 seconds to find these, so before you spout, maybe you should LEARN.

Now, go take your Ambien PLEASE!

read the warnings for Aspirin, Advil, and every other OTC med - you can die - even if taking as directed. same with Rx meds. life is dangerous and when you get medical treament whether from an md writing an Rx or you're picking up a bottle of asprin because you having headaches - there always a risk. whether from the meds or the crazy driver that might wreck into you while your on the way to the store. And yes I know the probabilities for each of the events are different. Point is, as a patient you can do things to minimize (although of no course one completely eliminate) the risk; knowing the interactions with other stuff you may take -esp. the herbal stuff and alcohol, and even some foods (remember Seldane and grapefruit juice? - there are still things that are a bad combo with grapefruits), actually telling your doctor when something doesn't feel right - they're not mind readers- though they should care enough to address your concerns.

Some people are just trying to live life without complete misery, and going 48-60 stright hours without sleep makes you a dangerous person all by itself. On a consistent basis you may become unemployable (extreme cases) and someone who forgets whether they stopped at the last stop sign.

Generally I find that if they haven't lived it, then you'll meet with extreme and irrational intolerance from those who haven't (it's sad when this person is a doctor). It's interesting that the headline is about the medication but the story is a laudry-list of other potential "causes." And no I'm in big pharma, but I have been a patient whose was treated by someone (a complete stranger) who's rush to judgement about what was the "cause of my complaint" was done with staggering speed. He/She really didn't ask me any questions. And here I could go into medical professionals who scare away people who need help by making it seem like a mistake to even tell a doctor anything about about what's really bugging you AND "friends"/armchair doctors who love to judge and gossip as opposed to listening and helping.

Those are the issues, IMO, that society would benefit more by addressing rather than just taking the road that puts people out of sight, out of mind, or the road that makes them feel like everyone would rather they just take themselves out of sight and out of mind. (and then in addressing these things we'd also actually be the kind of people we want everyone to think we are).

and P.S. I know this is a long comment, but don't bother guessing what my particular issue was, it is completely beside my point (and fyi for those who can't help themselves and because some people just need need need to judge based on incomplete facts - legalizing drugs (any of them) wouldn't have taken care of the problem I was facing).

$*%# happens and it's sad when others just have to make it worse.

sorry about my imperfect grammer and spelling, and I meant to say that i'm NOT in big pharma. - have to remember that once you post your time to edit is limited.

Some very insightful post! ....

considering all the facts that we as humans can glean .... and recognizing that no one knows or can feel the effects that any substance we put in our bodies, don't each of us have the right to chose what that substance is without the dominion of government?

read the warnings for Aspirin, Advil, and every other OTC med - you can die - even if taking as directed

no, you die because you took too many, you took them with other drugs, you had a conflicting pre-existing medical condition, you were allergic. you didnt die because you took the recommended amount within the recommended time period, it doesnt happen.

for the most part exaggerated warning labels are a good way to prevent litigation from people too stupid to think. we live our lives by warning labels right?

I am glad the meds work for you DW in NH. But, these drugs are very dangerous or they would not have the side effects noted. They should have NEVER be brought to mark for people to take. I know because a very close family member committed suicide after just 4 weeks of being on Ambien and an anti-depressant called Paxil CR. It was almost 8 years ago and the guys children without a father are now in their teen years and it is very difficult for them seeing everyone else with fathers. I am very thankful that this person only killed himself and left his wife and children alone. Law enforcement says suicides from being on these medicines is at a phenomonel rate. Yet the drug companies and the FDA keep them on the market. There are high profile cases like the school shooting in Colorado years ago and others. Google cases of suicide on anti depressants and sleeping pills, you will not trust them or the FDA again. Everytime a family goes through this, I can relate, but yet our own government does nothing to protect people because they support big pharma for profits. I am totally disgusted with our system of approvals of mind altering drugs that make people do things they would have never done without the pills. I am sorry they help you, because eventually someone will get the guts to remove these killer drugs from the market. Everyone thinks you need a pill to fix everything wrong in your life. The answer is not a pill, but how about a change of life style. I love the people that live within their means without giving their pay checks to banks every month just to make a mortgage payment. Priorities are people, then money, then things. If you follow this pecking order, I promise you will have less stress in your life and not need any pills.

Reported side effects must be told to the FDA, even if they affect less than one-tenth of the test group. I've taken Ambien/Zolipedem and had no side effects. My significant other takes a cancer drug and the side effects reported scare the pants off her even though she has had none of them.

Reported side effects are just that, reported side effects that may affect such a small amount of people taking them. Give it a break. Read the reporting requirements for the FDA. Those would scare the pants off you.

JoAnn, Paxil is a ton more dangerous than the sleeping pill.And four weeks is not eough time for a drug to cause such a side effect. I'm sorry for your loss but the suicide happened despite the drugs.

If you follow this pecking order, I promise you will have less stress in your life and not need any pills.

This comment is offensive to anyone suffering from mental illness. Don't you think that most victims of depression and mental illness have attempted to make life changes before trying medications? You are clearly speaking from a complete lack of insight or experience with mental illness. Mental illness is due to a chemical imbalance. It would be a wonderful world if lifestyle changes would fix all mental illness, but that is a fairy tale and you should be ashamed to even have suggested it.

Jo Ann, I have a very simple life as far as bills. I don't worry about a roof or food. I am however, seriously long term ill. The drugs that keep me alive also make it all but impossible to sleep. What depression I suffered came from sheer exhaustion. I was given Ambien and it changed everything. It gives me a window of opportunity to fall asleep. I was monitored very closely for both physical and mental changes for months. The mental change has been a renewed sense of control and comfort. All these (rare) stories aside, they would have to claw these pills out of my hands.

Many people do perfectly fine on it and it sure helped me during a rough transition in my life. I question the accuracy of the reported dosage. You are right. I believe it comes in 5 and 10 milligram dosages. The reported .05 milligrams would be a fraction of a pill - not likely.

re "side effects must be reported to the FDA"--um, no. This does happen during clinical trials--which are fairly short-term and involve samples of people rather than large populations. There is no specific mechanism for collecting data about side effects once a drug is on the market. Which is a shame.

Incidentally, I did once report a significant drug side effect to the FDA myself, by picking up the phone and calling a FDA field office which directed me to a phone number. There is a website with information how you can do this thru your healthcare provider or as a consumer:

from the FDA:

Risks associated with gaps in current knowledge are, by definition, unavoidable. As new products enter the market, for example, the potential for interactions withother drugs, biologics, medical devices, dietary supplements, and foods increases. Off‐label20use may also lead to new risks that are not understood. Rare side effectsmay not be detected in clinical trials. And increases in the frequency of commonevents can be hard to detect: although nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) were first approved in the 1970s, it was not until 2000 that their risk ofexacerbating ischemic heart disease was uncovered — and this risk is still not wellunderstood. FDA operates programs intended to fill in these knowledge gaps (e.g.,required postmarket trials and registries, adverse event surveillance programs, andpharmacoepidemiologic studies). However, it is likely that knowledge about anygiven drug will always be incomplete. Unpreventable known side effects are a second, common source of unavoidablerisks associated with taking medications. The probability of any given side effectoccurring is evaluated during medical product development and described in thedrug label, but often there is no way to predict who, of the many people taking amedication, will experience it.

I question the accuracy of the reported dosage. You are right. I believe it comes in 5 and 10 milligram dosages. The reported .05 milligrams would be a fraction of a pill - not likely.

They didn't report how much he actually took. They reported how much was found in his system at the time.

Ambien has a half life of 2.2 +/-0.4 hours. There are things that can alter the half life - those with liver cirrhosis have a longer half life (about 6.6 hours). 5 mg dose of Ambien has a blood level of 0.06 mg in the blood at 1.6 hours after taking the medication, 10 mg dose has a blood level of .12 mg at 1.6 hours after taking the drug. He could've taken either the 5 mg or 10 mg dose, and had a .05 mg blood level at either 1.6 hours or 3.2 hours after taking the medication.

DW in NH, I am also glad that the medication is helping you with your insomnia, but as a nurse for the past 10 years, I have seen Ambien/Zolpidem cause people to do strange almost dangerous things. One co-worker took the medication for the first time ever and she slept for 2 days, rearranged the bottles in her medicine cabinet and items in her kitchen cabinet in sizes and colors.

I have seen patient's have psychotic episodes in the hospital overnight while caring for them and the elderly go from alert and orientated to complete confusion and even combativeness. I totally get that this medication helps people but I do not like giving it to people. Before I call an MD for sleep medication I always try non-pharmacological means first, I ask the patient what do you do at home to help you sleep, repositioning, addressing pain issues anything I can think of, BUT when I do call the MD I recommend Trazodone, especially for the elderly, because they do not metabolize (breakdown) medications well as we age. It drives me crazy that the first medication MD's want to give is Ambien. The response when I recommend Trazodone is usually, "nah, just go ahead and give 5mg of Ambien". Drives me crazy. I realize we nurses are not MD's, but when you have had 10+ years of experience and have seen patient's have issues with this medication, and have also had to deal with the aftermath of the side effects because an MD wants to give patient's a medication that can cause serious psychotic side effects is beyond me. I will usually get pharmacy involved if I am able prior to calling the MD, but that is not always successful either.

And for the record, not to offend you DW in NH, but it is usually patient's such as yourself that have become dependent on certain medications for certain things that do not report the need to know side effects to their MD because they do not want to lose the option of having the medication because to them it is such a small thing to report to your MD, "hey I have been having weird dreams, or I felt like I was not myself one day, but it only lasted one day". Just be honest and don't take everything your MD says as gospel, they are not God they make mistakes as well, be involved in your care, don't just take anything given to you.

Sorry so long, I could go on and on, there is so much education our communities need regarding medications and being involved in their care, I guess one by one; one by one.

I always try non-pharmacological means first, I ask the patient what do you do at home to help you sleep, repositioning, addressing pain issues anything I can think of, BUT when I do call the MD I recommend Trazodone, especially for the elderly, because they do not metabolize (breakdown) medications well as we age.

It's great to try non-pharmacological means first. I would like to point out that the problem with Trazadone is that it has a fairly long half-life and, more importantly, it is metabolised through the CYP450 system. In the elderly, the half life is extended significantly (in non-elderly populations, the half life is 6.4 hours; in the elderly it's 11.6 hours). It's clearance rate is also significantly decreased in the elderly. The prolonged half-life and decreased clearance means that elderly have more of the drug in them for longer periods of time - increasing the risk of adverse effects. This can be dealt with by giving the elderly a much smaller dose.

The more important thing about trazadone is that it is metabolized through the CYP450 system, specifically CYP3A4. There are many things that induce and inhibit CYP3A4 (as with any of the CYP450 enzymes). This means that there is a very high risk of drug-drug interactions for trazadone. Many of the medications that are inhibitors are drugs that many elderly people are on (certain calcium channel blockers, certain antibiotics, some analgesics, certain anti-arrhythmic medications, certain SSRI's, and many many others) - these drugs would all decrease the metabolism of trazadone, thus incresing the risk of side effects. Some of the drugs that are inducers of CYP3A4 are also common drugs used in elderly (certain anti-convulsants, certain glucocorticoids, some hypoglycemics, etc., etc.) - these drugs would increase the metabolism of trazadone, which means that they elderly person wouldn't get the sleep-aid benefit of trazadone.

There is an increased risk of falls in the elderly (this is the most common adverse effect) - due to it's action on the CNS. Falls can be deadly in the elderly, usually due to complications during recovery (prolonged time in a bed leading to increased risk of DVT and PE, aspiration pneumonia, etc., etc.). There is also an increased risk of serotonin syndrome in people that are on SSRIs (SSRIs are not uncommon in the elderly population), but this is relatively rare.

Don't get me wrong - trazadone is a useful drug and can be used in the elderly, however, it's pharmacokinetics is more complicated than Ambien and it's risk of serious side effects can be elevated in the elderly due to drug-drug interactions. As a result of the increased adverse effect profile for the elderly, many physicians prefer to avoid it. Many well known sleep experts have recommended against using trazadone as a sleep aid in the elderly. In fact, the NIH has specifically said that it's safety and efficacy as a hypnotic in the elderly have not been adequately evaluated and trazadone (as a hyponotic) is NOT recommended for the elderly.

I should add, zolipedem (ambien) is also metabolized through the CYP450 system - so, it can potentially have many of the same adverse effects as trazadone that I mentioned above - however, it seems to have less risk of these side effects in the eldery than does trazadone. This is probably due a combination of things, half-life, the specifics of the metabolism, etc., etc.

You can also get a hard on that doesn't go away until you go to a doctor to get it fixed surgically...I knew a man that had this happen.

Trazadone boners... No thanks, I think I will stick to the sleep easy tea...

Hairfarmer: Lol, yep, priapism is a potential side effect of trazadone. Not fun from what I've heard.

Summer: I got confused at first, but figured it out.

Ambien comes in 5mg and higher. I took it once and took half a pill. I am sensitive to all meds.

The .02 mg in the article was the blood level. If the same as blood alcohol level that would be different than the dosage of the pill itself....I ASSUME.

Even the half pill was too much for me.

However, after 3-7 days you are hooked for life.

Please...TRY to keep it real.

Because you are probably on a merry go round of pills. That is what they do.

A person ALWAYS has the choice of taking or not taking a prescribed medication. It is the responsibility of the person to talk with their physician about concerns they may have, and they also have the right to refuse to take any prescription medication. I know I refuse certain medications. Prednisone is one I refuse to take. Doc won't even bother to suggest it anymore because the last time he wanted me to take it, I told him, "Go ahead, write the prescription but I won't fill it."

WE are in charge of our bodies, no one else. Everyone has the right to say no.

What do you mean..? they wouldn't do thaAaaaat ...

Um, bart133, Zolpidem IS the generic name for Ambien. It's the same drug.

Ambien/Zolpidem actually comes in 6.5 mg or 12.5 mg doses for the CR (controlled release) formula or 10 mg for the immediate release formula. You may be thinking of one of the other sleeping medications.

But I have had some great dreams!

I've never had any side effects from smoking marijuana, except for being arrested a couple times.

Tell that to someone suffering from schizophrenia.

Arizona, I think that you may really be tempting fate.

I just hope you don't run into the health-care-worker version of yourself when you need help. Yes even "strong" people need help from time to time.

There are, daily, acts of violence by people ON those mind altering drugs, (legal and illegal). It seems like everyone that get mad, now is called bipolar. What a cop-out.

Strong folks don't need "gods", idols or doctors to control their lives.

Your comments are usually practical, and I have often supported your views, but in this case, you have a poor understanding of mental disorders. You can't be strong if the mind will not allow you to be so. Your comment reminds me of something that a person would say during the mid 20th century, when mental illnesses were taboo and misunderstood.

Damn...you need help...Quickly!!!

I agree with most of your post, however, I do believe that diet can have an affect on mental illness, at least to some degree. I think food additives are a significant health problem. I say this because I have a child who is normally very sweet and loving, but if he eats foods with red food dye or high fructose corn syrup, his personality completely changes. He rages, throwing things and making threats. The change in personality is unbelievable.

I experience the same effects if I don't get my high fructose corn syrup [which is no differnt than any other sugar].

No! it is not the same as other sugars! Natural sugar in fruit is far better or even cane sugar. Just look at the fat people running around due to the high fructose corn syrup being used in all the food we eat!

NO IT IS NOT, stop parroting a @!$%#ing tv commercial made by the manufacturers of High Fructose Corn Syrup. It is called high fructose corn syrup because it has an imbalance of fructose instead of glucose, because it is easier to manufacture and tasstes sweeter. The human body is much better at dealing with glucose instead of fructose. Soi stop parroting something a college drop out advertiser says and instead listen to chemists. Also, WTF can't I look at my post because of this POS McDonalds ad, this is exactly the problem here...

I get my info from science, not your every day climate denier. The reason it is making everyone fat is because it is added to so many foods. I love how people cuss out of their frustration to lack of facts.

http://www.chuckrowtaichi.com/HighFructoseCornSyrup.html

A Dallas cheerleader?

heroin?

And a great sleep aid!