According to Wikipedia:
Side effects at any dose may include:
* Anterograde amnesia
* Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity
* Delusions
* Ataxia or poor motor coordination, difficulty maintaining balance
* Euphoria and/or dysphoria
* Increased appetite
* Increased libido
* Impaired judgment and reasoning
* Uninhibited extroversion in social or interpersonal settings
* Increased impulsivity
* When stopped rebound insomnia may occur
Some users take zolpidem recreationally for these side effects. However, it may be less common than benzodiazepine abuse. In the United States, recreational use may be less common than in countries where the drug is available as a less expensive generic. Zolpidem can become addictive if taken for extended periods of time, due to dependence on its ability to put one to sleep or to the euphoria it can sometimes produce. Like most addictive drugs, a tolerance in the zolpidem user develops and increases all the more quickly the longer she or he has been regularly taking it. Under the influence of the drug it is common to take more zolpidem than is necessary due to either forgetting that one has already taken a pill (elderly users are particularly at risk here), or knowingly taking more than the prescribed dosage. Users with a predilection for abuse are advised to keep additional zolpidem in a safe place that is unlikely to be remembered or accessed while intoxicated to avoid this risk. A trustworthy friend or relative is the best defense if such people are available; otherwise, a box or cupboard locked with a combination padlock is a good defense against this tendency, as the abovementioned side-effects can easily prevent a user from operating such a lock while under the drug’s influence.
The recent release of Ambien CR® (zolpidem tartrate extended release) in the United States renewed interest in the drug among recreational drug users.
Before a user becomes fully acclimated to these effects (or if the user does not become acclimated), these symptoms can be severe enough to be deemed as drug-induced psychosis. Incidentally, antipsychotics like ziprasidone (Geodon®) or quetiapine (Seroquel®) may be prescribed alongside zolpidem to both combat these side effects and to aid in sleep-induction, as both of them contain mild hypnotic properties. However, because some antidepressants are known for being mildly sedating (i.e., paroxetine), it may be inadvisable to use zolpidem and an antidepressant simultaneously.
Some users have reported unexplained sleepwalking while using Ambien, and a few have reported driving or binge eating while sleeping. It is unclear if the drug is responsible for the behavior, but a class-action lawsuit was filed against Sanofi-Aventis in March 2006 on behalf of those who reported symptoms.[4]