There are many causes and types of insomnia. One may suffer insomnia for a few nights due to stress (transient insomnia), or suffer insomnia for a few weeks, could be due to some illness (short-term insomnia) and insomnia that lasts for more than a month (chronic insomnia).

Chronic insomnia can decrease the ability to concentrate, cause memory loss and fatigue. Many studies also suggest that insomnia is associated with many serious medical conditions, and may increase the risk of developing certain psychiatric disorders, particularly depression and anxiety.

Sanofi launched Ambien in US in 1993. Since then it has been the top selling drug in this category. More than 26 million prescriptions for Ambien were dispensed in US last year, an increase of 53 percent since 2001.

Ambien is the brand name used in the United States for the drug Zolpidem. Ambien is sold in some countries under the brand names Stilnox and Stilnocht. Ambien is the biggest seller among a group of similar prescription sleeping pills that include Lunesta and Sonata.

Ambien drug is worth $2.2 billion in annual sales in the United States. This has largely been due to the aggressive advertising and marketing by Sanofi-Aventis. According to reports the pharma major spent $130 million to advertise the product in 2005, more than double the $61 million it spent in 2004.

Ambien is used as a short term treatment for insomnia. Ambien side effects are drowsiness, dizziness and diarrhea. Ambien when taken for the first time, caution should be taken while engaging in morning activities until one gets used to the medication.

Prescription sleep aids are often not taken for more than 7 to 10 days. It can be taken for longer periods too if advised by the doctor. All people taking sleep medicines have some risk of becoming dependent on the medicine

Ambien should be taken as advised by the doctor. It should be taken only before going to bed. Ambient should not be taken unless the patient is able to get a full night’s sleep. Ambien should not be taken with alcohol.

Robin is an associate editor to the website http://www.ambiencare.com . The website offers complete information about sleep disorder , sleeping pills , insomnia and other sleeping related information. We also provide vital information about various sleeping drugs. Your feed back comment and suggestions will be highly appreciated at robinstee@gmail.com

There are some things to take into consideration when taking Ambien. First, it is important that the drug be taken exactly as your doctor has directed. It should also be taken with a full glass of water and only take right before bedtime. Since the drug works relatively fast, it is important that you do not take it until just before you get into bed for the night. It quickly makes you drowsy and you could hurt yourself by falling. Ambien should also be taken only if you are able to devote at least eight hours to sleep. Otherwise, you will still be drowsy upon waking and will be defeating the purpose of taking the medication.

If you are taking Ambien for prolonged periods, such as over two weeks, you should not abruptly stop taking it. If you do, you may begin to experience withdrawal symptoms.

If you have a history of kidney or liver disease or have any type of respiratory disease such as bronchitis, asthma or emphysema, you should let your doctor know prior to taking Ambien.

Some of the side effects that could occur when taking Ambien follow in the next paragraph. For those who are 60 years old or older, you carry a higher risk of experiencing these side effects.

Some potential side effects of Ambien include drowsiness, headache, clumsiness or dizziness. You could experience nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or constipation as well. Depression, pain or aches in the muscle, abnormal or vivid dreams or memory loss could also occur as a result taking Ambien. More serious side affects could include an allergic reaction resulting in breathing difficulties, swelling of the face, tongue or lips or closing of the throat. Abnormal behavior, confusion or hallucinations are also serious side effects of Ambien.

When taking Ambien, it should not be mixed with any other drugs, prescription or over the counter drugs that could cause drowsiness. Ambien is extremely habit forming and should be used with extreme caution. Talk to your physician before stopping this medication.

Author: Heather Colman. Find more Ambien resources at ambien-notes.info. ]]> http://www.ambiensettlement.com/2007/01/27/what-you-should-consider-before-taking-ambien/feed/ 0 http://www.ambiensettlement.com/2007/01/03/class-action-ambien-lawsuit/ http://www.ambiensettlement.com/2007/01/03/class-action-ambien-lawsuit/#comments Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:01:31 +0000 admin http://www.ambiensettlement.com/2007/01/03/class-action-ambien-lawsuit/ A class action filed in federal court in New York alleges the sleeping pill Ambien caused users to engage in dangerous behaviors they do not remember, including binge-eating, sleepwalking, and driving.
http://subscript.bna.com/SAMPLES/cal.nsf/Highlights/Highlights?OpenDocument

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]