Zolpidem User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• jen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 6, 2020

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have been taking 10mg for about 1 1/2 years. Someone else mentioned getting the 'munchies' after taking it. I thought it was just me! Anyway, it's not helping me fall asleep like it used to. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I either need a stronger dose or a different drug."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2020

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I've been on Ambien CR generic for about a year. FINALLY, I'm getting good sleep. I'm falling and staying asleep. It’s not perfect every night, but most nights it’s pretty good. I have no issues at all with it. Beware of Sandoz generic! It was horrible and barely worked. Thankfully, I was able to fill next month's early with Winthrop."

• nee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 6, 2020

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Name brand Ambien works great with no waking side effects. However, for generic Zolpidem, please read: I have to cut generic Zolpidem (not real Ambien) in half, sometimes thirds, as a full pill turns me into a useless zombie the following day. Take 15 minutes before bed, gets me to sleep, only wake 2-3 times during sleep to reposition. Dream well. However, with just half a pill, can't get out of bed for 10-12 hrs, experience severe vertigo 1-3 hrs with 4-5 hrs of dopiness, and a near-total loss of meaningful cognitive function and any motivation to get stuff done. Zolpidem generic is NOT Ambien, as Ambien has none of these side effects. Sadly, the existence of Zolpidem and price-gouging in the US has prevented Ambien insurance coverage and purchase for millions now without insurance. Zolpidem isn't safe, for hours after waking still unable to drive without being under the influence. FDA should take generic off the US market. In the meantime, it'd be much safer and productive to live with chronic insomnia."

• Ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 4, 2014

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Ambien works. Not because it's a sleep aid but because it's a HYPNOTIC. Which means if you don't want amnesia, then get yourself straight to bed after taking it. It kicks in 5-10 minutes and may or may not keep you asleep all night. But those of you complaining of eating, etc., and having no memory of what you did, it's very simple: taking a HYPNOTIC while you're still up, showering, or whatever is going to make you do stupid things you won't remember. Just take it AFTER you lay down, turn off your phone, and you'll be fine."

• Cz9...
• September 22, 2017

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I've been on Ambien CR for over 10 years. Then, all of a sudden, the doctors want to change things up. I tried 5 mg, didn't work. Now on 6.25 mg and kind of working, but I only get 30 days' worth, and they keep telling me I have to get off it. Why? Don't screw with what works. Now my anxiety is worse, never knowing if I can get my meds to sleep."

• Ric...
• March 1, 2020

For Insomnia "I have been taking Zolpidem for 4 years. All it does is help me sleep; I have severe sleep apnea, general sleeping issues, and a wonderful wife who snores like a chainsaw. I do not sleepwalk, sleep drive, or sleep cook. What I do is sleep 6 to 8 hours per night. I manage my dosing; if I know I am getting to bed late and have to arise early, I'll take half a pill. I am never groggy in the morning. Zolpidem has changed my life for the better; I am no longer grumpy or sleepy all the time. I wake refreshed and ready for a busy day. Zolpidem is not a narcotic, but Humana and Walgreens regulate it tighter than opioids, and, frankly, I resent it. Both are complete nannies over this effective yet safe medication. I do not abuse Zolpidem and love how it has improved my life. There might be others who have side effects from Zolpidem, but not I. But I strictly take no more than 5 to 10 mg per night."

• JBI...
• May 9, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Had sleep problems since college (43 years old now). Took all the normal heavy-duty sleep medicines like Valium and even Benadryl. These only put me in a half-sleep state and made me feel horrible for days on end. After 20 years of suffering from insomnia and after a bout with meningitis in 2000, my friend, a neurologist who was seeing me for post-meningitis, asked me how I was sleeping. I told her I haven't had a good night's sleep in over 20 years. She wrote a script for Ambien. I have never been so in love with a pill in my life as I am with Ambien. I fall asleep within 15 minutes, get a good 7 hours of hard sleep, and wake up bright and early feeling rested like I have not felt in decades. Ambien is a miracle drug, and thanks to the genius who made it."

• Gar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 19, 2017

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for almost 10 years and it works like a charm for me. I was prescribed Ambien following the murder of my only child. A year later my husband of 40 years was diagnosed with ALS. I am a full-time working caregiver and sleep would be elusive if not for Ambien. I am now 61 years young and healthy as a horse. Unfortunately, Express Scripts, BCBS, or my employer is making it almost impossible for me to get a Rx filled. I am very frustrated!! People are different and Rx's work differently on all of us! I know Ambien works for me."

• Man...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 3, 2024

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I grew up in the foster care system. For years, I was awoken by a deranged foster mother who would rip me out of bed and beat on me just for fun. I suffered with severe insomnia for years. Many years ago, I was prescribed Ambien - before it was released in generic form, zolpidem. It cost me $471 a month. The first night I took it, I awoke 7 hours later and felt better than I had my entire life. I sat on the edge of my bed and cried that morning, feeling relief and gratitude. The cost of generic Zolpidem ER reduced the cost considerably, but looking back, I would have gladly continued to pay $471 a month for this incredible medication. I sincerely hope the creator(s) of Ambien are living wonderful lives because they, without a doubt, saved my life. I’m on 12.5 mg nightly and I have had no problems."

• Fea...
• February 26, 2008

Zolpidem for Insomnia "My insomnia comes from anxiety issues when I try to sleep. I found that Ambien didn't make me sleepy, but it did relax me enough to fall asleep. There are tons of stories floating around about strange behavior, and I have my share. I found this only happens when I try to do things between ingestion and onset. Only take it when you are already in bed, relaxing, and attempting to fall asleep, and you shouldn't have any problems."

• Gre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 2, 2014

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I'm 19 and suffer from bad insomnia. I've tried Benadryl, Unisom, even a different prescription sleeping pill, Restoril (temazepam). These all either didn't work or left me extremely groggy in the morning and throughout the day. Anyway, I was scheduled to study abroad and my worst fear the entire trip was not sleeping in a foreign atmosphere. My doctor prescribed me a few weeks' worth of Ambien 10 MG. I can't tell you how great this medication was. It drifted me off to a gentle, deep sleep and I stayed asleep for at least 7 hours. I woke up happy and refreshed in the morning; even energized! I took the high dose and did not experience any side effects or hallucinations. I was able to enjoy my trip."

• Gra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 1, 2020

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I had cancer 13 years ago, so anyway, I couldn’t sleep after that. My doctor put me on 15 mg of Ambien, and a few years down the road, because of regulations, he had to cut it to 10 mg, which I’m still not used to. I was going to the VA and had to switch to a regular doctor. I have a doctor that hates Ambien, but at least she is giving me 5 mg. Now I am very restless and get around 4 to 5 hours of sleep. It’s very tough, but I know my life is shortened by being on Ambien. I have tried absolutely everything on the shelf of sleep aids, and Ambien is the only one that will give me sleep and no nightmares."

• Deb...
• February 1, 2015

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien every night for over 20 years. I am a nurse, and it's very difficult to work swing shift and teach yourself to sleep whenever, especially if you suffer from insomnia. I have had insomnia since childhood, probably sleep walking. I used to sleep eat before taking the medicine. Now that I have it, my life has improved 200 percent. No one can imagine how disturbing it is to lie in bed for 8 hours wide awake, knowing you have work soon. When I first took it, I was groggy in the morning, but now as long as I get 8 hours, I wake up feeling awake and amazing, and I never grew a tolerance for it. Always works. I will say when I had children under 5, I would never take it, not safe when you are caring for others. This medication saved me."

• Don...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 17, 2013

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I was in my late 60s when I realized that I was having sleep issues. Tylenol PM no longer had any effect. I tried all the OTC sleep remedies for another 3 years, with no meaningful success. Two to four hours of sleep was getting old and aging me in the process. I finally got my GP to give me a prescription for Ambien and my world changed overnight. It was great, finally am getting 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours of continual, restful sleep, as long as I take an Ambien or Ambien CR. Have read tons of medical reports and am convinced this is a blessing. Sure, there are some weird side effects for some people, but these are a tiny minority."

• dpv...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 6, 2015

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I've had chronic insomnia (clinical diagnosis, sleep studies, neurologists, etc.) for over 25 years, starting in high school and gradually getting worse over the decades. No drugs aside from powerful depressants (barbiturates, benzos, tranquilizers, etc.) had helped me at all. Ambien CR has been a miracle medication for me. My insomnia is so constant and severe (I literally won't sleep a single minute some nights) that my doctor lets me take it every night. Many people talk about the possible side effects of long-term usage, but that ignores the very definite effects of chronic insomnia. I have no next-day side effects, but I will have rebound insomnia if I stop. Taking it with a glass of water helps for me; so does good sleep hygiene rules."

• HKG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2014

Zolpidem for Insomnia "When I got prescribed Ambien, I started with 5mg, and it worked, but I only slept for 4 hrs. So the following night, I took 10mg, and I was asleep in no time and got a full 9 hrs of sleep. Best night ever in years. I woke up feeling refreshed. Minor headache, but I don't know if it was due to the Ambien. One Tylenol pill took it away, so no biggie. This is the only sleep pill that has helped me. I tried Restoril and Seroquel and got no sleep, only bad side effects. I love Ambien."

• Chr...
• October 5, 2018

Zolpidem for Insomnia "After being a good sleeper, out of the blue, I began to suffer bad insomnia, taking hours to fall asleep or having repeated awakenings, which was not like me! Possibly because of neighbor issues for years causing stress, which finally started to impact my sleep, I tried over-the-counter meds with no success. Then my doctor gave me Ambien and it works so well for me at 10 mg. It does not always keep me asleep all night, but at least it knocks me out and destroys any anxiety due to insomnia. It seems those of us with insomnia find it hard to calm the brain down, and repeated sleepless nights make us more anxious, making sleep increasingly hard to come by. Medications like Ambien are effective, as they increase GABA in the brain, leading to relaxation and then making it easier to sleep. I would say this drug is safe, surely better than drinking alcohol to sleep, which has bad health impacts. Regular good sleep improves my mood, appetite, lowers anxiety and depression. Ambien does this, it's a good thing!"

• Aja...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 23, 2019

Zolpidem for Insomnia "This is really answering JK's question after a certain amount of time. Yes, the Ambien loses its effectiveness. What I would suggest you do would be to go to something else for 60 days, maybe even 90 days, then go back to Ambien. This will make your tolerance to the Ambien all but disappear, and you'll be good to go. I have found I have to do this about every 8 to 10 months."

• Anonymous
• June 24, 2008

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for many years and am totally addicted to it now. I can't sleep if I don't take it. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. It is best to take it and get right to bed, no lingering in the kitchen. It really works!"

• Bba...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 9, 2019

For Insomnia "Teva...best manufacturer for zolpidem! Never had a problem sleeping with this manufacturer, but since my pharmacy switched to Aurobindo zolpidem, they SUCK! I used to fall asleep easily within 15 mins of ingestion @ 11:00+ and sleep until my alarm went off at 6:45 with no problem, but this new manufacturer, Aurobindo, is a faux. I wake up at 3:00-4:00 am EVERY SINGLE NIGHT NOW!!! Please let Teva make my Ambien because insomnia is a killer when you actually have to work for a living! Give me my meds that work back because I CANNOT sleep! Cheap pharmaceutical companies are the degradation of this medication-induced society! You created me...now let me sleep and be in a functional workforce to survive!"

• hil...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 22, 2016

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Have bad insomnia. Been on Ambien for 10 years now. I decreased my dose to only 3 mg about 5 years ago. All I need is to get to sleep. Anxiety prevents that. So Ambien works great for me. I have never had any bad effects at all with this drug. No after effects. Wake up refreshed. I have had instances where it doesn't work, if I am in a bad anxious state. But usually I take it right before bed. I don't delay at all because it is pretty fast working. Hope and pray there are no long-term effects like Alzheimer's. So far I have no memory problems. I am 74. I need sleep. It's that simple. Feel awful when I don't sleep. I do try not to take it every night. Go off for days in between. Try and go weeks if I can. So far that's working for me."

• Cry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2024

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have extreme insomnia, my doctor finally prescribed me Ambien. I took it last night, I fell asleep in less than 15 minutes after taking it. I slept from 9 to 4:45 straight, it was great. I have no side effects, I feel rested and ready for the day."

• Bad...
• February 4, 2014

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien on and off for 8 years for severe insomnia, mostly related to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Over time, my body has built up a dependence and a tolerance. I will lay awake until 5 am if I don't take it, miserable and exhausted for days. The generic doesn't seem to work as well, and since I have been on it so long, I usually have to take 20mg to get a full night's sleep. But with certain generics, I still wake up at 3 am and can't go back to bed. It has been a godsend over the years as I tried everything else. I was treated for depression, but those medications made it harder to sleep. At some point, I would like to stop being dependent on the medicine, but every time I try to quit, I go through weeks with no sleep."

• MKE...
• June 10, 2020

For Insomnia "I've been taking Ambien for years. I have extreme insomnia that I've inherited from my mom's side. After reading some of these reviews, I realized I had similar experiences sometimes but found ways to alleviate them. MAIN TAKEAWAY - take the pill on an empty stomach and don't take it until you're fully in bed and ready to fall asleep. It's a hypnotic, so you'll do goofy stuff until you get used to it. It's a very hard feeling to describe. If you take it on a full or even mildly full stomach, you can count on it not working at all. That's been my experience for the past 12 years. I have very severe insomnia. I would rather not have to take any medication, but after trying everything, Ambien is the only drug that will burn clean for me. Meaning I don't feel hung over the next day. Empty stomach, be in bed. I have a fast metabolism, so I do usually burn through it within 4 hours. I just moved to CR 12.5 three months ago. It's working alright, but not a life saver by any means."

• she...
• December 2, 2007

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I take Ambien occasionally to help me get a full night's sleep. In the morning, I wake up with so much energy, it is unbelievable. I sleep 7 full hours and wake up without feeling any side effects but full of energy."