Ambien CR User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• opi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2016

For Insomnia "I've tried many sleep aids. I'm currently taking a generic Ambien CR 12.5 mg. I had previously used both brand-name and generic versions of Ambien 10 mg. I'm disappointed with Ambien and Ambien CR. I've read horror stories of blackouts, falling into deep sleep within minutes of ingesting, and even that the dose requirements have been reduced. Despite the alleged powerful effects of Ambien and Ambien CR, I find it to be modestly effective for sleep. Regular, immediate-release Ambien 10 mg would only help me sleep for ± 3 hours."

• Lul...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2017

For Insomnia "Take Ambien 12.5 mg at 10 pm every night for insomnia the past several years. In the past 3 weeks, I wake up at 2 pm, wide awake, unable to go back to sleep. I would switch to Ambien 10 mg to help me sleep through the night. I have taken Ambien 10 mg in the past a few times; I think I slept longer."

• Anonymous
• January 8, 2010

For Insomnia "I was taking Lunesta, which is fantastic, however, Blue Shield would not cover this drug until I first tried regular Ambien and then Ambien CR (in that order). Regular Ambien only put me asleep for about 2 hours. Ambien CR would work for a full night. However, both versions of Ambien gave me a dull headache as they were taking effect. The next 1-2 days following, I'd be in a really foul mood, depressed, anxious, and a real 'fight picker' with others. No such problems with Lunesta. Luckily, my employer switched to Blue Cross, which does not pay for Ambien CR but does pay for Lunesta, so I'm in luck. I wish these insurance companies would just let doctors prescribe whatever works..."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 6, 2023

For Insomnia "Literally cures brain injury if you can get a decent brand that works for you. You will know what I'm talking about if you have TBI. It has an all-encompassing glow, and I can sleep well at night, and when I get up, my cognitive function is amazing. This is only on the CD edition, the IR (I only got the generic version), and it only worked for like 3 hours!! But still, this compound could save lives for real (:"

• cla...
• January 19, 2010

For Insomnia "My mother is 88 and has had a problem with Ambien for the four or so years she has been taking it. She ran over a bunch of signs in the middle of the highway with no memory of it. She got lost twice before we realized it was the Ambien and not dementia. I keep it away from her and administer it each night. She is like a drug addict as she has reported her pills lost and got duplicate prescriptions sent to her. I think it is too strong for older people!"

• ruu...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 30, 2023

For Insomnia "Been on Ambien CR (Par Pharma brand zolpidem ER) for years with good results. Recently had to switch to Breckenridge since Par is impossible to get. This brand is effective as far as getting me to sleep. However, it gives me headaches and strange mood swings, even nightmares that I never used to have before. I would not recommend Breckenridge. Does anyone know if Winthrop brand is available in 6.25mg? I've heard good things about that manufacturer brand."

• Fai...
• May 5, 2009

For Insomnia "I've tried several different sleep medications for insomnia and while attempting to get used to the CPAP machine for sleep apnea. Ambien CR works great, I can get a full night's sleep, however, go to bed within 1 hour of taking the medication, or you will feel a bit drugged. I don't recommend taking it every night, it is addictive (try not to take more than 3 nights in a row). It is more difficult to wean off from than regular Ambien. Overall, if needed, this is a good medication if taken responsibly."

• wan...
• October 23, 2010

For Insomnia "I have been taking Lunesta 3 mg for a while, but it just wasn't getting me to sleep or keeping me asleep. So I started taking 12.5 mg Ambien CR about 3 days ago, and I swear it had no effect on me whatsoever. I am going to keep trying for the next couple of nights, but I need some good sleep soon. I was really surprised that at such a high dosage I didn't even feel sleepy at all."

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2020

For Insomnia "Ambien CR felt like a sedative, not a sleeping pill. I tried Ambien CR last and had a terrible night’s sleep. It was worse than taking nothing at all. It felt more like taking Xanax for me. I would have been better off with Benadryl."

• ste...
• June 12, 2010

For Insomnia "I am a pharmacy tech and am on Ambien CR 12.5 mg. I have been on it for about 3 months now, but I don't take it every night. When I do take it (as my thyroid is hyperactive), I do feel rested in the morning, but when I don't take it, it's really not a big deal. It does help with my sleep, but I do hide my car keys from myself just in case."

• aam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2016

For Insomnia "I started taking Ambien CR 12.5 mg for insomnia, and it initially worked very well. Sometime around my 4th month on it, I started to unknowingly wake and take at least one (or more???) during the night. One morning, I awoke to find about half my bottle of pills spilled on the floor by my bed. Another time, I awoke to find an empty drink glass beside my bed. Apparently, I had gotten up and mixed a drink (maybe more than one???)... SCARY STUFF! No more Ambien for me, EVER."

• ilo...
• May 1, 2009

For Insomnia "I have been using Ambien CR for 3 years. I love it. I make sure to take it on an empty stomach, and in 20-30 minutes, I am asleep. The only things I would warn about are: make sure you have at least 8 hours of sleep time, it doesn't work well if you eat before taking the pill, and I have done some things I have no memory of doing. My husband has tried Ambien CR and said it doesn't work on him. I would recommend Ambien CR to anyone who has trouble falling and staying asleep."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 2, 2023

For Insomnia "It totally cured my brain injury. It is a miracle pill. It does something to my brain where I can retain information and remember things in my head and be creative. I also have insomnia and am on the autism spectrum. Zolpidem restored the damaged brain."

• MDU...
• February 27, 2008

For Insomnia "My husband was taking this and was eating late at night, getting on the computer, and doing other things and having no memory of it the day after. He felt drugged when he took it. I don't recommend it to anyone."

• Kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2023

For Insomnia "Ambien CR is on my DO NOT PRESCRIBE list. It has caused me to do random things that I had no recollection of doing. The first night I took 10 mg as per my doctor's prescription. I woke up the next morning to find I had eaten all the desserts I had bought the day before - half a gallon of ice cream, a blueberry pie, and a bag of teriyaki-flavored rice cakes and didn't remember eating them. I kept taking it and a week later, I had a delivery of an expensive full-length black velvet evening gown. I contacted the company and reported that it had been sent to me in error. The customer service rep told me someone in my household must have ordered it for me as a gift. I said, 'My service dog is highly intelligent and trained as a scent dog. She could have scented out my credit card, but it is most improbable that she would have been unable to use my phone.' She checked their records and the order was placed at 2:33 a.m. I had no recollection of doing this. This medication is scary."

• Anonymous
• April 8, 2010

For Insomnia "After having an accident at work a few years ago, I wasn't falling asleep until the sun came up because of chronic pain. My muscle relaxers and pain medicines were no longer giving me enough relief to sleep at night, so my doctor put me on Ambien CR. After about 2 weeks, I had to stop taking it because I was hallucinating, I was suffering from severe anxiety, I had tremors, I don't have enough room here to list everything. I am now on Restoril, and I don't have any side effects at all."

• pur...
• September 27, 2007

For Insomnia "My father was taking Ambien CR and drinking alcohol with it. Falling down and not remembering things was an everyday problem. I tried telling his doctor this, but he did nothing but gave him more pills."

• Nig...
• August 18, 2010

For Insomnia "Ambien CR assists me in falling asleep but only briefly, often waking after just 3-4 hours. When it does work, I don't recall things like getting up to turn on lights and the TV full blast! I have also experienced dizziness, loss of motor skills, and next-day grogginess/sleepiness. Today I woke to find my small craft table smashed on the floor, all the craft items scattered on the floor. A crash like that would most certainly have awoken me, right? Well, no, it didn't, and I don't recall knocking it over! So it had to be me while sleepwalking again! I have turned to taking it only when I am truly desperate for a decent night's sleep!"

• sle...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 30, 2021

For Insomnia "Ambien CR is the only sleeping pill that works for me. I am a chronic insomniac - it takes forever to fall asleep, and it is impossible to stay asleep. With this drug, I fall asleep and stay asleep. And I have no side effects."

• Anonymous
• August 11, 2021

For Insomnia "This pill is not working. I have a pink generic version. I took one 6.25 three hours after I had dinner, nothing made me sleepy, but I was wide awake two hours later. The next night I took two. Didn’t work either. Anyone else??"

• tac...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 31, 2021

For Insomnia "I have used Ambien on and off for years for travel, work, etc. Sleeping pills are handy for me on occasion, but I have to be very careful not to take them on a regular basis. If I take Ambien consecutively more than 3 nights, then my brain no longer shuts down by itself. Then the impulse is to keep taking it, and that's when troubles set in: the medicine gives me around 5 hours of sleep, and I don't feel fully rested as I really need 7, but yet since my brain can't shut down naturally anymore, I just feel sleep deprived during the day. I even had migraines when I was chronically sleep deprived on Ambien. Going off of Ambien depends on the formulation. With CR, it takes a long 4-5 days walking around like a useless zombie before my brain finally falls asleep naturally. Those withdrawal symptoms are not for the faint-hearted and honestly a stark reminder of why I do not take Ambien regularly. It is still a good tool to use sparingly and judiciously, but it is all there is to me."

• Anonymous
• October 5, 2009

For Insomnia "Insomnia is one of the tag-alongs with my bipolar. My doctor prescribed every medication on my Group Health formulary to no avail. I either had radical side effects, or they only worked for 2 to 3 hours. Ambien CR is a blessing. I actually now get at least 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. For those of you with bipolar, you understand sleep is crucial to preventing mood swings. The only problem I have experienced is Ambien tends to build up and quit working every so often, so I have clonazepam to use for a few days until the tolerance wears off. Thank God for Ambien CR."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2010

"I came here to post my experience over the years with Ambien and Ambien CR. They were bad for me. I had issues with memory, especially with my family having to remind me of what I said and did, even the morning after, really groggy, cloudy, fuzzy. Not good for raising kids. I was helped by sweetlemon on this website in her post here: I asked my doctor about Silenor, and she gave me 3 milligram tablets. She had no samples, but I figured I had already spent a fortune on Ambien, so why not. Got 7 hours of sleep without a problem. I haven't felt this good in a very, very long time. Thank you all on this website. I can sleep now!"

• Anonymous
• March 29, 2011

For Insomnia "I have been on Ambien CR 12.5 mg for a while, and it does not seem to work for me. I take it, and I do not even get tired, but feel drunk. The first day I was on it, I got in my brand new car and wrecked it. When I take it and do go right to sleep, I still wake up every hour after that, so I am not even actually getting restful sleep. I don't know why this medicine seems to work so well for everyone else on here and not work for me."

• Ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2022

For Insomnia "I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. After 8 weeks of failing with Trazodone, I decided to give Ambien a try. Took the immediate release version first, and while it did great helping me fall asleep, I'd wake up a couple of hours later. Now I've been taking Ambien CR for a week, and I get about 4-5 hours of sleep. Mostly 4 hours a night. It's not ideal, but it's something. May look into Lunesta for its longer half-life."