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Product Description

Ambien is the brand name for zolpidem, a drug that’s used to treat insomnia.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult for you to go to sleep, stay asleep, or both.

Ambien is in a class of drugs called sedative-hypnotics. They work by slowing the activity in your brain, which allows for a state of sleep.

Sanofi-Aventis makes Ambien, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992.

Several companies make generic zolpidem, which became available in 2007.

In addition to Ambien, zolpidem is available as:

Edluar, a sublingual tablet (placed under your tongue)
Zolpimist, an oral spray
Intermezzo, a rapid-acting sublingual tablet
Ambien CR, an extended release tablet with one layer to help you go to sleep and another to help you stay asleep

Do not take Ambien if you are allergic to zolpidem or any of its inactive ingredients.

Seek emergency treatment right away if you have difficulty breathing, swelling of your tongue, throat, or face, or nausea and vomiting after taking Ambien.

Within 7 to 8 hours of taking Ambien, do not perform activities that require mental alertness or coordination, like operating machinery or driving a car.

Ambien may be habit-forming, so don’t take higher doses of the medication or use it for a longer time than your doctor recommends.

Ambien is a controlled substance; be sure to keep it in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse.

Do not sell or give away Ambien, because it may cause harm to others, and is against the law.

Before you take Ambien, be sure to tell your doctor if you have a history of any of these conditions:

Depression
Mental illness
Thoughts of suicide
Drug or alcohol abuse or addiction
Kidney, liver, or lung disease
Sleep apnea
After taking Ambien, tell your doctor if you get out of bed while not fully awake and perform an activity but do not recall it.

People taking Ambien have sleep-walked, driven their cars, prepared and eaten food, made phone calls, and had sex while not fully awake without memory of these activities.

After taking Ambien, tell your doctor if you have abnormal thoughts or behaviors, including abnormally outgoing or aggressive behavior, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, depression, or suicidal thoughts or actions.

Call your doctor if your insomnia does not get better or gets worse within 7 to 10 days after starting Ambien.

This may be sign that your sleep problem is caused by another condition.