Is Ambien Addictive? Potential Dangers Of Hypnotic Drugs

Getting proper sleep is not just a need but a necessity. In order to do that some people take sleeping medications as they find it difficult to sleep well at night. From a tiring lifestyle to bad habits the reasons can be many. Ambien becomes a reliable medication in this case as doctors prescribe it as a first-line medication for sleep. But Ambien has garnered a very controversial reputation over the years. Many users find it to be extremely addictive and have claimed that the drug made them do some strange things. If you have ever wondered how can you get addicted to Ambien, let us start by answering this question of “is Ambien addictive?” through this blog.

How Is Ambien Addictive And Dangerous For Health?

Understanding Ambien And Its Mechanism

Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic drug that is mostly prescribed for short-term relief from insomnia. It is commonly sold by its generic title Zolpidem with other brand names like Edluar, Zolpimist and Intermezzo. Ambien still remains the most popular version of the sleeping drug since it was approved by the FDA in 1992. With its 5 mg and 10 mg dose, it enters our system through oral means. It enters the BZ site in the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors even when it is not a benzodiazepine. Here, it binds with alpha subunits where it allows chloride ions to enter the brain. This mechanism slows down brain activity which allows sedation and relaxation.

Advantages Of Taking Ambien

It does carry a lot of benefits as it is widely recommended by professionals for treating insomnia. One of its strongest features is the rapid onset of the drug. The faster it starts affecting our nervous system it takes less time for us to fall asleep. Further with its extended-release formation called Ambien CR, one can be asleep for the whole night without any disturbance. If you have planned to sleep for a total of 7-8 hours then Ambien works best when taken half an hour before going to sleep. A study in CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics believes Zolpidem has a better safety profile compared to other hypnotic drugs like Nitrazepam and Flunitrazapam.

Is Ambien Dangerous For Health?

Over the years Ambien with all its efficacy and popularity has gained some backlash. Many people, especially in pop culture, have claimed Ambien to be a very risky drug to consume. From weird sleep behaviors to serious accidents, this sleeping drug has been in the negative limelight for numerous times. In 2019, FDA had to put a boxed warning on Ambien for its potential risks of rare injuries and death The core reason behind this is the very mechanism which is quite short-lived and makes people take it more than usual. DEA even labelled Ambien as a Schedule IV controlled drug in 1993, yet many did not take it seriously.

The Ambien side effects are absolutely concerning and have the potential to turn into serious obstacles in life. Some of the side effects are common ones which usually occur in normal dosages. But some of these can show up when there is an overdose.

Common Side Effects

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Dry Mouth
• Headache

Serious Risks

• Sleep walking or cooking
• Hallucinations
• Intense allergic reactions
• Talking and eating while asleep
• Hostile feeling
• Extreme drowsiness
• Anxiety and depression
• Dementia

Why Is Ambien Addictive?

Many people wonder is Ambien addictive or habit forming. It is both as one can abuse the drug for either knowing no other way to fall asleep or they are completely dependent on Ambien. Our body can slowly adapt to a sleep cycle that has been induced by the medication. It becomes difficult for people to maintain that schedule without the drug. One can face some of the painful withdrawal symptoms of Ambien when not under its influence. To stay away from withdrawal people take more of the medication and its sedative effect makes them completely addicted to the drug.

Signs To Know Is Ambien Addictive

Now it is time to know what are the signs of Ambien addiction. It is usually the physical signs that are most visible in Ambien abuse. Yet the mental and behavioral signs also play a very important role. Physical signs usually include inaudible slurred speech, engaging in mid-sleep activities and growing tolerance. A rebound in insomnia, depression, incessant cravings and cognitive failures are the mental signs of drug addiction. Behaviors like doctor shopping, hiding medications, performing badly at work and ruining relationships are major signs of drug abuse. Together all three Ambien addiction symptoms help us understand the intensity of addiction.

How To Treat Ambien Addiction?

Taking up the structured, medicated and supervised Ambien addiction treatment is the only way to erase the Ambien addiction risk. This will include the removal of the sleeping drug from your system and then further psychological therapies. The latter will help both with withdrawals and addiction in a smooth, careful process.

First Step: Detoxify The System

In this crucial step, professionals will medically detoxify Ambien from the nervous system through inpatient treatment. This will involve alternate sleep medications like Valium, Clonazepam or Phenobarbital.

Second Step: Identify The Triggers

Here, a special kind of treatment can be provided to the addicted person. To counter the reuse of Ambien after experiencing withdrawals, doctors prefer the Relapse Prevention Therapy. This treatment allows one to find the crucial points where the body is indicating dependence.

Third Step: Change Your Life

For the final step, people with addiction will be a part of a long but one of the most effective therapies. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the best treatments for not just Ambien but any drug abuse. In this therapy people will get the opportunity to plan and strategise their daily life. They will be advised to replace their habits that motivate drug dependence with activities that will make them lead a healthy life. In the case of Ambien, having a proper sleep schedule is a must in CBT.

FAQs

Conclusion

Ambien remains to be a very effective sleeping drug for many individuals. But there has been a stark decline in the use of the drug due to its negative image. In a very remarkable study done by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, almost 2 million people in the United States stopped using Ambien between 2013 and 2018. Use Ambien once by only following the directions of your doctor. Ambien is less likely to cause any trouble then.