Anxiety & Depression Treatment

Ambien, along with generic name zolpidem tartrate extended release tablets are normally used to treat insomnia. The medicine is used only in adults. It is not safe to be administered to children or to teenagers due to the potentially unsafe scenario that it could lead to. This medicine is available only through prescription, and not over the counter. It is used for sleep disorders, and occasionally for anxiety disorders too.

During pregnancy

Studies have been conducted on the effect of Ambien on animals. Studies point out that the drug or medication is not safe to be used during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, you must check with your physician before taking Ambien. The US FDA has devised a pregnancy category technology to study the risk of administering Ambien to pregnant women. The study results clearly indicate that Ambien might not be safe, as it could cause deformities to the fetus.

Side Effects

The side effects of Ambien may not be experienced by every patient who uses the medicine. Most patients have taken it well. There could be small discomforts and side effects caused by Ambien, but they may not require treatment. Studies point to the fact that about 3.5% of total users have stopped taking Ambien because of the side effects it causes. This indicates that it is advised to start Ambien at very small doses and keep increasing little by little. Most common side effects from Ambien are drowsiness during day time, dizziness and headaches. It could also cause instability, tiredness, depression, hallucination, disorientation, nausea and muscle cramps. The majority of drugs used to treat sleeplessness may cause similar side effects to these, and they do not require any treatment.

Precautions

Very rarely Ambien can result in very severe side effects like short-time memory loss, irritation and anger, violence, or in the worst cases insomnia may come back. So to avoid any of these somber scenarios, it is required you let your physician know of your habits. For instance, if you take alcohol, if you are an addict, if you might have conceived, or if you are nursing, you should let your physician know of it.

The following are some of the precautions to use with Ambien medication:

• There are a number of other medicines that Ambien reacts with.
• Drinkers could develop serious side effects while they use Ambien. So, let your doctor know of your habits.
• Ambien is a Category C medicine, and is not suitable to be taken during pregnancy.
• Ambien is a medicine that can secrete into human breast milk. So, if you are a breast-feeding mother, let your doctor know.
• Do not do any task that requires alertness for a few days after you start Ambien.
• Ambien might cause amnesia, and so it is not advised to travel alone while you take Ambien.
• If your sleep disorder persists even after 10 days of taking Ambien, consult your physician.
• Elderly people are not advised to take Ambien.