Is it harmful to take Ambien every night?

Is it harmful to take Ambien every night?

Ambien is designed for short term use only. Taking it at higher than recommended doses for long periods of time increases your chance of addiction.

Can Ambien cause permanent brain damage?

Due to the association noted with other sleeping medications like diphenhydramine and benzodiazepines, there is some concern that Ambien could affect long-term memory and contribute to the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This possible association has not been proven by research to this point.

Can you take zolpidem for years?

Is it safe to take for a long time? Zolpidem should only be used short term (usually up to 4 weeks) for sleep problems. This is because your body can become dependent on it.

Does Ambien shorten your lifespan?

A new study has linked popular sleeping pills such as Ambien and Restoril with a nearly five-fold increased risk of early death. Researchers at Scripps Health, a nonprofit health system in San Diego, estimate that in 2010, sleeping pill use may have contributed to up to 500,000 “excess deaths” in the United States.

What can I take instead of Ambien?

Pharmaceutical alternatives to Ambien include Lunesta, Restoril, Silenor, Rozerem, antidepressants and over-the-counter antihistamines. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid to discuss with your doctor.

Is 5mg Ambien addictive?

However, while it generally takes users longer to develop an addiction to Ambien than to Benzos and withdrawal from Ambien is generally less severe and dangerous than Benzo withdrawal, Ambien is still an addictive substance. In fact, it is now recognized that Ambien has a similar abuse potential to Benzos.

Can Ambien cause liver damage?

Ambien is primarily metabolized by the liver. While liver damage can be a side effect of Ambien, it’s rare. However, the FDA notes that patients with hepatic impairment, meaning the liver is unable to perform normal synthetic and metabolic functions, should take the lowest dose (5 mg) of Ambien.

What happens if I take a sleeping pill every night?

Sleeping pills are best used for short-term stressors, jet lag, or similar sleep problems. There is limited evidence on the safety and efficacy of using sleep aids for more than four weeks, but some studies have found that daily use of sleep aids may be linked to a higher risk of mortality5.

Does Ambien eventually stop working?

Ambien becomes less and less effective after taking it for more than a couple of weeks. At that point, some users can’t stop taking the drug because their insomnia is even worse; they are now incapable of sleeping without Ambien. Before long I needed to take a pill every night.

Is melatonin better than Ambien?

Both melatonin and zolpidem were well tolerated with grogginess and headache as the only reported adverse effects. Melatonin demonstrated no significant difference in patient-perceived sleep effectiveness, disturbance, supplementation, or adverse effects when compared to zolpidem.

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