Drug Addiction - Ambien

Drug addiction - Ambien (zolpidem tartrate) is a sedative-hypnotic prescribed to people for short-term treatment of insomnia. It is classed in two ways; as a non-benzodiazepine, and as part of the imidazopyridine class of drugs. In short this means that its effects are similar to benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium, even though it is not chemically related these drugs. It affects chemicals in the brain that have become unbalanced, which results in insomnia.

This sleep medication works by slowing the brain's ability to function normally. The primary focuses of the drug is treating insomnia; it does not have an effect on muscle relaxation. Ambien can be addictive is it is important not to take a larger dose, take it more often, or for a longer period than your doctor tells you too.

Ambien is a Schedule IV controlled substance available in 5- and 10-mg tablets. A Schedule IV drug has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III. A Schedule IV drug has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Also, a Schedule IV drug may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III.

Ambien is not a good choice of sleep aid for anyone who drinks alcohol or has a history of addiction problems, even to cigarettes, because it�s so seriously addictive. It can become addictive in a very short time, even less than 10 days, and withdrawal symptoms, including rebound insomnia, can occur�the very thing you were trying to address in the first place.

Drug addiction - Ambien addiction is often difficult for friends and family to recognize. Contrary to popular belief, one need not abuse Ambien daily to have a problem with Ambien addiction; the pattern of abuse may be occasional or habitual. Ambien addiction is usually an intensely private affair between the abuser and the bottle of pills. And, the pill taker is not subject to the social stigma associated with the shadowy world of street drug dealing.

Currently Ambien is the most prescribed sleep aid in the United States, leading to its increased availability on the black market. According to a report by Dr. Kim Mulvihill, Ambien addiction and abuse among teenagers is on the rise. Teens are abusing Ambien, sometimes in combination with alcohol, and Dr. Mulvihill notes that Ambien can be used as a date-rape drug, further increasing the concerns and dangers associated with Ambien Addiction.

The Ambien brand specifically has become very popular among recreational drug users. Users often report that they get high by fighting the effects of the drug. This is done by not allowing the body to sleep which can cause visual effects and an overall high. For some people though, resisting the sedative effects helps them to feel the side-effect of euphoria more than sedation. Some people report decreased anxiety as well as perceptual changes, auditory/visual distortions and even hallucinations.

Drug addiction - Ambien users will often abuse this drug by removing the protective covering on the drug which is supposed to prevent the possibility of snorting. However, to a serious drug user this is not an obstacle. An individual under the influence of Ambien may seem totally in control which can bring about concerns of their safety of the sleepwalker and others. Driving while under the drug's influence is generally considered several orders of magnitude more dangerous than the average drunk driver, due to the diminished motor controls and delusions that may affect the user. For all these reasons, proper treatment of Ambien abuse is necessary. Ambien abuse should be treated like any other type of substance abuse. The proper counseling needs to be obtained in order to stop a problem from becoming life threatening.

Ambien addiction symptoms can be hard to spot, both for the user and for others. They include:

• Mood swings, between euphoria and aggression
• Augmented sensitivity (to sights and noises)
• Activity swings (long terms of sleep followed by long terms of activity)
• Preoccupation with having or using Ambien
• Drug-seeking behavior, such as doctor-shopping
• The onset of withdrawal symptoms when Ambien is absent

Drug Addiction - Ambien Addiction Side Effects
Cops in Washington State tell the New York Times that an increasing number of middle-of-the- night car crashes are connected to the drug. An unnamed nurse in Denver was pulled over, in her nightie, and promptly urinated on the street; she had taken an Ambien before going to bed and claimed not to know how she got there or who drank the half-bottle of wine on her counter. Sean Joyce, a British man on a flight from Charlotte to London, was arrested last year because he belligerently ripped off his shirt and threatened suicide, the Times reported. Joyce received a reduced, five-day sentence because he'd had an Ambien and a couple of those airplane bottles of wine; he remembered none of it.

• abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, abnormal vision, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, arthritis
• back pain, bronchitis, burning sensation
• chest pain, confusion, constipation, coughing
• daytime sleeping, decreased mental alertness, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, difficulty swallowing, diminished sensitivity to touch, dizziness on standing, double vision, dry mouth
• emotional instability, exaggerated feeling of well-being, eye irritation
• falling, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms
• gas, general discomfort
• hallucination, hiccup, high blood pressure, high blood sugar
• increased sweating, infection, insomnia, itching
• joint pain
• lack of bladder control, lack of coordination, lethargy, light-headedness, loss of appetite
• menstrual disorder, migraine, muscle pain
• nasal inflammation, nervousness, numbness
• paleness, prickling or tingling sensation
• rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears
• sinus inflammation, sleep disorder, speech difficulties, swelling due to fluid retention
• taste abnormalities, throat inflammation, throbbing heartbeat, tremor
• unconsciousness, upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infection
• vertigo, vomiting
• weakness

Less Common Ambien Side Effects:

• abnormal tears or tearing, abscess, acne, aggravation of allergies, aggravation of high blood pressure, aggression, allergic reaction, altered production of saliva, anemia
• belching, blisters, blood clot in lung, boils, breast pain, breast problems, breast tumors, bruising
• chill with high temperature followed by heat and perspiration
• decreased sex drive, delusion, difficulty urinating
• excessive urine production, eye pain, facial swelling due to fluid retention
• fainting, false perceptions, feeling intoxicated, feeling strange, flushing, frequent urination
• glaucoma, gout
• heart attack, hemorrhoids, herpes infection, high cholesterol, hives, hot flashes
• impotence, inability to urinate, increased appetite, increased tolerance to the drug, intestinal blockage, irregular heartbeat
• joint degeneration
• kidney failure, kidney pain
• laryngitis, leg cramps, loss of reality, low blood pressure
• mental deterioration, muscle spasms in arms and legs, muscle weakness
• nosebleed, pain, painful urination, panic attacks, paralysis, pneumonia, poor circulation
• rectal bleeding, rigidity
• sciatica (lower back pain), sensation of seeing flashes of lights or sparks, sensitivity to light, sleepwalking, speech difficulties, swelling of the eye
• thinking abnormalities, thirst, tooth decay
• uncontrolled leg movements, urge to go to the bathroom
• varicose veins
• weight loss
• yawning