Ambien (zolpidem tartrate) is the nation’s best-selling sleeping pill, but the effects of Ambien may last far beyond a good night’s sleep. Ambien has been associated with sleep walking, sleep eating, sleep driving, memory loss, hallucinations, depression, suicide risk, and an increased risk of car accidents.
The drug company Sanofi-Aventis introduced Ambien in 1993. Although it has helped many people get the rest they need, others have found that the drug makes their lives a living nightmare.
Side Effects of Ambien
- Parasomnia. Parasomnias are unusual behaviors that occur during sleep. There have been reports of sleep walking, sleep eating, sleep driving, sleep sex, and sleep violence in patients taking Ambien. The patients have no recollection of the behavior when they wake up.
- Hallucinations. Patients taking Ambien have reported visual and auditory hallucinations. There is a risk that patients experiencing hallucinations may be a danger to themselves or others.
- Depression. People with no history of depression have suffered severe episodes of depression after taking Ambien. Ambien has been suspected as a factor in suicide attempts.
- Dissociation. Patients taking Ambien have reported dissociation or detachment from physical and emotional experiences in their lives.
- Addiction. Ambien is not supposed to be habit-forming, but it can be addictive if taken too often.
- Temporary insomnia. Some patients experience a worsening of insomnia when taking Ambien.
- Ambien car crashes. In January 2013, the FDA issued a warning that some doses of Ambien may increase the risk of next day car accidents.
Each of these Ambien side effects is potentially dangerous, but Ambien parasomnia may be the most dangerous of all. Parasomnia occurs when a person carries out activities while asleep or semi-consciousness; one example is sleepwalking. But Ambien patients do more than sleep walk. One man left his children alone and drove until he had an accident. Another man sexually assaulted his roommate.
Sanofi-Aventis has been the target of several recent lawsuits that claim the company has failed to properly warn patients of the dangerous side effects of Ambien. Our lawyers urge anyone who has suffered serious Ambien side effects to contact our office. To learn more, contact Hupy and Abraham at 888-807-2752.