What Is Ambien?
Ambien is a prescription medication also known by its brand name of Zolpidem. It is commonly prescribed for individuals experiencing a sleeping disorder or insomnia. Ambien supports individuals by helping them fall asleep quickly and remain sleeping throughout the night to ensure they have a sound, peaceful sleep each night. Ambien is a sedative and a hypnotic that promotes slowing brain activity, allowing your body to enter into a state of relaxation and get a restful sleep.
How Addictive Is Zolpidem?
Ambien is used as a sleep aid medication initially and will promote feelings of sleepiness and relaxation. However, when someone begins abusing Ambien, many will often feel the side effects of euphoria. These euphoric feelings will quickly draw individuals into a cycle of addiction as you start chasing the escape or numbing of emotions through the euphoric feeling. After taking Ambien for a prolonged period or using it at high doses, your body can become physically, psychologically, and physiologically dependent on Ambien. When you attempt to stop taking Ambien, there is the potential to experience drug withdrawal symptoms. Common withdrawal symptoms from Ambien are:
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Delirium or confusion
- Audio, visual, or tactile hallucinations
- Elevated blood pressure
- Rapid abnormal breathing rate
- Increased body temperature
- Excessive sweating
- Fatigue or extreme exhaustion
- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Seizures or convulsions
- Stomach and abdominal pain and discomfort.
- Hand or body tremors
What Are the Side Effects of Taking Zolpidem?
Each person that takes Zolpidem will experience side effects that are unique to you and depend on your history of drug abuse. Common side effects of Ambien abuse are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Memory loss or forgetting actions that you have taken
- Volatility or aggression
- Grogginess or drowsiness
- Risk of driving while impaired
- Lack of motor skills and coordination
- Vivid, intense dreams or nightmares
- Delayed, slowed reaction time
- Increase in suicidal thoughts and ideations
- Some of the long-term risks of taking or abusing Ambien are;
- Worsening of sleep apnea symptoms
- The onset of cough or developing worse symptoms of cough
- Increased risk of laryngitis
- Chronic sinus infections
- Increase of worsening symptoms of acid reflux
To learn more on how to quit taking Ambien, check out our blog:
Need Zolpidem for Z’s? How to Quit Ambien and Avoid Ambien Withdrawal
Are Ambien and Xanax the Same Thing?
Ambien and Xanax are not the same forms of medications. However, Ambien was initially designed to be a safer alternative to benzodiazepines for individuals experiencing sleep disorders, including insomnia. In contrast, benzodiazepines were used for treating patients living with anxiety disorder, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and seizures, but symptoms of withdrawal can occur. Xanax is in the drug classification of benzodiazepines often used to treat mood disorders and insomnia. However, Ambien is classified as a sleep medication and hypnotic. Xanax does have the ability to support patients in finding balance in sleep patterns and reducing the rates of insomnia.
Detox and Rehab Programs for Ambien Addiction
If you have an addiction to Ambien, you must seek treatment and rehab within an addiction treatment center. Treatment and rehab will allow you to safely quit your use of Ambien within a drug detox setting. As you begin to experience Ambien withdrawal symptoms, you will be monitored by medical professionals specifically trained to create safe treatment plans to ensure that your Ambien withdrawal symptoms will be reduced to a mild or moderate level. After completing your drug detox process, you will be ready to address the underlying causes of your Ambien addiction through the methods of addiction treatments, including behavioral therapy, holistic treatments, trauma therapy, EMDR therapy, recreational therapy, dual diagnosis treatment, and experiential therapy. Patients will go through individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy with their loved ones. Throughout your Ambien treatment program, you will be able to heal from your root causes of substance abuse while also developing the tools to remain in sober living for long-term success in addiction recovery.
Call one of the compassionate, highly qualified addiction counselors at (800) 426-1818 to find the support you need to heal from your past substance abuse to create a healthy lifestyle routine in sober living.
