Complain about a product or service

Ambien

Beverly of Rocky Mount, NC May 6, 2009

I suffer with bipolar disorder,sleep problems, short-term memory loss, and rapid mood swings. I have been under the same doctors care since1994. Ten years I have been on Ambien first 10 mg most recently 20mg. Since being on Ambien over these many years; I had no idea that other people were experiencing my exact side-effects. I would take my prescribed dose and go immediately to bed as instructed; however I am been sleep-eating to the point I gained 60 lbs., and would carry food to bed to eat would wake the next morning with sandwiches in the bed, candy wrappers, so on, I have opened cans of soup and ate straight out of the can, put food in the oven and burnt it up, drove a car about1/2 mile, called family at 4:00 in the morning, and twice I took the pills, forgot I took them (at this point I was asleep) and continued to take pill after pill and ended up by ambulance in the ER and hospitalized both times. Most recently 1 week ago; this medication almost cost me my life as I had just had the pills filled so there were 60 pills in the bottle; all the pills were gone and my entire family searched our home from top to bottom while I was hospitalized and NO pills were ever found. Twice I have overdosed on Ambien unintentionally as I have 4 grown children and 11 beautiful grandchildren whom I dearly love and never would I ever want to die and leave my husband or children. I thank GOD my husband and oldest son found me and my daughter-in-law who lives beside us is an RN and without them I would be dead now. This drug needs to be off the market!

My doctor was well aware of all the episodes I have had while on Ambien; took me off it 6 weeks and went to Lunesta; no help, so she put me back on Ambien! Never, ever again will I ever take this medication again and hope I can do something to get it off the market even though it isFDA approved...just look at what it does to people. I hope this will find people and they read my nightmare of this RX and somehow together we can get it off the market before more people die from it!

Kay of Meadow Vista, CA December 10, 2008

My father had very bad experiences, three times - in two different hospitals. After being given Ambien to sleep at night, he got out of bed, pulled the needles out of his arm, and started walking down the hall with the IV equipment. He had no idea where he was, or who he was. At the second hospital, his wife specifically told the Nurse that he was not to be given Ambien, which they did anyway. Then the second night, she told them again, not to give him Ambien - and, even after the incident the night before, they gave it to him again.

Both times he was in the hospital because of heart attacks. It is a wonder that he lived through being given this medication and the consequenses he experienced.

Carolyn of Springfield, MO December 7, 2008

My son had been taking AmbienCR for almost 2 years. He took not only his dose in the evening but mistakenly took (2?) more the following morning to try and get some rest. This resulted in his tongue swelling, his speech was slurred, he appeared disconnected and went outdoors and shot himself.

There was no suicide note, everyone reported he has been fine in the weeks leading up to this. He has no psychiatric history. He was a well adjusted person who was having difficulty sleeping and had financial stress.

My son died 9-17-08.

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