Ambien (Zolpidem) is a drug to treat sleep disorders, particularly insomnia. We’ll reveal the details about the medication and will give advice on how to take Ambien to achieve a maximum positive result of treatment.
Ambien is a super-potent non-benzodiazepine medication, which was approved for use in the United States in 1992. The only indication for its intake is difficulty falling asleep and trouble staying asleep throughout the night.
The active substance in Ambien is called zolpidem. It is a controlled substance, which can only be purchased by prescription. It’s crucial to consult your healthcare provider regarding the safety of your use of Ambien, as this drug has a certain potential for abuse.
The popularity of Ambien is growing. In 2019, it was ranked 47th on the top list of most popular drugs. Its rating increased by 13 points compared to 2018. This is due to the high effectiveness of this medication. What’s more, Ambien is much safer than the medicines of the benzodiazepine class, which are also often used for insomnia treatment.
Ambien (Zolpidem) is a medication possessing pronounced hypnotic properties. Aside from this, Ambien also produces weak anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, and muscle relaxant effects.
You might have heard it to be called a Z-drug. It belongs to the imidazopyridine class of drugs, which are the agonists of GABA-A receptors. This preparation enhances the GABAergic inhibition of neurotransmission in the human brain, inducing relaxation, calmness, and sleepiness.
If the mechanism of action of Ambien also involves the enhancement of GABA receptors activity, then how is this drug different from benzodiazepines? Studies show that zolpidem, Ambien generic, causes fewer awakenings compared to a drug from the benzodiazepine family called temazepam. What’s more, a Z-drug helped easier sleep onset and prolonged the duration of sleep more than the benzodiazepine medication it was compared to.
Scientists also claim Z-drugs, and Ambien in particular, to have a better safety profile than benzos. This is primarily related to the differences in the mechanisms of action of these drugs. The side effects produced by Ambien are less severe and rarer than the unwanted reactions related to the intake of benzodiazepines.
Ambien comes in tablet form. On the pharmaceutical market, you may find an immediate-release formulation and an extended-release formulation. Every immediate-release pill contains either 5 mg or 10 mg of zolpidem. The other formulation contains higher dosages of the active substance 6.25 mg and 12.5 mg.
Which one is better for you? The answer depends on several things:
Typically, women require a lower dosage than men, and it’s not about sexism, it’s about the differences in the metabolic clearance of the substance from the female and male bodies. In women, this process is slower, which is why their morning blood concentrations are higher than in men. Due to this, women are at a higher risk of experiencing daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, and other unwanted reactions typical of Ambien.
Extended-release pills are preferable for people suffering from trouble staying asleep, while immediate-release formulation will do better for those who can’t fall asleep.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Ambien is much safer in terms of developing tolerance and dependence than most other preparations used for sleep disorders treatment. Anyway, to get the desired result with minimum health risks, it’s crucial to follow some general guidelines for people taking Ambien.
Ambien (Zolpidem) is a super-effective anti-insomnia pill, which can help you restore healthy sleep. But its use is justified only if other methods of normalizing the sleep-wake cycle don’t work. Consult your doctor before taking Ambien. Nighty night with Ambien!
