What Are The Long Term Side Effects Of Ambien Addiction?
If you have suffered a sleep disorder, or if you are taking a lengthy transcontinental flight, your physician might prescribe Ambien to help you sleep. Ambien (or, in its generic form, “zolpidem”) is a non-traditional sedative that has a depressant effect on your central nervous system. It works directly on your brain by slowing down your brain’s functioning. Although it comes from a doctor, the side effects of Ambien can be addictive.
Although Ambien affects different people in different ways, most people who have taken Ambien report experiencing symptoms include:
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Uncertain balance
- Drowsiness that leads to sleep
Ambien users also report having unusual dreams after they have taken Ambien to help them get to sleep, as well as problems becoming fully awake the morning after they have taken Ambien to get to sleep.
How Does Ambien Effect the Body
Like the majority of central nervous system depressants, Ambien enhances the activity of a certain neurotransmitter chemical in your brain that slows down your brain’s activity. When this chemical becomes more active, messages between your brain cells are not transmitted as quickly or efficiently as they would otherwise be, leading to a drowsy state that helps you get to sleep. This reduction in your brain’s activity can cause memory problems, and it can impair your long-term cognitive functions if you take Ambien for an extended period of time. Most physicians will not prescribe more than a two- to four-week supply of Ambien due to concerns over these long-term problems and the potential for developing a dependence on or addiction to Ambien.
The side effects of Ambien are typically felt within 30 minutes to two hours after ingesting it with peak effects occurring after roughly four hours. Ambien addicts will not feel these effects as quickly, if they feel them at all. Ambien addicts will have trouble falling asleep, which can drive them to taking larger and more frequent doses of Ambien. If a person has become chemically addicted to Ambien, he has a strong chance of experiencing severe physical withdrawal symptoms after stopping his use of Ambien, including nausea, vomiting, cramping and irritability. Ambien withdrawal symptoms will generally last for seven to ten days.
Side Effects of Ambien Abuse
Many frequent Ambien users report side effects, including hallucinations and loss of inhibitions. Physicians and physiologists do not yet fully understand the causes of these side effects. However, they suspect that they may be the result of drug interactions between Ambien and other drugs taken simultaneously for recreational purposes. Ambien users should not to resist the effects of Ambien. Instead, they should find a safe place to sleep and to allow the drug to have its sedative effects. Given that some Ambien users have reported lower inhibitions when using Ambien, they can very well endanger themselves by participating in risky activities that they would otherwise avoid apart from this effect of Ambien.
Ambien Addiction and Long Term Side Effects of Ambien Use
If a person uses Ambien for a long time and becomes dependent on it, there are several long term side effects of Ambien that can affect them for a long time. Of course, the most dangerous of these side effects is addiction. Additionally, other long term side effects of Ambien include:
- Fatigue
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Nightmares
- Anxiety
- Muscle aches and pains
A person can avoid these long term side effects of Ambien if they don’t abuse the substance. If someone already has a chemical dependency, then they need to find Ambien addiction treatment as soon as possible.
Treatment for Ambien Addiction
Ambien has a number of valid and legitimate uses, but like many other pharmaceutical substances, individuals can abuse Ambien. The Last Resort Recovery offers a comprehensive men’s rehab experience for men of all backgrounds.
We can provide advice and assistance to address your Ambien use and we can help break that dependence or addiction before you experience significant problems. Don’t let the long term side effects of Ambien control your life and call us today.