Ambien (Zolpidem) dependence and withdrawal?

[upperdecker]

SWIM was reading around on the net and found some sites with people claiming that they are going through withdrawal from Ambien but SWIM also found sites saying that there is no withdrawal from Ambien. Which is it?

[Pino]

There is withdrawal from ambien (zolpidem). It hassles with the gaba-a receptors. Probably benzodiazepine like withdrawals.

[Jatelka]

Zolpidem and Zopiclone are both associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms (can't find anything specific to Zaleplon, but I'd be amazed if it didn't as well)

See here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...1093&catid=130
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...1304&catid=130
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...1304&catid=130 (Zopiclone rather than Zolpidem)

[upperdecker]

Has anyone who isn't you personally experienced withdrawal from Ambien, if so could they say how it felt compared to benzo withdrawal?

[cyndi]

Swim was on Ambien for over 5 years . Supposedly it was safe since it was scripted as "nonnarcotic" by the doctor. After a year, she decided she was building up too much tolerance so she went off of it a night. Also the doctor was hesitant to write any more scripts. What she experienced was not pleasant. She had restless leg really bad, bad insomnia of course, nightsweats, and the next day the room felt it was spinning. This lasted for 3 days. With benzos in her experience the effects were the same, they just lasted longer. Instead of 3 days it would be more like a couple of weeks of feeling horrible.