People's Pharmacy

Ambien

Generic Name:zolpidem

Revised:4/1/2000

Table of Contents

Side Effects and Interactions

People on Ambien may experience daytime drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or headache.

Other side effects reported include lethargy, weakness, drugged feelings, amnesia, dry mouth, constipation, allergy and sinusitis.

Because this medication is still quite new, some rare reactions may not yet have shown up. Be sure to report any symptoms to your physician promptly.

Relatively few studies have considered Ambien in combination with other medications.

Ambien interacts with alcohol, which should generally be avoided by everyone taking sleeping pills.

Antianxiety medicines like Xanax and other sleeping pills, such as Dalmane or Halcion, might magnify the effects of Ambien.

This sleeping pill can reduce peak blood levels of Tofranil (imipramine) by 20 percent and decrease alertness.

Increased impairment has also been reported when Thorazine is combined with Ambien.

Because of the animal research showing that lemon balm extract can potentiate barbiturate action, the herb should be used only with caution, if at all, in combination with Ambien.

Check with your doctor and pharmacist to make sure Ambien is safe in combination with any other drugs or herbs you take.