Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Ambien Withdrawal WorksSigns & SymptomsCoping & ReliefWarningsLong-Term Treatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Ambien Withdrawal Works
Signs & Symptoms
Coping & Relief
Warnings
Long-Term Treatment
What is the most important information I should know about Ambien withdrawal?Ambien can lead to dependence and withdrawal even when taken as prescribed.If you want to discontinue Ambien, talk to your doctor about gradually tapering your dose to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
What is the most important information I should know about Ambien withdrawal?
Ambien can lead to dependence and withdrawal even when taken as prescribed.If you want to discontinue Ambien, talk to your doctor about gradually tapering your dose to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
While Ambien is generally considered safer than certain other sedatives, it can still be misused. Long-term use may lead to tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal.
Verywell / Gary Ferster
If you’ve been taking large doses of Ambien for more than a few weeks, you may experiencewithdrawal symptoms upon stopping. These symptoms can range from a general unwell feeling to tremors, anxiety, palpitations, and seizures.Case reports suggest that withdrawal symptoms are most common among people who quit abruptly after long-term or heavy use.
The effects of regular Ambien use are similar toalcohol intoxicationand can cause impaired judgment, slurred speech, and behavioral changes.It is also associated with complex sleep behaviors such as sleepwalking and sleep eating.
Ambien dependence is more likely in people with a history of drug or alcohol misuse.Dependence and withdrawal are rare in people taking Ambien precisely as directed, but it can still happen.
According to the label from the drug manufacturer, withdrawal symptoms appear in about 1% of people taking a therapeutic dose.However, that figure did not account for the instances of people misusing Ambien.
Ambien MisuseAmbien misuse can include taking larger doses than prescribed or intentionally staying awake after taking it to take advantage of the drug’s intoxicating effects.
Ambien Misuse
Ambien misuse can include taking larger doses than prescribed or intentionally staying awake after taking it to take advantage of the drug’s intoxicating effects.
Signs & Symptoms of Ambien Withdrawal
Although it was previously believed to be rare, new research suggests that withdrawal symptoms may be common among those who take the drug more frequently or in higher doses than prescribed.
Unfortunately, there is not enough data available about Ambien withdrawal and further research is needed. From reports of specific cases, clinicians know that Ambien withdrawal can range from mild to severe and depend on factors such as:
Mild symptoms of withdrawal include insomnia and restlessness. These symptoms may be bothersome and can interfere slightly with your day-to-day activities, but they are not serious.
Severe withdrawal symptoms, which would prevent you from engaging in normal activities, include flu-like symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, sweating, and muscle cramps.
There are reports of people experiencing severe anxiety and nervousness. It is also possible to experience tremors, become lightheaded, have apanic attack, or even potentially have a seizure.
How Long Does Ambien Withdrawal Last?Ambien withdrawal symptoms typically begin within 48 hours after your last dose and should resolve within a week or two.
How Long Does Ambien Withdrawal Last?
Ambien withdrawal symptoms typically begin within 48 hours after your last dose and should resolve within a week or two.
Possible Ambien Withdrawal Symptoms
PhysicalAches and painsHand tremorsHeadacheHyperventilationNausea or vomitingRacing pulseRestlessnessSpeech difficultiesSweatingPsychologicalAnxietyConfusion or deliriumInsomniaPanic attacks
PhysicalAches and painsHand tremorsHeadacheHyperventilationNausea or vomitingRacing pulseRestlessnessSpeech difficultiesSweating
Aches and pains
Hand tremors
Headache
Hyperventilation
Nausea or vomiting
Racing pulse
Restlessness
Speech difficulties
Sweating
PsychologicalAnxietyConfusion or deliriumInsomniaPanic attacks
Anxiety
Confusion or delirium
Insomnia
Panic attacks
Coping & Relief for Ambien Withdrawal
If you take a regular therapeutic dose of Ambien, it is unlikely that you will experience withdrawal symptoms. However, you may have trouble sleeping without it.
Tapering Your DoseTo train your body to fall asleep without sleep aids, you may choose to taper your dose over the course of one to two weeks. Under your doctor’s guidance, you can use a pill cutter, which you can pick up at any pharmacy, to chop your pill into halves and quarters.Always consult your doctor before making changes to your medications.
Tapering Your Dose
To train your body to fall asleep without sleep aids, you may choose to taper your dose over the course of one to two weeks. Under your doctor’s guidance, you can use a pill cutter, which you can pick up at any pharmacy, to chop your pill into halves and quarters.Always consult your doctor before making changes to your medications.
To train your body to fall asleep without sleep aids, you may choose to taper your dose over the course of one to two weeks. Under your doctor’s guidance, you can use a pill cutter, which you can pick up at any pharmacy, to chop your pill into halves and quarters.
Always consult your doctor before making changes to your medications.
If you are still having trouble sleeping after stopping Ambien, consider talking to your doctor about melatonin as an alternative.Melatoninis a natural chemical produced in the brain that helps regulate your sleep cycles. As you get older, your brain doesn’t produce as much melatonin as it used to. A melatonin supplement at bedtime can help.
Other herbal remedies can help you fall asleep, such as valerian root and chamomile tea.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms of Ambien withdrawal, your doctor or inpatient program’s physician may recommend the short-term use of a sedative. Common sedatives prescribed to help with Ambien withdrawal include:
How Stress Works With and Against Your Memory
Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your medication. If you are worried about withdrawal, your doctor can help you safely taper down your dose.
If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor immediately. Some research suggests that Ambien may be harmful to a developing fetus and increase the risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, and cesarean delivery.
If you regularly take a higher than normal dose of Ambien, you may be at increased risk of severe withdrawal symptoms. You should speak with your doctor and refrain from self-medicating with other drugs or alcohol.
Recovery from an Ambien use disorder can be difficult. If you are having trouble quitting or trying to quit more than one substance, it’s important to ask for help. That help may be medical, psychological, or social.
Resources
If you are ready to quit taking Ambien, talking with your prescribing doctor is the best place to start. Your doctor can advise you about the best way to quit and help you develop a plan to deal with any potential withdrawal symptoms.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
To find a 12-Step meeting in your area, use searchable online directories forAlcoholics AnonymousandNarcotics Anonymous.
How to Find the Right Addiction Recovery Program
12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Hadinezhad P, Hosseini SH.Zolpidem withdrawal seizure in an Iranian young woman: A case presentation.Caspian J Intern Med. 2021;12(Suppl 2):S376-S378. doi:10.22088/cjim.12.0.376Davies J, Rae TC, Montagu L.Long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in England: A survey of general practice.British J Gen Pract.2017;67(662):e609-e613. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X691865National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Mittal N, Mittal R, Gupta MC.Zolpidem for insomnia: A double-edged sword. A systematic literature review on zolpidem-induced complex sleep behaviors.Indian J Psychol Med. 2021;43(5):373-381. doi:10.1177/0253717621992372Schifano F, Chiappini S, Corkery JM, Guirguis A.An insight into z-drug abuse and dependence: An examination of reports to the European Medicines Agency Database of suspected adverse drug reactions.Int J Neuropsychoph.2019;22(4):270-277. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyz007U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) tablets Prescribing Information.Bedoya RH, Romero YC.Zolpidem dependence and withdrawal. Case report.Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Published online November 14, 2015. doi:10.47739/2374-0124/1051Mao ZX, Yang X, Wang HY, Guo WJ.Case report: Chronological symptom profile after cessation of overdose zolpidem in a patient with comorbid bipolar disorder-from anxiety, craving, paresthesia and influenza-like symptoms to seizures and hallucinations.Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:962836. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.962836Haji Seyed Javadi SA, Hajiali F, Nassiri-Asl M.Zolpidem dependency and withdrawal seizure: a case report study.Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(11):e19926. doi:10.5812/ircmj.19926Guadagna S, Barattini DF, Rosu S, Ferini-Strambi L.Plant extracts for sleep disturbances: A systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:3792390. doi:10.1155/2020/3792390Edinoff AN, Wu N, Ghaffar YT, et al.Zolpidem: Efficacy and side effects for insomnia.Health Psychol Res. 2021;9(1):24927. doi:10.52965/001c.24927Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
12 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Hadinezhad P, Hosseini SH.Zolpidem withdrawal seizure in an Iranian young woman: A case presentation.Caspian J Intern Med. 2021;12(Suppl 2):S376-S378. doi:10.22088/cjim.12.0.376Davies J, Rae TC, Montagu L.Long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in England: A survey of general practice.British J Gen Pract.2017;67(662):e609-e613. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X691865National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Mittal N, Mittal R, Gupta MC.Zolpidem for insomnia: A double-edged sword. A systematic literature review on zolpidem-induced complex sleep behaviors.Indian J Psychol Med. 2021;43(5):373-381. doi:10.1177/0253717621992372Schifano F, Chiappini S, Corkery JM, Guirguis A.An insight into z-drug abuse and dependence: An examination of reports to the European Medicines Agency Database of suspected adverse drug reactions.Int J Neuropsychoph.2019;22(4):270-277. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyz007U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) tablets Prescribing Information.Bedoya RH, Romero YC.Zolpidem dependence and withdrawal. Case report.Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Published online November 14, 2015. doi:10.47739/2374-0124/1051Mao ZX, Yang X, Wang HY, Guo WJ.Case report: Chronological symptom profile after cessation of overdose zolpidem in a patient with comorbid bipolar disorder-from anxiety, craving, paresthesia and influenza-like symptoms to seizures and hallucinations.Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:962836. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.962836Haji Seyed Javadi SA, Hajiali F, Nassiri-Asl M.Zolpidem dependency and withdrawal seizure: a case report study.Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(11):e19926. doi:10.5812/ircmj.19926Guadagna S, Barattini DF, Rosu S, Ferini-Strambi L.Plant extracts for sleep disturbances: A systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:3792390. doi:10.1155/2020/3792390Edinoff AN, Wu N, Ghaffar YT, et al.Zolpidem: Efficacy and side effects for insomnia.Health Psychol Res. 2021;9(1):24927. doi:10.52965/001c.24927Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Hadinezhad P, Hosseini SH.Zolpidem withdrawal seizure in an Iranian young woman: A case presentation.Caspian J Intern Med. 2021;12(Suppl 2):S376-S378. doi:10.22088/cjim.12.0.376Davies J, Rae TC, Montagu L.Long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in England: A survey of general practice.British J Gen Pract.2017;67(662):e609-e613. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X691865National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?Mittal N, Mittal R, Gupta MC.Zolpidem for insomnia: A double-edged sword. A systematic literature review on zolpidem-induced complex sleep behaviors.Indian J Psychol Med. 2021;43(5):373-381. doi:10.1177/0253717621992372Schifano F, Chiappini S, Corkery JM, Guirguis A.An insight into z-drug abuse and dependence: An examination of reports to the European Medicines Agency Database of suspected adverse drug reactions.Int J Neuropsychoph.2019;22(4):270-277. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyz007U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) tablets Prescribing Information.Bedoya RH, Romero YC.Zolpidem dependence and withdrawal. Case report.Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Published online November 14, 2015. doi:10.47739/2374-0124/1051Mao ZX, Yang X, Wang HY, Guo WJ.Case report: Chronological symptom profile after cessation of overdose zolpidem in a patient with comorbid bipolar disorder-from anxiety, craving, paresthesia and influenza-like symptoms to seizures and hallucinations.Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:962836. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.962836Haji Seyed Javadi SA, Hajiali F, Nassiri-Asl M.Zolpidem dependency and withdrawal seizure: a case report study.Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(11):e19926. doi:10.5812/ircmj.19926Guadagna S, Barattini DF, Rosu S, Ferini-Strambi L.Plant extracts for sleep disturbances: A systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:3792390. doi:10.1155/2020/3792390Edinoff AN, Wu N, Ghaffar YT, et al.Zolpidem: Efficacy and side effects for insomnia.Health Psychol Res. 2021;9(1):24927. doi:10.52965/001c.24927
National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription CNS depressants?
Hadinezhad P, Hosseini SH.Zolpidem withdrawal seizure in an Iranian young woman: A case presentation.Caspian J Intern Med. 2021;12(Suppl 2):S376-S378. doi:10.22088/cjim.12.0.376
Davies J, Rae TC, Montagu L.Long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in England: A survey of general practice.British J Gen Pract.2017;67(662):e609-e613. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X691865
Mittal N, Mittal R, Gupta MC.Zolpidem for insomnia: A double-edged sword. A systematic literature review on zolpidem-induced complex sleep behaviors.Indian J Psychol Med. 2021;43(5):373-381. doi:10.1177/0253717621992372
Schifano F, Chiappini S, Corkery JM, Guirguis A.An insight into z-drug abuse and dependence: An examination of reports to the European Medicines Agency Database of suspected adverse drug reactions.Int J Neuropsychoph.2019;22(4):270-277. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyz007
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) tablets Prescribing Information.
Bedoya RH, Romero YC.Zolpidem dependence and withdrawal. Case report.Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Published online November 14, 2015. doi:10.47739/2374-0124/1051
Mao ZX, Yang X, Wang HY, Guo WJ.Case report: Chronological symptom profile after cessation of overdose zolpidem in a patient with comorbid bipolar disorder-from anxiety, craving, paresthesia and influenza-like symptoms to seizures and hallucinations.Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:962836. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.962836
Haji Seyed Javadi SA, Hajiali F, Nassiri-Asl M.Zolpidem dependency and withdrawal seizure: a case report study.Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(11):e19926. doi:10.5812/ircmj.19926
Guadagna S, Barattini DF, Rosu S, Ferini-Strambi L.Plant extracts for sleep disturbances: A systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:3792390. doi:10.1155/2020/3792390
Edinoff AN, Wu N, Ghaffar YT, et al.Zolpidem: Efficacy and side effects for insomnia.Health Psychol Res. 2021;9(1):24927. doi:10.52965/001c.24927
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
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