Ambien Class-Action Lawsuit Information...Your Legal Rights Against Sanofi-Aventis

Information About Ambien and Ambien CR

Zolpidem is a prescription drug used for the short-term treatment of insomnia (sleeping pill). It works quickly (usually within 15 minutes) and has a short half-life (2-3 hours), but will last longer in patients with hepatic failure. Some trade names of zolpidem are Ambien®, Stilnox®, Stilnoct®, or Myslee®.[1] Its sedative effects are similar to those of the benzodiazepines, but it is actually classified as an imidazopyridine, and the anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant effects only appear at 10 and 20 times the dose required for sedation, respectively.[2] For that reason, it has never been approved for either muscle relaxation or seizure prevention. Such drastically increased doses are likely to induce one or more negative side effects, including hallucinations and/or amnesia.

Ambien CR is different from Ambien in that it uses zolpidem tartrate extended release. The continued release allows for increased effectiveness of a lower, consistant dose of zolpidem, gives less or no hangover, and is proven to be more effective than traditional Ambien in quality of sleep (less/no sleep interruptions) and depth of sleep (preserves stage 3 and 4 deep sleep.)

The patent on zolpidem is held by the French pharmacutical corporation Sanofi-Aventis.

Larger doses of Ambien can result in a variety of unwanted side effects: hallucinations, delusions, poor motor coordination, euphoria or dysphoria, increased appetite, increased sex drive, poor judgement, and, following use, inability to remember events that took place while under the influence of the drug (anterograde amnesia).

Before a user becomes fully acclimated to these effects (or if the user does not become acclimated), these symptoms can be severe enough to be deemed as drug-induced psychosis. Incidentally, antipsychotics like ziprasidone (Geodon) or quetiapine (Seroquel) may be prescribed alongside Ambien to both combat these side effects and to aid in sleep-induction, as they can also act as hypnotics. However, because some antidepressants are known for being mildly sedating (i.e., paroxetine), it may be advisable not to use zolpidem and an antidepressant simultaneously.

Some users take zolpidem recreationally for these side effects, however, it is not as common as with the benzodiazepines because of its unique mental imagery (which can distract the user from reality without actually producing genuine hallucinations) and irrational behaviour combined with the amnesia. Accordingly, Zolpidem can also become psychologically addictive if taken for extended periods of time, due to dependence on its ability to put one to sleep or to the unique sense of euphoria it can produce. Under the influence of the drug it is common to take more zolpidem than is necessary due to forgetting that one has already taken a pill. Users are advised to keep additional zolpidem away to avoid this risk.

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