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Introduction
Ambien is a sedative drug and the brand name for Zolpidem tartrate. The drug is effective in putting a person to sleep and maintaining it. The drug must be taken as prescribed to experience positive results for treating insomnia and to avoid the side-effects that Ambien can lead to. If a person abuses Ambien, he or she might get high on ambien and even have to undergo treatment for overcoming Ambien addiction. In this article, you will know more about Ambien high.
What is Ambien?
Ambien is the trade name for Zolpidem which is a sedative or a hypnotic. Zolpidem affects the chemicals in the brain that become unbalanced in the individuals with sleep problems or insomnia. Ambien is used for treating insomnia as it helps to fall asleep. It can cause impaired thinking and reactions. It can also make you feel drowsy even in the morning.
What is Ambien Used for?
Ambien or Zolpidem is used for treating sleep deprivation or insomnia in adults. If you have trouble falling asleep, Ambien will help you in falling asleep faster and also staying asleep so that you get a good rest. The drug Zolpidem acts on the brain to provide a calming effect. Usage of Ambien is recommended for a short treatment period of one to two weeks or lesser.
Recommended Dosage of Ambien
The lowest effective dosage must be provided to the patient initially. The recommended initial dosage for women is 5mg and 5-10mg can be given to men which can be taken once every night before going to bed with 7-8 hours in hand for resting after taking the medication. The dosage can be increased to 10mg if 5mg is not effective. Sometimes, when a 10mg dosage is taken, it can increase the risks of accidents during driving and other activities which require a person to be alert the next morning. The maximum dosage should not exceed 10mg per day before bedtime. It should be taken in a single dosage and must not be re-administered on the same night.
Elderly or debilitated patients can be sensitive to the effects of Zolpidem tartrate which is why they must be given 5mg once daily before going to bed and not more than that. Patients who have mild or moderate hepatic impairment fail to clear out the drug as fast as normal people. Thus, they are recommended to take 5mg once daily immediately before going to bed. Patients with severe hepatic impairment must not use Ambien as it may contribute to encephalopathy in them.
Talk to the physician if Ambien is to be taken with other CNS depressants as the dosage must be adjusted accordingly. Not doing so may result in the amplification of symptoms like drowsiness, etc. and can increase risks of accidents.
Side Effects of Using Ambien
Side effects like dizziness can occur and it can persist or worsen which is why you must talk to your doctor if you see any side-effects. Ambien can even make you sleepy during the daytime. The dosage must be adjusted if drowsiness remains even after waking up. Most of the people using this medication usually do not have any side effects. But there are rare cases of serious side effects like:
- Memory loss
- Mood changes
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
- Aggression
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Dry mouth
- Lack of coordination while walking
- Nightmares
- Vomiting
- Fainting
When these side effects occur or worsen, one must seek their doctors immediately and adjust the dosage. People tend to perform various activities like eating food, making phone calls, etc. while they are on the medication and not fully awake. They tend to forget all these events later on. Such problems can be dangerous for the individual and others too. Speak to your doctor if you find out you are experiencing these side effects. The risks are increased when the medication is used with other medications that make you drowsy. Use of alcohol can also intensify the effects.
Serious allergic reaction to this drug is quite rare but if you notice any symptoms of serious allergic reaction like rashes, swelling, itching, severe dizziness or trouble in breathing, then you must contact your doctor immediately.
Can you Get High on Ambien?
Yes, Ambien can get you high and even lead to addiction in as little as one to two weeks’ time. People usually tend to realize they are addicted to it when they experience the withdrawal symptoms which is the main sign of addiction. It creates a euphoric effect on the person and gives them effects similar to other drugs. The effects that they get from abusing Ambien make them use the drug in higher doses and enjoy the feeling that leads to addiction.
Reasons for Ambien Abuse to Get High
Ambien acts like any other drug or alcohol by giving the user a temporary escape from reality. This is the main factor that attracts the users to abuse Ambien to get high. The reasons why an individual resorts to Ambien to get high are as follows:
Enjoying the Feeling of Being High
One of the main reasons of abusing Ambien to get high is that Ambien creates a feeling of euphoria quite similar to other drugs. When someone takes the drug with a group of people, he might be pressurized by his or her peers to try the drug and get high on it. It is very difficult to stop taking the drug as it almost becomes a trend. It takes only 15-30 minutes to affect the brain and is mostly used as a replacement for alcohol as it gives a similar feeling of being drunk.
Physical Dependence:
Along with emotional dependence, this drug also causes physical dependence and tolerance too. With the increase in the dosage, people would need even higher dosage to fall asleep due to the growing tolerance and this leads to abuse of the drug. Even if the users of this drug are not aiming to get high, they might just experience side effects and yet fail to fall asleep which is when they might increase their dosage without the doctor’s recommendation, and thus, get dependent on it.
Escape from Mental Health Issues:
People suffering from poor mental health may also abuse the drug as an escape from reality. The hallucinating effects that the drug causes make such people feel happy and thus, increase the chances of further abuse.
What Does Ambien High Feel Like?
Ambien has side effects that can lead to dependency and people can abuse it to achieve the high. Users even report that they experience positive results that give them subtle feeling, free from anxiety and makes them feel relaxed. People also experience a buzz and euphoria if the drug is taken on an empty stomach or in very high dosage, like in people who often abuse the drug. Taking 40 mg or more of the drug is usually known to cause the high. People also report that Ambien use for getting high gives them a benzo-like trip or alcohol intoxication.
Here are some psychedelic effects that the people abusing it often mention:
- Pounding sensation.
- Light feeling.
- Hallucinations.
- Slurred speech.
- Sudden affection.
- Disturbance in sound perception.
Common Symptoms of Ambien High
Some common symptoms of Ambien high that are recognized by the doctors include:
- Taking the drug for a long time, more than intended or recommended.
- An uncontrollable desire for the drug.
- Difficulty and failing at ceasing the use of the drug.
- Lack of interest in all the social activities or events that interested the person and choosing the usage of the drug over everything else.
- Continued usage of the drug even after negative legal, financial, health and social consequences occur due to the drug abuse.
Risks of Getting High on Ambien
The most dangerous effects that one might face when they abuse Ambien are that it leads to sleepwalking and memory loss. People also tend to indulge in risk-taking behavior like having sex with strangers or driving while not awake and consuming too much food. They usually end up not having any memory about these later on. If the drug is abused and snorted, then it can also affect the nasal cavity and damage it. Snorting and injecting Ambien can lead to very dangerous infections.
How to Prevent Getting High on Ambien?
To know if you are already addicted to Ambien or not, you can just try quitting the usage of the drug and find out if you experience any withdrawal symptoms or not. The risks of addiction or getting high on Ambien are more if you had issues with alcohol abuse or drug abuse in the past. The drug works by affecting the brain and puts the person to sleep. If misused, the drug can create a euphoric feeling which could get addictive and cause serious side effects. To prevent getting high on the drug, one must take it as prescribed and start with the lowest, i.e. 5mg dosage per day and use it for the recommended time span only. The drug must not be used for longer than recommended and not in dosage higher than recommended by the doctor. The user must not stay awake after taking the medication as it is known to create euphoric feeling and hallucinations or make one feel high. To avoid these side effects, the individual must go to bed immediately after taking the medication.
Conclusion
Ambien has very rare serious side effects but the withdrawal symptoms can be severe when it is stopped abruptly. Speak to your doctor when the recommended time for taking the drug is over without actually stopping its use abruptly. The dosage can be reduced slowly and finally stopped as per the doctor’s suggestion. Using the drug in a safe manner can have positive effects in treating insomnia.
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