Ambien CR User Reviews & Ratings

• Fre...
• May 17, 2021

For Insomnia "Can anyone provide insights on effectiveness of various manufacturers of zolpidem CR 12.5? I’m 56, male, long-term insomniac. Tried every single prescription, OTC, herbal known. I exercise, eat well, meditate, practice good sleep hygiene. Been responsibly taking Ambien CR 12.5mg for 20 years. It works. I don’t care about dependence, just like I wouldn’t care if “dependent” on a medication for high blood pressure. The problem? 1) The cost is sky high for brand name and insurance company won’t cover it. 2) Generics are notoriously weak or completely ineffective for this medication in particular. Pharmacist says generics work the same, which is utter rubbish. They are without a doubt NOT the same. Qualitest worked fine for years but got bought by huge generic pharma makers which was the end of that. My question: Are there any generic makers of zolpidem CR 12.5 (or if actually works, could settle for zolpidem 10mg) that you’d recommend? If so, which manufacturer? Thank you."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2020

For Insomnia "I've been on Ambien CR generic for about a year. FINALLY, I'm getting good sleep. I'm falling and staying asleep. It’s not perfect every night, but most nights it’s pretty good. I have no issues at all with it. Beware of Sandoz generic! It was horrible and barely worked. Thankfully, I was able to fill next month's early with Winthrop."

• Cz9...
• September 22, 2017

For Insomnia "I've been on Ambien CR for over 10 years. Then, all of a sudden, the doctors want to change things up. I tried 5 mg, didn't work. Now on 6.25 mg and kind of working, but I only get 30 days' worth, and they keep telling me I have to get off it. Why? Don't screw with what works. Now my anxiety is worse, never knowing if I can get my meds to sleep."

• Don...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 17, 2013

For Insomnia "I was in my late 60s when I realized that I was having sleep issues. Tylenol PM no longer had any effect. I tried all the OTC sleep remedies for another 3 years, with no meaningful success. Two to four hours of sleep was getting old and aging me in the process. I finally got my GP to give me a prescription for Ambien and my world changed overnight. It was great, finally am getting 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours of continual, restful sleep, as long as I take an Ambien or Ambien CR. Have read tons of medical reports and am convinced this is a blessing. Sure, there are some weird side effects for some people, but these are a tiny minority."

• dpv...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 6, 2015

For Insomnia "I've had chronic insomnia (clinical diagnosis, sleep studies, neurologists, etc.) for over 25 years, starting in high school and gradually getting worse over the decades. No drugs aside from powerful depressants (barbiturates, benzos, tranquilizers, etc.) had helped me at all. Ambien CR has been a miracle medication for me. My insomnia is so constant and severe (I literally won't sleep a single minute some nights) that my doctor lets me take it every night. Many people talk about the possible side effects of long-term usage, but that ignores the very definite effects of chronic insomnia. I have no next-day side effects, but I will have rebound insomnia if I stop. Taking it with a glass of water helps for me; so does good sleep hygiene rules."

• fin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2013

For Insomnia "Over 18 months, I had been taking non-extended release Ambien, starting out with five milligrams but quickly being switched up to ten. Eventually, as stress and other factors were preying more heavily on my tired brain, the ten began not to work, so I was nibbling away at up to half of another 10 milligram tablet after not falling asleep, or not staying asleep. Needless to say, that was not a good idea. Finally, last week, I saw my doctor about it, and now I'm on Ambien CR and I'm managing to fall asleep and stay asleep--and knocking on wood."

• Sel...
• August 7, 2016

For Insomnia "Terrible getting to sleep and staying asleep. First I tried Melatonin, it did nothing. I was prescribed Ambien, which helped me get to sleep but didn't help me stay asleep through the night. I was switched to Ambien CR 12.5 mg, and it did exactly what I needed: it helped me fall asleep and stay asleep. I felt much better on those days that I needed it. A couple of years ago, my doctor told me they changed the rules for Ambien for women because a lot of people had weird reactions. As for me, I had no issues with the full 12.5 mg. It highly upsets me because I was doing great on the regular dose. When I was prescribed a lower dose on the next refill, it only lasted 3-4 hours of sleep, definitely not good. They should start a person off on the low dose and wean them up on an individual basis for proper treatment! No two patients are alike, and each needs different doses to work for them."

• Jes...
• April 4, 2015

For Insomnia "This is the only thing that I have tried that helps me sleep a full 8 hours. I love this medication. I have had no sleepwalking, and I have not done anything that I can't remember. The only side effects I have had are just feeling a little tired during the day and increased appetite. I would definitely recommend this medication to people with insomnia."

• RIC...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2020

For Insomnia "I developed insomnia in my early thirties due to... well, sudden traumatic and stressful events and having to deal with the aftermath caused seemingly never-ending sleepless nights. I’ve always been one to sleep too much, so I didn’t really know how to deal with insomnia. When my doctor prescribed Ambien CR, I was really wary because of all the horror stories I’ve heard. But it’s been wonderful, and I’ve taken it for 4 years. Now, just to clarify, this review is for Ambien CR, NOT straight Ambien. Regular Ambien gave me terrible hangovers the next day, and a few times I did things I didn’t remember the next day. The CR never gave me any troubles, 6 hours, and it was out of my system."

• Nig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2019

For Insomnia "I am a hard-working healthcare nightshift worker, mother with 2 young kids. I have had to flip-flop between days and nights for 8 years now to work and take care of kids. I have taken traditional Ambien 10 mg for a long time. I need something that works fast but wears off fast because my time window to sleep is not that long. Well, I tried Ambien CR last night and will not be trying again. I thought it worked the same, just helped me stay asleep maybe a little longer, nope! It hits you little by little, just enough to make you a tad loopy but not enough to totally knock you out, and that effect lasts longer. It is dangerous because I had to even mix my regular one to even be able to fall asleep. I know my limits with the regular Ambien. Be very careful with Ambien CR."

• Ozm...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 29, 2016

For Insomnia "I have been a long-haul flight attendant for over 35 years and have used this drug since its release. I find it EXTREMELY effective, with no side effects for me whatsoever. I will say that, like a lot of sleep aids and sleeping tablets, its continued use does cause a psychological dependency and the effectiveness of the drug becomes less and less. Therefore, I would recommend not using the drug every night and alternating it with other sleep therapies."

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2019

For Insomnia "I have been suffering from insomnia for 3 years! Tried benzos, anti-depressants, melatonin, GABA, L-Tyrosine, and a bunch of other natural sleep aids. Due to the side effects I had from the benzos, I was very afraid to take Ambien. However, it has been a life-saver! And after reading a lot of the reviews, I see if you actually suffer from insomnia and don't abuse it - it works! This has been a life-saver. I forgot how wonderful sleep is, and I am no longer angry and constantly eating!"

• Goi...
• March 24, 2013

For Insomnia "Been taking this for years. The only thing that has worked for me. I can stay up all night without it. I have learned you have to go to bed hungry, that way it has nothing to compete with in your stomach. No side effects the next morning. Get about 4 to 5 hours now, which is good for me. Now if my insurance would pay for this! Just got new insurance this year, and they consider this a tier 4 medication. Don't know which is worse. Going broke or not getting any sleep."

• dav...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 11, 2023

For Insomnia "I have been on zolpidem ER 12.5 mg for well over 10 years. It is my miracle drug. Am age 76 with no major medical issues. It usually doesn't even make me feel tired or have less concentration. I wait 1 hr and force myself to bed. About as soon as horizontal, I seem to go immediately to sleep. I say 'ish' since once I was at about a 45-degree slumping pitch on the couch and fell asleep while on the phone with a friend. I have BPH but only have 1 get up to pee at night. I go right back to sleep even though I am beyond the 2.5 hr half-life. When I first started using it, I had slight amnesia about what I did just before going to bed. But that has not occurred for many years. Once while my regular doc was away, I had another who 'doesn't do for long-term use.' I did extensive research and have peer-reviewed medical studies in NIH, etc., for 3 and 5-year use showing no negative effects. One study said it improved sleep after longer-term use."

• Anonymous
• June 11, 2012

For Insomnia "After using Lunesta for a couple of years, the effect began diminishing. My doctor prescribed Ambien CR. It has worked perfectly for my chronic insomnia. I have experienced memory loss. Several times, I have sent emails, and when I get replies, I do not have any memories of what I wrote or of sending the email. But I did get very deep sleep, so I learned to stay off the computer after taking a pill."

• Hus...
• April 17, 2011

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien CR now for over 10 years. At first, if I stayed up, I would do things and not remember doing them. Then I made myself go to bed right after taking one, and it had put me right to sleep. Sleep for 7 to 8 hours per night. It is a good medicine, but take it 10 minutes before going to bed and then go right to bed, don't stay up."

• How...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 28, 2015

For Insomnia "I have insomnia due to the past 10 years and have been using Zolpidem (Ambien's generic) 10 mg. I find that it takes me anywhere from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours before I am ready to lie down. When I finally go to bed, I will sleep anywhere from 8 to 10 hours and wake up refreshed."

• Chi...
• March 21, 2016

For Insomnia "This medicine works very well for me. I take 7.5 mg of this. I am prescribed 1 or 2 at bedtime. Before, I was taking 5 mg of regular Ambien. I would fall asleep rather quickly, but I always wake up around 2 or 3 am for the bathroom. Then, I could never go back to sleep. When I went back to my doctor, she changed it to the extended release. Now when I get up during the night, I'm able to get back to sleep. I always allow myself enough time to sleep off the medication, even if it means taking it and going to bed early. I allow myself 10 hours. I feel rested when I get up and have coffee. The only side effect I've experienced is I sometimes wake myself up talking. I would not take this med with nerve pills or drink alcohol."

• Anonymous
• March 7, 2008

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for several years and recently started taking Ambien CR. It works very well if taken on an empty stomach. However, I was having only mild sleep difficulty when my doctor prescribed it. I have tried other sleep medicines, Ambien is one of the strongest prescription insomnia drugs available. I highly recommend trying something with fewer side effects first, and only if absolutely necessary, try Ambien. Ambien is very difficult to discontinue after extended use."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 7, 2022

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for about 6 years now. I switched from the regular 10 mg instant release to 12.5 Ambien CR about 3 years ago. I was struggling to find a good manufacturer. I tried Sandoz zolpidem, which didn’t help me sleep at all. I tried Lupin, which was even worse, and then I tried Winthrop zolpidem, which was by far the best zolpidem manufacturer I’ve ever had. I had received the best 2 years of sleep and had a very great experience with Winthrop, but my pharmacy just changed distributors, so they don’t have Winthrop anymore. I can’t find it anywhere. They have the manufacturer Breckenridge. Has anyone tried this manufacturer, and if they have, can someone give me some insight on how it is? I had to go back to the regular 10 mg instant because none of the other brands would work, and my sleep has been terrible. There are no reviews anywhere, so I’d greatly appreciate some of your thoughts and experiences."

• 36...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2013

For Insomnia "Took it for a week. Slept fine a couple of nights. Felt like a heavy, drugged sleep. Didn't do anything a couple of nights. Stopped taking it after I woke up, finding myself standing at the end of the bed, swinging my arms around to get rid of imaginary parrots I heard in the bedroom."

• Com...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 31, 2018

For Insomnia "I have sleep maintenance problems - I fall asleep right away but many times wake up after 4 hours and find it very difficult and frustrating to fall asleep again. Ambien CR is really helpful - it extends my sleep time from 4 to 7 hours. I am 64 years old and have been taking the 6.25 mg pill on and off for the last 2 years with no need to change for the higher dosage. I report from Israel. I am insured by Maccabi Health Services, and since I have premium coverage, it costs 50% of the official MOH recommended maximum price list."

• Adi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 8, 2018

For Insomnia "Over a period of time, my doc prescribed me a whole list of medications to see which one worked the most. Right now, I'm on Ambien CR, and just like most others I had tried, it worked the first few nights. Now, when I take it, I'm wide awake for 5 to 6 hours, and then I'll end up sleeping all day the next day."

• Anonymous
• October 3, 2011

For Insomnia "I have taken Ambien CR 12.5 mg for about 2 years off and on. This product works great for my insomnia, but as other users have stated, I have experienced episodes of sleepwalking, making random phone calls, texting, cooking, and having wild sex with my husband without any memory of it all. My suggestion is that you take the pill and go straight to bed to lessen the chances of sleepwalking; however, you still run the risk of doing strange things anyway. Other than the sleepwalking, Ambien has given me the best sleep, 7-8 hours of sleep of my life."

• Ano...
• March 30, 2016

For Insomnia "Ambien has been hit or miss for me. When it works, it's bliss! Two out of three days it doesn't work well. The CR is supposed to help me stay asleep, but at best, I get four to six hours of sleep. It's not the greatest sleep - I fall off and wake up frequently without feeling I've slept, but it's better than staring at the ceiling till dawn. It's expensive!"