Ambien and Depression: What Users Say

• nee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 6, 2020

For Insomnia "Name brand Ambien works great with no waking side effects. However, for generic Zolpidem, please read: I have to cut generic Zolpidem (not real Ambien) in half, sometimes thirds, as a full pill turns me into a useless zombie the following day. Take 15 minutes before bed, gets me to sleep, only wake 2-3 times during sleep to reposition. Dream well. However, with just half a pill, can't get out of bed for 10-12 hrs, experience severe vertigo 1-3 hrs with 4-5 hrs of dopiness, and a near-total loss of meaningful cognitive function and any motivation to get stuff done. Zolpidem generic is NOT Ambien, as Ambien has none of these side effects. Sadly, the existence of Zolpidem and price-gouging in the US has prevented Ambien insurance coverage and purchase for millions now without insurance. Zolpidem isn't safe, for hours after waking still unable to drive without being under the influence. FDA should take generic off the US market. In the meantime, it'd be much safer and productive to live with chronic insomnia."

• Dar...
• July 27, 2009

For Insomnia "I have trouble staying asleep. I wake every night anywhere from between 12:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and am up for the rest of the night. This medicine helped me sleep, but also made me very depressed. It made me very angry and upset most of the time. I took this for about 3 months, until I got to the point that there was something very wrong with me, and it was the medicine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 3, 2012

For Insomnia "This is the only sleep aid that has ever worked for me. I get a good full night’s sleep, I wake up refreshed and not groggy. Bless the makers of this medication, you have literally changed my life. I used to sleep 15 to 45 minutes a night, now at 6 to 8 hours of sleep. My blood pressure has come down, I no longer battle depression and fatigue, and I am productive at work!"

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2022

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien on and off for a few years, no more than 7-14 days and only once yearly. This time it hit me VERY hard! Although it’s magic to go to sleep, it has some VERY serious side effects! Paranoia, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. I would do stuff the night before and order things, and the next morning wouldn’t even remember! I would stay awake, go down, eat food, and do other random stuff and have NO recollection the next morning! Be VERY VERY vigilant when using this medicine and NO more than 5 days! You will have some serious problems otherwise!"

• Ash...
• March 26, 2015

For Insomnia "I went from working nights (3:30 PM-12:00 AM) to working 7 AM-3:30. I would keep thinking all night, and I couldn't shut my brain off. I have always had problems with insomnia, so much so that sometimes I would stay up for days at a time. I was prescribed Ambien by my doctor, and I started taking it at night. It worked. The first time I took it, I started hallucinating. I saw two of everything, and I couldn't hold my head up. I woke up and felt fine. So I kept taking it. Slowly, I started getting very sad as I woke up. I thought about doing terrible things to myself. After being awake for a couple of hours, I was fine. This drug made me very depressed. I never abused this medication. I was very careful. Effects are different for everyone."

• Anonymous
• September 20, 2009

For Insomnia "Ambien worked well for the sleep issues, but if you are having any issues or stress in your life, you may want to try and find something else. It makes you very agitated at anyone you may come in contact with and may cause depression."

• Fun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2012

For Insomnia "This has been very beneficial. I have great trouble falling asleep before 3 AM, despite getting up early. It puts me to sleep, it's the best. I wake up fresh in the morning, with no residual effects. If I stay awake, I don't hallucinate or do anything weird (as per my husband), however, if I'm lying in bed watching a movie or having a conversation, I'm unlikely to remember much the next day. I don't get depressed or emotional on it either, and I'm not a zombie."

• bal...
• August 7, 2013

For Insomnia "Ambien was great for me. I suffer from spine damage, and pain wakes me. Sleep studies found I got 2 hours of REM sleep. Ambien made this 5 and 6 hours of REM sleep. From this, I cut my pain meds in half. My life got better, and I went back to work. Medicine is not designed for long-term use, yet I had to. This was the only way I could sleep. I started with depression problems. The doctor gave other medicines, and it only made me worse. I asked for a sleep medicine change to Lunesta. In a week, my depression was gone."

• wfs...
• August 20, 2015

For Insomnia "This drug will knock you out for sure, but it has some really crazy side effects that I didn't think would actually happen to me, mainly doing stuff that I don't remember at all -- one night I made an extremely hefty online purchase and had no recollection of it. I also 'drunk text' on Ambien, or otherwise say things verbally to people that I don't remember. This has happened a number of times and actually caused a lot of problems in my last relationship. I've woken up literally covered in food. It also worsened my depression. Not a great experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2021

For Insomnia "I took Ambien for 9 nights, 10 mg, 2 months ago. The medication never helped that much. Would wake up on my feet one time. The last night I took it, I felt depressed and unusual the next morning. I now have a lack of emotions and joy that has persisted for 2 months, much worse than insomnia, and listed as a side effect. I wake up at night and have restless agitation that wasn't there before I took the medicine. My quality of life has diminished, and I lost my job because of this. I would recommend avoiding this drug! Insomnia is nothing compared to emotional blunting and lack of interest in joyful activities. The drug can cause all sorts of permanent side effects!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2021

For Insomnia "I took Ambien for 9 nights, 10 mg, 2 months ago. The medication never helped that much. Would wake up on my feet one time. The last night I took it, I felt depressed and unusual the next morning. I now have a lack of emotions and joy that has persisted for 2 months, much worse than insomnia, and listed as a side effect. I wake up at night and have restless agitation that wasn't there before I took the medicine. My quality of life has diminished, and I lost my job because of this. I would recommend avoiding this drug! Insomnia is nothing compared to emotional blunting and lack of interest in joyful activities. The drug can cause all sorts of permanent side effects!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2021

For Insomnia "I took Ambien for 9 nights, 10 mg, 2 months ago. The medication never helped that much. Would wake up on my feet one time. The last night I took it, I felt depressed and unusual the next morning. I now have a lack of emotions and joy that has persisted for 2 months, much worse than insomnia, and listed as a side effect. I wake up at night and have restless agitation that wasn't there before I took the medicine. My quality of life has diminished, and I lost my job because of this. I would recommend avoiding this drug! Insomnia is nothing compared to emotional blunting and lack of interest in joyful activities. The drug can cause all sorts of permanent side effects!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 31, 2021

For Insomnia "I had been having leg pains at night and was only getting 2-3 hours of sleep in 30-minute stretches for 2 months. I thought I was going crazy from the sleep deprivation. I was having brain fog, confusion, depression, and couldn’t work. I begged my doctors for something to help me sleep at night. The first new night and every other night since, I fell asleep within 30 minutes and slept for 8-9 hours. I’m back to work with better focus and concentration since I’m getting a good night's sleep! This medication saved my life."

• gym...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 3, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been on this medication from 1998 to 2015. I've been on it and off it, but I will warn people with diagnosed depression or PTSD not to take it too long. I've gone from stripping my clothes off and thinking I was going to bed. Munchies galore. Ate a whole cake without blinking. Bad idea since my cholesterol is sky high, the list goes on. I asked several doctors if overeating was a side effect. I was led to believe it was only me. Burned half my arm cooking and only said, 'Ouch, I burned my arm.' Went to bed and had to get treated for the burn. It left a scar. Every time I take it, my depression escalates, even with antidepressants. I seriously saw dead people and spoke to them. Relayed exactly what they wore and said to my kids. Bad reactions."

• gin...
• August 15, 2015

For Insomnia "Ambien was not the drug for me. There were mental side effects that caused me to be depressed and confused about life interests. I was in the emergency room four times in one weekend after two months of taking Ambien prescribed by my doctor to help me sleep. I will never take this drug again."

• KAT...
• December 17, 2010

For Insomnia "I have taken Ambien for a few years due to night shift work. I went to a swing shift and now am not working. But after 18 years of night shift, I can't get to sleep before 5 or 6 a.m. I just lay there. I started taking 20 mg at bedtime and immediately noticed I was telling my boyfriend things I did not remember. I once got up and put a dozen eggs on to boil and went back to bed. I have an old stove that works sometimes, thank God it did not work. The eggs did not get cooked and no fire. I have been so depressed after I wake up the next day. I just have to stop the Ambien and deal with the sleep problem. My boyfriend has slept on the couch a couple of times because I am thrashing around and talking to him."

• Dai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2019

For Insomnia "I absolutely hate this garbage Ambien! Words cannot express how much I hate it. It really messed with me! I am bipolar and have major depressive disorder and was put on this by my doctor nurse because I wasn't falling asleep like I was supposed to! I took half of a 10 mg tablet for a week and a half and did just fine. Then one day I woke up extremely groggy and feeling horribly drugged! I didn't think anything about it. So I continued to take it and it only got worse! I was messed up for over two weeks because of this trash! My doctor said he does not like giving this out and doesn't know why his nurse did that! I was horribly depressed and excessively sleepy for two weeks! My doctor said it literally messes with the chemicals in your brain! This should be taken off the market! Much rather not sleep than feel the way I did! Do not take!"

• Tig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2018

For Insomnia "I'm a very positive person, but Ambien left me extremely depressed and completely out of character. I told my doctor, but she blew me off. I think it's junk, and I would never take it again."

• Coo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2017

For Insomnia "It made me feel angry, lonely, and my depression was worsened. After 2 weeks of taking this, I knew something was wrong with me. I paid $29.95 for a month's supply and threw away most."

• ell...
• December 23, 2010

For Insomnia "Worked for sleep, but I ran out one time and realized I got very, very depressed on it. Plus, I had joint and jaw pain all the time. Took 2 years to figure out what caused it."