Zolpidem and Hallucinations: What Users Say

• Mor...
• June 7, 2014

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and bipolar disorder. I've been on Seroquel for three years. I kept having to increase the dosage to help me sleep, as well as to keep away delusions and such. I was at the point where it wouldn't help me sleep at all. I'd take it at 10 and go to bed when the sun was coming up. I tried Ambien 10 mg last night for the first time. I fell asleep in one hour. I was out! I slept a good 10 hours. Amen for Ambien."

• Hon...
• September 30, 2019

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I’ve got a ton of stress in my life, and it causes severe insomnia. I was up for 63 hours straight at one point and asked my doctor for help. At first, Ambien was moderately effective. I’ve only been on it for three months, and it does little, if anything, to help me sleep now. I wake from it after four hours. If I take it and it doesn’t work, I hallucinate pretty bad. Inanimate objects start moving."

• cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2012

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I was prescribed Ambien after suffering a serious bout of insomnia that no OTC sleep aid would touch. I was given 10 mg. The first night I took it, I woke up feeling like I was in heaven. I hadn't slept that well since I was a kid. I used it for three months, and the only reason I stopped taking it is that the 10 mg dosage eventually 'pooped out' on me and my doctor did not want to increase the dose, so he switched me to Lunesta. But it was great while it lasted. I did have some weird hallucinations happen if I took it and stayed up for a while, so make sure you take it and go right to bed. I quit cold turkey to go on Lunesta and had no problems discontinuing it."

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

Zolpidem 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!"

• Ran...
• May 2, 2010

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I love this medicine. I have delayed sleep-phase disorder, and I've been using Ambien for the last five years. I learned pretty quick that I have to take it and go lie down; the first time I took some, I thought, 'Well, I'll go have a quick bath before I go to bed.' My husband says I wandered in an hour later talking about how the bathtub faucet changed into a raven's head, and we (the faucet and I, that is) had a very long and profound conversation about the Harry Potter novels and the social implications thereof."

• Sle...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 7, 2016

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I've had every sleeping medicine, even test drugs, that's legal where I am, but only Ambien has let me sleep. I've been on Ambien for about 3 years now. I take it because my autonomic nervous system doesn't work properly and my adrenaline won't shut off to let me sleep. Though Ambien is the only thing that lets me sleep, it does give me weird trips or hallucinations sometimes. Which I have been told isn't a good thing and you should stop if you hallucinate or have a bad trip, but I'm on 10 mg of Ambien and I fall asleep 80% of the time, so thanks, Ambien."

• Ash...
• March 26, 2015

Zolpidem 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."

• Sus...
• December 26, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Helps me sleep through the night for the first time in my life. The first time I ever took it, I made the mistake of not going to bed right away, so I did have some hallucinations. They weren't scary, but I make sure to take it only when I go to bed. There are some definite sexual side effects, much to my husband's good fortune. It all seems like a vague dream when I wake up. It's probably a good idea to only take it when you're living with someone you trust!"

• OTC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2018

Zolpidem for Insomnia "My doctor prescribed Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg, and I gave it a real honest shot for a little over a week. It did a good job initially getting me to sleep, but after about an hour, I would wake up and be in a state of half sleep/half wake the rest of the night (totally exhausted the next day). I remember one day I was in a meeting with my manager talking about filing emails (super simple discussion), and suddenly numbers and formulas were flying around my head like you see in those TV shows (Numbers, or the Librarians) where a person is solving complex formulas in their head. Except we were just talking about filing emails, and I couldn't get rid of all these numbers & equations that were swimming in my vision! It was super distracting, and I feel like it was definitely a hallucination, but not necessarily a crazy one, just a bit out of place. I stopped taking it after that week. I occasionally switch between it and OTC if I need something, but I really don't find it helpful for restful sleep."

• Den...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 16, 2015

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Oh my gosh! Started taking this for shift work 6 years ago, and now it's the only way I can sleep-only I don't anymore! I went through the hallucinations, the binge eating, the 'oh my God, I bought what on eBay last night?' to waking up in some unusual places not knowing how I got there. It takes you through the coaster ride, but the thrill is gone. Fitful nights, not more than 3 solid hours anymore. I'm trying Belsomra tomorrow night. Side effects sound scary, but so did Ambien when I first heard about it. Not a cure-all, and it's only worth praising the first year or two. Sucks when your sleep never comes...."

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

Zolpidem 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."

• Jec...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 18, 2016

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Tried the brand name a while back and had full-scale hallucinations and memory loss. Being a nurse, I believed there was no difference between generic and brand, but after 15 years of chronic terrible insomnia, I gave the generic a try. While I didn't have the horrid side effects, 10 mg will put me to sleep well, but not stay asleep. The controlled release helps me stay asleep, but it takes hours to fall asleep. My doc prescribed 5 mg of the immediate and 6.25 controlled, and as long as I don't use it every day (taking a day off here and there which kills me), it works for about 4-5 hours of sleep, which depending on how desperate you are, is plenty. Plus, the price can't be beat."

• sno...
• September 10, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Ambien is great for insomnia after years of not sleeping. Although I have experienced some mild hallucinations and have gotten up and moved things around in the dark inside my bedroom, while talking to someone I thought was there, but the sleep is worth the risk. I was miserable for too long."

• Kri...
• July 7, 2016

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I was given two choices for my insomnia: melatonin or Ambien as a quick fix. Of course, I picked the quick fix and went with Ambien. I took it the first night, and for 20-30 minutes after taking it, I read reviews online. While reading, I noticed my phone screen seemed to move, and I lost focus over and over again. I thought maybe it was because I had been up for over 24 hours from the insomnia prior to getting the prescription, but upon the second time taking it, I realized that if you fight the window of time to fall asleep, you do get quite a high. Hallucinations do occur occasionally. However, I was given a two-week trial of this drug to see how well it worked for me, and as I continue to take it, I notice that I fall asleep quickly but wake up throughout the night."

• Par...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 15, 2017

Zolpidem for Insomnia "It's hard for me to fall asleep almost every night. And I'm also a very light sleeper. I don't take it every night (10 mg), just when I'm having issues with trying to fall asleep/stay asleep. One of the first times taking it about a year ago, I was visiting my mom. I took the pill and laid down. About 15 min later, I started sweating and felt really weird! I started hallucinating like crazy!! I was seeing a cat on the bed, and then I started seeing people in the room. I then started to freak out and got really scared. I got up to use the bathroom and then fell into the wall. She helped me back to bed. The whole experience was SO scary!! I now take 5 mg and it works fine w/ no issues. I think the dose was too much."

• sor...
• November 29, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I've been using Ambien for about 4 to 5 years now. I also take a pain medication for a back injury. My doctor switched me to Ambien CR, and the side effects were horrible. I felt angry beyond my control, confused, experienced memory loss, and crazy hallucinations. This was about 2 weeks ago, and I'm still trying to put the pieces together. Make sure if you take this pill, you check for drug interactions and be in bed ready to sleep. It's good and sad to know I'm not the only one."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2017

Zolpidem for Insomnia "This helps you sleep alright, but I would hallucinate before I finally fell asleep. I would do as I was told - take it when I was in bed ready to go to sleep. One night everything turned a soft pink color, and I swore my cat was urgently trying to tell me something. Another night I thought my then-roommate had a party in the living room after I went to bed. I have friends who take it and do things like make phone calls they don't remember and even cook and eat food. I don't recommend it."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Pros: Onset in 6 minutes, perfect sleep (feel more rested despite sleeping for less time), absolutely no physiological side effects. Cons: Blurred vision, problems with coordination, profoundly altered mind (confusion, delusions, hallucination), retrograde amnesia (complete blackout for duration). Powerful, incredibly effective sleep aid, with very few interactions or physical side effects. Solved my sleep problems 100%. Be careful when, how, and around whom you use this drug. You might wake up in the morning and find you've called people, written or drawn things, etc., without any recollection."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2009

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Pros: Onset in 6 minutes, perfect sleep (feel more rested despite sleeping for less time), absolutely no physiological side effects. Cons: Blurred vision, problems with coordination, profoundly altered mind (confusion, delusions, hallucination), retrograde amnesia (complete blackout for duration). Powerful, incredibly effective sleep aid, with very few interactions or physical side effects. Solved my sleep problems 100%. Be careful when, how, and around whom you use this drug. You might wake up in the morning and find you've called people, written or drawn things, etc., without any recollection."

• Pet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 7, 2019

For Insomnia "I suffer from extreme insomnia. In the past, it was not uncommon for me to be awake for 2 weeks straight with absolutely no sleep. Zero. Usually, by the end of it, I'm hallucinating, thinking a plane is a flying horse, and around my eyes, I looked like a raccoon. I'd close my eyes in bed and feel relaxed with nothing on my mind, but for some unknown reason, my brain just wouldn't switch into sleep mode. Nothing happened all night. So I just merely rested as opposed to slept. As a kid, I'd often have frequent nightmares and insomnia, so I've always suffered with it. My mom even took me to see a child psychologist as she was so concerned. Zolpidem is the only thing that puts me to sleep, but I'm only allowed 7 pills a month. My doctor is adamant that I'm only allowed 7. So I only take 2 a week to spread them out. At least I'm getting a couple of nights of sleep every week."

• Ell...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 22, 2020

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for several years. At first, it helped a lot. I thought I would stop using it, but when I did, my sleeplessness became much worse. I also seemed to need larger amounts to be prescribed to me. I bought things online that I had no memory of ordering. I acted in very hurtful ways toward my loving and devoted husband. One night, I got out of bed to go to the bathroom. When I thought I was going to sit down on the toilet, I was actually sitting down in the middle of the room. My husband caught me and saved me from cracking my head on furniture. Now I understand that my negative personality changes, hallucinations, and Ambien-induced amnesia were central to the destruction of my marriage. This is a terrible drug. It may help you sleep, but the adverse effects are not worth the risk."

• Anonymous
• April 8, 2010

Zolpidem for Insomnia "After having an accident at work a few years ago, I wasn't falling asleep until the sun came up because of chronic pain. My muscle relaxers and pain medicines were no longer giving me enough relief to sleep at night, so my doctor put me on Ambien CR. After about 2 weeks, I had to stop taking it because I was hallucinating, I was suffering from severe anxiety, I had tremors, I don't have enough room here to list everything. I am now on Restoril, and I don't have any side effects at all."

• Anonymous
• February 9, 2012

Zolpidem for Insomnia "I was having severe insomnia to the point where I was only getting 1-2 hours, at the most, of sleep a night. I started to hallucinate after a few days of this and was prescribed Ambien. It works fast (within 10 minutes after kicking in to fall asleep), but I only sleep 4-5 hours on it and then wake up refreshed. I don't get my full 7-8 hours. Not sure what's up with that. I tried Ambien CR, and it took longer to fall asleep on that, and I still only got around 4-5 hours of sleep on the CR version. I still use Ambien, and it's better than Lunesta, which gave me a nasty taste in my mouth and didn't even make me tired. Overall, I recommend Ambien."

• sha...
• October 19, 2015

For Insomnia "I first started taking 5 mg, and it didn't work. Then I started taking one and a half, and it started working. My doctor prescribed this in the beginning, and I had some side effects. I was ordering things online, talking on the phone, and I didn't remember things I was saying. I was getting up in the middle of the night, eating. I had an out-of-body experience and hallucinations, but my doctor said it has to be in your system to work. Just recently, my family told me I got up sleepwalking. Unfortunately, I still take the medication because I am unable to sleep without it, but it does work. You have to turn off all your TVs and lights and go lay down in the dark: no reading books, no getting on your tablet or phone, and you will go straight to sleep and have a nice, good seven to eight hours of rest."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2010

Zolpidem for Insomnia "Was on Ambien for almost 3 years because of insomnia due to overnight shift, fibromyalgia, and depression that got really bad the last 5 months. Started with 5 mg 2-3 days a week, and it worked really fast. I would have to be in bed in 5 minutes after I took it, otherwise, I would start having weird hallucinations, but that was a sign for me to jump in bed, and I would sleep fine. But I had to go up as I built up tolerance, and the last couple of months had to take 2-3 10 mg pills and would wake up 2-3 hours later and needed to take another one to get more sleep, again, I would only get 2 hours. Obviously, it stopped working, so tonight I go the first time in about a year without it, and so far, I haven't been able to sleep yet, been up for 26 hours."