With the increasing popularity of the sleep aid Zolpidem tartrate, marketed as Ambien, consumers and health care professionals are seeing a marked rise in the number of complaints related to the drug. On the market since 1993, Ambien is manufactured by drug company Sanofi-Aventis.
What is Ambien?
Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic sleep aid that is usually prescribed to treat insomnia, difficulty falling asleep and struggles to stay asleep. By slowing activity in the brain, Ambien helps promote sleep over an extended period of time. Consumers who do not have 7-8 hours to devote to sleep may struggle with grogginess or memory problems. The medication comes in slow release tablets that must be swallowed according to the directions of a health care provider who prescribes the medication. It is sometimes available in the form of an oral spray.
Despite the wide array of consumers who have experience positive results through Ambien consumption, many patients have begun to notice adverse side effects as a result of their regimen.
Serious Ambien Side Effects
One of the more serious side effects among many negative associations includes parasomnia: a condition of semi-consciousness in which users perform activities without being fully awake, such as sleep walking. Driving and other activities are particularly dangerous when Ambien patients are not fully awake and conscious. Other Ambien side effects include:
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Suicide or suicidal thoughts and behavior
- Addiction
- Insomnia
- Rashes
- Swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue or throat
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing (sometimes due to swelling)
- Chest pain
- Blurred vision
- Pounding heartbeat
Ambien Accidents in Texas
In some states, Ambien is among the top 10 drugs found when testing impaired drivers, highlighting the danger associated with the medication when the semi-conscious state occurs during situations that require special attention, safety or particular care. Some patients feel they have not been adequately warned of the dangerous risks accompanying the prescription of Ambien. Sleep eating, sleep walking, sexual assault and memory loss have all been noted by some patients who have taken the drugs.
Patients who experience sleep eating can endure extreme weight fluctuation, sickness due to the types and quality of food eaten, such as raw meat. In addition, “Ambien Zombies” may experience injuries resulting from sleepy food preparation and kitchen tool use. Many patients suffering from this semi-conscious state have no memory of their actions, making them even more vulnerable during these periods of “sleep walking.”
Texas Defective Drug Attorneys
If you or someone you love has endured serious injury as a result of the drug, Ambien, call our defective drug attorneys in Austin, San Antonio, Killeen and statewide Texas, contact us online or visit one of our 11 Texas law firm offices. If you hesitate, statutes of limitations can prevent you from getting the compensation you deserve.
