Ambien

ER Visits Soar for Older Adults Taking Ambien

Posted on 05/1/2013 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthThe number of emergency room visits by people taking the sleep medication zolpidem (the active ingredient in Ambien and other drugs) more than tripled between 2005 and 2010, with nearly three out of four visits from adults age 45 or older, according to a new federal report. Adverse reactions to the sleep drug that required emergency assistance rose from 6,111 ER visits in 2005 to 19,487 in 2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found. In 2010, …

FDA: Sleeping Pill Doses Must Be Cut By Half

Posted on 01/11/2013 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthHere’s an Ambien alert for those of you who take meds for insomnia: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday ordered the makers of Ambien and similar sleeping pills to slash their recommended dosage by half. For women, in particular, the drugs stay in their bloodstream longer and at higher levels, leaving them dangerously drowsy in the morning. In its announcement, the FDA said new data show that the drugs remain in the bloodstream at high enough levels to …

Rest Uneasy: Sleeping Pills Linked to Early Death, Cancer

Posted on 02/29/2012 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthDo you take a sleeping pill to get a better night’s rest? If you do, a new study could keep you up at night. Scripps Clinic sleep researchers found that those who take even a few prescription sleeping pills during the year are nearly four times more likely to die prematurely than people who don’t take them. This is unsettling news for the nearly one in 10 American adults who use prescription sleep medications such as zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), …