Up to 70 million US citizens are affected by sleep disorders every year. Insomnia is a widespread problem in the United States. The symptoms affect approximately 33% to 50% of the adult population, with chronic insomnia disorder associated with distress or impairment affecting 10% to 15%. To treat these problems, doctors recommend the use of medications like Ambien.Â
However, some people combine Alcohol with Ambien, which is dangerous and can harm one's health and lead to addiction. Sadly, those anxious for sound sleep may go to tremendous extremes to achieve it, even if doing so endangers their health.
Mixing any sleep medications with alcohol is always wrong. Doctors never recommend the use of Ambien and Alcohol together. Let us look into it in detail.
Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic, which is a type of medication used to help people with sleep disorders stay asleep throughout the night. Zolpidem, also known as Ambien, is available in various dosage forms. Both tablets (Ambien) and extended-release (long-acting) tablets (Ambien CR) are taken orally. Zolpidem is also an under-the-tongue tablet (Edluar, Intermezzo) and an oral spray (Zolpimist).
Ambien belongs to the sedative-hypnotics drug class. If you are having trouble sleeping, it will help you sleep better. Ambien works by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the brain, which slows activity in the brain and central nervous system (CNS), allowing sleep to begin quickly. It works directly on the brain, which will give you a calming effect.
Some people combine alcohol with Ambien, which is dangerous and can harm one's health and lead to addiction. Sadly, those anxious for sound sleep may go to tremendous extremes to achieve it, even if doing so endangers their health.
Mixing any sleep medications with alcohol is always wrong. Doctors never recommend the use of Ambien and Alcohol together. If you ever do so, then get in contact with your doctor to cure the after-effects.
Ambien and alcohol are both in the depressive class of drugs. Their primary effects are sedative, lower heart rate, and drowsiness. It is common for people to use these two together to increase the effects of both drugs. Using these two together is highly unlikely as the combination of Ambien and Alcohol can result in dangerous physical and cognitive impairment and the risk of overdose.
Ambien, in combination with alcohol, was responsible for 14% of those visits, or 2,851 people in total. The combination of Alcohol and Ambien increased the likelihood of the person needing to be transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to an overdose. Taking these two together can have many side effects. Let's have a look at them.
While adverse effects were evaluated in heavy drinkers, harmful interactions may occur when Ambien is combined with alcohol during a single drinking episode. You will likely encounter the following symptoms while under the influence of Ambien plus alcohol:
| Common Side Effects | Severe Side Effects |
| Sleepiness or drowsiness | Hallucinations |
| Disorientation | Slowed or compromised breathing |
| Confusion | Memory problems |
| Unusual behavior | Loss of consciousness |
| Falling | Inability to concentrate |
When an individual is addicted to more than one substance, it is known as polydrug addiction. Altho, it is a common problem in America. It is hazardous to a person's life and can cause many health problems.Â
It is also treatable, so if you or your loved one is addicted to Ambien and Alcohol, there can be ways to treat it. You or your loved one must detox yourself from the harmful substance you have gotten by consuming Alcohol and Ambien together. But don't try to detox yourself, as it will not be that effective.
Get treatment from professionals as they can help better with the withdrawal symptoms. They offer treatment options, including inpatient rehabilitation, where you remain to undergo rigid individual and group treatment and therapy. Or outpatient rehabilitation, where you attend therapy and counseling sessions yet return home or to work every day.
The best treatment course varies between individuals and should be discussed with the doctor or healthcare providers. If you find yourself or someone you know in this situation, do not hesitate to take the necessary actions and contact addiction centers.
When you are an Alcohol drinker and want to take Ambien, make sure that the alcohol is out of your system before consuming any Alcoholic drink. It depends on your body and how fast it metabolizes the drug. Some people can break down half a glass every hour. Like if you drank 80 milliliters of alcohol in a couple of hours, only 50 milliliters of alcohol will be left in the system.
The time it takes to metabolize various alcoholic beverages is estimated in the table below.
|
Type of Alcoholic Drink |
Time to Metabolise |
|
shot of liquor |
1 hour |
|
pint of beer |
2 hours |
|
glass of wine |
3 hours |
|
a few drinks |
several hours |
Here is the proportion of alcohol in each drink for your convenience. This will allow you to keep track of how many units you've ingested and determine when it's time to slow down.
Still, medical professionals never suggest mixing Ambien, its other name, Zolpidem, and alcohol. This can lead to an overdose of the drug and can cause serious side effects.
Ambien is used to treat insomnia. It is a federally controlled substance (C-IV). It has two forms: immediate release and extended-release. Both can lead to Ambien addiction. This non-benzodiazepine "Z-Drug" was created to have the same medicinal uses as benzodiazepines like Xanax but without the same dangerous and habit-forming qualities. The makers of Ambien marketed this medication as a less addictive alternative to Benzos for treating acute insomnia.
However, while it takes users longer to establish an addiction to Ambien than it does to Benzos, and withdrawal from Ambien is often less severe and deadly than withdrawal from Benzos, Ambien is still an addictive medication. It is now acknowledged that Ambien, like Benzos, has a high potential for misuse.
Addiction to Ambien is harmful to your life. Take necessary precautions if you or your loved one is addicted to Ambien. Contact an Addiction center to treat your addiction safely.
Various healthy and natural practices can treat sleeplessness. Many techniques are taught in addiction programs to get a night of better sleep.
Although these approaches and practices are not unique to addiction therapy, they are especially crucial for persons in recovery who want to avoid triggering medicines or addictive prescriptions. Here are some strategies for good sleep hygiene:
Ambien and alcohol are sedatives; both can increase side effects and cause abuse and addiction. Long-term Ambien abuse combined with alcohol can be dangerous and even lethal. It might be challenging to deal with addiction to drug-alcohol combinations like Ambien.
The initial stage of recovery is medical detox. Patients might experience withdrawal symptoms under the care and guidance of doctors and professionals during medically assisted detox. Medication can help patients with drug detox in the least painful, distressing, and uncomfortable way possible. Patients need to participate in inpatient or outpatient rehab after detox and withdrawal.
If you find yourself addicted to Ambien or any of your loved ones, contact an addiction center and get treatment as soon as possible. Your healthcare provider will suggest which type of treatment is best for you, inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. You don't necessarily need medications to sleep. You can treat your sleeplessness in natural and healthy ways.
