Zolpidem how long does it stay in your system

Choose one that's good for a dry mouth, as some can make a dry mouth worse. You can also try taking sips of water and keep some water by your bed at night. Some people can get serious side effects with zolpidem. Stop taking zolpidem and call a doctor as soon as possible if you:. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to zolpidem. These are not all the side effects of zolpidem.

For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. Do not take zolpidem if you're pregnant, as it may harm your baby. There's some evidence that taking zolpidem can increase the risk of your baby coming early before 37 weeks and having a lower birthweight.

Taking zolpidem right up until you go into labour may increase your baby's chances of having withdrawal symptoms as soon as they're born.

If a doctor or health visitor says that your baby is healthy, it's OK to take zolpidem while breastfeeding. Zolpidem passes into breast milk in very small amounts. However, it's best to try some practical steps to help you sleep first. The side effects of taking zolpidem could make you feel too tired to breastfeed and look after your baby. If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, or seems unusually sleepy, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to a health visitor or doctor as soon as possible.

Some medicines and zolpidem can interfere with each other and increase your chance of having side effects. Certain medicines may increase the drowsy sedating effects of zolpidem.

For safety, tell a doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. Zolpidem helps improve your sleep by boosting a chemical in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA. GABA blocks some of the neurotransmitters that send messages in the brain. This has a calming effect on the brain, which helps you get to sleep.

Zolpidem will make you feel sleepy drowsy. It affects people in different ways and some people may feel sleepier than others. When you first start taking this medicine, you may feel sleepy during the daytime for the first few days. Be aware that this can affect you being able to carry out everyday tasks. Some people have reported doing things like sleepwalking , making food and making phone calls while they're asleep after taking zolpidem.

They do not remember when they wake up. This is more likely to happen if you take zolpidem with alcohol, or medicines for mental health problems like depression or anxiety.

This is because your body gets used to this medicine quickly. After taking it for a few weeks, it's unlikely to have the same effect. Your body can also become dependent on it. If you still have problems sleeping after you finish your course of zolpidem, try the lifestyle changes recommended below. They can help you come off your medicine gradually if you have been taking it for a long time, or if you're worried about becoming dependent on it.

Zolpidem should only be used short term usually up to 4 weeks for sleep problems. This is because your body can become dependent on it. See a doctor if you feel you need to take it for longer than 4 weeks. They will be able to discuss your sleep problems and recommend other things that may help.

If you have been taking zolpidem for longer than 4 weeks, do not stop taking this medicine suddenly. You may get withdrawal symptoms. Your insomnia can come back and it may be worse than before. You may also feel anxious, restless and have mood changes.

You may become very sensitive to light, noise and being touched. Speak to the doctor first about coming off zolpidem. They may recommend reducing your dose of zolpidem slowly, over a few days or weeks. This will help prevent withdrawal symptoms if you've been taking it for more than 4 weeks. If zolpidem makes you sleepy, dizzy or clumsy, gives you blurred vision or you cannot concentrate or make decisions, do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machinery.

This may be more likely when you first start taking zolpidem, but could happen at any time — for example, when starting another medicine. It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive. UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking zolpidem.

There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking zolpidem will reduce fertility in either men or women. But speak to a pharmacist or doctor if you and your partner are trying for a baby. Your doctor may review your treatment. Zolpidem does not affect how contraception works, including the combined pill and emergency contraception. Do not have drinks that contain caffeine while you're on zolpidem. These include coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks and hot chocolate.

Alcohol and zolpidem together can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly and can have difficulty waking up.

If this happens to you, do not do any activities that require you to be fully alert, such as driving, cycling, or using tools or machinery. Using cannabis with zolpidem will make its sleep-inducing sedative effects worse.

You could go into a very deep sleep, where you have difficulty waking up. Using heroin or methadone with zolpidem may also increase the sedative effects of both drugs. Again, you could go into a very deep sleep and have difficulty waking up. There are a number of things you can do to help yourself beat insomnia :.

Page last reviewed: 15 November Next review due: 15 November Zolpidem On this page About zolpidem Key facts Who can and can't take zolpidem How and when to take it Side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions. About zolpidem Zolpidem is a sleeping pill.

Zolpidem comes as tablets. It's only available on prescription. Zolpidem takes around 1 hour to work. You'll usually take it for just a few weeks up to 4 weeks.

Common side effects are a metallic taste in your mouth or a dry mouth, and feeling sleepy in the daytime. It comes in both immediate- and extended-release forms, with immediate-release being used for people who struggle to fall asleep and extended-release used for individuals who cannot stay asleep. Ambien can quickly become habit-forming, and many doctors will not prescribe this drug for longer than two weeks at a time.

People who use this medication on a regular basis or in higher doses may be at risk of developing a dependence and addiction to zolpidem. This can result in withdrawal symptoms when the drug is suddenly stopped.

Vertava Health has several treatment program options that can help a person safely withdraw from Ambien as well as receive treatment to overcome addiction to this drug. If you are addicted to or dependent on zolpidem, seeking help is the best decision you can make. Ambien begins working quickly after taking it. As a fast-acting drug, this also means that the medication does not stay in the system for very long, either. People usually begin to feel the effects of Ambien within 30 minutes, with peak effects being felt 1.

We are here to help you through every aspect of recovery. Let us call you to learn more about our treatment options. Because of its quick onset, Ambien has a relatively short half-life of around three hours. This means that most people have eliminated at least half of the drug by this time. Due to its short half-life, zolpidem is typically only detectable in the urine for 24 to 48 hours after the last dose is taken.

Urine tests are the most common testing method used to detect drugs like Ambien in the system. However, other tests may be used, as well. These detection times are general estimates and will vary from person to person.

Everyone will metabolize drugs at a different rate, which will ultimately determine how long a substance will stay in the body.