Is Ambien to blame for bizarre behavior?

In case you were not familiar with the prescription medication used to treat insomnia called Ambien, you probably are now.  In the past few days, Ambien is getting unwarranted attention due to TV personality, Roseanne Barr who blamed the drug for causing her to tweet racist comments.  Barr went on a late-night twitter rampage tweeting out disparaging and reprehensible comments of former President Barack Obama’s aide Valerie Jarrett.  Jarrett, who is African-American and born in Iran, was described by Barr’s tweet as the “Muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes had a baby.”  Barr’s wildly popular recently rebooted ABC sitcom “Roseanne,” was promptly canceled because of the racist tweet.

After the cancellation of her show, Barr made desperate attempts at asking for forgiveness and even went as far as stating, “It was 2 in the morning and I was Ambien tweeting-it.” This one statement thrust Ambien into the national discussion with Barr appearing to blame Ambien for her poor judgement that got her show canceled.

Is it possible her use of Ambien is to blame?  Other celebrities have also come out blaming Ambien for odd behavior they normally wouldn’t do.  Here is what you need to be aware of about Ambien and possible side effects it could result in.

What is Ambien?

Sold by the French multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi, headquartered in Gentilly, France, Ambien (zolpidem) is a sedative or hypnotic which affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with sleep problems or insomnia.  It is an immediate-release tablet used to help a person fall asleep when they first go to bed.  Ambien can not only be taken as an oral tablet, but also as an oral spray, under-the-tongue tablet or an extended-release tablet.  An individual’s doctor will determine which form of Ambien is best to be used.

Common side effects of Ambien

Like any prescription medication sold, there are a number of side effects of Ambien.  Not everyone will experience side effects however some individuals may notice minor side effects while others have more major effects from using it.  Possible side effects include the following:

·      Impaired thinking or reactions. 

·      Feeling sleepy in the morning after taking Ambien

·      May cause severe allergic reaction.  Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.  Stop taking the medication and get emergency medical help if any of these signs appear.

·      Chest pain, fast or irregular heartbeat, feeling short of breath

·      Trouble breathing or swallowing

·      Feeling like you might pass out

·      Daytime drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, feeling “drugged” or light-headed

·      Tired feeling, loss of coordination

·      Stuffy nose, dry mouth, nose, or throat irritation

Any of the above symptoms should be reported to a person’s doctor immediately.  Also anyone should report any new or worsening symptoms to their doctor such as depression, anxiety, aggression, agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts, hallucinations, memory problems, changes in personality, risk-taking behavior, decreased inhibitions, no fear of danger, or thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself.

FDA issued warning about Ambien in 2013

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had ordered drugmakers in 2013 to lower doses for Ambien and other sleeping pills following studies that suggested patients “face a higher risk of injury due to morning drowsiness.”

The studies showed morning drowsiness caused by the drug impaired driving as the medication was still present in a patient’s bloodstream at a high enough level to interfere with their driving.  The drugmakers were required by the FDA to cut the dose in half for women and for the immediate-release tablets since the drug takes longer to leave women’s bodies than men’s.

Other celebrities who have blamed Ambien for bizarre behavior

In recent years, several well-known celebrities have been victims of strange behavior and incidents which have been blamed on their use of Ambien:

·      Tiger Woods – Pro golfer Tiger Woods was arrested for DUI in 2017 after he was found parked on the side of a road, asleep.  He was unable to walk a straight line and appeared “out of it” during a sobriety test.  A toxicology test showed Woods had a number of prescription drugs in his system, including Ambien.

 ·      Elon Musk – Tesla CEO Elon Musk also went on a Twitter rampage in 2017 by tweeting out his excitement over a Tesla shareholder meeting.  He admitted he had drank red wine and had consumed Ambien and agreed that “tweeting on Ambien isn’t wise.”

 ·      Patrick J. Kennedy – In 2016, Former House Representative Patrick J. Kennedy crashed his car into a security barricade close to the U.S. Capitol.  He had not been drinking but he did state he had taken Ambien not long before the accident.  

Whenever considering using any prescription medication, a thorough discussion and evaluation by a medical doctor is necessary to make sure an individual needs the medication and whether there are any contradictions of using it.  Their doctor should go over possible side effects and warn patients of discontinuing the medication if side effects do appear.  This can help reduce any unusual behavior that could be the individual or others at risk or harm.