Adults typically need 6-7 hours of sleep on a daily basis for good health. Having little sleep can be linked to other medical conditions, including depression, diabetes type 2, heart disease, and obesity. The Zolpidem drug is supplied under the trade-name Ambien tablets. Each Ambien 5 mg tablet contains enough Zolpidem to suppress sleep-related symptoms.

Ambien Dosage

Ambien (Zolpidem) medication is supplied to the common public in the form of Ambien and Ambien CR. The Ambien CR is the controlled release or extended-release form of Ambien. On our Rxpharmasmeds website we provide Ambien medicine with the following strengths:

• Ambien 5 mg
• Ambien 10 mg

Some of our other medicines to prevent symptoms of sleepiness and day-time sleepiness:

• Lunesta
• Restoril

Proper Usage

• Ambien tablets:

At the beginning of the treatment, the least 5 mg of Ambien is used by women and 5 or 10 mg of Ambien is used by men. In the case of older adults, 5 mg once a day before bedtime is enough. Your concerned doctor might increase your dose as per requirements. However, taking more than 10 mg of Ambien per day is not permissible.

• Ambien CR (controlled-release tablets):

Adult ladies or women over the age of 17 years are recommended to a  6.25 mg of Ambien whereas, 6.25 or 12.5 mg of Ambien should be used by men once a day before bedtime. Your doctor may increase the Ambien dose as needed. However, do not take more than 12.5 mg of Ambien in a day. Take only 1 dose a night as prescribed. Patients categorized as older adults (Above the age of 65 years) should use only 6.25 mg once a day

Children under the age of 17 years should avoid using Ambien or Ambien CR medication. Clinical studies have observed that this age group does not respond to this medication and is significantly at a higher risk of developing side effects.

Ambien 5 mg Indication

• Ambien 5 mg medicines should be used in strict accordance with the doctor’s prescription. You may consult with your concerned doctor or pharmacist for specific directions for use.
• Each dose should be taken with plenty of water and avoid taking the tablets with food or after a meal. This may delay the effects of Ambien medication.
• Ambien must be taken just before bedtime.
• After taking Ambien 5 mg tablets an individual requires at least 7-8 hours of sound sleep or a good night’s sleep before doing any activity. You will be overcome by drowsiness, you may fall and hurt yourself if you are not prepared to go to sleep.
• Never exceed your prescribed dosage, as it can lead to overdosing and many serious or fatal side effects.
• Do not stop using Ambien 5 mg pills abruptly if you have been taking them for over 2 weeks. Generally, withdrawal effects are observed in individuals who discontinue Ambien suddenly. If you need to stop taking or quit the drug, consult with your doctor.
• Try to store Ambien 5 mg medicines at normal room temperature in a cool, dry place. Store these medications in a safe place like a locked cabinet, and out of the reach of children and pets. Never keep the pills in your car or bathroom.
• You need to take precautionary steps while driving, operating industrial machinery, or performing other hazardous and hefty work. Ambien 5 mg can cause severe drowsiness and dizziness. In case of drowsiness or dizziness, you should avoid performing hazardous activities.
• Avoid consuming alcohol, narcotics drugs, or other street drugs while on Ambien medication. These could induce severe drowsiness and dizziness, which can be dangerous.

Mechanism of Ambien

Ambien 5 mg or Zolpidem drug is an imidazopyridine hypnotic that is structurally different from benzodiazepines. It works by enhancing the activities of the inhibitory neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) via selective agonism at benzodiazepine-1(BZ ).

This results in an increase in chloride conductance, neuronal over polarization, and inhibition of the action pot. It also promotes sedative and hypnotic effects. However, Ambien 5 mg pill has minimal anxiolytic, myorelaxant and anticonvulsant qualities too.

Due to the rapid onset, the Ambien immediate-release tablet’s effects can be observed within 30 minutes of ingesting the tablets. And the Zolpidem drug is able to reach maximum blood concentration in about 1-2 hours. The half-life of Ambien medication in adults was found to be about 2-3 hours. Hence, it can stay in an individual’s system for 6 to 8 hours.

Like any other medication, Ambien 5 mg is metabolized in the liver. It goes through Hepatic methylation and hydroxylation via CYP3A4, CYP2C9, CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP2C19 to be broken down into 3 inactive metabolites. After complete metabolization and absorption, the medication is then excreted out of an individual’s system via feces and urination. A major part of the drug is exited through urine.