A prescription medication called Ambien (also referred to as Zolpidem) is prescribed to patients for a short time (of up to two weeks) in order to treat insomnia. Ambien can also be issued by a medical doctor to treat some brain conditions. This pill is a nonbenzodiazepine which is short acting and hypnotic. It works by potentiating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is an inhibitor of neurotransmitters, through joining itself with GABAA receptors where the benzodiazepines are. This medication works in a quick manner and works for a short amount of time, usually 2 hours. Ambien can start working within 15 minutes of being consumed by the patient.
Ambien is yet to medically prove its success in sleep maintenance to a level of 100%, but this drug is proven to be very effective in helping the patient to get to sleep. This medicine has hypnotic effects which work in a similar manner to benzodiazepine drugs, however, Ambien is different from the typical molecules found in benzodiazepines and is therefore classed as an imidazopyridine. A benzodiazepine receptor called Flumazenil is the antagonist in the chemical reaction that takes place when this medication is consumed. So, it is used in situations where benzodiazepine overdose has occurred as it is effective at reversing Ambien's hypnotic, sedative and memory limiting qualities.
Ambien can be prescribed to act as an anti-convulsant or muscle relaxant. This medications helpful qualities start to help the patients when approximately 10-20 times the sedation quantity. This fast is the most important reason why Ambien does not have approval from the FDA to be used as a muscle relaxant or seizure prevention treatment. There are a variety of undesirable side-effects from taking a large dose of Ambien, including amnesia and hallucinations.
