Side Effects of Ambien Sleeping Pills

Video Transcript

"Hello. My name is Dr. Robert Hernandez. I'm a psychologist in Miami, Florida, and I'm president and owner of Lafafalu Retreat House. Ambien is a commonly prescribed sleeping medication. It's a hypnotic drug, in the hypnotic category, and--like every medication--it does have its side effects. So, something to be careful and something to watch. Again, as a psychologist, I am not a medical doctor, but what the side effects are--and this is something you'll want to review with your primary care physician and psychiatrist--is, instead of inducing sleep, it could have the reverse reaction if it's taken for a long period of time. It could cause anxiety, and it could cause restlessness or dizziness, and a sense of nausea. So if you're experiencing any of these side effects that are disturbing for you, the recommendation with this and with other prescription medications, as well as over the counter drugs, is to consult your primary care physician and psychiatrist, because you what you do want to achieve are the benefits that the prescription drug offers, not the nasty side effects."