The FDA approves generic Ambien

Where can i get this?

Pharmacy in IL is saying that they have not received it

I just rev'd generic ambien last month at my pharmacy for 4.25!!!

I have been using 10mgs of ambien ( now zolpidem ) nightly for the past 8 months and I THANK MY LUCKY STARS FOR THIS MEDICATION!!!!!

Still working incredible, keeps me asleep and I wake up refreshed!

Hi there,
Just a quick question. I was recently switched to the generic version of Ambien (Zolpidem), manufactured by Watson Labs. I have not yet taken the medication and was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this manufacturer's brand.
How does the generic compare to the name brand in terms of strength/potency, side effects, etc...? I've heard some bad experiences concerning the TEVA and Dr. Reddy's brands of generic Ambien... Thanks in advance.

I too have been switched to the generic Ambien (Zolpidim), I took it 3 and a half hours ago and am still wide awake. I am looking for some information as to why the generic would be different...but have been told there have been no complaints of this by the doctor and the pharmacist. Hope it works for you!

katmandu wrote:

Hi there,
Just a quick question. I was recently switched to the generic version of Ambien (Zolpidem), manufactured by Watson Labs. I have not yet taken the medication and was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this manufacturer's brand.
How does the generic compare to the name brand in terms of strength/potency, side effects, etc...? I've heard some bad experiences concerning the TEVA and Dr. Reddy's brands of generic Ambien... Thanks in advance.

I had a similar experience to "So tired". Took a 10mg Generic & saw nothing after a few hours. Is coating on the pill affecting absorption?

cool

@So tired: Thanks for this reply--I appreciate it! Since then, I've had the very same experience that you've had with the generics.(It took me several hours to fall asleep).

@bags under my eyes-I chew up the generic Zolpidem (and Ambien) tablets. I have been told chewing/crushing is okay, but not for the Controlled Release version (for obvious reasons). Good luck with finding an answer!

From my research, it appears that a generic manufactured by Prasco Labs is the only AUTHORIZED generic on the market for Ambien. Prasco's brand contains the exact same active and inactive ingredients as Ambien. However, I cannot find any pharmacies that offer this brand or have contracts with Prasco. Any suggestions?

I have been switched to Teva Zolpidem and it has taken your posts to make me realize that I am having unusual difficulty falling asleep. It is so easy to blame occasional problems on my many health concerns.

Ambien acted so rapidly I would be sure to go directly to bed after taking my tablet. With Zolpidem I am awake two plus hours later.

Thank you for the suggestion to grind the tablet up.

I have been taking the generic Ambien for the past month or so and have had no different reaction to it than I had to the brand name.

I'd like to add my 2 cents to Ambien vs Zolpidem thread. My pharmacy gave me Zolpidem manufactured by Mylan. I noticed the difference immediately: it takes a long time to kick in, my sleep is still troubled and I'm groggy when I wake up. Seems like the only difference between taking it or not taking it is that I'm groggier when I do take it.

real ambien was better for me. Real ambien has a slow heavy relaxing feeling to it. You know it's working when it has this slowness and sense of not caring. I know the feeling perfectly because I watch TV in the recliner and as I get up I notice this wonderful feeling when it's kicking in. The generic stuff is racy, and manic, like being drunk. I had to take 4 10mg of the generic for the knockout effect. I end up taking higher doses of it, and doing strange things. Talking to people I live with while on it, making an ass of myself. It's not calming or sedating like the real ambien. It's like being drunk, and then I'd wake up and have to take more. I was a pill a night guy on the CR, but once on generic I was doing 6 a day. Not good. Even worse when i found out I would have to wait 12 days to get a refil. So I waited figuring I had gotten hooded on it or osemthing. After 12 days I figued my tolerance had to be gone. But no. One pill still was not good for sleep. One pill made it worse by making my excited and loose.

My only theory is that brand name ambien is zolpidem tartrate. Maybe they use some other chemical form of it?

I have to agree with Mike from Waterford. I am experiencing exactly the same problems with the generic. Somethings up with the generic which I do not like and am trying to get am Ambien CR, since I have found that it is an improvement over Ambien (20 mg) per night for me. But I managed to get a real restful night without any of the grogginess, and dopy feeling I am experiencing with the generic.
Mike D Clas of WKHS 1963 Waterfordalumni dot com
"real ambien was better for me. Real ambien has a slow heavy relaxing feeling to it. You know it's working when it has this slowness and sense of not caring. I know the feeling perfectly because I watch TV in the recliner and as I get up I notice this wonderful feeling when it's kicking in. The generic stuff is racy, and manic, like being drunk. I had to take 4 10mg of the generic for the knockout effect. I end up taking higher doses of it, and doing strange things. Talking to people I live with while on it, making an ass of myself. It's not calming or sedating like the real ambien. It's like being drunk, and then I'd wake up and have to take more. I was a pill a night guy on the CR, but once on generic I was doing 6 a day. Not good. Even worse when i found out I would have to wait 12 days to get a refil. So I waited figuring I had gotten hooded on it or osemthing. After 12 days I figued my tolerance had to be gone. But no. One pill still was not good for sleep. One pill made it worse by making my excited and loose."

I agree with everyone and I am going to ask if I can have the old ambien back. I miss my good night sleep. You knew when you took it it was time to go to sleep, with this zolpidem crap, you may be up for hours still. how does that help when you have to get up at 4 in the morning with only a hour or so of sleep. What were they thinking? If it is suppose to be the same stuff, why doesn't it work the same. Makes me question all the generics they are giving our elderly to save money on medicare. Do they really work or just slowly, Is that why america is spending so much money on medicine? How can we get them to take it off the market and go to the real thing again.

I too recently switched to the generic form of Ambien, after taking the brandname for several years. I've been experiencing severe headaches, which my doctor tells me isn't all that uncommon in the generic formula. Apparently the active ingredient (the part that makes you sleep) isn't different, but the formula itself (the binding part) seems to cause a reaction of headaches in many people.

Here's something I bet alot of folks don't know.... If you eat anything fatty atleast 1 hour prior to taking the zolpidem, the absorption of the pill into your system is markedly delayed. Therefore, if you go to bed at 11 p.m. stop eating anything by atleast 8 or 9pm. Take it 1/2 before you want to go to sleep. I bet that helps.

And by anything fatty, I mean: hot tea with cream or whole milk, chips, ice cream, cookies, any dairy whatsoever, etc. If that doesn't make a difference - I'd call the pharmacy or even the manufacturer. Many companies purchase from wholesale retailers who purchase from over-sea companies. These pills may not be authentic.

I have just started taking the generic form of Ambien and have been having difficulty with feeling tired all day the next day. I have taken Ambien for years and am wondering if there is some other ingredient in the generic form that is causing this. It seems strange to have this side effect if the ingredients in the generic are the same as in the original.

If you are having difficulty with falling asleep quickly with the generic, try letting it disolve under your tongue.