SAN ANTONIO — Ambien is a common sleep-aid drug, available only by a doctor’s prescription, and it is taken by literally thousands of Americans according to the website drugs.com.
The majority of people taking ambient, or Zolpidem Tartrate, as it is known in its generic form, will never suffer the possible side effects that the drug carries on its clearly printed warning label. But, there are always exceptions to the rule. In relatively rare instances, some people taking this helpful but highly-powerful substance will perhaps indeed suffer some serious sleep-related side effects.
Though all of these unintended consequences are serious to possible users, one of the worst side-effects that has been reported by individuals is referred to as “sleep-driving.” In this instance, drivers have been arrested for DWI/DUI and have demonstrated little to no awareness as to what they previously had been engaging in.
That in itself is no excuse before the law, of course, and there is a very good likelihood that if you are caught driving while under the influence of mind-altering drugs, you can and probably will be arrested.
And even if you are taking Ambien legally and following your physician’s directions to the letter, you can certainly be criminally charged if you are “sleep driving”, according to one spokesman from the San Antonio Police Department.
“Unfortunately, that’s not a defense against prosecution,” said San Antonio Police Department spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar. “You can still be prosecuted, and you can still be charged for the case.”
Even the benefits of the drug are still being weighed by governmental agencies that must consider the positive outcomes of the drug against the possible catastrophic outcomes that can result from taking it.
In January of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lowered the recommended dose for Ambien. If you have taken this medicine in the past, your doctor may direct you to take an even lower dose of this medicine than you did before.
Directions for taking the drug also include the statement that patients using it must be able to stay asleep from 7-8 hours as a result of its ingestion.
The best course of action – if you are one of the many people who take this medicine – is to heed closely any and all label warnings that accompany the drug. Also talk to your doctor to determine if the benefits of the medication far outweigh the inherent risks of taking it.
Being unaware of a law is certainly no defense in a court setting. But, using a modicum of common-sense actions will allow legal users of Ambien in a way the drug was intended.