Use of ambien associated with alcohol relapse?

[cara susanna]

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Hi all,

Is anyone aware of any studies or research indicating if use of ambien increases someone's later risk of alcohol relapse? So I'm referring to a hypothetical of someone with history of AUD who is now abstinent from alcohol but taking ambien for insomnia. Also, would it vary depending on how long the AUD has been in remission?

Thanks!

 

[Attending1985]

This is an interesting question I don't know. I do know that insomnia is a major risk factor for alcohol relapse.

 

[romanticscience]

Here's some info which might help:

Ambien dose range is 5–10 mg per day, and it has been marketed at a maximum dose of 10 mg per day. The reason for this maximum dosing has to do with being able to market as “non-addictive.” To assess addictiveness potential, the FDA requires a standard research design, where these medications are compared to a known addictive benzodiazepine, like diazepam, and to placebo. These agents are given to former drug abusers, who, in a blinded fashion, report their subjective “high” experience with the agents at varying doses. In that type of addiction study, 40 mg per day of zolpidem was equivalent to 20 mg per day of diazepam in terms of the subjective experience of high feelings in former drug abusers. Ten milligrams per day of zolpidem was equivalent to placebo. Hence the manufacturer only sought FDA indication up to 10 mg per day so that zolpidem could be marketed as non-addictive

 

[LadyHalcyon]

They both act heavily on Gaba receptors....

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[clausewitz2]

They both act heavily on Gaba receptors....

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So does riluzole but that doesn't make people start drinking again. Inferring these things from high-level pharmacological classification is not reliable.