• If you are allergic to anything, including medicines, dyes, additives, or foods.

• If you have any medical conditions such as kidney disease, liver disease (including hepatitis), heart disease, congestive heart failure, seizures, mental illness (such as depression), or brain disease. These conditions may require that your medicine dose, regimen, or timing be changed.

• If you have asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, sleep apnea, myasthenia gravis, or other breathing problem. This medicine can worsen breathing.

• If you have glaucoma. People with acute narrow-angle glaucoma should not use this drug.

• If you are taking any medicine that makes you calmer or drowsy, or if you drink alcohol. The combination may produce serious side effects.

• If you have ever had a problem with alcohol or addiction to any drugs or substances in the past. This drug can be habit forming, and those with previous addictions are more at risk.

• If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or if there is any chance of pregnancy. There may be an increased risk of harm to the fetus if a woman takes this drug during pregnancy.

• If you are breast-feeding. The drug passes into breast milk and might affect the baby.

• About any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking, including vitamins and herbs. In fact, keeping a written list of each of these medicines (including the doses of each and when you take them) with you in case of emergency may help prevent complications if you get sick.

Rifampin (an antibiotic) may cause zolpidem to not work.

Zolpidem can add to the effects of other medicines that make you sleepy or less alert, such as antihistamines, tranquilizers (sedatives or "nerve pills"), other sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, barbiturates, anti-seizure medicines, opioid pain medicines, anesthetics, anti-nausea medicines, and medicines for emotional and mental illness such as antidepressants, anti-psychotics, and anti-anxiety medicines. Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine. Using these kinds of substances while taking zolpidem can result in losing consciousness (passing out) and possibly even death.

Check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about whether other medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements can cause problems with this medicine.

Take zolpidem only when you can go to bed and stay there for at least 7 to 8 hours. It can affect your memory and judgment, and some people are still sleepy the next day.

A few people have taken zolpidem (or drugs like it) and then had problems with sleepwalking. Some have even driven their cars, prepared and eaten foods, or performed other complex tasks while not fully awake, with no memory of the events afterward.

Zolpidem may cause you to feel drowsy or dizzy. This is more likely if you are taking other drugs that depress the nervous system such as opioids, anti-anxiety drugs, muscle relaxers, or some anti-nausea medicines. Zolpidem may also cause decreased reaction time and poor concentration. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery the morning after you take zolpidem until you are fully awake. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you feel too drowsy or have dizziness that does not go away.

This is a controlled substance, and may be habit-forming. Take zolpidem only as directed by your doctor. Zolpidem may cause psychological dependence (which can result in addiction) and physical dependence (body goes into withdrawal if drug is suddenly stopped). Some signs of dependence are a strong desire to keep taking the medicine, wanting to take larger doses, and withdrawal effects (see below) after the medicine is stopped. Talk with your doctor if you think this has happened to you.

If you have been taking this drug for more than a few weeks, you may experience withdrawal symptoms for several days if you stop it suddenly or reduce the dose quickly. Most often this appears as irritability, nervousness, trouble sleeping, stomach cramps or upset stomach, trembling or shaking, and even seizures in those who have taken high doses for a long time. The drug dose should be gradually lowered until it is stopped. Talk with your doctor or nurse about how to do this.

Tell anyone who is planning surgery on you, including dentists, that you are taking this medicine.

If you notice any strange or unusual thoughts or behavior while on this medicine, call your doctor. Some people notice feeling depressed and may think about suicide. Rarely, people get confused, agitated, or start seeing or hearing things that are not there. Tell family members, loved ones, and caregivers that you are taking this drug, so that they can help you if they notice behavior changes.

Call your doctor if you have seizures, confusion, shuffling walk, restlessness or tremor, fever, irregular heart rate, yellow skin or eyes.

Older people are more likely to have sleepiness, dizziness, or falling while taking zolpidemand may need smaller doses of the drug. Have a responsible adult with you for a few days after you start this medicine and any time you change doses.

Rarely, allergic reactions happen with this medicine. Get help right away if you notice shortness of breath, coughing, hives, itching, rash, swelling in the mouth, face, or throat, or trouble breathing or swallowing.

After this medicine is stopped, it is common to have more trouble sleeping for a night or two. This generally goes away without treatment.

If you think that you or someone else may have taken an overdose of this medicine, get emergency help right away. Taking too much zolpidem, or taking it with alcohol or any other medicine that slows the nervous system, can cause confusion, severe drowsiness or weakness, and trouble walking or talking.

• headache
• sleepiness (daytime)
• dizziness
• dry mouth

• tiredness (fatigue)
• feeling "drugged"
• depression
• anxiety
• irritability

• nausea
• vomiting
• heartburn
• double vision or other vision problems
• lack of coordination (clumsiness, trouble walking)
• decreased memory or memory loss*
• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior, hallucinations*
• sleep-driving and other complex tasks without memory of the events*
• withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritation, nausea, trouble sleeping if drug is stopped suddenly or if dose is quickly reduced*
• allergic reaction with cough or swelling in the throat or mouth*

*See the "Precautions" section for more detailed information.