Ambien May Prompt Sleep-Eating

Drug's Maker Concedes It's Possible Side-Effect, Though Rare

(CBS)  Over 26 million Ambien prescriptions were doled out last year, ringing up more than $2 billion in sales for the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis, the third largest drug company in the world.

The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay tells co-Anchor Hannah Storm nobody really knows how common the sleep-eating caused by Ambien is.

"The company says it's a rare side-effect, which means they have fewer than 1,000 reports of this. Also, keep in mind, 26 million prescriptions last year, 13 years on the market. So this is probably a real side effect. But the exact number of people who are affected has yet to be determined, but I think we confidently say it's unusual.

"What you see often is, once a drug has been on the market for a long period of time and it's been used by so many people, you start to see these unusual side-effects in greater numbers, and that may be what we're seeing here with Ambien."

Senay stresses that you shouldn't abruptly stop taking Ambien without consulting your physician: "I don't think you should stop taking it for this reason, if you really need a good night's rest and you're working with a doctor on your sleep habits."

What are some signs people may be sleep-eating?

Like Probre, users report finding empty food wrappers by their beds. Also, missing food, unexplained weight gain, and having the taste of food in your mouth when you wake up.

Senay says you don't have to take Ambien to sleep-eat: Some non-users also do it.

In any event, she suggests, if you seem to "have this problem, definitely present it to your doctor."

Sleeping pills such as Ambien shouldn't necessarily be your first attempt to deal with insomnia, Senay continues.

"A lot of people recommend behavioral therapy prior to getting to a sleeping medication. This would include things such as making sure you have a very rigid schedule, that you go to ed at the same time every night, that you wake up at the same time every morning."

Other tips for better sleeping include regular exercise, relaxing before bedtime, limiting stress, limiting caffeine after 2 p.m., and not turning to alcohol to help you fall asleep."

Senay cautions that mixing alcohol with any sleep medication isn't a good idea and, "Doctors don't recommend that."

Senay told Storm sleeping experts are pushing for people to view sleep as a part of their lives that's as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet: "I think a lot of Americans forget sleep is essential."