Ambien Lawsuit and Side
Effect Information

One of America’s most widely prescribed sleep aids, Ambien, has new and more strongly worded warnings because of the results of a 2006 class action Ambien lawsuit. This lawsuit claimed damages resulting from the side effects caused by Ambien’s use.

Ambien - Overview

Ambien has been one of the most frequently prescribed medications for the treatment of insomnia. Ambien's side effects, including sleep walking (somnambulism) and sleep eating (without memory of the event) have been widely reported. A class action lawsuit brought against Sanofi-Aventis, Ambien’s maker, has resulted in stronger warnings being added to its consumer information. Ambien's lawsuit is no longer considered class action.

With over 32 million people(nearly 1 in 8) in the USA suffering from frequent or chronic insomnia, drugs which help ease this sleep problem have become commonplace in many American homes. Ambien has been one of the biggest sellers in the fight against insomnia. However for some users, Ambien's side effects were worse than its cure.

Ambien Side Effects and History of Legal Action

Ambien, a sedative created by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, has been shown to decrease the time it takes most patients to fall asleep. It is meant to provide short-term assistance for insomnia lasting no more than 7-10 days at a time.

For most Ambien users, the drug works well, with few if any side-effects. However, for a subset of people, strange and potentially risky side effects have been observed. It is on the basis of these side effects that a class action lawsuit was brought against Ambien’s manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis in 2006. Ambien's lawsuit claimed that many of its users had experienced scary and unexpected side effects.

Ambien's side effects have been alleged to include sleepwalking, sleep eating, and memory loss, sometimes with dramatic outcomes. In the 2006 Class Action Claim against Sanofi-Aventis, four plaintiffs sought class-action status claiming that Ambien caused them to shoplift, drive a car, gorge on food, and become a victim of sexual assault, all without memory of the events.

In some cases, Ambien side effects began within the first few doses of the drug, but in other cases users had taken Ambien for a period of time before the unusual side effects hit. Over one thousand more plaintiffs joined the original Ambien lawsuit, claiming similar side effects and injuries from the drug.

Ambien’s Lawsuit and Current Standing

In 2007, the US Courts refused to certify the original lawsuit as ‘Class Action.’ While the suit at that time had over 1000 plaintiffs, the court found that there were too many factual differences between the complainants for Ambien’s lawsuit to continue as a class action.

However, plaintiffs still believing that they've been harmed by Ambien and Ambien's side effects continue to take Sanofi-Aventis to court, hiring their own counsel and proceeding with individual law suits against the manufacturer.

In fact, the media attention garnered by the original class action suit put pressure on the FDA to review Ambien in light of these complaints. As of March 2007, the FDA required Ambien’s manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, place warnings on Ambien’s labels, drug monograph and in its prescribing information.

For most users, Ambien is a safe and effective medication, helping to ease their occasional bouts of insomnia. However, care must continue to be taken in light of these recent warnings and Ambien lawsuits. Each person will experience their own unique set of Ambien's side effects.




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