An Ambien overdose can be fatal if not treated properly. If you are struggling with an addiction to Ambien, seeking treatment is the best way to prevent serious and even deadly side effects like an overdose. Ambien is a prescription medication most commonly used to treat insomnia.

Has anyone killed someone on Ambien?

In the 2013 case, a young man in Littleton, Colo., a suburb of Denver, named Andrew McClay beat his female housemate to death with a hammer. According to news reports, he had taken five zolpidem pills along with whiskey and naproxen.

Does Ambien shut down your brain?

Ambien, made by Sanofi-Aventis, can shut down powerful brain circuits responsible for inhibiting brain activity under certain circumstances, leaving other brain circuits unchecked, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington said.