# Does Ambien Show Up on Drug Tests? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843 "2007-03-14T03:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/1 "2007-03-14T03:15:09Z")
No message. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/2 "2007-03-14T05:19:34Z")
Depends on if they test for it. I don’t think it is normally tested for, however if they REALLY wanted to know if you were on it they could probably find it. However, the half life for Ambien is only about two and a half hours, and its normally accepted that once eight half lifes have past the drug is out of your system, so they would only be able to find it if they tested you 20 hours after you last took the medicine. So to be on the safe side, don’t take the pill on the day before the test, and you’ll have nothing to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/3 "2007-03-14T05:49:33Z")
A common listing of the drugs tested for abuse are amphetamines, methamphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine, THC and trycylic antidepressants. Alcohol may also be tested for, but there are no metabolites left after drinking (just headaches). Ambien is a nonbenzodiazepine, which is not something that is routinely tested for when looking for evidence of abuse. Even though the half-life of ambien is short, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t created those left-over metabolites that lab tests look for. You can smoke a whole lot of weed for a month and still test positive after not smoking for a week when you’re tested (depends on the amount smoked, as always). But upon searching I can’t come up with any commercial tests for ambien. So short answer: no. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/4 "2007-03-14T07:21:59Z")
Of course, then again, it’s a prescription medicine, so assuming one has a prescription, why care? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/5 "2007-03-14T10:43:02Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Of course, then again, it’s a prescription medicine, so assuming one has a prescription, why care? 😕 [/QUOTE] There are professions incompatible with certain prescription medications. Flying airplanes, for example - there are plenty of prescription drugs that will result in suspension of flying privileges. People have been known to “forget” to report taking these medications and continuing to work under their influence. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/6 "2007-03-14T12:25:47Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Of course, then again, it’s a prescription medicine, so assuming one has a prescription, why care? 😕 [/QUOTE] If you know the right people, you can get certain prescription medications without a prescription. Comes in handy when your employer doesn’t offer health insurance until you’ve been on the job for a pre-set amount of time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/7 "2007-03-14T18:09:30Z")
\ This just in from CNN: > [@](#): > > **All prescription sleeping pills may sometimes cause sleep-driving** , federal health officials warned Wednesday, almost a year after the bizarre side effect first made headlines when Rep. Patrick Kennedy **crashed his car after taking Ambien**. > > It’s a more complicated version of sleepwalking, but behind the wheel: **getting up in the middle of the night and going for a drive – with no memory of doing so**. > > The Food and Drug Administration wouldn’t say exactly how many cases of sleep-driving it had linked to insomnia drugs, but neurology chief Dr. Russell Katz said the agency uncovered more than a dozen reports – and is worried that more are going uncounted. Source: [http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/03/14/sleep.drug.warning.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/03/14/sleep.drug.warning.ap/index.html) Sounds like if you are worried about taking a drug test for something, you should also be concerned about how you plan to get to the drug test if you’re taking the medication as well. \ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/8 "2007-03-14T19:21:10Z")
From my research it not so much that you are “sleep driving” it is that you fall asleep while driving and you make a consious and awake choice to go for a drive. It is true that next day you sometimes have a gap in your memory (after taking the pill but before awakening) but it’s not like you do shit while you’re asleep. So, it’s the morons that ignore the warning labels, as “I don’t feel that sleepy”\* and go for a little drive and then crash. Ambien doesn’t make you do stupid stuff, only you decide to do stupid stuff. Ambien may allow you to forget it next day, sure. I have twice woken up with a snack or beverage that I prepared sitting there untasted and I don’t remember making it. BUT, it’s rather common of _me_ to do so. I never go for a “midnite drive” so I have no worries about that. - and I will admit that Ambien can creep up on you. You can take the pill, and not feel sleepy, then BOOM! You should never take Ambien or similar drugs unless your MD sez it’s OK. Don’t get me wrong, I understand not being able to afford getting the prescription filled, and then mooching a few off someone else. But do _not_ take Ambien without a prescription. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/9 "2007-03-14T19:29:25Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] From my research it not so much that you are “sleep driving” it is that you fall asleep while driving and you make a consious and awake choice to go for a drive. It is true that next day you sometimes have a gap in your memory (after taking the pill but before awakening) but it’s not like you do shit while you’re asleep. So, it’s the morons that ignore the warning labels, as “I don’t feel that sleepy”\* and go for a little drive and then crash. Ambien doesn’t make you do stupid stuff, only you decide to do stupid stuff. Ambien may allow you to forget it next day, sure. I have twice woken up with a snack or beverage that I prepared sitting there untasted and I don’t remember making it. BUT, it’s rather common of _me_ to do so. I never go for a “midnite drive” so I have no worries about that. - and I will admit that Ambien can creep up on you. You can take the pill, and not feel sleepy, then BOOM! You should never take Ambien or similar drugs unless your MD sez it’s OK. Don’t get me wrong, I understand not being able to afford getting the prescription filled, and then mooching a few off someone else. But do _not_ take Ambien without a prescription. [/QUOTE] While taking Ambien I have had entire conversations, gone grocery shopping and blogged and would swear on my life that these things never occurred. Obviously I don’t take it anymore but I can certainly see someone feeling awake enough to go for a drive but not having the wherewithall to know that isn’t a very good idea. My doctor never mentioned amnesia as a side effect. I had to figure that one out on my own and was very lucky I didn’t injure myself or others. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/10 "2007-03-14T22:22:25Z")
Routine use of sleep medications is not a good thing. Intermittent use of sleep medications only infrequently has benefits outweighing potential risks. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/11 "2007-03-14T23:31:27Z")
[QUOTE=HeyHomie] If you know the right people, you can get certain prescription medications without a prescription. Comes in handy when your employer doesn’t offer health insurance until you’ve been on the job for a pre-set amount of time. [/QUOTE] Just to warn you, Ambien is a controlled substance under schedule IV of the Controlled Substance Act with penalties for possession being up to 3 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. The penalties for distribution are even higher. If you can’t afford to get a prescription for it, you definetly can’t afford the penalties. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/12 "2007-03-15T00:52:18Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] I have twice woken up with a snack or beverage that I prepared sitting there untasted and I don’t remember making it. BUT, it’s rather common of _me_ to do so. I never go for a “midnite drive” so I have no worries about that. [/quote] I got up in the middle of the night and made myself a Diet Coke and a bowl of pretzels with ketchup all over them. It was the strangest feeling seeing this next to my bed and it made me wonder if I ate anything that could be dangerous. Weird, and the last time I took Ambien. I don’t even like ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/13 "2007-03-15T04:09:48Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] I got up in the middle of the night and made myself a Diet Coke and a bowl of pretzels with ketchup all over them. It was the strangest feeling seeing this next to my bed and it made me wonder if I ate anything that could be dangerous. Weird, and the last time I took Ambien. I don’t even like ketchup. [/QUOTE] I’d be much more concerned if I woke up and found a cereal bowl with rice crispies and drano next to my bed in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-show-up-on-drug-tests/395843/14 "2007-03-15T14:48:18Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] A common listing of the drugs tested for abuse are amphetamines, methamphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine, THC and trycylic antidepressants. Alcohol may also be tested for, but there are no metabolites left after drinking (just headaches). Ambien is a nonbenzodiazepine, which is not something that is routinely tested for when looking for evidence of abuse. [/QUOTE] I know a guy who’s abused Seroquel, so I understand that somebody, somewhere will abuse anything, but what’s the point of abusing antidepressants?