Newspaper Page Text
INFORMATION FOR MTUCTS
Ambten CR™ 8
(idyMem tartrate extendetFreicase tablets)
Your doctor has prescribed Ambien CR to help vou sleep Ihe following infor
mation is intended to guide vou in the safe use of this medicine. It is not
meant to lake the place of your doctor's instructions. If vou have any questions
about Ambien CR tablets be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist
Ambien CR is used to treat different types of sleep problems, such as
•trouble falling asleep
• waking up often during the mght
Some people may have more than one of these problems.
Ambien CR belongs to a group of medicines known as the “sedative/
hypnotics", or simply, sleep medicines There are many different sleep
medicines available to help people sleep better Sleep problems are usually
temporary, requinng treatment for onfv a short time, usually 1 or 2 days up to
1 or 2 weeks Some people have chronic sleep problems that may require
more prolonged use of sleep medicine However vou should not use these
medicines for long periods without talking with your doctor about the risks
and benefits of prolonged use.
Itat combos side effects:
• headache
• somnolence (sleepiness;
• dizziness
You mav find that these medicines make vou sleeps during the day How
drowsy you fed depends upon how your body reacts to the medicine, which
sleep medicine you are taking, and how large a dose your doctor has
prescribed Daytime drowsiness is best avoided bv taking the lowest dose
possible that will still help vou sleep at night. Your doctor will work with you
to find the dose of Ambien CR that is best for you.
To manage these side effects while vou are taking this medicine
• When you first start taking Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine until vou
know whether the m«kme will still have some carryover effect in you the
next day. use extreme care while doing anything that requires complete
alertness, such as driving a car. operating machinery, or piloting an aircraft
• NEVER dnnk alcohol while vou are being treated with Ambien CR or any
sleep medicine Alcohol can increase the side effects of Ambien CR or anv
other sleep medicine
• Do not take any other medicines without asking vour doctor first This
includes medicines you can buv without a prescription Some medicines
can cause drowsiness and are best avoided while taking Ambien CR
• Always take the exact dose of Ambien CR presenbed bv vour doctor. Never
change vour dose without talking to your doctor first
WBBMIBHIIHI.
There are some special problems that mav occur while taking sleep medicines.
“Steep-Drivim" and other complex behaviors: There have been reports
of people getting out of bed after taking a sleep medicine and driving their
cars while not fulh awake, often with no memory of the event. If you expert
ence such an event, it should be reported to vour doctor immediatelv. since
“sleep-driving' can be dangerous This behavior is more likeh to occur when
Ambien CR is taken with alcohol or other drugs such as those for the treatment
of depression or anxiety Other complex behaviors such as preparing and
eating food, making phone calls, or having sex have been reported in people
who are not fully awake after taking a sleep medicine As with “slcep-dnving'.
people usually do not remember these events
Memory problems: Sleep medicines mav cause a special type of memory loss
or “amnesia * When thrs occurs, a person mav not remember what has
happened lor several hours after taking the medicine This is usually not a
problem since most people fall asleep after taking the medicine
Memory loss can be a problem, however, when sleep medicines are taken
while traveling, such as during an airplane flight and the person wakes up
before the effect of the medicine is gone Thrs has been called “traveler's
amnesia-'
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you think vou are having memory problems
Although memory problems are not very common while taking Ambien CR. in
most instances, they can be avowed if vou take Ambien CR onfv when you are
able to get a full nights sleep (7 to 8 hours! before vou need to be active again
Tolerance: When sleep medicines are used every night for more than a few
weeks they mav lose their effectiveness to help you sleep This is known as
“tolerance" Sleep medicines should, in most cases, be used only for short
periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days and generally no longer than 1 or 2 weeks
If your sleep problems continue, consult vour doctor who will determine
whether other measures are needed to overcome vour sleep problems
Dependence: Sleep medicines can cause dependence, especially when these
medicines are used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses
Some people develop a need to continue taking their medicines T his is known
as dependence or “addiction *
When people develop dependence, they mav have difficulty stopping the
sleep metkine if the medicine is suddenly stopped, the body is not able to
function normaftv and unpleasant symptoms mav occur see Withdrawal
They may find that thev have to keep taking the medicines either at the
presenbed dose or at increasing doses just to avoid withdrawal symptoms
All people taking sleep medicines have some risk of becoming deoendent on
the medicine However, people who nave been dependent on akohd or other
drugs in the past mav have a higher chance of becoming addicted to sleep
medicines. This possibility must be considered before using these medicines
for more than a few weeks
If you have been addicted to alcohol or drugs in the past. >t is important to tell
your doctor before starting Ambien CR or anv sleep medicine.
Copyright, sanofi-aventrs U.S. ILC 2007
v4MBENCR'
BIMMWEMSiWe
Withdrawal: Withdrawal symptoms mav occur when sleep medicines
are stopped suddenly after being used daily for a long time in some cases,
these symptoms can occur even if the medicine has been used for only a week
or two
In mild cases, withdrawal symptoms mav include unpleasant feelings In more
severe cases, abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting sweating, shakiness,
and rarefy, seizures mav occur. These more severe withdrawal symptoms are
verv uncommon.
knottier problem that mav occur when sleep medicines are stopped is known
as “rebound insomnia * This means that a person mav have more trouble
sleeping the first few nights after the medicine is stopped than before starting
the medicine If you should experience rebound insomnia, do not get
discouraged. This problem usually goes awav on its own after 1 or 2 nights.
If you have been taking Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine for more than
1 or 2 weeks, do not stop taking it on your own. Always follow vour doctor s
direct ioov
Changes in behavior and thinking: Some people using sleep medicines have
experienced unusual changes in their thinking and/or behavior These effects
are not common. However, thev have included
• more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal
• confusion
• strange behavior
• agitation
• hallucinations
• worsening of depression
• suicidal thoughts
How often these effects occur depends on several factors, such as a person's
general health, the use of other medicines, and which sleep medicine is being
used.
ft is also important to realize that it is rarely clear whether these behavior
changes are caused bv the medicine, an illness, or occur on their own. In fact,
sleep problems that do not improve mav be due to illnesses that were present
before the medicine was used If you or your family notice any changes in vour
behavior, or if vou have anv unusual or disturbing thoughts, call vour doctor
immediately
Pregnancy: Sleep medicines may cause sedation of the unborn babv when
used during the last weeks of pregnancy
Be sure to tell vour doctor if vou are pregnant, if vou are planning to become
pregnant, or if you become pregnant while taking Ambien CR.
SAFE US OF SIBHNt MEON3NB
To ensure the safe and effective use of Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine,
you should observe the following cautions:
I Ambien CR is a prescription medicine and should be used ONLY as directed
by vour doctor Follow vour doctor's instructions about how to take, when
to take, and how long to take Ambien CR Ambien CR tablets should not
be divided, crushed, or chewed, and must be swallowed whole
2. Never use Ambien CR or anv other sleep medic me for longer than directed
by vour doctor
3. If vou develop an allergic reaction such as rash, hives shortness of breath
or swelling of your tongue or throat when using Ambien CR or anv other
sleep medicine, discontinue Ambien CR or other sleep medicine immedi
atefv and contact vour doctor
4 If you notice any unusual and/or disturbing thoughts or behavior
dunng treatment with Ambien CR or any other sleep medicine, contact
your doctor
5. Tell your doctor about any medicines vou may be taking, including
medicines vou mav buv without a prescription You should also tell vour
doctor if vou drink akohol DO NOT use alcohol while faking Ambien CR
or anv other sleep medicine
6. Do not take Ambien CR unless vou are abie io get a toil night s sleep before
you must be active again For example. Ambien CR should not be taken on
an overnight airplane flight of less than “lofl hours since “traveler's
amnesia’ mav occur
7 Do not increase the prescribed dose of Ambien CR or anv other sleep
medicine unless instructed bv vour doctor
8 When vou first start taking Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine, until
vou know whether the medicine will still have some carryover effect in vou
the next dav. use extreme care while doing anything that requires
complete alertness, such as driving a car. operating machinery , or piloting
an aircraft
9 Be aware that you mav have more sleeping problems the first night after
stopping Ambien CR or anv other sleep medicine
10 Be sure to tell vour doctor if you are pregnant, if you are planning so
become pregnant, or if vou become pregnant while taking Ambien CR or
anv other sleep medicine
II As with all prescnption medicines, never share Ambien CR or any other
sleep medicine with anvone else Always store Ambien CR or any other
sleep medicine in the original container that vou received it in and store
4 out of reach of children
12. Ambien CR works verv quickly You should onfv take Ambter CR right
before going to bed and are readv to go to sleep
Ambien CR"* €
zolpidem tartrate extended release tablets;
AMB-APRO7-IFP-Ab
Revised April 2007
Gaming
Customize your game worlds
"User-gen"content is redefining the way we play.
:n| M I
'WTO 3H
SSHH9 -IHbS
BY CHARLES HEROLD
ONCE UPON A TIME, profes
sionals worked hard to enter
tain the public, but increasingly
the public is being asked to entertain it
self. And they are stepping up to the
challenge uploading homemade videos
to sites such as You Tube, submitting mini
television series to VHl’s Acceptable TV
and blogging all over the Internet. One
of the most fertile areas for this so-called
“user-generated content” is computer
video games.
Modification of games (e.g., changing
the look or creating new levels) has existed
for at least a decade. Game designers
hadn’t expected it, but some companies
such as Id Software discovered that en-
couraging these “mods” ex
tended the sales life of then
games, which players would
buy just to play free mods
that were traded on Inter
net sites such as moddb
.com. Valve’s Half-Life series
has been particularly “modder”-friendly,
with mods like Counter-Strike and The
Ship going from free downloads to re
tail shelves.
Another popular method for designing
user-made games is with Macromedia
Flash, w'hich can be used to create games
played on Web browsers. And a new site,
Kongregate.com, is working to make it
self the “You Tube of Gaming,” allowing
anyone to upload games to the site.
sanofi-aventis U S. ILC
Bndgewater. Nj 08807
14
USA WEEKEND • Sept. 21-23,2007
Creating mods or flash games requires
some technical expertise, but there are
easier methods. At kids.discovery.com, on
line puzzle game WhizzbalU, in which a
player moves a ball by correctly placing
tubes, catapults and conveyer belts, has
a design interface so simple that most of
the almost 20,000 Wh izzball! puzzles are
designed by players. The Sims 2 lets you
easily design clothes for your avatar and
upload them to the Internet.
The ultimate in user-gen content is
Second Life, a virtual world where you
can build cities and games. According to
its developer, Linden Lab, 99% of the
content has been created by users, who
can employ a graphic design interface to
make pretty much anything.
Modifying games
by changing the look
or creating new levels
started at least
a decade ago.
tar and customize their own virtual digs,
which can be visited by others. Living
spaces can be decorated with furniture
and real-life digital media content, in
cluding photos and videos. A “Hall of
Fame” feature lets you show off 3-D
trophies that are unlocked and won via
in-game achievements.
The big question here is this: If every
one is busy creating games online, w r ho
will be left to play them? ca
Eli left, and Alyx Vance,
two of the leads in the
ic i fi game Half Life 2
l 3
More recently, Sony be
gan rolling out a real-time
online 3-D community called
Home. The service, w-hich
is available through the
Play Station Network, lets
PS3 owners create an ava-