Other than asking for a different sleep medication or getting the non generic form if it works for you i have no other ideas.

I took ambien for ptsd, it was the only way I could sleep...took it nightly for 5 years, during that time it went generic. I don't know if it was length of use or it going generic but it has never worked as well for me.

your a great example of what I ask the other day...I ask if people noticed any difference in generics verse name brand..? you answered it clearly...sometimes they do not work...How are government can allow this is a GREAT question to me...
I am sorry you are having this experience....I have heard that generics can be off as much as 20 percent from original.

Are you sure the new pill is ambien? Maybe you should call your pharmacy and ask them if the pill changed color and you just wanted to make sure it was the same med. Other than that I can't think of anything else to suggest.

or you could always go to the pill indentifier at Drugs.com

Sometimes, I have learned the hard way, the sedative-hypnotics can just stop working. I took Ambien for years and the generic was just as good as the brand name. And DO NOT waste your money on Ambien CR. Pharmacist told me it helps people sleep an extra 20 minutes on average and is a marketing ploy from the pharmaceutical company to make more money because it did go generic. Restoril is good and is probably the least expensive of the handful of sleeping pills out there. The best, I have found, is Lunesta, but many insurances do not want to pay for it and I have yet to find an assistance program for it. Good luck!!

I take ambien and do take the generic, zolp something or other. Mine are round and purple.
I have generic xanax that are oval peach colored though, are you sure you don't have xanax?

I started taking ambien about a year ago. They worked great for the first 6 months. Now I find after about a month I have to wean myself off of them for about a week, then start them again.

I also have trazadone for when I'm off the ambien or when the ambien doesn't work.

Ambien CR does nothing for me and neither did lunesta. My Dr gave me a card to get Lunesta for free.

Here try this link for assistance for Lunesta.
http://www.lunesta.com/lunesta-kit/lunesta-savings.html?iid=body_lunestaSavings&utm_campaign=sem2h10&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=googleppc&utm_content=utm_content=LUN_SEMQ410&utm_term=lunesta&cid=sem2h10ggle_lunesta

Well that didn't work.
Try this, it has the link for assistance.
http://www.lunesta.com/util/sitemap.html

Don't panic! Be persistent, though. This is an insurance company thing. I write for the industry on behalf of docs, insurance, patients, etc. If it helps, read or send this explanation to all parties involved:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist that the substitution is not therapeutically equivalent in your case. Your doctor or pharmacist is unlikely to have a preference what you get (they just want your meds to work for you). The only folks who WANT you to take the generic are the insurance folks because brand drugs are way too expensive. In this case, even if the generic has passed the FDA criteria for bioequivalence, the molecule or the process is not identical to Ambien, so if it doesn't work for you, that is legitimate. The doctor or pharmacist can request from the medical or pharmacy director of the insurance company that the generic first requirement be overridden in your case. Generic ambien is failing you therapeutically, so they will likely allow Ambien because you "failed first" on the generic. A "fail first" step is called a step-edit, a measure insurance companies take to get patients to use generics before branded drugs. Perfectly reasonable to require, but because they know not all generics meet the needs that the brand drugs do, they allow you to get the brand drug after you've failed first on the generic.

I know it is stressful and I feel for you. Even though I knew I'd get my Effexor increase covered ultimately, when the pharmacy says "insurance won't cover it" when you are spiraling down the toilet, you get scared and mad and think you can't get the drug you desperately need. I did panic, even though I knew it would all work out and in the meantime if I had to I would pay for it with cash. Health care and insurance is really a big mess for us all at this time. Hang in there for the long ride to see it improve. It may be a while. ;(