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Is Ambien (taken to help sleep) kosher for Pesach? Also, is there a difference between the Ambien made in USA vs. made in Israel?

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FYI - Per the Star-K Ambien CR tablets is considered dairy. I do not know the Pesach status. – Gershon Gold Feb 20 at 18:28
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Note to future readers: Drug ingredients change. Any answer here that depends on formulation may therefore be outdated by the time you read it. – msh210♦ Feb 20 at 19:50
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Also, please do not consider information given in answers here, even if recent, a substitute for speaking with your rabbi and your doctor. Please do so, perhaps armed with information from answers here, before taking action with respect to altering your medication. – Isaac Moses Feb 20 at 21:00

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Many are stringent regarding various ingredients that go into the pill, and this is a popular and well-established custom.

Nonetheless, the Chicago Rabbinical Council policy still holds:

FOR LAWS OF TAKING MEDICINE ON SHABBOS AND YOMTOV, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR RABBI.

  • All pill medication -- with or without chametz -- that one swallows is permitted. Vitamins and food supplements do not necessarily fall into this category...

(So let's assume this is discussing chol hamoed.)

I have no idea about any particular medication, but my impression is that some of these issues are of less concern in the US, where most fillers are corn-based, whereas in other parts of the world they may be wheat-based.

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