Could ambien help you heal faster after back surgery?
NCT ID NCT05746143
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether taking zolpidem (Ambien) before and after lumbar spine fusion surgery can reduce pain and improve function. 140 adults with degenerative lumbar disease will receive either zolpidem or a placebo. Researchers will measure pain levels and disability up to 6 months after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- zolpidem (Ambien)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple way to improve recovery and reduce pain after spine surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial. Zolpidem may not improve outcomes and could cause side effects like drowsiness or confusion.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2022
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * degenerative lumbar disease * age of 18-75 * undergoing open primary one- to three-level lumbar fusion Exclusion Criteria: * currently use a sleep aid nightly * diagnosed with insomnia or sleep apnea * history of delirium with opiates or zolpidem * allergic to opiates or zolpidem * had previous lumbar spine surgery * undergoing minimally invasive lumbar fusion, * undergoing lumbar fusion for fracture, infection, tumor, or an inflammatory spondyloarthropathy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Keck Medical Center of USC
RECRUITINGLos Angeles, California, 90033, United States
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