I am a 37-year-old woman from N.Y. who has never had any health problems. Back in Feb. of 08 I started taking Ambien to help me sleep at night. After 4 weeks, I started feeling a huge pressure in my chest and panicked feelings. Another two weeks and I was having anxiety attacks so bad that I could hardly drive, work, attend any outside functions or anything for that matter. When I returned to the Doctor to report what was going on, my doctor assured me that it was not the Ambien and referred me off to Mental Health for phsyc. evaluation. After 8 weeks I finally threw the pills in the garbage (positive that this was the cause of my problem) it took another two weeks for the MAJOR effects to start to go away.
I think that people really need to have more information posted on the web about the side effects about Ambien. I have suffered from major anxiety attacks, neurological problems (spasms, twitching, arm numbness and something that feels like restless leg syndrome over your entire body.) After 4 months of this I am still having problems, the effects have not gone away; not for even one day. Some days are better than others but it is like being on a roller coaster and not knowing when it's going to run your ass over.
I have lost so much financially, physically and emotionally because of this drug. If I can help anyone by posting this form it will be well worth it. This is a HORRIBLE thing to have to go through and it lasts for so damn long.
Feel free to contact me if you have had these problems or need a little support.