Ambien and brain

After just one dose of Ambien I experienced my 1st panic attack. I was 38 weeks pregnant and my physician prescribed it since I was not sleeping for more than 30 min at a time because of the urge to urinate as the baby was compressing my bladder.
I took it again thinking that maybe it wasn't the Ambien and I began having daily panic attacks. These episodes didn't last minutes as do regular panic attacks they lasted 4 and 5 hours. My husband, a physician, noticed that my heart was not beating rapidly as it usually would during a regular panic attack, I was actually having bradycardia (low heart rate). He still didn't put the side effects I was having and the Ambien together. After being seen by multiple physicians I was admitted to the hospital for these severe attacks and after having an echocardiogram, a CT of my brain, and multiple lab draws a psychiatrist finally examined me and took my history realizing these panic attacks had never happen prior to my taking the Ambien. He took me off the drug and within 48 hrs this awful hell started to lift. It took me a year to get over the post traumatic shock from this horrible 4 weeks of my life. I gave birth to my newborn and was unable to care for her or even myself while experiencing the side effects caused by this hellish drug.
Meg in Sugar Land

I have to take 25 mg of Ambien and 6 mg of Ativan just to get to sleep for the last 9 months. My only side effect so far is eating a lot right before I go to bed as this drug makes me hungry. And I fainted three seperate times when i drank alcohol before taking my pills (I fainted on my way to get food in the middle of the night) I sleep fine for 8 hours, but am worried about any long term effects this amount of ambien will have on my brain. I've heard chronic derealization is a side effect. What is that? What other negative side effects are there? Are there any better sleep aid medications? I have taken Lunesta and have to take a lot of that too and have the same experience in terms of being hungry. Basically they're the same to me so far.

Ambien 4 yrs Ambien CR 1yr memory loss, I don't sleep very long. Sometimes I will close my eyes and I can't move or speak, headache. I don't know how long it last. I can hear whats is going on around me, but I can't call out for help. depression.

I have used ambien appropriately 10 mg and abused (up to 90 mg) for 5 years staight. Most all side effects said here are true and worsen over the years and with dose increase. It does give you a "high" but totally destroys your brain and mind. It worsens depression for sure and has produced some psychosis with me. I have gone in and out of treatment for this drug and have made horrid decisions while taking it that have ruined my life. I beleive it is worse and more insidious than alcohol or any other drug. I believe i have permanent brain damage from it don't recognize myself or others anymore, chronic derealization, etc. Please stop taking or dont start. Once you get hooked you are hooked.
ps. anyone know some good places to detox off ambien in orange county, ca area. It is still pretty unheard of in treatment centers

Ambien is very effective for helping me sleep. My doctor advised me to use it as a tool to "re-train" myself to sleep - not to stay on for over two-weeks at a time.
But I have taken it for over two weeks and hope to stop taking it this weekend. Short-term effects: dizzy, euphoric state if I don't go to bed within 20-minutes. Memory becomes fuzzy after 20-minutes of taking pill (because you're supposed to go to sleep). Long-term effects: sedated/deflated mood during day. Brain feels "heavy".