Looking to get off zoplicone

[christinad]

Hi everyone, I was very relieved to find this forum, for the past three months I have been on zoplicone, I went from taking two a night, which left me feeling like a zombie in the morning, tried melatonin for a week to reset myself, some nights I could sleep intill five in morn if I was lucky but the pill only let me sleep for maybe four hours at a time, I decided enough was enough, I take a crumb of an adivan at eleven after some sleepy time tea, i wake at five-five thirty every single morning and take half a zoplicone to get back to sleep, sometime I freak and feel like a vampire lol and wait for this med to kick in, for some reason this morning I let go and just concentrated on my breathing and finally fell into a medicated sleep. If I dont sleep in, I have been experiencing mornng anxiety, which I gererally have during the day anyways, I am hoping and praying to get off this ride, I miss sleeping all night and I am begging anyone out there with suggestions to get off this stuff, is there anything I can take before bed to sleep all night and not have to go through this anymore, please there must be something I can do...

[Mrs G]

Hi christinad, Im new here too :)

Sorry you are having a bad time I dont have any advice unfortunately Ive never been on the meds you have the mentioned, have you been to your GP ?

[Snoodlester]

Hi christinad
I too have been on zopiclone since February for major sleep problems. They helped to begin with but I'm still unable to sleep and frequently wake around 4am and can't go back to sleep. I don't want to increase my dose and indeed tried halving it on alternate nights with little affect but my morning anxiety was worse. I've been trying other things to help - originally hot chocolate but now a herbal sleep tea, you tube hypnosis, sleep relaxation and meditation but nothing helps. I think it's because the root cause hasn't been resolved but I don't know how to resolve this :( if anyone's got any tips I would be keen to hear them.

[Rubybell]

I have been on zopiclone now for 9 years. They worked wonderful for a few years. Now 1x7.5 lets me sleep nor more than three hours. I lay there trying to get back to sleep but I eventually get up and take a half a tab and sleep for another 2 or 3 hours. I want off of these in a bad way but cannot get off of them. I'm very addicted to them. I have tried weening myself but that does not work. I have panic attacks when trying to cut back. I'm scared to ask my doctor for help for fear he will quit prescribing them. I chew the tab and even like the taste. Lately I have acquired a skin disorder on my face and nose and am sure it is related to taking zopiclone. It was mentioned (skin disorder relating to zopiclone) on one of these forums but cannot find it again. Anyone else have this side affect and or advise?

[SADnomore]

Hi, I've been on zopiclone for about 6 years now. I had been without any sleep med for at least 12 years (but struggling with a sleep disorder I've had all my life). However, after my mother passed away I would lie awake crying all night, and frankly I was a mess. Went to the doctor and told him upfront that I had a sleep disorder. Did NOT want a benzodiazapene. So he somewhat warily gave me a prescription for zopiclone. In part to honour his trust in me, and in part because I too have tried to wean myself off but the rebound insomnia is just unbearable, I have resolutely stuck to my one prescribed 7.5 tablet each night, even if it means tossing and turning from 4:30 am and dozing fitfully til I get up at 7 or 8. I will tough it out on melatonin or a couple of zzzquils for a few nights, just so I can tell him that, yes, I do occasionally take a few nights off. He (and I) have accepted that I am indeed "dependent" on it for sleep, and it seems that as long as I don't become "tolerant" to it (the second of the prongs to be considered "addicted") i.e. start upping my dosage, then he will continue to prescribe it. He regularly lets me know he isn't happy about this, and wants me to only take it "when needed" and to not take it every night, but ultimately I think he trusts me. But I have to say that I would like to come off of it myself! Meanwhile, tell me how you manage on those nights that you run out of pills because you have taken the extra 1/2 pill those times??? ... If you want to consider it, I have heard that switching first to valium and then withdrawing from that can work. The half-life is much longer, making withdrawal easier and more comfortable. This is, of course, if you don't become addicted to the valium. Good luck with that! I was addicted to benzos for years and hung on by my fingernails at only 1 1/2 times prescribed dosage at the highest, but I still had to go into a detox facility to come off of it. So I won't touch them again. I would rather add on another antidepressant that assists with sleep than go that route. ... On that note, I do have to say that I am much better able to fall back to sleep again in the night now that I am taking Effexor these past 10 weeks! In fact if I don't get to sleep by 10 pm, I will sleep in til 9 am despite the brief wakings! Hopefully when I get to my optimal dose, I can consider some other options instead of zopiclone!
Good luck to us all ... :hugs:
Marie

[SarahH]

I have been on Zopiclone for 14 years (yes 14!!!)
I had a major breakdown in 2000 and was diagnosed PTSD/depression/sleep disorder.
At some stages over the years I have gone up to 2 and half tablets (18.25 mgs) a night.
Thankfully I am now back down to 7.5mgs a night. MY GP knows that without sleep I cannot function. I now am unable to "drop off" to sleep. Trust me I have tried every thing in the book and out of it!
18 months ago I found some research on the net by a Professor from the north of England (forget her name at the moment but will look it up and post it later). By coincidence she was the medical professor for my GP so we agree to try her detox method which substitutes Diazepam for Zopiclone. We tried the method but it did not work. However, I was already in a bad way and this could have hindered my chances (had a short visit to a psych unit a few months later, but that was not related to the zopiclone withdrawal).

When I am stable with Citalopram and come off pregabalin I will try this methods again. You need to have a trusting and good relationship with your GP to suggest this method.

I will look it up now and add another post.

sarah

---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 13:58 ----------

Ok found it..... Google "Professor Ashtons Manual"... this gives you an explanation about Benzo and Z drug withdrawal programmes and you can show your GP. It's a programme which explains how much Diazepam you can take instead of Zopiclone and you gradually taper the Sop and increase the Diazepam then start reducing the Diazepam.

Good luck

sarah

[SADnomore]

Hi, Sarah!
Good luck with it all! Please let us know when you do decide to go ahead and try the diazapam method to get off the zoplicone. xx
Marie