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Zopiclone - Side Effects

Posted , 47 users are following.

NinaBallerina
NinaBallerina

I was prescribed Zopiclone about four years ago as a remedy for chronic insomnia - I have Fibromyalgia and the lack of sleep was absolutely killing me. At first I was just really, really happy to be getting 8 hours of solid sleep and woke up feeling like I could take on the world. However, one morning I woke up as usual and opened my bedside drawer to get my daily vitamins out and I discovered several chocolate wrappings! I couldn't remember eating any chocolate and so I asked Husband if he had put the wrappers in my drawer (even though I was pretty sure this wasn't something he would do). Husband then told me that about an hour after I had said goodnight and left him in the lounge watching telly, I'd come back into the lounge and asked if we had any chocolate. Seems that somewhere between getting into bed and actually falling asleep, a severe chocolate craving had overcome me! Even more odd was the fact that Husband told me this wasn't the first time it had happened and that I had regularly gotten up after going to bed and meandered around the house, eaten chocolates, drunk tea or coffee and had lucid conversations with him. Suffice to say I gave Husband strict instructions to hide the chocolates well and to send me back to bed should I ever get up after having said goodnight.

The second strange thing that occurred after starting with Zopiclone was that I could feel my teeth, and I mean really, FEEL. MY. TEETH. It was perhaps the most odd sensation I've ever had and together with the metallic taste (which I had been told to expect) it made eating, drinking, talking and smiling quite unbearable. I'm not sure why I never linked the feeling the teeth thing with Zopiclone and actually pursued other avenues like gum disease and receding gums in an attempt to 'cure' myself!

The third, and perhaps worst, side effect - also something I never linked to the use of Zopiclone until now, was recurrent urinary tract infections. We had just moved (in my defence) and I honestly thought there was just 'something in the water'! On average I would say I had a UTI every two to three weeks and they would vary in severity from mild irritation quickly remedied with Citrasoda to debilitating infections remedied only with a long course of anti-biotics.

Then about eight months ago now, I decided that I could no longer take Zopiclone, it had stopped working effectively and when my dosage was increased I was left feeling very foggy the next day and the metallic taste in my mouth was magnified and frankly, just unacceptable. If I had half an hour sleep a night for the first four weeks, I was lucky. To be honest I can't even tell you how I made it through but I was determined that I was not going backward and that this lack of sleep would have to kill me before I took another Zopiclone. The good news is that within weeks my teeth returned to normal, the metallic taste was almost non-existent and I hadn't had to see the doctor about a UTI in what seemed a lifetime.

I'm curious whether anyone else has had similar side effects (extra sensitive teeth and recurring urinary tract infections) - or is it just me?!

8 likes, 55 replies

55 Replies

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  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    I am really glad I logged on this morning now, irony is.......couldn't sleep any longer...

    I was prescribed Ziplocone a few months ago, initially the taste (metallic, zinc almost like your mouth is bleeding all the time taste) was off putting, however I wasn't sleeping at all, and took the Doctor's advice/prescription.

    I was going through a major separation, and still recovering from a car crash and at the time of being prescribed and as if I didn't have enough to deal with, was just out of hospital having had a urinary and kidney infection....without the Ziplocone I get the odd ten minutes sleep here and there, with them I get 6 hours roughly, however living alone, I notice more that I whilst I wait for the tablet to take it's toll, eat stuff that I wouldn't normally that late in the evening, I text stuff and can't remember (in the morning) having done so....but the worst side effect (for me) is the teeth thing.........

    My teeth feel like they are covered in metal all day and all night long, they feel like they are pushing in on each other, and I often check to see if they are starting to pretrude...my bottom jaw hurts constantly , as I feel I am jutting them out over my top layer, pushing them back in towards my tongue...It's constant torture all day long...I AM going to wean myself off these tablets as of now, and will post my findings soon....

    If you have just been diagnosed these tablets, please stop and ask the doctor for an alternative.....for the little, dry and almost drugged like sleep you do get is not worth the awful side effects....will keep you posted, as I stop taking the drug from today....wish me luck John

  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    Night 1...I didn't take sleeping tablet last night, went to bed around 10:30, eventually must have dozed off...did see 11:30 on clock before I did though...I woke up before my alarm (as usual) at 4:42...5 hours sleep then...pretty good. Teeth still feel like they want to come out....they also still feel like they are surrounded in tin foil, not nice at all....not groggy, and I feel as if I have slept....so far, so good....again keep you posted...John
  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    Night 2...Went to bed again at 10:30, was at least midnight before I fell asleep, woke at 2:07, persisted though and fell asleep again, woke at 3:38...been awake since then. Will fight through the lack of sleep, just to get off the drug....worst is though, yesterday, all day, my teeth were worse, everything I ate or drank tasted like tin foil, I had to take pain killers when I returned from work, and will take more now to last throughout the day. The pain in my teeth is torture, I need off this drug and I need sleep, proper sleep!!...John
  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    Night 3...Went to bed same time, can't recall lying awake for too long to be honest, took painkillers before going to bed though, and my mouth doesn't feel as bad this morning. Woke up first time at 3:45, then again at 5:01 then alarm woke me at 5:45...first decent sleep for months...even if it was interrupted on a couple of occasions. 3 days and I'm off that horrible drug....feels good
  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    Night 4...Bed normal time, fell asleep straight away...no painkillers prior either...and barring for waking due to the weather a couple of times...slept all the way through...at last! Metallic taste still in/on my teeth, and they are still sore, but not as sore as they have been...hopefully this pattern continues...feel tired this morning, lol
  • john92161
    john92161

    Posted

    Nights 5, 6 & 7...Bed at 10:30 ish most nights, sleep straight away and slept all the way through to the alarm going off (no alarm on Sunday and slept til 5:30) my teeth are still sore, but I now have a bigger pain, I now have anal fissures, and it's utter agony. Anal fissures are small tears in the skin, in and around the anal passage, I noticed the blood at first, bright red droplets on the toilet tissue, and these have progressively got worse. Doing the toilet makes me weep, showering is agony...I literally curled into a ball on the shower floor and cried with the pain. I will phone the doctor today, to arrange an appointment...on the positive side though...that metallic taste is disappearing
    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 john92161

      Posted

      Hi John .  I hope you managed to stay off the Zops after 4 months.  I have been taking them for arounf 15 years now and have never suffered any side effects. The ones you suffered from sound very unusual,  My gp now wants me to come off them and taper them off slowly I am dreading the day when i have to go without completely. Am taking the lower dose of 3,75mg but wake up really early around 5am.  I was doing ok on the highee strength but docs have been instructed i think to wean long term users off them. 

       

    • amber4567
      amber4567 john92161

      Posted

      does anyone else suffer with massive hunger pangs since taking zopiclone?? I've been feeling this way since starting zopiclone and no matter what i eat, im still starving!

  • Lee151
    Lee151

    Posted

    Hi John

    I have just signed on to this web site and read your notes. What worry's me is that I have nearly all the symptoms you had. I have been on Zopiclone for over ten years now. I have a balance problem and think that Zopiclone could be making it worse. I suffer from anal fissures that also make me nearly cry whilst in the loo. don't I just understand what you went through. I am going to try to wean off this pill and I have tried but terrible dreams

    I would be most interested to know how you are doing . kind regards Lee

  • henrybasset
    henrybasset NinaBallerina

    Posted

    I  have suffered from insomnia for many years also mild ( I think) depression took Seroxat for some years about 15 years ago & dread going back on it again.

    Have been taken Zopiclone for about 12 months but only 3.5 mg it seems to work for me, the metallic taste seems better if 10 mg Omeprazole taken with it plus full glass of water.

    worry a bit about long term but am ( a very fit ) 76 yr old 

    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 henrybasset

      Posted

      Hi Henry.  I have been on Zopiclone, 7.5mg for about 15 years now. I am 68 years old and now my gp wants me to come off them gradually.  I think that our age, does it really matter if we take a tablet to help us sleep. I am going to ask her this on my next visit. I am also fit and active. The thing is, they work for me. The 3.75mg works ok for me too now i am getting used to the lower dose.
    • nigel24977
      nigel24977 vivien58797

      Posted

      I am a 63 year old man who has been retired since I was 55. I have struggled with anxiety and insomnia all my life but managed to hold down a successful professional career. I found retirement hard as I had no support for my sense of ‘worth’ and too much time on my hands.

      I have been taking Zopiclone for over 7 years and often with alcohol. I have tried many times to stop this cycle as it has cost me many friends. In March this year I quit both for two months without any major side effects apart from depression during the day and nightmares that seemed to know exactly which insecurities to target. However I hung on in there and managed to lose over 2 stone in weight and I felt  a lot better and proud of myself

      I had a relapse in July and have just started what I see as my ‘recovery’ again. However this time I am finding it much harder mainly because of the nightmares which scare the life out of me. If I manage to get through the night though I can put them behind me and have a reasonable day although fighting the depression is a daily challenge. I am however taking 2 x 7.5 Zopiclone about every other night if the nightmares prove to be too much for me.

      I feel very alone in this struggle as I buy the drugs off the internet and have not shared this struggle with anyone.  I am hoping to share my struggle here and would appreciate any help or advice I could get

    • emma5000
      emma5000 nigel24977

      Posted

      Hi Nigel, you are not alone. I also feel the same way i feel I can't share these thought with family members. I have vivid dreams often nightmares. I've been on zoplicone for 5 years maybe bit longer? My biggest concern is weight gain because of extreme hunger at night. Almost like a drunken binge sometimes, not always though. Memory loss and irritability is also something I struggle with. I also want to be off this drug but I find after 2 days I'm extremely irritable and can't function or concentrate. Often feel grouchy. After taking 1 zoplicone (7.5) I instantly feel happy and all my headaches, irritability and anger are gone.

      I hope one day I can push myself to stay off of it completely. I feel the dreams and extreme hunger is just as bad as my symptoms of being off of zoplicone. And it seems so easy to just take one and feel happy. Does anyone else get the "happy feeling" I feel I'm the only one who talks about this. I suffer in silence I know physically this drug is hurting me.

    • nigel24977
      nigel24977 emma5000

      Posted

      I partly take them because they make me happy, a kind of mild euphoria. All of my anxieties lift for a period and I crave this feeling at times. I also have had nervous tics since I was a teens, a mild form of tourettes. They stopped on and off during my career but now I have time on my hands they have returned and Zopiclone stops them.

      All this comes with a cost. Memory loss and depression.  They can make anxiety worse and cognitive abilities impaired. I am trying so hard to quit but it is so hard and I feel so alone.

      I took two last night as I couldn’t face the nightmares and woke up ‘high’ then have periods of crying until I get up and function.

       Am determined to stop and I am pleased to have found this forum and  know I am not alone

  • iswhiz
    iswhiz NinaBallerina

    Posted

    I'm so relieved to find this thread! I have advanced cancer and use zoplicone for occasional use as you can imagine there are the odd nights the demons are at my door.

    i have a tumour at the base of my skull and have been having these weird pain attacks where the side of my face goes cold and then all the teeth on that side hurt.  I have lots of strong pain meds so control it with those but we thought it was a tumour growing.  

    I was was just starting to notice that I have these attackes the day after taking zoplicone and this thread confirms that it might well be the zoplicone and not the cancer! Really hope so... Going to try and go without it and see.

    Also the fissures is interesting as I have similar and figured it was connected to low platelet count but again maybe it's the zoplicone.

    thanks so much

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