Posted , 3 users are following.
Find it very difficult to get to sleep, and then wake up unable to get back to sleep. I have prescribed 3.75mg tablets of Zopiclone but find just a half of one tablet gives me a good 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Can I continue with this continually?
0 likes, 5 replies
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lily65668 anita1418
Posted
Good question, Anita! However, there's one vital piece of information missing from your post. How long have you been taking half a tablet of Zopiclone?
Zopiclone can indeed produce dependency, though some people manage to escape it. If you've only recently started taking it, this could mean that in a few months - or even weeks - you'll need to take more to get the same effect, and it will eventually stop working altogether. However, if you've been on this dose for years without it losing effectiveness, you're probably one of the people who won't develop dependency.
So... the answer to your question depends entirely on how long you've been taking Zopiclone.
anita1418 lily65668
Posted
Thank you for your message Lily. I have only been taking Zopiclone when I feel I need a good nights rest...like every fortnight or so. When I do, I then find for the next two or three nights I have very little sleep, so I am reasonably sure I would be likely to be dependent on it if I were to take it regularly. My query really was regarding the halving of the 3.5mg tablet. My Dr was not even able to tell me if I should just halve it! I asked the pharmacist who said he would find out from the manufacturers, but never came back to me...so I continue!
lily65668 anita1418
Posted
Oh, if you're only taking it on an occasional basis I don't see what the problem is. I was a poor sleeper throughout my working life. I never took sleep medications, but I did rely on antihistamines on the occasions when I particularly needed a good night's sleep, just like you - mainly Phenergan (promethazine). You can just as easily become dependent on antihistamines as on sleeping pills, but I took Phenergan intermittently for 40 years and it still works now on the rare occasions I need it. (My sleep problems mysteriously disappeared when I retired from paid employment!)
I don't know how Zopiclone is formatted, but I suspect it might be in enteric-coated (slow-release) form. That's the only reason I can think of for the hesitation on the part of your doctor and pharmacist about cutting them in half. In theory, enteric-coated pills of any kind shouldn't be cut into. The reason for enteric coating is either to slow down absorption of the medication, or to stop it from being released in the stomach in the case of medications that are gastric irritants. However, if you're only taking a half-dose anyway there wouldn't be any risk of overdosing, and if you've been taking cut-up pills for some time without having stomach problems it's unlikely this will cause a problem now. My Phenergan pills are enteric-coated too, but I've always cut them in half with no ill-effects.
It sounds as if you don't have anything to worry about.
tasha7908 anita1418
Posted
zoplicone-is that ambien? is it brand or generic. i cant afford brand name drugs. i tried generic ambien and it didn't work for me at all.
lily65668 tasha7908
Posted
No Tasha. The generic name for Ambien is zolpidem, and it's different drug. I just looked it up, and I see zopiclone isn't available in the US, though Lunesta, which is a very close copy, is.