Beginning to come off zopiclone.

Zoplicone is addictive, and you will get some withdrawal effects - mostly sleeplessness and irritability - which of course go hand in hand anyway. Best to cut down slowly as with any sleeping meds.

Lots of Luck.

 

I have been taking 7.5 for a year, I went to my DR and she was helpful, said I can go to 3.75 for a month along with a different drug, she said though, the other drug was really not going to help and it could something else to deal with later, so we opted for 3.75 with the option if I felt a bad night might happened I can take a 2nd one, so far it works, in fact I dont have the aftertaste, I feel better in myself and on half the does.

she told me to take 3.75 at bed time, to go to bed later, 1am instead of 11.30/12 and if im not asleep in 30 mins to get up for 30 mins and do something ( ihave a bowl of cornflakes, a drink and use the laptop ) go back to bed with the idea its a new sleep , wow, im out like a light for 7/8 i dont have to get up early these days

A year ago I ws made to come of zops by my gp. I cut down to 3.75mg a night but didn't sleep and felt like a zombie all the time.  She then put me on to mirtazapine because I felt anxious all the time.mthat didn't work either and I had had enough so I bought of the Internet just once. After that I changed surgeries and got another more sympathetic gp who continued to prescribe them. I don't see the problem if you dont abuse them. Therein lies the problem. They have been abused a lot and have got a bad reputation and have now been classed a c drug I think.  Personally, i. Am quite stable just taking one a night and manage ok.  Doctors have been advised to wean patients of them even if they don't want to, which is a shame for elderly people who rely on them and others of course.  If I have to come of them again I know that I wil feel depressed and have to go on medication anyway. You may be ok without them.

I was and still am fine taking them, but for me it didnt seem right, metal taste, forgetinging things and blurry eyes, it cant be good in the long term so for me I wanted to come off and I feel 100% better for the 3.75 and I sleep just as well but with less meds

I'm in a similar place Soutwestie. I think overall I'd of been fine continuing them because I didn't get any adverse side effects - although I don't know that for definite because I don't really remember a time where I wasn't taking something - but I want to just see if I can manage without. My doctor has said a similar thing about perscribing one or two 3.75mg a night so the option would be there if things got particularly terrible.

Vivien58797 I hear what you're coming and I think if you can regulate and be honest with yourself than thats fine. I think thats part of the worry that i have, is that I know I get really unwell when I don't get my foundations right and sleep is a big one for me. I suppose that I'm quite lucky in that I have an amazing GP who supports me either staying on them or not. He was really good yesterday and telling me to not put that pressure on myself and if I can't manage without them then thats fine, nothings lost and I just go back on them. It does make it easier.

So far the fogginess and headache has eased a little bit this afternoon but really glad that I didn't have things in my diary to do today.

Ness88.

You are the one who has to decide, but I can say that once I decded to do this and I was buying them online at a price with prescription, its got to be done this way in the UK, but I knew I wanted to come off, I didnt feel right.

My GP as I said gave me the option of an antidepressant but said you would be on 2 things and we chatted about it, she said to try and see, she was always there, well Honstly, I have no bad effects on this, 3.75 once you take it works as well as 7.5 I didnt think it would, I did take 7.5 a couple of times, WHY, because I have a painful back, in my head I needed 2 pills, but did I.

My intention is to take 3.75 every evening, try and sleep, if not I get up potter about go back to bed ? next week, well, maybe sunday i want to try the odd night without one, hey, if I dont sleep after a couple of hours i will take one, but you have nothing too loose here, your GP will prescribe and monitor you, you take 1 3.75 if you reall need 7.5 take a 2nd one , but I give it upto an hour to work . i also write down what I take and why and how I feel and how I sleep.

how do I feel today, great, because I can sleep with 3.75 and Im not getting the blurred eyes or head.

Now I want to find out why i cant sleep, I seem to wake with a snore as I fall asleep, with the zop i dont, nor do I wake up for a pee 6 times a night

Im not sure where you live, but If I can help let me know, on here, FB of something, I dont what other things you have to take, I was shocked to find that I had taken sudefed for my hayfever on the one night I stopped a zop and found out sudefed keeps you away, so tonight be positive, go to bed, 1 3.75 pill, relax and if you can sleep get make a drink and go back to bed,  hope it works

yes, if it works, I was going to bed and I am late person, so I wake up around 9am or so , so I have to go to bed late, im good around 1am

Hi ness, i do feel for you. I have been taking this med on and off for around 6yrs (hormone related peri-menopause. I have always taken 3.75 and rarely have had to take a double dose. I do not believe it is addictive and you get withdrawal from it. I can take it 5 nights in a row. Then it may not be necessary for me to take it for a couple of weeks. However, i do think that you can rely on it therfore being addicted psychologically. If you tend to be an anxious person, you can worry yourself sick about it so a vicious circle begins. How about asking your doc to refer you for cbt? Dont know what age you are, but you could ask for blood tests to check hormones as well. Finding sympathetic doc is key. Good luck x

I have been on these tabs for around fifteen years now and before that all sorts of other sleeping tabs.  I am nearly seventy years old now so can't see the point of changing and disrupting my life if I don't have to.  Others on this site previously have given these tabs up after being addicted to very large doses and I have to admire their courage and tenacity, but it's not for me. I don't want to feel ill which is what happens if I try to give up. Best wishes to all who achieve their aim.