Changing zopiclone for something different

or the addiction clinic.

Tess. Are you in the U.K.

will definitely think about the drug addiction clinic. Feel a bit foolish going there at my age though.

do they inform your gp that you are having treatment, I wonder.

have an appointment to see gp soon, but don't know what to do for the best.  Agree with all you say, Carmel.  Feel like a slave myself.

dont want to rock the boat and end up with something useless.

as tess said, they are reluctant to swap one potentially addictive drug for another one.

Yes, they do contact your GP, inorder to assist him or her in learning how to taper people off safely, and also to inform them that they are going to be prescribing for you until you're down to a small dose - this will take many months. They only prescribe the diazepaam, though. Your GP continues to be responsible for any other of your usual meds. My GP was delighted that an expert would be dealing with a problem that he knew he was out of his depth in. The doctor at the addiction clinic willanswer all your questions and those of your GP, too, so it's a good thing to get the GP involved. They need to learn, too. And what they learn is uneqivocal - put the patient on to valium in order to taper off slowly and safely. It is not a question of swapping one addiction for another. Good luck and keep in touch, please. I really hope you'll takw that first step. They don't mind you bringing a friend in the first time, either, and all the staff treat you with respect. Love Tess.

Yes, I live in London. Are you in the UK? Please don't that you age is a barrier to getting treatment. I've actually seen a lot of younger people there and they're very friendly and supportive. Some of them are nearly my age but nobody has said What Is An Old Lady Doing Here? If you see what I mean. The doctor I see is brilliant and so are all the rest of the staff. They really, really just want you to be helped. It's been an eye-opener for me and I'm tapering off on valium easily. The doctor there said, well the first thing to do is to stop the zopiclone and replace it with valium (diazepam) and he didn't thunk it was at all odd that someone of nearly sixty came for help. He was glad.

And so am I. Keep in touch. x

its next week, so will let you know how I get on.

The clinic I went to only dealt with heroin and cocaine addiction, so do ask when you phone up.

i was hoping they could help me too but said to see GP.

but they do need to be educated on withdrawing patients of them safely.

Do you find you can get of to sleep ok on diazepam.

do all drug and alcohol rehab centres use the Ashton method, do you think.  Only not sure about the one I am going to next week.

will soon find out, I guess.

Second point abdout the Ashton Method - I don't know how all the individiual clinics wean people off drugs, but the method used in my clinic is very similar to the Ashton Method. The slight difference is that my doctor at the clinic doesn't push me to take less every time I go (which is once a fortnight) He makes his suggestion, I think about it and together we come up with a plan which suits me. I am tapering off very slowly, because I was taking so much zopiclone, plus zolpidem and diazepam when I first turned to the clinic for help, that the doctor said to start on 30 mg diazepam every night, and we'd decide about when to go down to 28mg per night when I felt ready. He has also been in close conta t with my GP, which is very useful, because if I go to my GP for some other reason they ask how the tapering off is going, and are very encouraging.  Did I tell you I stopped smoking two weeks ago? I'm really proud of that, especially as I have bad asthma and obviously smoking was making it much worse.

I feel now that all the doctors involved in my care now respect me. Prior to that, there was a clear attitude of "You got ourslef into this mess - get yourself out of it"

The reality is a little different. I was first prescribed diazepam at the age of ten because I developed School Phobia. That soon went away, luckily, but can you imagine a ten year old child being prescribed diazepam????

Then, when I was sixteen, my daad died suddenly. At the hospital, my mum and I were both given 5 mg diazepam as a matter of course, and also that evening a friend of the family, who was a GP, popped round with a massive bottle of nitrazepam (mogadon) and told us all to help ourselves!!!

Finally, when I was a student nurse, on my first stint of night duty, another nurse recommended taking diazepam out of the drug trolley to help me to sleep during the day. (Drugs were not counted at each shift change as they are nowadays.)

I had a brief first marriage, to an extremely violent man. I headed for the drug cupboard at work to blot this out, of course. Many years later, the internet arrived and then  there was no stopping me.

Just after last Christmas I sought help AT LAST. It was the best thing I could ever have done. I feel more clear-headed and have a sense of pride in myself. I would never have believed that  this was possible.

You must write and let me know how you got on at your clinic/ Please stay in touch. Lots of love, Tess.

i have been taking every type of sleeping tablet since the sixties. In 1972 I was even prescribed barbiturates to sleep.  Ended up taking an overdose of them and nearly died. 

Nowadays, I have only been taking 7.5mg a night of zops.

the thing is, I can't remember a single day that I haven't taken a sleeping tablet since then.  So the idea of changing is scary,

I am fed up with it though.  As you know, they don't keep you asleep so you end up sleep deprived. 

Will let you know how I get on, but really hope they use the Ashton plan.

i 

If they don't use the Ashton Plan exactly, it will be something very, very similar to it. My doctor at the clinic thinks the Ashton Plan tries to decrease your dose too quickly. The slower, the better, is his mantra.

Please keep in touch. I'm so interested in finding out how the clinic you're going to will help.