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Coming off zopiclone

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sharon12462
sharon12462

Hi iv been on 7.5mg zopiclone for a few months iv tried to come off & it's not happening.. doc gave me 2weeks of 3.75 ..which lasted me a week.I'm in Turkey now for 2 months I went to see a doc yday said these are very bad tablets will not give me anything at all as I don't have a prescription. My doc made me think it was gona be easy. I'm scared now of losing the plot with no sleep. I'm from England. . Any input welcome thankyou.

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • vivien58797
    vivien58797 sharon12462

    Posted

    I'm surprised you can't get anything in turkey,

    in Spain,myopic can buy zopiclone over the counter.

    that was in Benidorm.

    sorry, don't know what to suggest.

    maybe pay privately.

    dont know the system in turkey.

    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 vivien58797

      Posted

      I wish the doc has made out its like cokecane ..u cant get anything like this. I'm hoping my doc will email some kind of proof .
  • km45
    km45 sharon12462

    Posted

    What about trying melatonin which is naturally occurring in our bodies and helps promote sleep. Take 45min before bed 5mg. Other than that maybe visit a homeopath and see if there is something else they can suggest.

    Failing that, go and see a doctor there and see if you can get a prescription.

    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 km45

      Posted

      The doctor here wnt give me anything at all. Seemed quite discusted with zopiclone I asked for something else Theyv so I could sleep he said no he needs proof from my doc.
    • km45
      km45 sharon12462

      Posted

      Yea you can....it's usually with the vitamin supplements.
  • craig137
    craig137 sharon12462

    Posted

    Hi Sharon

    ​Did you buy travel insurance??  If so I'm fairly sure as long you stated it on your insurance form's you should be able to get presciption using that.  

  • Cass73
    Cass73 sharon12462

    Posted

    The Turkish doc is right.  I was on Zop for years and took my last 1/4 pill Dec 31st.  It has not been easy.  Three specialists have seen me in the last year, and commented on Zop.  An Emerg chief of staff said it is a viscious drug.  They all said, oddly, the same exact words.....we didn't know.  Drug company said it was not addictive.   that doesn't help you right now, however.  Your doc has to be contacted and asked to give you help until you return to the UK.  Then he will have to help you cut back Very Slowly off Zop.  It took me months.  This is what was suggested to me.  Have 7.5 on hand.  Put aside.  Get prescription for 5.0.  Take that for a few weeks till sleeping ok.  Go back to 7.5.  Cut in half now 3.75.  Take that for a few weeks or longer til adjusted mostly, again.  Go back to 5.0 and cut in half.  You are now down to 2.5.  At this point, try to grin and realize why you had to learn fractions...🙄  Now the last bit is harder.  Cut in half to 1.25 Aand stay there again, while your brain realizes it's been duped of its drug and gas hissy fits.  Set a date, and quit.  Meantime, start taking Melatonin, and if necessary, my doc said valerian.  I found my brain came so much more alert.  How did I do an admin job on Zop?  I must admit I am still tired after quitting, but learning how to go back to sleep.   This week, felt a little fuzzy in the mornings, and realized I can cut down on the valerian. I was taking too much as I continue to improve. I can actually let myself return to sleep now.  This is not something your doc can dismiss you so lightly.  This is a Bennie, and serious side effects.  I was told it can cause cancer and dementia.  Sounded farfetched, but what it does is deaden not only your brains ability to sleep normally, but weakens your immune system, making it more susceptible to cancer et al.  Sorry for length, but you sound like you,re rather left hanging, and that's not fair.  Docs might not have known, but now have to help victims of Zop get over it.  

    Zop makes you go to sleep very quickly, and you tend to panic when coming off it, as you lie there.  Your  brain will gradually adjust and you will realize one morning OMG I woke at 5:30, and slept again.  It's now 7:15!  Hope this helps.

    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 Cass73

      Posted

      You can easily break 7.5mg in half, but to get 5.0or 2.5mg is impossible.

      probably easier to just cut down to half 7.5.

       In uk, there are only these two strengths of zops.

      i agree, they put you to sleep ok, but only for around five hours.

      i also cannot get back to sleep after waking early.

      hace tried giving up by reducing and taking melatonin, also antihistamines, but couldn't ride it out.

      now back on the zops. They are a ruddy nuisance, the dependency.

    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 vivien58797

      Posted

      I hate our system so much .. everything sounds so easy. & it's not .. I have a 3yr old son who is a typical hyperactive boy .. I beg my pdr for good meds bcuz of my son & she keeps letting me down. I'm not gona lie I dnt no how much more I can take. I'm invisible
  • tootsie58
    tootsie58 sharon12462

    Posted

    Zopiclone is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent used in the treatment of insomnia.

    Therefore it is not a Bennie of which I guess stands for benzodiazapine.

    Zopiclone needs to be tapered very slowly .

    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 tootsie58

      Posted

      I'd suffered with insomnia in the past.I was pt on mertiapine good 15mg. Sh*t 30mg so pdr gave me zopiclone . I cnt sleep without it nw.
    • Cass73
      Cass73 tootsie58

      Posted

      Better get an upgrade.  Zopiclone has now been reclassified as a benzodiazepine.  Don't know why, but that's in Canada and UK.  Also U.S.  This just very recently.
    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 Cass73

      Posted

      I dnt no what this means .. sorry not bein igronant t x
    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 Cass73

      Posted

      Hi. It's been classified as a C category drug. Because it has been abused by addicts and junkies. Also sold to, and by, aforementioned types.

      so if you are prescribed them now they have to be reviewed every six months or so. Or at least they do at my surgery.

      i think it's been at least two years since this law came in.

      i got a shock two years ago when going to get my repeat script. The doc wanted to see me and tried to reduce dosage and took me of them altogether eventually.  They have been advised to do this with all zop users wherever possible.

      luckily I am still prescribed them, but who knows for how long.

       

    • sharon12462
      sharon12462 vivien58797

      Posted

      Madness why put us on them in the 1st place surely there's others or maybe this is the cheapest. I only get 2weeks worth at a time bt was put on them willy nilly & no warnings either. I said to my dr other day ..why did the pdr put me on these so easily he said all sleeping tablets are just as addictive 😐
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