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Dangers of taking Zopiclone

Posted , 11 users are following.

vivien58797
vivien58797

Has anyone heard  rerports about Zopiclone being dangerous to health and that it can eventually kill you.  Sounds like scaremongering i know, but  sure its not.  Also, is there any proof of this.

 

2 likes, 38 replies

38 Replies

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  • jaw444
    jaw444 vivien58797

    Posted

    The link below is from a wikipedia article.   In summary, they are saying epidemiologica studies show association between zopiclone use at prescribed doses and cancer, and a possible explanation for this might be weakening effect of taking zopiclone on the immune system, there has been some evidence of that in studies of people taking the medication.  

    However, not getting adequate sleep can also lower immunity, i think i havre read that before.  i doubt that there are any studies comparing cancer rates for people not on sleeping meds who don't sleep enough and people who do take sleeping meds and to sleep enough.  

    Having said that, i have long been concerned about the effect of taking sleep meds on my health, and hope to get mostly off them some day, in the foreseeable future. i've been taking some kind of prescription med for sleep for about 40 years. i'm probably already toast. but i have had good immunity, so it may not be a lost cause.   Here's the wikipedia link:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zopiclone#Carcinogenicity

    • david72184
      david72184 jaw444

      Posted

      Only a fool would not listen to medical opinions but I have been forced to purchase. I was suddenly from 3 a day reduced to one and was going crazy. I am now gradually self reducing and am on 2 and shall work even more but the doctors do not help people.
    • angela15547
      angela15547 david72184

      Posted

      I do understand what you are saying but please take care what you are buying, you don't know what they contain. I was years asking to reduce my zopiclone and then had to argue about the dose I was given and size of tablets so I could reduce without having to crush tablets and not getting a precise dose. I had a doctor a few years ago who is now not in practise and all he did with 1 of my other drugs was increase it. My aim now is to come down to a smaller dose as I will never be able to cope without it. Stick with it and I hope you continue until you are off zopiclone completely. Please try not to go on to this group of tablets again as you can have problems . I am sorry if I got things wrong I was trying to help not be judgemental. Good luck I do hope you succeed.
  • Quovadis
    Quovadis vivien58797

    Posted

    As a previous user try to avoid this drug, its not good ( or it wasnt for me ) nearly drove me crazy

    regards

    • angela15547
      angela15547 Quovadis

      Posted

      Hi, well said I totally agree leave benzodiazapines alone, take them for a few weeks and you are hooked and need to withdraw gradually.
  • RobertT
    RobertT vivien58797

    Posted

    For rats and mice (which presumably don't have altogether the same stress prolems as humans):

    Carcinogenicity/Tumorigenicity

    The tumor-producing dose was equivalent to 800 times the usual human dose (0.125 mg/kg), and no effect occurred with doses that were 80 times the usual human dose.

    Mutagenicity

    Zopiclone showed no evidence of mutagenicity in a wide battery of tests. Urine extracts from zopiclone-treated mice, rats, and humans were not mutagenic. No evidence of mutagenicity was found in the DNA repair assay in rat hepatocytes (William's test), in the Ames test inSalmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli strains, or in the micronucleus test (mice).

    • jaw444
      jaw444 RobertT

      Posted

      This lab research using rats is hard for me to understand. Was this just for  Zopiclone?  Since a rat is about the size of a human foot, i am not clear about how they could give a rat 800 times the human dose. How long did they do that for?  What was the effect of giving a rat 800 times the human dose of zopiclone?  I think if i took 800 times the usual dose, it could kill me, or surely land me in the hospital in respiratory distress, probably respiratory arrest.   Do you have a link to that study?

      In the wikipedia article linked above, they give one (and only one) citation for the research they summarize.  The citation has a link (hyperlink)  to the report they are citing.  In the report, among other things, it says "...FDA files revealed that all four of the new hypnotics were associated with cancers in rodents.  Three had been shown to be clastogenic...."   i didn't  know what clastogenic means, i looked it up, it means mutagenic.

      The following is product information published by Sanofi, one of the manufactuers of zopiclone

      Carcinogenicity

      Treatment with zopiclone by dietary administration for 2 years increased the incidence of thyroid carcinomas in male rats dosed with 100 mg/kg/day, and increased the incidence of mammary carcinoma in female rats dosed with 100 mg/kg/day, probably due to interference with thyroid hormone and 17β-estradiol metabolism. Studies with mice treated with zopiclone at dietary doses up to 100 mg/kg/day showed no evidence of drug-related carcinogenicity. 

      i will post the link in a separate post to avoid the admin review delay in posting this one.

      There are so many things in the environment that are carcinogenic.  My reaction to this has been to minimize exposure, but there are various things i accept exposure to for practical reasons.  The need for sleep has been one of these.  But i'm retired now and going off sleep meds is more realistic for me than it used to be. 

       

    • jaw444
      jaw444

      Posted

      http://www.sanofi.com.au/products/aus_pi_imovane.pdf
    • RobertT
      RobertT jaw444

      Posted

      100 mg/kg/day is equivalent to 800 times the human dose. 7.5 mg taken by a 60 kg person is 0.125 mg/kg. (800x0.125=100, if I've done my maths right.)

      According to the New Zealand data sheet:

      Careful consideration of the results suggest the findings bear little

      meaningful relationship to potential carcinogenic threat to man.

      According to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC):

      Carcinogenicity

      From studies performed in rats and mice it can be concluded that for patients receiving long-term medication with Zopiclone no carcinogenic potential exists.

      Mutagenicity

      Both in vitro and in vivo studies failed to show mutagenicity produced by Zopiclone.

                                ******************************************

      If you look at the Kripke scientific paper "Hypnotics' association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study" (link below) there's quite an interesting graph. You can see that a higher death rate for those taking hypnotics is most marked for older people.

      Until explained otherwise I would tend to expect that it's carefree, happy people who tend to live longer.

    • RobertT
      RobertT

      Posted

      "... higher death rate for those taking hypnotics is most marked for older people." I may have got that wrong, the paper says: "the ratio of death hazards of hypnotic users compared to non-users was greater in users aged 18–55 years than in older groups."

      Anyway take a look at it yourselves and draw your own conclusions.

    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 RobertT

      Posted

      Hi, Thanks everyone for all the information gathered inresponse to my question about the dangers of taking Zopiclone.  They havnt done me any harm so far after around fifteen years so i am willing to take the risks, if there are any that is. I do know that i would feel quite ill without them. Once  again, Thankyou .
  • angela15547
    angela15547 vivien58797

    Posted

    Hi Vivien, I can only tell you what I found from Rhone the drug company, they recommend that you only stay on zopiclone for a total of 4 weeks and you should not take a large dose. I have read a lot of peoples write ups on zopiclone and am astounded that they have been taking such large doses. The research I have done seems to be the largest dose the doctors are supposed to give in the uk is 15mgs, when reading other peoples doses on these write ups they are on alot higher dose but most of them, not all most say they have adjusted their dose themselves illegally. I was on zopiclone for 30 yrs and when wanting to come off I researched as I said previously I found alot out and questioned about being on it so long, no answers. Over the last few months the relicencing of zopiclone has been done and it has been increased from the register of it previously, it still says use only for 4 weeks. Even after taking 4 weeks you may have withdrawl symptoms and so need to reduce as gradually as possible.If you are given any benzodiazapines you will need to come off them as a reduction. Read the leaflet in the box and look up on the internet, you can get a brief information on Wikipedia then go on to other sites, there is info out there but you have to search. If you are not sure when you have looked it up don't touch it, some herbal is as bad, it can be a mine field. Take care and good luck. Hope this has helped a little.
    • linda83143l
      linda83143l angela15547

      Posted

      Thank you Angela.

      I also tea the write up and alot of people are taking a higher dose ie over 15mg.

      They purchase extra drug via the internet or on the street.

      Oops should be I also read the write up.

      Since the new classification of zopiclone, it is now a restricted drug.

      The problem being is this reclassification going to drive people to get the drug where ever they can.

      Drug pushers will be delighted.

      What drug will they be given? They can put anything in the tablets.... Dangerous.

      Drs prescribed the drug...you becime addicted and then take the pills away.

      Is this a way forward..... don't think so.

    • angela15547
      angela15547 linda83143l

      Posted

      ?Linda, thanks for the back up, you can only keep impressing to people that it is not a drug to abuse or get illegally. It is up to them then, you have done your bit. Most Doctors will advise the correct way to reduce this then the patient has to do it at their own speed.
    • linda83143l
      linda83143l angela15547

      Posted

      Sadly some patients fo not wish to reduce

      Zopiclone.

      These patients really have no choice. They are already addicted.

      The Drs caused the addicted by prescribing this drug.

      Its a severe problem that we will see in the next year.

      Where will the addicted person obtain their drugs.

      Where will they get the money to buy the

      Drugs?

      If taken in a sensible manner this drug will give you sleep but remember everything comes ay a cost.

      You lose yourself to this drug. It becomes your life....my next pill....

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