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I have been taking 40 tablets of 7.5mg a day for six years

Posted , 7 users are following.

EarthaKitt
EarthaKitt

Please help does anyone know if there is a treatment for dependency/addiction to zopiclone?

I take between 20 and 40 7.5mg a day and it has increased slowly over the last six years. They are both prescribed and purchased from the internet.

I do not wish to substitute one addiction for another but cannot face going cold turkey.

I took an overdose last week and took over 120 zopiclone tablets along with a combination of other medication and alcohol and drugs.

I am waiting for the crisis team to contact me.

I need something to help with the withdrawals as I have read that the treatment is weaning and not to stop altogether when my body is used to this amount as it can bring on epilepsy and heart attacks. Ironic as I tried to end my life only last week you would think that I don't care.

I Have been to the doctor and the hospital obviously and they would not prescribe me anything.

HELP!!!!! I'm very scared.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • mikeyboy100uk
    mikeyboy100uk EarthaKitt

    Posted

    u have to do something about that. i am addicted and i only take 1 a day, so 40 pills is madness, not to mention what it must cost you. taper off and slowly reduce your daily dose. zopiclone is not effective after 15mg anyway, no matter how many you take. im going to see my doc about coming down to 3.75mg a day, to ween off them completely. just think of the risks you are taking. zopiclone has been linked to cancer and if your taking that many, you cant be doing yourself any favours.
  • wayne1uk
    wayne1uk EarthaKitt

    Posted

    Hi

    I read your discussion and I was in the same boat as you.

    Zopiclone is so addictive, that doctors do not give a dam nor do they understand

    My advice to you is that, if you cut down, you will not feel any worse, I know that you will think that you can not manage without them, but can assure you, like I was, after a few days, you will still feel the same as taking 3 x 7.5 then taking 40.

    I know it is very hard and you may feel like sh*t for a few days, but please try this, it must be costing you a furtune in buying these, I would not recommend coming off them altogether as what drove you to taking them in the first place will come back and you will worry about everything, cut down as your life is at risk here and feel better for it and then go to see your doctor if they understand to start a stepdown in drugs where they can replace this highly addictive drug with something else like dazepam.

    Remember, don't feel isolated, as there are many many people in the same boat as you, you are not alone, move forward and can promise you, you will feel better for it, you get a sence of achivement that nobody can understand apart from those who take zopiclone when you do this.

    I know that you you feel  horrible at the moment for taking this amount and trying to hide it, please give the above a try and you will see I am not wrong.

    Take care and do try

     

    • Daisy111
      Daisy111 wayne1uk

      Posted

      HI,

      Thanks for your reply to EarthaKitt. I take 4 times 7.5mg at night and repeat 1-3 times a night and a couple of times during the day as life is so awful I want a bit of respite from being awake.

       

      Can you advise  me how to taper off and over how long. I have cut down to 3and 1/2 tabs each time. Itis the daytime use that worries me most. I have severe fibromyalgia and main symptom has alsays been inabilityto sleep however tiredI am. About 10 years ago when on normal dose I had a procedure which required IV sedation. DR said he gave me 6 times normal amount and I showed no sign of sedation so in the end he just carried on with the procedure. He said he would visit meafter but I wouldn't remember itand he would ring in the evening. When he rang I said I remembered every thing he said and repeated it all back to him.He said I had a big sleep problem!

      If you could help meat all from your experience I would be SOOOOO grateful.

      Wishing you the best

      Daisy

  • Daisy111
    Daisy111 EarthaKitt

    Posted

    Hi,

    I feel for you. I am prescribed 3.75 times2 per night (since1999!) I buy the rest online but the pharmacie has just stopped suppling them so now I want towean off slowly to the 15mgs prescribed but not sure how to do it.

    I wish you luck, it is very scary asyou say.

    • EarthaKitt
      EarthaKitt Daisy111

      Posted

      Hi Daisy111,

      I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to see if i have fybromyalgia. I'm guessing you got your pills from ____ the same as me.

      I ended up in a rehab programme and was informed that i had to go cold turkey. A week later i found out i was pregnant and i had been trying to have a baby for 15 years. I was rushed into hospital as the doctor thought it was ectopic. I was so distressed but had to wait untill the next morning for a scan. I discovered that i was pregnant with twins. The most amazing miracle that has ever happened to me. I couldn't believe my luck. I felt like the most special girl in the world. Like all my lottery wins and christmas and birthdays couldn't even touch it. Both my babies had strong heartbeats and was an immense motivation to stay clean. The rehab facility then prescribed me 12mg of valium a day to be reduced 2mg a week as my body was under so much stress from the convulsions and shaking. I couldn't leave the house as my mind had melted. i was terrified of any noise had to have the blinds closed and my phone unplugged and the house phone and doorbell. My agrophobia went through the roof. No pun intended. The man who was my therapist was making inappropriate suggestions to me sexually which was not helpful! Everything freaked me out. I couldn't let anyone in and was even scared to see my mum who is lovely. I was staying clean and then one of the twins heart stopped i can only assume the stress on my body i didn't miscarry so i had to carry my baby which was fine as i wanted them to be together. Sick as that sounds. I was destroyed. Untill one month later i misscarried both of them on my own in my bathroom for days just laying on the floor. Which is when i went crazy i had come off prozac cold turkey too 60mg a day by this time i didn't want to be alive. Everything i ever wanted had been taken away from me. I carried on staying off the zopiclone but replaced it with cocaine and alcohol.Due to the stress i had made my mother very seriously ill with PMR and GCA. Vicious conditions that can take your eyesight overnight. The doctor told me it was my fault to my face. I caved in and went back to the pills after four months of staying off them.I knew i had to look after her and she moved in with me so if i had to take her to hospital and the doctors i could cope again. That period in my life was the worst. I have been in very brutal violent relationships, been raped and two of my ex boyfriends murdered. The list goes on and on and on like that but knowing i had made my beautiful Mum ill and losing my precious precious twins who would have been so cherished and adored was too much to bare far worse than anything i've ever felt I think this is what has bought on what i suspect to be fybromyalgia. So i would be very interested to know about your health. I've babbled on for ages can't recall if i have answered your question. There are other places to get them on the internet but i would urge you to do as you say you intend to do and wean yourself off. If you tell your doctor that you are addicted they will instantly stop prescribing you the 15mg you take a day. I have researched extensively about different programmes for zopiclone addictions and they are all basically reducing the zopiclone and replacing with low doses of valium. You can do this yourself . My experience is don't involve the doctors as you are then treated as a scumbag addict. If you want to know anything else Daisy or anyone who is suffering please feel free to ask.

      I ended up getting arrested and being put in a psychiatric ward.

      This not an easy road to take and i wish everyone all the very best.

      Massive love to everyone in this horrible situation.

      Eartha Kitt.

    • asterix
      asterix EarthaKitt

      Posted

      Hi Eartha Kitt, how are you doing? Are you on any meds at the moment? Y

      Asterix

    • EarthaKitt
      EarthaKitt asterix

      Posted

      I'm ok. Yes i am fine. Yes I am still on the meds. How are you Asterix?
    • asterix
      asterix EarthaKitt

      Posted

      I am glad you are OK EarthaKitt after all that you have been through. Are you still on Zop and at what dose? I am struggling to get off Zop, not a high dose 3.75mg. My highest was 15mg for a few days but it didn't work so I cut it back to 7.5mg. I am still struggling with very severe insomnia every night and today it really got me down because I seem so far from my interim goal of even getting 3 hours sleep. Tonight is the 4th night in a row with zero sleep and I am despairing. I wish healing and good sleep for all of us.
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