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I've finally done it

Posted , 14 users are following.

mary_70540
mary_70540

After being on zopiclone for five years I found it was starting to keep me awake and if I didn't take them I felt so I'll,so either way I was so tired it was starting to take a toll on my mental health ,anxiety,panic attacks it was awful .I knew things couldn't get much worse so I just stopped ,I didn't hardly sleep for two weeks and when I did the nightmares were something else ,I had the sweats and vomited and felt like hell .then after two weeks things got better within three weeks I was sleeping like a baby having normal dreams for the first time in years I looked forward to bedtime.I'm a happier nicer person and I feel great .I was very lucky because during this time I didn't work as I'm home with a broken leg I'm not sure I could have done this and go to work.so I just wanted people to no this can be done its hard but do able good luck to everyone I'm happy to chat to anyone who could do with some support x

7 likes, 79 replies

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  • susannah2b
    susannah2b mary_70540

    Posted

    wonderful Mary, what strength of will you have!  And good luck with the broken leg..  I've tried to totally give up but at about 2 am just can't be bothered, and take another couple of 7.5 mg Zopiclone.  Know I'll have to give up soon, since I can no longer buy them.  But this week I have no commitments, and am cutting down by 3.5 gm every couple of days...  I know I can do it, if I try hard enough.  Thanks for sharing the good hope of your experience,

    all good wishes,

    sue

    • mary_70540
      mary_70540 susannah2b

      Posted

      That's the best time to cut down .when u can lock yourself away.you can so do this .let's face it being on them is just as bad in the end as coming off them .fingers crossed .I will cheer you on as you do it x
  • Bal93611
    Bal93611 mary_70540

    Posted

    Well done Mary, stopping your addiction is a huge acheivment.

    Although you didn't mention what dose you were taking, from personal experience I had a very bad time trying to stop suddenly without reducing my dosage.  

    I stopped suddenly last year and lasted 3-4days (wide awake) before I started to have palpitations and halucinations and gave in, I took one tab.  My wife tried to stop me from doing this, which made me feel worse for giving in.  The one tab only gave me about 2.5hrs restful sleep (after been awake for 3-4days!) but I felt a million dollars when I awoke... but then I felt nothing but guilt for not trying harder.

    The doctor told me stopping a high dosage/or long term addiction and trying to "sit out" the side effects could be very dangerous... and there were a number of things which could of happened to me if I had forced myself to abstain... and dose reduction was the only safe way to stop.

     

    • mary_70540
      mary_70540 Bal93611

      Posted

      Hi I was taking 2x7.5 every night I no if I hadn't stopped when I did I was ready to double the dose I was desperate I also took the odd one during day to calm me down.the great thing is my anxiety is more or less gone its a lovely feeling.
  • robin23223
    robin23223 mary_70540

    Posted

    Well done Mary. i am coming of them myself but could not face the clean break, been on them for about 8 years and felt the same way about them as you and so many otheres on this forum have said regarding not helping us sleep and if anything keeping us awake, plus of course all the nasty side-effects which creep up on us in a way which we don't realise is down to the drug itself. Posts like yours are a real benefit and inspiration to the readers on this forum.......thanks regards Robin
  • mary_70540
    mary_70540

    Posted

    Thank you robin ,I just wanted to let people no it can be done .its not easy but so worth it's

    • sandrao02050
      sandrao02050 mary_70540

      Posted

      Well done Mary. Yes it is possible to come off them I have stopped taking them only on day 4 but proud of myself and defo not going back on them ever not putting myself through this for nothing feeling a little better each day started off with no sleep at all then last night actually for 5 hours woke up no panic, no horrible dreams, not been easy had the terrible shakes first 2 days without but seems to be calming dwn a little bit now Have put my faith in God he is now in charge hope others are encouraged to quit you can do it
  • Mamaku
    Mamaku mary_70540

    Posted

    Hi Mary .. thankyou for the success story .. its helpful to know it can be done .. am struggling with a 8 year addiction . recently have not been myself as the dose needed is getting more and more  which actually makes it worse .

    been lying to the doc about why I needed my repeat early ..all that stuff. I have a 3 year old and teenagers and a busy work life . Im starting to get bad mood swings and just not feeling well in general . even tricked me into taking heart medication for rapid heart beat which i suspect is another side effect .. anyway just wanted to say thank you for your story .. it really helps to know it can be doen ... might put in for some holidays and take the neaxt stop off the immovane train . We have a saying in New Zealand....   Kea kaha  ... ( stay strong )

    Cheers

    • mary_70540
      mary_70540 Mamaku

      Posted

      That would help you if u could get away and do this

      You sound like your ready to do this ,so go for it .I wish I could help more having come through the other side ii just want you to no yes its bad going through it but it won't be for long ,each day gets easier but its a brilliant feeling .please let me no how it all goes .look forward to a new beginning

  • ex-zombi
    ex-zombi mary_70540

    Posted

    Hello Mary. Well done!

    I too went cold turkey 3 weeks after 7 years of continual use of heavy self admistered use of Zcn. First 3 nights I managed to sleep only a few minutes at the time, but felt like not at all. But at the end of the 1st week, to my amazement, I started sleeping pretty well, now some nights very well, started having pleasant dreams, my anxiety levels during the day have greatly eased, have started to remember people's names I had forgotten, my driving has become confident again, dizziness improved, I don't now feel foggy, and I can now take a power nap during the day as my mind and body is no-longer wound up like a springmachine. In other words, feel like I have found myself again. I don't keep any sleeping pills, Zopicone, in the house as I do not want to fall for them again. I stopped kind of by "chance": moved to another country and could not so easily obtain the tablets, so decided to go without.

    Best wishes to everyone, take care. ♡

    • mary_70540
      mary_70540 ex-zombi

      Posted

      That's so cool to hear out of everything the nightmares and anxiety were the worst but what a brilliant feeling coming out the other side.like you I don't have any sleepers in the house I would hope I'd never take them again .I've realised about myself I'm the sort of person that never does anything in moderation I always go over the top so this is something I need to work on.I'm so happy for you ,now you start living again ..enjoy x
  • James00776
    James00776 mary_70540

    Posted

    That's brilliant news. What I took most from this is you just have to hold on & stay strong. 
    • mary_70540
      mary_70540 James00776

      Posted

      James that's exactly what I wanted to say ,just couldn't find the right way to say it in case I sounded like a no all ..thank you

    • James00776
      James00776 mary_70540

      Posted

      Hi Mary, thanks so much for the feedback. I live over in the SW of the UK & would dearly love to know any remedies you might have tried to conquer this, I'm taking a passion flower supplement now to try & help with the anxiety caused, thankfully it's only recently, zopiclone has been taken & prescribed, however before I was parked on a script between 2006-2008 & it's here I see the connection about reawakening the body's need for these things. Ive just also bought a S.A.D light as I'm a freelancer & spend most of my days (for this read every day, inc weekends, glued to my little box-room study in my Mum's house, working away but getting no proper sunlight), I thought this, exercise, bananas for serotonin uptake would all help a little, if you have any wider suggestions I'd love to receive them. It's probably way too soon & it's not a prob to stay on here, just v occasionally it would be so helpful to chat on Facebook - this would not be for lots of messages, merely to sound you out from very occasional time-to-time to see what you thought of any wider solutions that might help. Very best wishes, James

      Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the email details as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

      http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

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