1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Benzodiazepines and Z Drugs

malcolm

Posted , 6 users are following.

malcolm1952
malcolm1952

Hi after 5 years i have now gone 1 week without taking my zopiclone yipee the worst thing that i have ever done is go on them im knackerd but im getting there YOU can do it im doing it

2 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • sheila65847
    sheila65847 malcolm1952

    Posted

    Hi malcolm, fantastic, great news, we're you on them 5 years in total then stop and restart? What caused your relapse and how long did it last? I was 3 months free of zops but I was admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia and was having difficulty sleeping on the ward. Because they were on my medical notes I was given them and took them. After 6 days in hospital I was discharged but am know experiencing a massive flair of rheumatoid arthritis so have been using again to help me sleep, I'm in a lot of pain plus I have been diagnosed with toxic neuropathy - side effect of one of the RA drugs - extremely rare, I've been terribly unlucky. I'm waiting to go for some nerve conduction studies to find out if the damage is permanent. I'm angry with myself for not being strong enough to cope and falling back into using these things. So I must stop again, it's only been 3 weeks so I hope stopping and withdrawal will be easier. Any advice will be greatly appreciated
  • malcolm1952
    malcolm1952

    Posted

    yeh i have realal bad hips both hurt i came off them i was more worried about not sleeping i just had to come off them cos i was sick of being on them i just bit the bullet even after a week i wake up if i sleep and i still feel like i have had no sleep but it can only get better im so glad im off em Never again lol
    • katz31
      katz31 malcolm1952

      Posted

      That is amazing Malcolm well done!

      I've been on zops since I was 17 (now

      31) I only take a couple a week so i

      Can take it or leave it. But my (then)

      Doctor said it was not addictive but

      How wrong was she! I had them due

      Insomnia from withdrawals of

      Co-proxamol, I USED to get through

      28 in 2 days but weaned myself

      Down to two a week when I can't

      Sleep. I hope you keep up the good

      Work, take Care

      Kate

      X

  • denise30288
    denise30288 malcolm1952

    Posted

    well done , i did it for 5 weeks, once, but ended up on them , again worse than b4, keep it up , i hope i am able to do that soon xx
  • sheila65847
    sheila65847 malcolm1952

    Posted

    Hi malcolm,

    must be 2 weeks now? Fantastic feeling isn't it! I finished the 5 X 3.75mgs I was given In hsptl so back to being free! Still have the odd sleepless night but nothing like it was when I stopped the zopiclown cycle😁

  • malcolm1952
    malcolm1952

    Posted

    yeh last night wasnt too go but rather have that then the tabs still feel very tired during the day tho dont know why

     

  • sheila65847
    sheila65847 malcolm1952

    Posted

    I've had a lot of daytime fatigue too, malcolm. Though that may be due to the pneumonia I had at the beginning of April. I was quite poorly in hospital for 6 days. Funny when I drank like a fish, smoked like a chimney and was addicted to zops, not all together I hasten to add! Booze was my 1st sleeping potion, when I gave it up I started on the zops - I rarely was ill. Now I'm trying clean living 🛀, healthy eating 🍏, at least 30mins exercise a day 🏊 , no caffeine after noon etc, I'm just picking up one illness after another, not fair is it!😭

    Sorry for adding pics, just want to make you smile.

    I think I have neglected my health and am now really experiencing life without stimulants or something to calm me down enough to sleep, I wasn't using drugs as a stimulants (prescribed or street). I'm referring to things like caffeine, processed foods with loads a sugar. Give me a sweet turkish coffee loaded with sugar and I would physically shake. Sorry, I will get back to my thoughts on your comment

  • sheila65847
    sheila65847 malcolm1952

    Posted

    So, my guess our shared symptom of daytime fatigue is just our abused (I speak for myself, no offence intended, my friend ) is a sign we are beginning to get back to normal. Yippee! Have a look online at restoring natural sleep patterns. I've been following some ideas, getting up early, early e.g 4-5am, sensible exposure to sunlight and establishing a bed time ritual. Sleep improving in quality and length and finally today I had so 'go' & my mood lifted.

    We are on the right path, my friend, free of zopiclown👍

  • Glenn2810
    Glenn2810 malcolm1952

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I was wondering if anyone could tell me if this is normal. I have been on Zopiclone for aboyt 4 years now. My dose was 7.5 but for the last month and a bit i've been taking 3.75. I take the zopiclone along with diazapam,phenergan,zopiclone and mirtazapine. I have been on most of those for four years. I have suffered two serious relapses in that time. I've been back on my feet now for about six months so I thought I would get my dose of zopiclone halved. But I feel ill. I feel sick. My sleep is not restful sleep, I have the most vivid nightmares and I just feel awful. It seems like the last six months have meant nothing as I feel so awful and down. I am studying with the Open Universty and prior to my dose being changed I was on track with it. But since my dose has been changed. I have no desire to do anything? Is this normal, I did not realise that just halving the dose would affect me this badly? Please tell me I am not alone in feeling like this

    • sheila65847
      sheila65847 Glenn2810

      Posted

      Hi Glenn

      yes normal, don't worry. When I stopped zopiclown I had the most vivid, colourful, incredible dreams (when I did start to sleep normally). Z's prevent normal sleep, you are just awake one minute and unconscious the next. It does settle a bit. Well done !

    • Glenn2810
      Glenn2810 sheila65847

      Posted

      How long does it last? Because it's been 5 weeks now and I am still having really bad withdrawal and I only halved my dose. So it is not as if I come off them completly!
    • sheila65847
      sheila65847 Glenn2810

      Posted

      Hi Glenn

      hmmnn....I was on both zop and mirt, still on mirt. I was taking approx 2-5 zop a night, considerably more than you. I felt terrible for several weeks, chills, sweats, nausea, no appetite, felt like my brain was shaking inside my skull, extremely depressed. Also, i had deep dark depression, i could not barely move out of a chair, no motivation to do anything. It got steadily better over 8 or 9 weeks. I thought I would never gets through. But I went cold turkey after taking a lot of these for 3 yr approximately. Prior to that, I'd been taking one a night, as prescribed for over 10 years. But in my last few months, I was taking 5 most nights and I knew I was a zop junkie and my craving was getting worse. Perhaps you are very sensitive to the decrease or perhaps there's anothera reson. My advice would beach talk to your GP. They will put your mind at rest. Good for you reducing. They are horribly addictive, as I found out. Good luck. Let me know how you are getting on x

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.