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My experience of zopiclone (down the rabbit hole)

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margaret77
margaret77

Hi my name is Margaret and I am a 35 year old housewife who is prescribed 3x 3.75mg zopiclone a nightand I would like to share with you the signs of an addiction silently creeping up in order someone might recognise where they are and stop the process( unlike I who was given no warning s at all and blundered in foolishly.)

My doctor failed to tel me on first prescribing zopiclone 1. THEY ARE HABIT FORMING PHYSIOLOGICALLY IF TAKEN DAILY FOR JUST A WEEK!!!4

Point 2 , THERE ARE STUDIES SHOWING REPEATED INFECTIONS OF THE BODY WHEN TAKEN LONG TERM DUE TO THE FACT THEY ARE THOUGHT TO DAMAGE IMMUNE RESPONSES. THIS DRUG IS EVEN THOUGHT TO CAUSE CANCERS DUE TO DECREASED IMMUNE FUNCTION IN THE BODY AND IS LINKED WITH EARLY DEATH IN PROLONGED USERS. ( I might add that a good majority Do end up long term users because the withdrawl symptoms are emotionally and physically intensel and because the pain of them is stopped instantly by taking the pills again

ZOPICLONE CAN PRODUCE PROTRACTED WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS THAT CAN LAST ON AND OFF FOR YEARS WITH NO CURE AND THIS SUBSEQUENTLY CAN CAUSE RELAPSE. People can suffer for years with the withdrawal syndrome repeating and relenting over time, neurologicaly everyone has a different brain and body system so it depends how a persons body reacts to recovery. Zopiclone are a direct assault on the central nervous system and the gamma receptors in our brain that regulate chemicals that are vital in helping you stay calm naturally or go to sleep. Sleep deprivation has been used as torture in the past for good reason. The withdrawal effects are not only felt at night but all day long as well which makes me personally stressed and unable to relax, twitchy and utterly depressed , craving the next dose for the relief that is in it.

ZOPICLONE PLAY HAVOC WITH EMOTIONS AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE PEOPLE DEPRESSED AND STRESSED

ZOPICLONE CAN WORSEN THE INSOMNIA THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING WITH.

ECG MONITORING BRAIN ACTIVITY SHOWED PATIENTS ON ZOPICLONE HAD UNUSUAL BRAIN WAVE ACTIVITY INDICATING THE SLEEP PATTERN NEUROLOGICALLY WAS DIFFERENT FROM A NATURAL SLEEP THEREFORE THE PATIENT WAS NOT GETTING QUALITY REST.

This is just the effects bodily, the pain is just beginning for the trusting patient who initially finds the drug effective for insomnia and with the added bonus of feeling wonderfully relaxed and at peace before sleeping (better than any glass of wine one starts to notice).

All of the above are not the only evils this drug brings onto your body, they also have a terrible effect on the MIND.

I speak from experience of being on this drug for more than 5 yrs.

It started innocently and I did not abuse the drug or willfully set out to become a drug addict. I have usually got a strong sense of right and wrong . alcohol has never been a problem for me and I rated myself as fairy responsible in that I would not easily become addicted, how ever, addiction was not mentioned or the horrors above when i was prescribed this on repeat prescription for years! I was just given no info and I trusted my dr as I thought they had an understanding these days that gps do not prescribe addictive drugs since the vaium epidemic of the 50's, seems the lesson was not learned in some cases.

I now struggle with the embarrassment of visiting my gp to ask for this medicine which he does not want to prescribe. I feel I have lost all respect for myself and I no longer feel I am treated with the same respect as I was previously from the doctors. I have been honest and disclosed the fact I am addicted to these pills and this fall is so painfully felt in the completely different way I am treated now. I have become the enemy it almost seems. I have in desperation tried to have my prescription a few days earlier as I have ran out, never more than a few days but the doctors do not sympathise or even talk to me or offer counselling on this , instead I receive a humiliating letter being told off like a child threatened with expulsion. It always seems to look like I am the most deceitful person in the world conning drs , it is awful because I am an honest person with feelings . None of the drs take any responsibility that I did not end up this ill on my own, now it feels like this is totally my fault , even though I followed the instructions given and took no more or less. I find mysef now relegated to the status of junkie which is a killer blow to my self esteem.. Receptionists and pharmacists are wary and suspicious after reading the drug on the prescription, fine before but not after. The social judgement is the worst to take and I only take my pills at home and noone knows except immediate family and the people handling the prescriptions.

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF PRESCRIBED ANY DRUG IT WOULD ALWAYS BE MY ADVICE TO INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE TAKING , ANY PILL OR DRUG FROM THE DR AS I ENDED UP HERE BECAUSE OF SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS GIVEN BY THE DOCTOR RELIGIOUSLY UNTIL i WAS ADDICTED.. I HOPE WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED AND SHARED WILL HELP SOMEONE MAKE A GOOD DECISION. I ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO LEAVE ME A MESSAGE OR CONTACT ME AS I SADLY FEEL LIKE AN EXPERT IN THIS ZOPICLONE ADDICTION NOW SO ID BE HAPPY TO BE THERE FOR ANYONE IN THEIR STRUGGLE TOO. tAKE CARE X

24 likes, 544 replies

544 Replies

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  • jaw444
    jaw444

    Posted

    YES!!!!!!!!!! smileso happy to hear that, and that you could stick it out, because that's what i expect i will need to do, and this shows, it CAN be done, and it's WORTH doing!!! go shiloh
  • gurd3112
    gurd3112

    Posted

    Hi

    Brilliant to know that everyone is doing so well

    It's hard but you will get there

    It's been 9 days now without the pills and I'm slowly

    Getting to sleep longer day by day

    I'm also feeling a lot better within myself and not

    Feeling tired or groggy in the mornings

    Just remember nothing is impossible as long as

    You have will power and belief

    Speak to you soon

    Regards

    Gurdeep

  • colette71120
    colette71120

    Posted

    Amazing Shiloh !👍 thanks for sharing your progress ! You should be able to sleep a little better every nite from now on . You are drug free my girl !! Keep strong ! ❤️
  • jaw444
    jaw444

    Posted

    Gurd--so happy for you and to hear how you are feeling better. good news, 9 days! By now it will be 10. how great to have your health improving day by day. so good to hear.
  • colette71120
    colette71120

    Posted

    Congrats Gurd for being zop free! Thanks for keeping us motivated ! Yes you can do it and so will we !

    So happy for you ! 😍 so true about the will power & believe in yourself ! Very excited for the future !

    Warm regards

    Colette

  • shiloh09
    shiloh09

    Posted

    Over the first 9 nights without zopiclone I had a total of about 6 hrs sleep. Felt a real wreck as also had a bad head cold and sore throat and Christmas visitors. Had I had zopiclone to take I probably would have taken 1/4 of a tab (as I was before) but luckily I had flushed them down the toilet so had no choice and had to tough it out. I managed to function okay because I pushed myself and stayed positive, and did have a bit of a lie down in the afternoons just to rest

    Although I was really tired I didn't have any other withdrawl symptoms and I think this is because I had tapered the dose to withdraw over 3 months.

    The last 2 nights I have had 4 or 5 hours broken sleep, but its a huge improvement on a few days ago

    I'm over the worst of it now and am very proud to announce I'm OFF ZOPICLONE FOREVER!!

    To everyone trying to come off it, make a plan don't make excuses, look after yourself well with good diet and supplements and just be strong and do it. You will feel so much better, - best of luck

  • jaw444
    jaw444

    Posted

    shiloh - thanks so much for sharing your experience. This is how i imagine it's going to be for me, tapering off, poor sleep but not many other symptoms. I am so happy for you and proud of you that you did it because no one knows as well as those of us who face the same challenge how hard it is just to take the first steps, and then to stay with it. You have reached the other side and are rebuilding and this gives me happiness. thanks. Happy new year!!
  • gurd3112
    gurd3112

    Posted

    Hi

    Happy new year to all

    Just a quick update from the last time I posted

    It's been nearly 3 weeks since I went zop free

    And at the beginning it was hard for the first week

    Or so but everyday since then the symptoms have

    Reduced I am sleeping better and do not feel any

    Anxiety or tiredness nor any headaches

    Slowly my sleep is improving

    I wish I had the courageous to do this a lot earlier

    Rather than feeling scared and anxious of how I would of coped

    It can be done and is being done you just need to have the

    Courageous to get through a few sleepiness nights

    And you will be there

    Regards

    Gurd

  • jaw444
    jaw444

    Posted

    Thank you Gurd for the good news, and the voice of experience--i'm so happy for you and encouraged about doing what i will later wish i had done sooner. Happy 2014!!
  • Wendl
    Wendl

    Posted

    So very pleased for you.It is so encouraging to read.Well done.
  • colette71120
    colette71120

    Posted

    Wendi and Jaw , you are so right about saying how encouraging it is to hear that Gurd and Shiloh are now zop free ! High five to you two and now it is our turn! My plan is to start taking 1/2 on Jan 5 for 3 weeks and then go down to 1/4 for 2 weeks . On 3/4 of a pill, I tend to wake up during the night but can usually go back to sleep and I have been feeling quite good! I can remember some of my dreams because when I was taking a full pill or sometimes 1.5 , I could not remember anything. Also my memory , and search for words seems to be getting better. So already there is some improvement !

    Wishing everyone on this site a Very Happy New Years , Peace within ourselves , and Being Zop free!

    2014 is our chance to write a new chapter!

    Warm regards

    Colette

  • shiloh09
    shiloh09

    Posted

    Happy New Year All. Thanks for the kind support Jaw, - are you reducing your dose at the moment to come off Zopiclone? Its not as bad as you think it will be, and I encourage all of you to start tapering dose if you are not already and make a firm plan to get off the awful drug. The dependency is more psychological in the end.

    Last night - night 12 - for me without zopiclone I slept peacefully without waking for 5 1/2 hrs, and was very pleased with this as like Gurd I see the sleep improves a bit each night once you get past the 'sleepless phase' . Good on you Gurd, you and Collette gave me the shove to get on and stop the 1/4 tab.

    Thank you to you all for the encouragement. I'm there for you when you need the support.

  • Wendl
    Wendl

    Posted

    Colette.i am sure that cutting down that way will not be as difficult as we imagined.Lots of luck.
  • antipharmaceutical
    antipharmaceutical

    Posted

    ********PLEASE SEE (a UK resource): http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm Its a wonderful resource that may save your life, or at the least much suffering!!!!!

    Thank God for the 'net; I'm among the many following the pattern; lifetime insomniac, no drug problem or mental health dysfunction (nothing that caused me to not function that is) till Zoplicone (named Imovane here in Australia). GP let me refill scripts for 18months! I was taking 5mg only for nights before work but within a few months was in a brain fog which I now know was/is altered brain chemistry and got up to 10mg everyday. After starting to go to pieces, the first symptom of which was weird light headedness/dizziness that because of the brain fog I didn't clearly associate with the Zoplicone, I harnessed my usual strong self to wean off it. Though carefully reducing the dose and stopping completely I then experienced what I later learned to be 'protracted withdrawal'. For me this included neurological issues like very severe and prolonged eye ball twitching, involuntary neck turning and worst of all severe anxiety that rendered me unable to work. My trusty (said sarcastically) GP then prescribed Valium that allowed me to show up at work though at what I knew to be very reduced capacity. Over about 18 months I had to take more and more Valium to just leave the house. Several months ago the anxiety got much worse (in fact from the Valium!) and I experienced agoraphobia and extreme social anxiety together with ever worsening dizziness even when at home alone (especially in the shower).

    Sorry to give such minute detail but I have found a positive path to take and truly hope that it can help anyone in a similar position. Please open the above link to 'The Ashton Manual' which is basically about Zoplicone, Valium and other 'Benzos' impact on our brain chemistry, weaning off to minimise withdrawal symptoms, benefits of cognitive therapy on withdrawal (I only attended 4 or 5 sessions and that seemed enough) and accepting the withdrawal symptoms.

    While utterly accepting Prof Ashton's model (which includes not using supplements) I may well be a vitamin nut but do feel these supplements helped me and I continue to use them together with the 0.8mg (yes, 80% of 1mg, down from 10mg three months ago) of Valium that I'm down to and should be completely off in 6 weeks.

    Kava (the most useful supplement BUT dangerous unless you get a safely made one like Mediherb or Thompsons here in Australia, and any kava is likely unsafe with any liver disease; though it would be interesting to contrast harm caused by kava versus benzos - I know the kava is infinitely less harmful numbers wise but no one wants liver failure!), Ashwagandha, Valerian, Inositol, and I also take a Blackmores 'Tranquil Night' during the day, 5HTP (also important to get a quality brand), Magnesium at night and at least a 30 minute walk a day. The benefit of the supplements is just an adjunct (how much is placebo I don't know) to the core issue: weaning off benzos slowly. The Ashton Manual says you can take Phenergan (which is a non addictive antihistamine that causes drowsiness) to sleep.

    My quality of life is 85% better and I am optimistic that once the wean is complete I'll head to 100% with a determination to never take a filthy benzo ever again.

    When your head clears you'll reel afresh at the thought of the harm done by benzo prescription, affecting millions.

  • rina05641
    rina05641

    Posted

    That was very interesting as i am still trying to give up the 'zopie' to no avail, i will keep working at it though as it makes me aggressive and anxious i don't like to go outside or be with people in case i turn into 'Miss not good company.' I know this is going to sound like a cop out, but i need to sleep otherwise i will be horrible and unbearable to be around. However i salute those people who can do it i hope to be in your shoes soon something to work towards for the New Year.
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