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My GP wants me to come off Zopiclone and Im afraid....

Posted , 8 users are following.

debbie23783
debbie23783

I have been on Zopiclone 7.5mg on and off for over 5 years and it has always worked really well for me as i have mild bipolar and severe insomnia. Zopiclone has really helped me to get my life back on track.  I am also currently taking 300mg of quetiapine, which I thought would help me sleep, but I still find I need to take Zopiclone in order to help me get off to sleep. My GP now wants me to come off zopiclone completely and I'm having massive panic attacks just thinking about doing this. Surely there is a safe way of taking zopiclone without getting addicted rather than having to come off them completely

 

1 like, 48 replies

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  • emma92179
    emma92179 debbie23783

    Posted

    Hello Debbie

    I think as regards using diazepam to come off zopiclone it depends on the doctor you see - i asked my psychiatrist about this today and he feels that it can be beneficial for people as long as it's taken for a short period of time just to stop/reduce the Zopiclone withdrawals. Diazepam is also very addictive, so you could potentially be exchanging one problem for another...

    I would present to your doctor with how you feel and explore what your options are. Explain that you do not want to come off the Zopiclone suddenly - this should be done gradually with the support of your doctor

    Emma xx

    • debbie23783
      debbie23783 emma92179

      Posted

      Hi Emma,

      I'm actually still waiting for my medication review  - should be in roughly 4 weeks time and then its tapering  time.  I'm trying to gather as much intelligence as I can on zopiclone withdrawal and the use of benzodiazapines to help me  through it.  I need to be educated on this so that my doc wont just fob me off and throw me to the wind.  I'm even trying to cut down on the zopiclone myself and I'm struggling already and that's with me actually having a supply of sleeping pills so I'm  not feelinig positive.  If you are only taking one zoplclone a night and have done for 5 years and you're not abusing them, why can't the doc just let me have them - I dont see what the problem is??  I

  • southwestie
    southwestie debbie23783

    Posted

    well for medont see the point of coming off zop and getting 2 replacement frugs even more addictive, as I say thats me, I would stay on Zop and I would explain this to my GP, I have as I said come from 7.5 too 3.75 and now most night a half pill so 1.97 , maybe im lucky,  I still have bad nights, last it was 6 am but for the most im fine on the small dose.

     

  • dean725
    dean725 debbie23783

    Posted

    slow withdrawl is need Debbie.....my EX!! GP stopped prescribing me them in an instant,said i'd been on them too long(5 years) and sent me home with nothing...i was climbing the walls,no sleep for two weeks,all the while trying to work as i am self employed..I went back to see him and they started me on amitryptlene,it took 150mg to get me to sleep,only trouble was i could function properly the next day..eventually i changed gp's,the new one ok'd me to have zopiclone but after a while he left the practice and the endless steam of locums ever since made me go to see them every week to be prescribed the zop..until one of them suggested mirtazapine..we gradually tapered the zopiclone and introduced the mirtazapine...its the best thing i ever did..it took the maximum dose of 45mg to get me going but after a year we reduced that to 30mg and thats where i am right now...i feel a lot better,much calmer and more often than not i get a decent nights sleep..Maybe try this route to getting rid of zopiclone?

    i honestly felt like i was stuck with zopiclone for the rest of my days,,i even have 200 of them in a cupboasrd which i bought in india,,i leave them there to prove i can get by without them.

    • amanda60043
      amanda60043 dean725

      Posted

      Well done dean , I was on 100 zops a week have now been off nearly 7 weeks like you had a melt down self employed , was so embarrassed I had got myself taking so many , I am under a drug and alcohol unit was mortified as I am a nurse and couldn't believe how I had got in this mess , im not on 30mg at bedtime of diazepam sleep has started to return , I know there's a way to go , but there is light at the end of the tunnel x
    • dean725
      dean725 amanda60043

      Posted

      try the mirtazapine,i honestly believe if they work for me then they'll work for anybody..i thought i was the only one with bad sleep problems lol.

       

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