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New to Zopiclone, I have some questions and could use some advice.

Posted , 6 users are following.

Mintyf
Mintyf

*Please feel free to skip my essay** of a life story if you like, my questions are below.

I'm not a huge fan of pills unless they are usually necessary (although I will point out I do take adderall 20mg -- and yes with a prescription and no abuse). 

I got pretty sick recently and I've been undergoing a lot of stress in my life for the past year. I know things happen, and its life and you just need to jump one hurdle at a time, and I was slowly but surely trying to jump the hurdles. What I wasn't aware of was how depressed I was getting. To be perfectly honest it just felt like a norm, and just a lack of motivation because I was in a rut. But getting so sick I think was pretty much the 'straw that broke the camels back'. I am in pain all the time, and I mean all the time. So it got hard to get any studying done, to enjoy things, to want to go out with friends and specially to get to sleep. I finally went to go see a doctor about it the being sick bit and he had more concerns about my diet and sleeping habits and social life as side effects of my 'rut'. Which I was pretty honest about, but obviously an answer like I keep myself awake for 3 days at a time so by the time I hit the bed I'm so tired that i can ignore the pain and just pass out. Than I sleep for 2 days and feel groggy.. (Yes yes I know, deliriously unhealthy, and sleeping more makes your more sleepy, so the grogginess made sense, but without the 2 day sleep it was similar because of sleep deficit for staying up for 3 days.. So I was just trying to do the best I could for my situation). By the way, 2 days in bed is killer on your back.. ugh! 

Anyways he made me promise no more of these 5 day insane sleep cycles and strongly recommended a sleeping aid. I refused at first, but I couldn't exactly disagree with him about the cons of my situation, and he promised he wouldn't let it get to the addictive point and when the time came he would help me hopefully not require or be dependent on it. But until my life settled down a bit, and my treatment was done so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore, 

I need to deal with the things that actually are under my control to help me. So I'm on the 24 sleep cycle like a normal person again, changed my eating habits, 20 mins of yoga or 20 minute workouts a day. I need to get out of my rut. I need to not feel so alone and sad. And the erratic sleeping patterns had to stop. I didn't exactly mention the part about perhaps a small fear of sleeping due to consistent nightmares about failing at life and than waking up depressed thinking about the dreams of failing at life.. and then just laying in bed trying to sleep again in hopes that this life wasn't happening, and maybe better dreams to wake up to and feeling super unaccomplished because by the 3rd day of being awake, I'm hardly mentally awake or capable of doing anything, and sleeping for like 48 hrs, so obviously nothing gets accomplished then. Thats like missing pretty much half a week because you were in a coma or something and again cycling on the fact that you haven't accomplished anything..  

I really wanted to give a back story for my situation so it can be understood why I'm on it, and what benefits I hope to obtain from it, and also that historically I have been become dependent on some drugs and my tolerance can increase fairly quickly. But I really need to get out of this depressive, rutty, crap state. 

I googled for a while and tired to find these answers on various websites, but with no luck, so who better to ask than people with experience. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

- How long before bed do you generally take the Zolpiclone 

- Do you eat, or not when you take it, before or after, and does it effect the drug usage at all? (Any cramps, abdominal pain, constipation etc?)

- I have the bladder the size of a pea.. so I *try not to drink anything for at least an hr or so before bed, but I also get ridiculously dehydrated when I'm sleeping, so I'm sipping (I was trying to make it sound nice, I actually just chug..) on water during my sleep. Should I probably stop that or suffer the excessive dry mouth? 

- Has Zopiclone had any effects on your dreams? Do you have more dreams, vivid dreams, nightmares, or dreamless? As I mentioned I've been having a lot of nightmares as of late. I was on Chantix last year and one the side effects of more vivid dreams/nightmares. Honest to God they were terrifying, and felt so real. I pretty much spent 3 months scared sh*tless there was a man under my bed.. I really wanted to quit smoking so I trotted onward, while calling friends at night to come check my room for the scary man. I'd just like to know before hand if I should be expecting this again at all. A warning would really be nice.. 

- How long before it kicks in for you

- Do you generally feel well rested afterwards

- I was asked to cut down/try and quit the caffeine. I cut down immensely, but I'm a sucker for it while I'm studying, so when you do think would the best time to have my last cup? (its not excessively strong, just mediumish..)

- How do you deal with that god-awful taste in the mouth? 

- Was it hard to stop? Did you feel like you became dependent at all? 

- Anything else you would recommend for a newbie? 

I've got a 2 week prescription for 7.5 mg pills, that are to be broken in half. So far I've taken it 2 nights a row, the first day I spent 2 hrs brushing my teeth, eating various things to get rid of the taste before I gave up hope and figured I'd just be stuck with it. (I was also watching a movie while binge eating for the taste, I felt a lot more relaxed and the movie also seemed a lot funnier. Kinda felt like a very mild cannibus high.. is that normal?) I didn't dream for either of the nights, and I usually take it about an hr before I plan on sleeping. And so far I pretty much wake up 8 hrs later on the dot, and to be honest its been the best sleep I've had in a year. I didn't even know my sleep was as awful as it was (even prior to my sickness).. and I didn't feel groggy in the least and really quite refreshed. 

Again, I'd really like this to work, and for me not to be on it long term. So I'd like for the time-being that I'm taking it, it be optimal and appropriately, as well as efficiently utilized. So the advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day.. and of course a fabulous night =] 

 

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • emma92179
    emma92179 Mintyf

    Posted

    Hello Mintyf

    Sorry to hear about the troubles you've been having..xx I can only really share my own experiences of Zopiclone, as it will be different for everybody. I started taking Zopiclone in May 2007, after a period of about 5 days where for some reason Ijust couldn't sleep. From this I developed a 7-year addiction to Zopiclone. People may say that it is not addictive, but I only initially had a two-week script and when this ran out I found i just couldn't "cope" without the zopiclone

    I was unable then to sleep at all without it. I am now "clean" as of May 2014. This is just my own personal experience, but it's not really a drug i would recommend to anyone. I know the hell of sleep deprivation, so i know what it's like when you're desperate for that "fix" for a decent night's sleep x I would try to take zopiclone at the lowest dose for the shortest time possible. This would hopefully minimize any potential for addiction. Are there any alternatives you can try?

    Emma

    • Mintyf
      Mintyf emma92179

      Posted

      Its probably not addictive, but I can totally understand how someone could become dependent on it. And I'm so sorry you had to go through that, I can only imagine how hard it must have been to stop, and the rebound insomnia you must've gotten after stopping. I'm really happy to hear that you've gotten clean, gives me hope for myself. I kinda feel like I may be on the same page where when I am asked to stop, I'll have a hard time coping without it. I'm surprised a doctor gave it for the 7 years, as far as my research led me they don't usually recommend taking it longer than the 2 weeks. 

      Yeah I totally agree, I was totally against any 'aid', I just feel like one way or another I would eventually become dependent, specially when it comes to something like sleep. But I was assured that when the time came for me to stop I would get all the help I needed, but at the moment they felt as if it was necessary that I start sleeping again. So hopefully all goes according to plan.. At the moment because of feeling so sick I feel tired a lot anyhow, pretty sure my immune system is shot so if I can sleep without taking it, I don't. 

      I was wondering, did you feel like you started building up a tolerance to it at all? 

      As far as alternatives, this is just what my behavioral therapist and doctor decided on. I feel as if they wanted me on something stronger because I would have to fall asleep through pain, which obviously is difficult and a weak aid would have just made me drowsy as I am now, but I would still be up. 

      If you don't mind me asking, hows your sleep now? All good I hope. 

      Thanks for the response. =]

    • daniel19975
      daniel19975 Mintyf

      Posted

      They are more pyschologically addictive than anything
  • southwestie
    southwestie Mintyf

    Posted

    I dont know what to say, try to get off it, to be honest I read your post, parts of it, why would the DR give you 7.5 when you cn 3.75 ??? and why are you trying to wreck your life with sleep deprivation of your own doing, I think to get sorted you need to seek help beyond pill taking, I hope something works
    • Mintyf
      Mintyf southwestie

      Posted

      I have barley started on it. I just wanted to know peoples experiences concerning it. It wasn't my choice to take it, nor am I happy with fact that I require an aid to do somethng that is a fundamentally built into our systems as a requirement. 

      The 3,75 wasn't available. I don't think you took the time to actually read my post properly. I've been sick for the last few months and experience pain constantly. My treatment is still going to take months, but my health and life has become a ruin because of it. Even if I am tired and want to sleep, I can't. I'll fall asleep for 10 minutes and then wake up in pain again. Waking up nearly 30 times a night didn't make for even a remotely decent rest. The only alternative I could come up with was to exhaust myself to the point where I was able to sleep past the pain and not be waking up. Even after staying up for 3 days I was still waking up every 2 hrs from pain. This isn't of my own doing, I'm not doing it for fun. I don't enjoy staying awake that long or not having felt rested for months on end. 

      Until my treatment is done there is nothing I can do. And all my doctors can do at the moment is help me deal with the whatever side effects my being sick has caused me. 

      I don't think pills are the answer to everything and this is not a road I am happily going down. So to avoid any future complications I would just like to be informed so I can be cautious. 

    • southwestie
      southwestie Mintyf

      Posted

      If you can then dont take them, you will become depentant on them very fast, I wish I had not taken them, I dont have many side effects as I dont have to get up early in the morning, If I had to get up early then I would, yes there is an aftertaste and you can go down the line of the 100s of other side effects , cancer, heart problems etc, with this info in mind I went too the dr and asked for help to get off them, I have gone from 7.5 too 3.75 and now I cut them in half, 4 out of 7 nights im happy with that, I hope I can go down further in time.

      Do they work after a months or so, NO, they dont work well and by then you dependant on them for whatever reason , so dont take them, dont work 24/7, go too bed at night and enjoy your sleep at least get back into it,

  • daniel19975
    daniel19975 Mintyf

    Posted

    As long as you don't take them for more than 7 days in a row, or take them say 2-3 times a week then you'll be ok.. problems start when you use every night for weeks and months and years
  • Twins12345
    Twins12345 Mintyf

    Posted

    Hi

    I have suffered all my teenage years and and adult hood with severe sleep problems. I hated sleeping to begin with and then I became a young mum and needed my sleep but of course I couldnt sleep.

    Eventually therapy but really did not help me and ended up on Zopliclone 3.5 MG for several years.

    They helped a great deal but like you mentioned, gave me vivid and weird dreams to make me wake and I often had a dry metal taste in the morning.

    I dont take them at present and try other methods of having a sleep.

     

  • ben04432
    ben04432 Mintyf

    Posted

    Hi - Ive been taking 7.5mg fir around 10 years. Ive just moved and my new doc wants me off them. Ive read loads about them. My advice would be to only take them if necessary. This might sound like a stupid comment, but if you really need them, then take them, but often i believe people might be able to cope without. if you do continue taking them most certainly take gaps so one night on, one night off. This will mean your body will hopefully take longer to be dependent on them. And therefore easier to ween off them! So many people get different side effects, and some dont get them at all! Like I say I have been taking them for 10 years. Ive seen a few different GPs and all say differnt things. It makes me wonder if this is all about money to them. And also, that more case studies are required! Peronsally, I feel everyone is different so maybe base what you decide on how helpful YOU find the drug, compare to the side effects YOU expereince? Ive joined this forum today, and have just posted about coming off these things! Im not sure myself because whilst everyone writes bad things, if they help you sleep then they are doing their job? I think lack of sleep is a very bad thing. Sleep is so important. but just think ive been taking them 10 years and the effects are wearing off, but i dont want to increase the dose. so eventually no matter what way you look at it, its not a great outcome. Tackle the route of the problem and i reckon that might have the best outcome. Hope this helps. Ben
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