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Quitting the zopiclone habit - one month in

Posted , 6 users are following.

robin23223
robin23223

I cut my dose from 7.5g to 3.75 per night starting on new years eve 2014 the first couple of weeks were the worst having been on these constantly for for about 8 years it was never going to be easy, had plenty of bad dreams / nightmares my brain felt like it would never switch off, felt pretty lousy during the day too, then after two weeks of this it got better now at one month i can honestly say i feel a marked improvment in my mental state generaly which i wasn't expecting so soon. So obviously i am anxiouse to cut down further which is my plan but am afraid of relapsing if I go to quick too soon so gonna hang on where i am for another two weeks before reducing to half a 3.75 tablet. So to others on this forum looking to quit zopiclone i just want to say you can do it but dont stop outright cut back your dose say buy half and try to stick with it. The feelgood factor from not only cutting back on a drug that has a bigger effect on us than we realise but also feeling some kind of achievment for managing to do it is the icing on the cake......good luck and keep us informed robin

5 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • julie85854
    julie85854 robin23223

    Posted

    Fantastic Robin!!!!

    2015..... Year of Elevation šŸ€

    • robin23223
      robin23223 julie85854

      Posted

      Thankyou julie, Don't think i could have made a sudden stop with this drug, and dont think it is a good idea to for fear of backsliding but i am determined to get there..............robin
  • James00776
    James00776 robin23223

    Posted

    Good luck with it, I'm just about to start a similiar process.Ā 
    • robin23223
      robin23223 James00776

      Posted

      Thanks James don't know how long you been on them but I strongly recomend reducing say by half and xtick with that till you level out before further reducing......good luck and let everybody know how you get on....best regards robin
  • keith09733
    keith09733 robin23223

    Posted

    Your best bet is to get your doctor to switch you to diazpam and then follow theĀ  AShton Program,.

    Belive me it works, I no longer take zopiclone ( at worst I was on 6 a day) and am on a slow withdrawal fromĀ  diazepam, Zopiclone is horrid and *vey addictive*, IMHO it should be completetly banned,

    Ā 

    • robin23223
      robin23223 keith09733

      Posted

      Hi keith, thanks for your input, I was on diazepam a couple of years ago alongside zopiclone and stopped taking it so don't want to go back there again. The method I am using is working ok for me, I did not want help fom my GP I have a history with illicit drugs and managed to quit them all by myself, I don't drink or smoke now either and these horrible zopiclone tablets as you rightly describe them are the last hurdle for me to cross, a difficult hurdle too I might add that is why I chose to do it the way I am, I was very much afraid to fail knowing how much of a physcological stumbling block that can be. I admire those people on this forum who have managed to quit outright and carry on , I don,t know what the ashton program is but I'm sure its good for some. Well done to you sir for quitting..........:-)
  • James00776
    James00776 robin23223

    Posted

    Thanks Robin re below below/above & I will definitely be in touch v v soon. The Ashton programme in my mind is the only way
    • robin23223
      robin23223 James00776

      Posted

      Hi james, good luck with your program I will be keen to hear of your progress
  • jayneycakes
    jayneycakes robin23223

    Posted

    Hi Robin I have been taking Zopiclone for 2weeks now...i used to take Diazepam 10mg and 3 Amitriptyline at night only,i weaned myself of Diazepam and was at first given Phenigan which dident touch me at all,what i am finding is that i have a feeling of being "unwell" miserable horrid taste in my mouth which lasts all day and not having much energy...can you tell me if i stop taking them or wean myself off of them,i am taken 3.75mg 2 tablets at night and yes they do make me sleep but am i jumping out of the frying pan and in to the oven by taking these which i have just read are addictive...i am seeing a doctor on Monday 23rd and would like to know what my alternatives are. Thanks Jayne
    • robin23223
      robin23223 jayneycakes

      Posted

      Hi jayne, my advise would be to take just one tablet per night till you level off and then half again till you can stop altogether. The bad taste your getting is quite common with zopiclone and I used to getit fom Amitrptyline as well when I was on them. You are quite right when you say jumping from the frying pan into th oven in my experiance with drugs in general I have come to realise that unless we Really Need them we are better off without them as they don't cure the underlying cause of why we need them in the first place and then becoming addicted to them only adds to our problems .But hey we are only human.......good luck to you I hope you get the help you need from your GP. Keep us informed of your progress and you can always private message me if you want.
  • sheila65847
    sheila65847 robin23223

    Posted

    Hi Robin, I think you have given good advice about reducing intake of these nasty pills to minimise withdrawal symptoms. Personally speaking, I lack the willpower, I know (because I've tried and failed) that I ccouldn't do that. I had to get them out of the house. So, this is day 5 of freedom. How does it feel? Not good at present, I went without sleep for 40 hours during the 1st 2 days. Days 3 & 4 I could not fall asleep until after 4am and only managed 4 hours sleep both nights. That's why this fforum is so helpful, to know I am not alone! I feel very down, miserable even. Also, I'maching all over (feels like flu). As I said in an earlier post I have an autoimmune disease so I don't know if the aches are withdrawal symptoms or whether the zopiclone aabuse was masking the pain of the condition. I'm determined not to restart. My abuse of these pills was escalating so fast it frightened me. The memory loss was horrible. I hope to be feeling better soon and to get the feeling of achievement you mention. I'm feeling too low at present
    • ex-zombi
      ex-zombi sheila65847

      Posted

      Sheila, i so hope you will carry on and succeed. I went cold turkey after 7 years of escalating misuse of zopiclone. I too went for several nights without sleep, tossing n turning, jumping up n down, not knowing how to reach another day, shaking with tension, ,,

      It's been just over a month now without them, and to my utter amazement im free of them now. I don' t even think about taking the pills any more. I may not aways sleep well every night, but I feel that even a few hours of natural sleep is so much sweeter than hours of drug induced ones. I used to be very tensed during the day time, wound up, full of anxiety, confused, unable to concentrate on tasks, dizzy as if had hypertension, memory breakages, sleepy but unable to take a daytime nap as my muscles were screaming with tension.

      Now I'm so much more relaxed, I take power naps after lunch at times, and sleep at times like a baby at night, but not yet every night. Have started vigorous exercise each morning, which helps and I feel is vital to shake off the zopiclone poison in the body. Started drinking herbal teas like lemongrass as don't need the strong coffees I drank too try to keep alert during the day.

      I'm only telling this, to try to encourage others too to go through it. If/when you are awake at night, tell yourself not to worry, tell yourself you are on the right path now, tell yourself that even one hour of natural sleep is worth more than hours of zopiclone zombiness. Drink lemon water and herbals to help to clean the body of the poison, breath, tell yourself that all is well, all shall be well, you can do it, you can regain yourself. To my utter amazement I did come through. I'm so grateful I discovered this site, and that I could not obtain the pills with ease when moved to another country. Now I keep no sleeping pills or sedatives etc in the house as I do not want my mind even think for a minute to rely on them again. There is such sweet freedom in this. Best wishes to everyone struggling with these issues. Please do not think I'm boasting about my progress, , no, I'm just deeply deeply greatful and amazed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

    • robin23223
      robin23223 sheila65847

      Posted

      Hi sheila, you say you arnt strong enough to reduce your zop. Intake but you have managed to cut it off altogether, well done, I could not do that. I guess we have to find a way which suits us personaly. But you certainly are not week........of course it will take some time for you to adjust and as unpleasant as it is just keep thinking about the reward at the end.....it will be yours. I am seven weeks into my controlled withdrawel and even though I am taking about 2mg per night I feel considerably better than before I started and look forward to stopping altogether soon....so well done to you, its so important to recognise your achievment so far and to pat yourself on the back, stay focused and keep us informed of your progress, it is so helpfull to others on here wanting to stop but looking for the strength to try.......
    • keith09733
      keith09733 ex-zombi

      Posted

      Well done ex-zombi, I'm sure it must have been hard to just stop. You didn't say how many you were taking but I could not reduce from 4-6 a day, and onyl when I got on the Ashton Plan did things start to work. after a week I felt much more 'alive' and the horrid taste in your mouth went, as was waking up every 4 hours, and a few bowel related symptoms that I won't mention...

      Now I am on Diazepam its a grwat help having to take them twice a day - morning and evening - and am starting the reduction plan for them. It seems to take a long while reducing a couple of mg every 3 weeks but my doctor is suportive which is a change from 6 months ago.

      Keep up the good work and remember we don't, and didn't ever, need sleeping pills!!!

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