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trying to break free of zopiclone

Posted , 7 users are following.

mattz37001
mattz37001

Hi all. I am a 37 year old male. I had a health scare 2 months ago that turned out to be a false alarm. But at the height of it I was more anxious than I've ever been, and it broke my sleep pattern completely. And I've been a different person ever since.

I was prescribed 7.5mg of zopiclone and I've been taking it for the past 8 weeks. But I've always tried to minimise consumption so have taken only 20 pills so far. Normally cutting them into quarters and having a random amount of a tablet each night depending on how I'm feeling. And 3 weekends now I've gone off it cold turkey to try to prevent becoming dependant. The last two weekends I got 4 to 5 hours sleep a night without it, but this time, night 1 i'm heading for zero sleep at all. Also where earlier I only needed to take enough to nod off, now I wake up after a couple of hours and absolutely cannot get back to sleep. So I need to take enough to put me out for the night. I don't like where that could end...

I've been very anxious and lost alot of weight since taking this. It's like my stomach is super charged causing a lot of belching and digesting very quickly. This is caused by anxiety (which should have gone away after the medical all clear but it hasn't) and there's a pattern emerging that's really making me want to break free.... Every day I feel quite good through the morning but around 4pm the anxiety kicks in and starts to build through the evening.... I'm not sure if this anxiety is a side effect of the medicine or part of a fear I've developed that night time is approaching and/or that I'll never be able to sleep on my own again without medication. Any ideas?

Has anyone successfully broken off zopiclone and do you think I'll be able to? How long do you think this total sleeplessness will last and do you think there's a point where I should just give in and take a tablet? How long can you safely go without sleep and still function at work?

I also have some lorezapam available which I suppose I could switch to in hope it would eliminate any possible daytime anxiety side effects from the zop. And might be easier to taper off of If I do it quickly?

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • RobertT
    RobertT mattz37001

    Posted

    It sounds to me as if you should be getting some sort of anti-PTSD therapy.

    (I think roughly speaking if you go five nights with less than five hours sleep a night you're risking your health.)

  • carmel91433
    carmel91433 mattz37001

    Posted

    Hi mattz I know what you are going through am there, been without zopiclone for 6 nights now after being on it for 18 years. Past 6 nights have been sleepless but am hanging in there, I can't go back to where I was, so I talk to myself and keep saying over and over I can do this and you know with everybody's support I know I can do it. I feel the anxiety you're feeling in the late afternoon as well but I try to concentrate on the thought that it will get better and my biological clock will fix itself one day. There's too much at risk health wise because I read the article that these pills do take many years off your life, so I figure I'll go without sleep if need be till my body decides it's enough and let's me sleep. I will try listening to relaxing music or read maybe that will help me fall asleep for a while. Hang in there mattz we're all struggling to get out of this pill pit and with everybody's encouragement we can all do it, so good luck and keep us posted ok.
  • james39413
    james39413 mattz37001

    Posted

    same as am on 7,5mg but another 3.5 at 4 in morning had enough now gonna go see about gettig detoxed cost me but health more imoptant put on it due wife tragical dyying 3 months ago
    • mattz37001
      mattz37001 james39413

      Posted

      Good on you James. Much better to cut them off early if you can.

      I'm heading into my 6th night without the tablets. It was easier than I thought to give up, but I had only been on 2 months. First 5 nights I got 0, 7, 2, 7, 7 hours. It was a bit scary at first, but now I look on a sleepless night as almost a positive as I know two things:

      1. I can survive a couple of nights poor sleep and still get through a working day

      2. A poor nights sleep means I will sleep like a baby the next night.

      The side effects have reduced a lot too, and I now realise that there definitely were side effects. Mainly anxiety and paranoia.

      Good luck, and remember it can be done!

  • Effortly
    Effortly mattz37001

    Posted

    Hi Mattz, I've never had any problem with zopiclone. I'll take 5mg in the morning for stress and 5mg at bed time, sleep like a baby. Been on it for 3 months. As for weight, I'm putting it on,I can use it anyways! I guess people have different reactions to zopiclone maybe your dose was too high? I'm lucky it's doing what it's supposed to do without side effects. Good luck kicking the zopiclone!!!
    • mattz37001
      mattz37001 Effortly

      Posted

      Yeah not sure effortly. I am naturally a bit of a worrier, and I started taking them to sleep due to a short term anxiety event, but so long as I was on the tablets I couldn't shake it off. I had belching, chest pains, headaches, hot flashes, tingling extremes and others that all have not started to subside until this week when I stopped the tablets.

      I was taking 3.75 to 7.5mg per night so I don't think it was too high, but maybe it just wasn't the tablet for me

  • jon48277
    jon48277 mattz37001

    Posted

    Hi

    I went on zopiclone for 7 days, then 3 days at half tablet, The 1/4 now on 1/8 of a 3.75 which is essentially nothing but psycological to make my brain think im still on it..

    But I do take a herbal tablet - 3 x nutrasleep or Nytol ...these ease you into a natural sleep containing hops valerium flowers...and help you to think you are being helped. It is safe to take herbal based tabs with Zopiclone - you should start taking

    Jon

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