1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Benzodiazepines and Z Drugs

zopiclone addiction

Posted , 25 users are following.

keith09733
keith09733

Hi, I am glad to have found this group!

I started taking Zopiclone over 3 years ago, initially as I travelled quite a bit and found it difficult to sleep often. Then in Jan 2011 I was in the US for a week, and took a 7.5mg tab every night. I can remember feeling much more calm and relaxed; when I returned I did not take any for a few weeks but then had some more travel lined up. Foolishly instead of going to my GP I found a place on the internet where you coould buy them - and that's how it got started. After a while I found I needed one during the day to 'calm me down', now after 3 years I take about 4-5 7.5mg tabs a day; usually after 6 hours I'm craving another.

I saw my GP about it a while back but he just suggested trying to switch gradually to half strength ones, but the sleeplessness and anxiety meant I couldn't seem to do that.

Today I learned that Zopiclone is to be come scheduled on 10th June and my supplier won't sell it in the UK any more. I guess its the kick I need to give up this horrid drug - I hate the side effects it has - so have booked in to see the GP soon. I am so nervous about withdrawal though.

2 likes, 80 replies

80 Replies

Prev Next
  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    Well I visited the doctor this afternoon. I explained I was taking 7.5mg zopiclone every 6 hours, and wanted to get off it. His response was 'I've never encountered anything like this before' and he would need to talk to a psychiatrist  to work out what to do. So I am booked to see him again friday week. He did talk about crossing over to something else and reducing the dose gradually, so it seems he understands one cannot just stop these things overnight.I have to trust him, so I really hope he can help. Thanks for the support folks, I will report on how it goes.
  • shelagh64447
    shelagh64447 keith09733

    Posted

    Hi Keith. I was addicted to zopiclone for 6 years & also bought them online. At my worst I was taking 7.5 x 20 per day. When I first told my GP for help she used the 'Ashton Manual' to help me taper down off them. See 

    http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s12

    I relapsed twice & to cut a long story short, I paid to go into rehab 'The Priory' in the UK for 6 weeks where I withdrew (comfortably) from zopiclone alongside daily addiction therapy. It was expensive (£17.5k) but happened to have sold my house to live in supported rented accommodation - never thinking or intending to go into rehab!

    Yes - I also heard that the online pharmacy from which I bought the Z drugs

    • keith09733
      keith09733 shelagh64447

      Posted

      Hi Shelagh,

      That must have been hard to come off. I'm on about 7.5 x 4-5 a day. At least now I have no choice, the place where I could order them online (UP) has indicated they cannot sell them in the UK any more, so I only have a few weeks supplies left. You were lucky you could take 6 weeks off to go to rehab - I would almost certainly lose my job, my house and my relationship if I did that, although I'd love to, would willingly pay the money, if to have the pressures of life go away until I could cope with them again. Oh well let's see what the doc says next Friday...

  • shelagh64447
    shelagh64447 keith09733

    Posted

    ....sorry, I clicked the Submit button before I finished my reply, Keith! I wish you the very best in your recovery
  • shelagh64447
    shelagh64447 keith09733

    Posted

    Hi Keith. You would probably  only need 28 days (whic is the normal stay) with the amount you're on. - approx £12k in the Priory hosp where I went (not in London or Manchester...). Other folk in there with me for alcohol, drug & other addictions were signed off work by the in-house doctors. PM me if you want further info.
  • shelagh64447
    shelagh64447 keith09733

    Posted

    PS. Putting myself in The Priory was the best decision I have made in my life!!
  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    An update...

    I saw the doc just over 2 weeks ago asking for help to cross over and get off the zops, well he said he'd have to seek advice and told me to come back a week later. So I saw him last Friday, and he told me I would be contacted by a local group that handles things like benzo addiction. In the meantime he prescribed me another 56 7.5mg zops (that is 2 weeks worth for me), and told me if I hadn't heard from them in a week to come back again. Strangely, he didn't seem to know the name of the organisation or where they were located!!! I think he had just forgotten to contact them.

  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    The latest... still no word from the people my doc said he would refer me to. So I phoned up the surgery yesterday and they checked, and said he was trying to remind them. In the meantime I asked for a repeat prescription and they gave that to me without question - another 56x7.5mg. Don't really want this but at least they are not ignoring me... some small consolation!
    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 keith09733

      Posted

      Crikey, i cant believe they gave you 56 Zops.  Maybe you should tell me the name of your doc. Ha Ha. Just hang in there , take the zops and wait, thats all you can di i guess.
  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    So today I had an appointment with the organisation my GP referred me to. I should add I first saw the GP on 9th June (when he said he needed an expert opinion), then 20th June (when he told me he had referred me to someone who could help) . This organisation (who I shall not name) said he wrote to them on 27th June. Oh dear.

    Anyhow it was a waste of time. They are not medically qualified and seemed surprised that the GP could not prescribe a withdrawal program. They said my doctor was probably the best qualified person to help... They only deal themselves with CBT stuff to help people coming off heroin/alcohol. So it's back to the docs again, I need a repeat prescription as I am on holiday for two weeks shortly...

    Oh well I never thought that this was going to be easy. Will keep folks updated how things go.

  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    A bit of an update. Have been away most of the last month, before I went my GP had referred me to people in the next county who he thought could help - well they couldn't. They were not medically qualified and only offered CBT help.

    Today I went to see the doc armed with the Ashton manual and a crossover program from Zops to Valium. He was polite, but did not want to even look at the info I had gathered. He reiterated he was a GP and not qualified to help with withdrawal from zops and he would have to refer me. Bearing in mind that I first saw him on 9th June time is running on a bit... He wants to refer me to a unit in a nearby city that would take 40 mins getting to and no chance of parking nearby. There is no chance that I will be able to travel there very often - the situation seems hopeless. So may just have to stop taking the things and see what happens... Is there support for people in this situation in the UK? It seems not...

     

    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 keith09733

      Posted

      Hi Keith. What a disappointment, after going to all that trouble and then the gp was not interested.  My old gp was the same, one months supply to taper of and then that was it. When i said i felt anxious, she put me on Mirtazapine. Didnt like those so came of them and bought Zops of the internet. After one month, i changed doctors surgery and saw a very nice trainee doctor who had no problem prescribing Zopiclone. Unfortunately, she has now left, but ihave got so far one repeat prescription, Dont know for how long that will carry on but i am for the moment very grateful. Have tried unsuccessfully to give them up and didnt like it one little bit. So i am going to carry on taking them for as long as i can.  A lot of the internet sites selling them are now running short i think. Who knows where this all will go. Its horrible that Zopiclone have been demonised. I wish you luck with your withdrawal.
    • anita14297
      anita14297 keith09733

      Posted

      Hi Keith sorry to hear you are not having much look with GP.I was addicted to zopiclone over 3,years ago and came off by switching to diazephan ( valium) and then tapering off this slowly.Although i have been off this drug for some time now it still saddens me to think there are people suffering from the aftermath of this drug as i did.The way i did it wsd the only way for me and as i have posted before i couldnt have done it without the the tremendous telephone support of CITA( Councel for involuntary tranquiliser addiction) They helped me every step of the way, telling me how to do it and what to tell my gpI wish you well ,feel free to contact me if you need any more information
    • keith09733
      keith09733 vivien58797

      Posted

      Hi Vivien,

      I think giving up is the only way, I've been lucky (or not?) in that I have not had my supply disrupted so far, just have to get a repeat prescription every 2 weeks... it seems like no-one seems to want to help deal with the problem, they just want to maintain the status quo. One person on this site recommended detox at the Priory, well that's OK if you have several £xxxxxx and a few weeks to spend, but alas no good for most of us.

  • keith09733
    keith09733

    Posted

    Hi Anita,

    I guess I ought to talk to CITA, I haven't so far as I thought my GP would help but he's really useless (although a very nice person - he just doesn't seem to have the confidence or wish to take on something outside a normal GP's domain i.e. prescribing pills for people with flu!)

    Did you get on switching over with your GP or did you get CITA to help? My doc is trying to refer me to a drug&alcohol unit (the first time he tried, the one he referred me to was not in the county I lived in and so didn't want to know, and said anyhow that they were not qualified toi deal with this kind of thing - they only gave CBT therapy). The one he is now trying I suspect will be the same, as I think he does not have a clue and is just trying to fob me off.

    regards

    Keith

     

    • anita14297
      anita14297 keith09733

      Posted

      Hi Keith, i had no trouble with my GP in switching, just told them what i needed to do snd about Cita.Think GP didnt have much option but to support me in my decision and in supplying diazapan as they really should not have kept supplying me with repeat prescriptions of zopiclone for a 5 year period.Cita would have wrote me a letter if needed though.This is something you really need to do Keith, go back to GP insist on him listening and helping you the longer you are on this drug the harder it is and you have been asking for his help since June, tell him been a long time and he should have offered you more help , that is what he is paid for.Good luck
    • keith09733
      keith09733 anita14297

      Posted

      Hi Anita,

      My GP really didn't want to know. I had printed out a crossover method and all relevatnt info and he didn't even want to look at it, just said 'I'm a GP and I'm not qualified to deal with this, I need to refer you to a psychiatrist." Then he gave me a repeat prescription form so if nothing happens I can continue as is indefinitely!!!

      I don't really have a lot of confidence in him helping based on previous interaction. Basically he deals with coughs and colds and not much more. I guess I shoiuld change doc but this is a small village and so not that easy.

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.