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Zopiclone, and the alternatives

Posted , 9 users are following.

zaphod
zaphod

I started this discussion as Egggbert or Zaphod (so many passwords to try and remember).

My personal opinion, Zopiclone is the best and most reliable drug there is for long term insomnia, that being said.

Recently it has been reclssified as a CD4 drug, that means that no UK GP will prscribe more than 7.5mg a day.

After nearly 20 years of taking 15mg a night I was terrified that the 50% reduction would be disaterous. Actually, it wasn`t. I sleep just as well (or poorly) on 7.5mg as I did on 15mg.

Throughout my life, especially since i started working 3 shifts at age 18, I have been taking one sleeping pill or another.

I am now 52, I have yet to find anything as reliable as Zopiclone.

Many people come here and suggest sleep diaries, lavender cushions, chanting Ohm, or whatever. All I can say is, if this works for you then good luck with it.

In the real world, most people with Insomnia need medication of some sort. I am not a fan of using a drugs side effects to treat insomnia, eg, antihistamines, serequel, mirtazapine and so on. Once again if that works for you then fine.

Personally I have found that Zopiclone (even at 7.5mg) is the most reliable and resilient sleeping tablets there is.

Unfortunatelty, like militant vegitarians and the like, some people are against any type of sleeping tablet.

The choice is yours, choose whichever method you like, the only one I can personally endorse is 7.5mg Zopiclone ON.

Paddy

 

0 likes, 53 replies

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  • vivien58797
    vivien58797 zaphod

    Posted

    I quite agree, zaphod.   Been using them myself for around twenty years now, and they are the only thing that works for me.   I get the odd night where I wake in the early hours, but generally 7.5mg works. 
    • kelly_10984
      kelly_10984 vivien58797

      Posted

      Hi Vivian

      How have you manage to get the doctors to keep you on just the one pill a night my doctors are giving me nothing but stress about these sleeping pills making me even more anxious than I was before and I have been taking 1 tablet for 3 nights now it's been ok but I don't get the sleep I had when taking 2 going to be a long road for me

    • Effortly
      Effortly vivien58797

      Posted

      In Canada you can take 5mg's. I take the 5mg's per night plus 30 mg's of mirtazipine and "never" any more than that, works great for me. I thought I was'nt addicted, but when I stopped all at once I started having pre- seizure symptoms ( never do this ) started again and no problems ?Doctors found a clot in my carotid artery which caused a stroke,which caused seizures (not fun ) that's why I had the pre seizure symptoms when I stopped all at once.  What I'm trying to say is, you may be addicted and not even know it ?? If you want to stop, definitely have a qualified person to help you !!! Good lucky to anyone wanting to stop, it's tough
    • zaphod
      zaphod Effortly

      Posted

      Are Canadas version the EZzopiclone- Lunesta, a sort of purified verion of what we get in UK?

       

    • zaphod
      zaphod Effortly

      Posted

      I think Mirtazapine is an exeptional anti-depressant, it  literally saved my life, but I don`t think that it should be used as a asleep aid.

       

    • zaphod
      zaphod vivien58797

      Posted

      Yep, although I may seem to be singing the praises of Zopiclone, They aren`t perfect, and many times I have laid awake from 03:30 until I usually get up at 05:00, but nothings perfect.

       

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      Hi kelly, sounds as though we have the same doctor I have been summonsed to see him  after 10 months of sleep ,much needed,

      How have gone on with "yours"? doctor that is . 

    • kelly_10984
      kelly_10984 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Hi Jacqueline

      I have requested to see a psychiatrist I am going to see someone on Thursday this gets on my nerves with all these doctors I wish I never went on the pills and more so I wish they didn't keep giving them to me so long only to decide now that they don't want me to take them

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      sounds as though you in a game of ""Pass the Parcel!!

      Don't know if this will help, but my mother was on Z small dose for her age 

      age,nineties, but she was very loopy in the mornings, so I started her on

      Kalms one at night, well two to begin with, one an hour before she went to bed,then ,whenshe was tucked up. It.worked  not straight, and they

      are not on prescription.but usually one or the other big chemists have

      them on offer This is one occassion I would NOT recommend H&B

      too pricey.

      Only one more day Kelly,let me know how you get on xx  

    • kelly_10984
      kelly_10984

      Posted

      Hi

      Went to see the shrink he wants to cut me down on zopiclone put me on some other meds no one ever listens

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      Glad you are back Kelly. Was it another type of sleeper or something

      to experiment on you ,  I LISTEN  xxx

    • kelly_10984
      kelly_10984 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Well he reckons it's a aniexty drug and he also said that zopiclone ain't addictive and that its all in my head so I have to cut it down by half at night and also start taking these aniexty drugs which will work just as well I doubt that they are trying to say to me that zops don't give me a good sleep I beg to differ and that I won't get any side affects if I stop them have no idea how I feel at all
    • BS8
      BS8 kelly_10984

      Posted

      It is addictive you'll find it in the Ashton manual also probably Wikipedia under zopiclone and gaba receptors
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      so at least you have been scripted for some zop and did he explain why and when you were to take relaxant drugs, day or night 

      One of the staff at the home where my ma is ,told  me what to say to the G. P cuts off your Zop. but Iv'e only remembered a bit of .When I go again I will write it down, so hang in there I will need the info for my new G P,

       

    • BS8
      BS8 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      If you just type in 'Aston Manual' you'll find it. it's all about benzodiazepines, zopiclone withdrawal symptoms and what all are going through. Any problems and I'll try and help!

    • BS8
      BS8

      Posted

      Sorry misspelling it's 'Ashton Manual'
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 BS8

      Posted

      How come you can say Ashton manual, And i get stopped ???
    • kelly_10984
      kelly_10984 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      He said the aniexty drug will work but I'm not sure it will what did the staff at your mums home say when the GP wants to take you of zop can you let me know
    • BS8
      BS8

      Posted

      To the best of my knowledge the only substitute is to wean over to the equivalent of diazepam. Zopiclone 7.5mg = 5mg diazepam. Get it in liquid form and taper slowly.
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      I got mum off the Zop months before she went into the home.

      My sitation is quite different,  I have been to sign on at a new surgery,

      and as yet am waiting to be """accepted "" I won'tstay with a doctor 

      who decides what to do, without having the curtesy to contact me, even

      a phone call would have been professional, so .I am off

      Be a couple of weeks before anything happens.  

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 kelly_10984

      Posted

      Good .Try the two step  first ,and have a warm milky drink to take to bed

      I have just started using the one that starts with an O   and ends with

      an E  have to be careful , the Moderator doesn't like us to advertise

      stuff cry

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