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Zopiclone (Trying to get off)

Posted , 8 users are following.

david38942
david38942

I've got anxiety for about 10 mons and also mostly due to how I was broght up and finally these all came out after a happy family meeting.  However, during that time, my GP gave me Zopiclone and been on for 2 months and he told me it's ok to take 2 tablets if I needed.  Now I have been on 2 7.5mg daily and told him it does not work as well anywmore.  So he prescribled me Diazepem to add to Zopiclone.  It made it worst and I have stopped it after 3 days on both drugs and still on Zop.  My anxiety is gone now and trying to slowly get off Zop.  I will also be gettting a new family doctor.  Any suggestion how to get off slowly?  Any help will be appreciated.  Thank you.

3 likes, 17 replies

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  • Rob6979
    Rob6979 david38942

    Posted

    Hi David, you can ask your new doctor about Trazadone. Start by substituting, 25mg of Trazadone for one of your zopiclone tablets do this for a  two weeks  then go  down to 3.75 zopiclone and up the trazadone to 37.5 mg for two weeks then eliminate the zopiclone... up to 50mg of trazadone. if this works you can slowly eliminate the trazadone by 25% every two weeks. This may or may not work for you but it may be worth investigating with your doctor.

    good luck!

  • mark96052
    mark96052 david38942

    Posted

    Comes down to pure will power and dicipline. You can easliy taper off, as 2 mths is not a huge amount of time to be on Zopiclone. Its harder to come off Diazepam or temazepam apparantly. Zopiclone is normally prescribed for patients with sleeping difficulties not anxiety. Antidepressants are normally prescibed for anxiety. Do you have sleeping problems as a consequence of your anxiety?
    • david38942
      david38942 mark96052

      Posted

      Mark, yes I did but those anxiety are gone now and just need to deal with the sleeping problems.  Last nite I even took 2 7.5mg Zop but still on and off on top that I have caught a cold.  I am dealing with my cold now so I will try to start tapering off to 1.5 x 7.5mg slowly and see if this works.  I just dont want to get on another pill.
    • david38942
      david38942 mark96052

      Posted

      Mark, yes I did but those anxiety are gone now and just need to deal with the sleeping problems.  Last nite I even took 2 7.5mg Zop but still on and off on top that I have caught a cold.  I am dealing with my cold now so I will try to start tapering off to 1.5 x 7.5mg slowly and see if this works.  I just dont want to get on another pill.
    • mark96052
      mark96052 david38942

      Posted

      Ok my advice is not to panic. I am currently on 15mg of Zopiclone per night and have been for 4 years. I dont get any side effects really. I tend to taper down once a month to 7,5mg per night. Also Zopiclone is actually more effective at a lower dose any way and any more than 15mg (e.g 23mg) can have the opposite effect.
    • david38942
      david38942 mark96052

      Posted

      Mark, Im only 48 and sure doesn't want to die on this thing after hearing so many stories about this drug.  Of course, my current family doctor is not helping as I have told him that I felt my heart pounding from time to time but been running 5k 4 times a week and even the cardiiologist said I am not required to get on the treadmill. 

       

    • vivien58797
      vivien58797 david38942

      Posted

      .Hi David.   What makes you think you will die while taking this drug. I have been on 7.5mg for around 15 years now. Like mark, i dont have any side effects. Obviously, there are dangers with any type od drug but i think if they work for you then they are worth taking.  Maybe cut down on the running a little.
    • david38942
      david38942 vivien58797

      Posted

      Hi Vivien, my current only spent 3 mins and 5 mins most to meet with me and spent more time writting prescriptions than asking me what is happening.  So he sent me to cardiologist and they did not even let me to get on to the treadmil after they saw my report.   Cardio said I have a good heart and if I do running 5k a day, bad heart would have killed me already.  Let see what my new family doctor says today.  First visit.
  • pete10100
    pete10100 david38942

    Posted

    Your doctor will certainly help you with gradually tapering the dose.  If you take 2 of the 7.5mg at the moment, they may suggest taking 1 a night for a while, and then they can prescribe you the 'half strength' one to take for a while which is 3.75mg. If you need to taper further still, you can split them in half, but there comes a time where stopping completely is the only way forward. Seriously, talk to your doc about it, they should be happy to help. 
  • david38942
    david38942

    Posted

    Finally met a new family doctor and he is giving instruction slowly cut down the dosage and hope this will work and I have only been on it for 2 1/2 months.  Now, I have got another problem, I am taking Clarithromycin and will this interact with my Zopliclone at all?  Becuase my blood pressure is dropping back to normal but my heart rate is rising from norm of 58 to 73 bpm.  Any help?
    • pete10100
      pete10100 david38942

      Posted

      A quick search online shows that there is a possibility of an interaction between zopiclone and clarithromycin, but how or why it would increase your heart rate I don't know. From what I can see, the interaction would usuall result in an increased concentration of the zopiclone staying in your system, so not sure why that could affect hear rate. You know what you should do and you know what I am going to say...speak to your doctor! They will probably even be able to discuss this with you on the phone to see if you need to have another appointment.  I am guessing the clarithromycin is only a short term course of antibiotics anyway? Either way, speak to the doc!
    • david38942
      david38942 pete10100

      Posted

      Thanks Pete.  Got off the antibiotics and heart rate back to my normal range around 58-62 bpm.  Still on Zopiclone but will start to tapering off tonite and see what happen tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck.
  • angela15547
    angela15547 david38942

    Posted

    Hi, I would like to say you need to get off zopiclone, I have been on it for alot of years and am mid way of getting off it. I have been told it is best to use a crossover drug such as diazepam to help you get of zop, I have looked into this and find it seems to be as bad to get off the crossover drug as the zop, please be very careful as it is such a minefield you really need a good doctor to support you. I hope you find some help, sorry I could not give you help more than my support
    • david38942
      david38942 angela15547

      Posted

      Thanks angela15547.  My Dr. told me this type of crossover is not good as Diazepam half life is too long and its harder to get off than Zopi.  Good luck to you.
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