Long term use of Zopiclone

Treatment and medication
1

I realise that nowadays, GP`s aren`t keen on prescribing the \"Z\" drugs, however I started taking Zopiclone in 1994, and to be honest, I still find them the most useful sleeping tablet, even after 17 years. The others Zolpidem and Zaleplon did not work at all for me.

Back when I was initially prescribed them the dose was 15mg and that`s what I take to this day. When I started my journey I was totally messed up, in many ways, and I was lucky to find myself under the care of a Consultant Psychciatrist that wasn`t afraid to prescribe \"unfashionable\" medications, hence my still being on them.

Initially, I was going through divorce, redundancy, bankruptcy, suicidal, self harming... etc. etc., and the main cause for this was my poly drug abuse, and alcoholism, and the problems with Family, ex, friends, health this caused.

To cut a long story short, all this caused a Heart attack when I was 37 years old, and this was the \"prompt\" that finally caused me to grow up.

I`ll restrict this to Zopiclone, as I think this drug is getting a bad press, and although some of it is deserved, I think that if taken properly, it remains an effective way to get some sleep.

From my experience, 15mg is the maximum effective dose, taking more will not make you sleep anymore or get to sleep any quicker, infact in my case taking over 15mg is counter-productive, and can be dangerous.

Basically I had to learn (and it took a long time) not to expect \"knock-out drops\", I find it is best to take them, and within 1/2hr be prepared to sleep. That is in bed, comfortable, dark, and quiet (if all these things can be managed that is). I don`t expect any extreme feelings of drowsiness, etc. in fact I usually cannot remember falling asleep, and often cannot remember dreaming, usually it seems that I close my eyes, and that`s it, it`s morning!. I also found that although many people find the amnesia that sometimes occurs can worry people, my way of looking at it is \"well that`s 33% of my problem solved\", as I`m sure everyone will know, there`s nothing worse than insomnia when you`re Depressed, anxious or worried, or in pain or whatever is keeping you awake 24hrs a day.

Everyone is different, and I see that many people find that Zopiclone is not for them, for many reasons.

If taken as prescribed, I haven`t found anything more effective than Zopiclone for Insomnia.

Hope this helps someone.

Cheers Egggbert

2

Dear Eggspurt

I was very interested to read your story. right now i'm a complete mess. My main problem is extreme depression. I have no reason for it, i have a wonderful life with a loving husband. I'm desperately trying to find a reason for this. I have been taking 3.75mg of Zopiclone maybe once a week and wondering if this is causing my depression. when i read your story i realize this is rediculous. I have aslo been taken off prozac put on sertraline for 8 weeks which had no effect and they now want me to start taking citalopram. I can't even leave the house to go and get the prescription. Are you on any other drugs and if so what. I cannot stay in bed any longer i've been hear for 2 weeks now with my thoughts and anxiety's and fantasies of what it would be like to be dead. any advise. thank you for listening

3

hi beth i have just read your last comment and its amazing because im feeling exactly the same it started around 6 weeks ago felling very depressed and having stupid thoughts and i cannot think were it has come from or what set it off i was reffered to a phyciatrist and they put me on sertraline and zopiclone as most of my problem was at night i would lie there for hours on end and could not sleep and its the worst thing ever the zopiclone seemed to work for me i was on 7.5 ml to start i was on that for around 4 weeks and then i had to half it for a week to be weaned of it from what i have heard it is very addictive but then i read what other people think and some have been on it for years and are still so dont know if its just the doctors being to cautious but if its not working for you go and see your gp again and tell them that you either need a higher dose or something different dont suffer in silence if i had i wouldnt be here now i dont think xxxxx

4

Hi Gemma

Its so good to read when others are going through the same thing. I was interested to hear that you had been referred to a psychiatrist. I have an appointment with my doctor this afternoon as really think i need a referral. at present i'm having CBT. I've only had 4 sessions but to be honest i think the poor CBT guy is out of his depth. He keeps coming up with 'plans' of silly things i'm supposed to do like 'go to the gym' and yet i can't even get in the shower. i have been struggling for year with mild depression and mild anxiety and now it just feels like i can't hold it together any longer, I'm exhausted. to be honest i would like to go residential somewhere just to be totally cut off from my life. Lets see what the doc comes up with. you didn't mention if you were feeling any better on the sertraline, would be interested to know if you are functioning ie, getting our of bed, going to work, cleaning the house, managing bills, seeing friends etc

5

Hi, to those who`ve replied, Yes I am taking many medications, from Morphine for OA th Mirtazipine for depression, along with a dozen other meds to keep my ticker going.

Prozac/Seroxat I found it near impossible to sleep at all whilst taking these.

Although I personally found that they do rapidly improve depression, in my case they made me extremely impulsive, to such an extent, that I ended up being sewn back together by a Plastic surgeon after a rather nasty suicde attempt., this was 9 years ago.

For Depression I now take Mirtazipine, and Diazepam PRN.

Obviously along with the Zopiclone for sleep.

Hope you find what is right for you

All the best Egggbert

6

PS Eggspurt??

7

hi beth i am felling a whole lot better of the sertraline i asked for a small dose as i have 3 children so i only take 25mg a daybut they wanted me to be on 200mg daily but as i have been on anti depressants before i know they can make you feel very zombified but im doing good on what iam on. i am coping on the sertraline but dont feel a hundred percent yet just taking each day as it comes i am struggling a little during the day it seems to be when my kids are at school i think it is boredom more than anything as i have never been without them my youngest is only 4 so she has just started school full time think that is the most difficult thing as now im sleeping most of the day just so it passes faster i just have nothing else to do with my day i lost all my friends when i moved home 2 years ago and dont see any of them anymore and find it hard to go out on my own as i have suffered with panic attacks for the past 8 years and cant go anywere with crowds on my own . i have been refferd for cbt but not heard anything yet x

8

Hi all, to let you know about me and meds.

I had a particularly bad bereavement last April (I was on a flight with my mother and she died on the plane) as a result I was interrogated by the police under video recording and I had to strip so they could have my clothes for forensic examination. As a result of all that had happened I had a "nervous breakdown". Was medicated on Citalopram and sent for CBT. The CBT did not work for me as I could/can not turn my thinking around to banish thoughts/feelings. Also was/am under the community mental health team. Citopram was increased but had no real effect for me. To start I had headaches that felt like a vice was being turned and my head in between it. I was in a "bad place" at this time as I was purposely starving myself and had virtually no sleep for weeks. I got so low that I took all my citalopram (about 30 in mixed strength) drank a bottle of wine and left a suicide note. Didn't work, woke early in the morning feeling terrible and hid the note. Was then put on fluoxetine 20mg then increased to 30 (fluid as only done in 20mg caps) this eventually went up to 50mg. Never did any good. Eventually the CMHT decided to put me on 20mg Fluoxetine & 30mg Mirtazapine. To start off with the Mirtazapine was a miracle cure. Brilliant night sleep (at least 10 hours and the most brilliant realistic exciting dreams) and a ravenous hunger (my weight had dropped to less then 8 stone and I'm 6ft). Got used to Mirtazapine and sleep went to pot. Mirtazapine increased to 45mg and after 6 months sleep stopped again. Now I'm on Mirt, Fluox and Zopiclone (was 3.75g now 7.5g) I only take Zop when I REALLY need a nights sleep as if they stop working I will be like the walking dead!

Sorry about the length of this and hope it might help. I would recommend Mirtazapine especially if you are losing weight as well as suffering insomnia and depression too.

9

Dear Skinny Phil

your story is truly awful. YOu have been to hell and back. My thoughts are with you. I only hope you have good friends and family to support you. i also hope you are getting other counseling apart from the CBT (which also was no good for me). I'm going to sit it out with the citalopram for a couple more weeks. its just all such a lottery. Best of luck phil i just hope this next year will be better for you

10

hi i been taking zopoclone for most of the last four years. i am currently suffering from bad anxiety and last night i took 45mg mirtazapine and 15mg zopoclone. i didnt sleep at all, not even for five minutes. i am very worried about tonight as iam tired and really need to sleep

11

HI, I was on Temazepam 10mg for almost 30years and after sometime it wasn't working for me so my GP gave me Nitrazepan 5mg and I was sleeping very well but for last two years my eyes started burning so I went to see my GP again today he has given me Zopiclone 7.5mg I hope it works for me please wish me good luck that it works for me. Thanks.

12

Hi Mikeyboy, my advice would be to only take the Zop when really desperate for sleep. I do that because I know what its like having sleep deprivation. I also only get a repeat of zop every other month (that way the doc doesn't think I take them too often and not becoming dependant on them). If you took 15mg zop what was it? 2x7.5g as I thought that was the highest strength. I have been told if you take too strong a dose it can have the opposite effect and instead of relaxing you it can make your mind buzz!

Hope you are okay. Best wishes Phil.

(I had virtually no sleep yesterday so roll on my 7.5 Zop.

13

Hi Mikeyboy, my advice would be to only take the Zop when really desperate for sleep. I do that because I know what its like having sleep deprivation. I also only get a repeat of zop every other month (that way the doc doesn't think I take them too often and not becoming dependant on them). If you took 15mg zop what was it? 2x7.5g as I thought that was the highest strength. I have been told if you take too strong a dose it can have the opposite effect and instead of relaxing you it can make your mind buzz!

Hope you are okay. Best wishes Phil.

(I had virtually no sleep yesterday so roll on my 7.5 Zop.

14

Hi Mikeyboy, my advice would be to only take the Zop when really desperate for sleep. I do that because I know what its like having sleep deprivation. I also only get a repeat of zop every other month (that way the doc doesn't think I take them too often and not becoming dependant on them). If you took 15mg zop what was it? 2x7.5g as I thought that was the highest strength. I have been told if you take too strong a dose it can have the opposite effect and instead of relaxing you it can make your mind buzz!

Hope you are okay. Best wishes Phil.

(I had virtually no sleep yesterday so roll on my 7.5 Zop.

15

Hi there, I totally agree with you on Zopiclone, I take one 7.5mg tablet every few nights then cut it down to half a tablet when it doesnt matter about being tired (like on a day off). My doctor doesnt prescribe these for me but not many GPs are happy to these days but they do what they are suppose to do, give me a decent nights sleep to prepare me for whatever I have to endure, anxiety, depression etc. but when I go to bed I want to be able to switch off and re-energise and that just what they do, so good luck to you

16

Seems that many people are having concerns about taking Zopiclone. I won`t comment about depression, because everyone has different experiences, and different medications seem to work for some and not others. All I can say is with regard to Zopiclone, I have been taking it almost constantly since 1994, I have a few times asked my Psych if I can try this that or the other Benzodiazepine, because I thought that Zopiclone wasn`t working anymore, believe me I`ve tried them all, as well as Chloral, Chlomethiazole, every drug you can name that ends in "..pam".

I have yet to find anything that is as reliable as Zopiclone for Insomnia.

It doesn`t (in my case) work like the usual sedatives (benys), I never really feel tired, relaxed, `zoned out` or anything like that.

it just seems that one minute Im awake, the next, it`s morning.

A word of caution though, Zopiclone is very Psychologically addictive. That is to say, I`ve found that if I don`t take them, I don`t have any physical withdrawals, or increase in Anxiety etc., I just can`t sleep.

I don`t know if other people actually become physically addicted to them or not. In my opinion, as a rule of thumb, if a medication works, it can be addictive.

All the best

Egggbert

17

PS, I appear to have signed on with an account from somewhere else, I`m not advocating any activities that may have been refered to in "Airplane"

18

last night it took 7.5mg of zopoclone and 45mg of mirtazapine. the mirtazapine is ment to make you feel drowsy whilst the zopoclone is a hypnotic sleeping pill. as you can see i have cut down from 15mg of zopoclone the other night (which didn't work at all). i did go to sleep, which is a good thing but woke up two hours later and couldn't sleep anymore. my insomnia is really worrying me. i actually think i may eventually die from it. as what the hell do i do when zopoclone doesnt work. Up intill a few weeks ago i was sleeping well on the mirtazapine alone. i was doing so well that i thought i might be able to get off the mirtazapine all together. so i cut down to 30mg and experienced severe insomnia symptoms. itried for a few nights, when finally i gave up and took another 15mg of mirtazapine and 15mg of zopoclone and couldnt sleep at all again. since then ive been stuck on the zopoclone every night and have not been able to just use the mirtazapine. ive tried sleeping with just the mirtazapine but my head wont let go to let me sleep. What the hell do you do?

19

25 mg Seroquel (Quetiapine) are good for kips cheesygrin

20

thanks ive ordered 25mg of Seroquel and should get it in 7 to 10 business days. in the meantime i took 22.5mg of zopoclone and 45mg of mirtazapine last night and couldn't sleep at all. i ended up drinking a bottle of wine, which i did evenually sleep. woke up this morning feeling very tired. i feel very low there is something very wrong with me. i dont go to bed stressed or full of anxiety, just normal relaxed want to sleep mode. but i cant sleep at all. i just lie there for hours waiting for nothing. even in the early hours of the morning i lay there very tired unable to sleep for even five minutes. im convinced im going to die. no one can live if they dont sleep at all. i have been to my doctors and they quite coldly said there is nothing they can do and no other medication for me. i think i have something similar to sporadic fatal insomnia. no one is listening to me, but believe me its the worst thing in the world. something that is barely recognised and few people trained to deal with it.