My GP wants me to come off Zopiclone and Im afraid....

Treatment and medication
1

I have been on Zopiclone 7.5mg on and off for over 5 years and it has always worked really well for me as i have mild bipolar and severe insomnia. Zopiclone has really helped me to get my life back on track.  I am also currently taking 300mg of quetiapine, which I thought would help me sleep, but I still find I need to take Zopiclone in order to help me get off to sleep. My GP now wants me to come off zopiclone completely and I'm having massive panic attacks just thinking about doing this. Surely there is a safe way of taking zopiclone without getting addicted rather than having to come off them completely

 

2

Hi Debbie , I was the same been on it 13 years came off 6 weeks ago using 30mg of diazepam , was dreading it and taking 10 zops a night but with the right gp support you can do it X believe in yourself easier said than done but you will do it and be proud you did X 

3

I wouldn't come off it, I was the same as you, on the same meds, same condition, and zopiclone is on my med list for life.

I struggled to get that but basically I'll have it for as long as I need it...

If you do come off it, not sleeping can make your condition worse, in my case I ended up being hospitalised, so it's the lesser evil to give me zopiclone.

Coming off it involves either cold turkey, or halfing the pills and reducing or crossing over to diazepam, if it's working for you, talk to your doctor again, explain what happens when you don't take it, show them that it is as required as quatiapine

HOWEVER, if you can sleep without it, and unlike me don't intend on using it forever, then look at the various options on getting off the drug..

BUT if you need it you need it.

4

Wow amanda well done!!

5

well, he wants you come off, that will take time, my DR is trying to egt me off and im down to 1.87mg, half a 3.75 tablet, so dont worry, talk too him

6

Hi amanda,

Thank you for your message and well done coming off the Zopiclone!! It makes me feel bit better reading positive stories.  Maybe I will ask my Doc to give me some valium to help with this.

 

7

Hi Daniel,

I dont want to come off it and I'm more than happy to be on it for life really if my doc would let me.  I do know that my condition worsens if I dont sleep.  I had 5 days off the zopiclone about 2 months ago as I managed to loose them and Doc wouldn't give me anymore.  I spent the entire 5 days on just 4 hours sleep.  I was sick as a dog with anxiety and panic attacks and thought I was going to be hospitalised - it didn't happen, but the sleep deprivation was making me so ill, pysicall and mentally - I dont want to go back there!! All this panic about stopping the sleeping pills is making me think about possibly buying them online, but i know that is dangerous!! Anyway, if I did, I would probably be too scared/anxious to take them!! I will stick with advice from GP and reluctantly come off them I guess.

 

8

Well done.  I hope it wasn't too painfull! Good luck smile

 

9

Not at all, but I also agree with Daniel, .

I was on 7.5 and my DR stopped them after a week, well I was in need and got them off the internet. I was ok with , then they changed the law, I could still get them, higher price and a private prescription was costly, Im a tight man lol, now the price and the reading things I wanted to stop, I went to my GR who was helpful, she gave me alternatives and I decided to stay on Zopliclone at 3.75, if I needed them I could take 2 of them, I did just that and was fine, I also tried a few things like trying not too worry about not sleeping, in bed if I woke up i would get up, eat a biscuit, have a drink read my facebook and go back to bed as a new ned time, it worked, so i thought, maybe i could cut the dose again, I did , I cut them in half, whats the worse thing, I cant sleep , i take the other half, it worked, it still works, now I take a half, if something worries me I take a 3.5 once in a while I take 2 X 3.75 and to be honest Im not they really work, yes they get me off too sleep, the 1.87 as well as a 7.5 theres no difference, sometimes I have a bad night and I play card games on my tablet and fall asleep, I am happy too continue this for as long as I need, my GP so far agrees.

Bottom line is this, you take a pill, why not on a good night take a half, if it works great, if not take the other, what do you have too lose, nothing, you might gain, if you show you can do your GP maybe over the moon and continue too help and you need help anyway, it may work, it may not work 

10

I think some of this insomnia is all in my head to be honest - infact,   I'm sure if the doc gave me a sugar pill without me knowing and I thoiught it was a zopiclone, I would probably get a good night sleep.  Thanks for all of your advice anyway - I will try and conquer this, hopefully without loosing my mind !! smile

 

11

so then , try a half, see how it goes

12

You can do it believe in yourself xxx

13

Your be fine , I felt awful but im now having more and longer good days after 6 week with no zops x keep it up you def do it have faith x

14

haha, omg I feel exactly the same as this!

15

Hi Debbie

I understand your anxiety about potentially coming off the Zopiclone. I was addicted to it for 7 years, and eventually my GP would give me no more so I bought them off the internet regularly. Then the law changed and I couldn't buy them anymore...

This was honestly the best thing that ever happened in reality because I ended up asking my gp to refer me to a psychiatrist as I felt i needed help having been addicted for so long. It was found that i have moderate depression and anxiety and i now use a combination of 2 antidepressants which help me sleep

I realise that not everyone is depressed and that coming off or even reducing on Zopiclone is really hard but you CAN do it xx 

16

You cannot do an abrupt withdrawl. It's ridiculous and against all guidelines here is a list you can read just type in one at a time

Royal college of psychiatrists - search bar - benzodiazepines ( bottom of the page under managing withdrawl

Ashton manual ---/ zopiclone or benzodiazepines

Wikipedia---- GABA zopiclone or GABA benzodiazepines look at both because alcohol comes into this! I have others too it's space on here sorry!

17

Thanks loads for that info.  I will present that to my Doc and hopefully they will agree to use it.

 

18

As scared as I am, I do know that I am doing the right thing, even though i am being forced into quitting.  I've tried antidepressants and they dont work for me, which is annoying,  glad they have helped you though!! On a positive note, I was so tired the other day that I actually didn't take a zopiclone (that's a first) and I slept all night with no interuptions at all.  I sometimes think just having them there if needed realy helps!!

 

19

No! They must use it. I've just got someone of a section using it. That's why I went to the CQC and others. All will become clear in time as I have now reported them to the GMC.. which all doctors must belong. Please let me know how you get on! Good luck

20

I bought them on line , and in Spain for years , since last June it became a controlled drug hence the gps stopping them , believe in yourself get and take any help offered , you will feel better eventually x