Am trying to kick these tabs but am finding withdrawal symptoms horrendous. However, was finding being on zopiclone for so long and taking more than was sensible was equally horrendous! Have tried the diazipam replacement method, but is not working for me. Has anyone tried and failed to give up zopiclone?
Melissa, I think more people have tried and failed rather than tried and succeeded. It is not an easy habit to kick. I have also at times taken a lot more and yes, I felt horrible. It is mind over matter. Once you make the decision to have best life for yourself, you will be on your way to success. It won't be easy, but I can promise you, it will be worth it. I went cold turkey on 1 January, and went through a lot of bad withdrawal symptoms, but I'm fine now and I am sleeping normally. Please keep me updated, good luck. Kind regards
Hello Hannelie. Thanks for your response. Can you elaborate on your withdrawal symptoms. Mine centre around severe anxiety, restlessness, twitching and a very fuzzy feeling in my head. It can be quite frightening and prevents me from doing normal activities without a lot of stress evolved. I am at the stage where I take the tablets just to relieve these symptoms rather than just to sleep. I have gradually cut down the dose but would like to try cold turkey, just very apprehensive about doing so.
Hi Melissa
What dose are you on
I take these and tried to come off them last year on holiday! Not a good idea.
Hi Melissa.
i also seem to experience similar symptoms, anxiety, restlessness, and twitching. I take one and a quarter 7.5mg a night, but never ever take any during the day. I am tired enough already as only get around five hours sleep a night, so would be wary of taking them in daytime.
do you feel tired in daytime and want to sleep.
i have tried to come of them once and thought it a good idea at the time, but felt so ill, I caved in and still continue taking them.
i have written previously about that period in my life.
i have now got to the stage in my life where I don't want to be beholden to them, but can't find the courage to feel ill again.
Well, I have cut down from 5 or 6 a day to 2 or 2 and a half over the last month. I feel I have made some progress considering I have been taking them for over 10 years. Can't seem to get below this current dose though as I get little sleep and become depressed and agitated. I have no craving for the drug like you get with nicotine, I just still need to stop the withdrawal symptoms.
Over the years I have taken them on and off during the day for the very reason that I feel tired and just want to sleep, but sometimes even after taking them they do not put me out and I am sure my resistance has built up. Never take them in the day if you can avoid it. Can be hard though if one is going through a trauma or depression. I am on 7.5mg tablets too.
You know Melissa, the majority of people having problems trying to get off zopiclone abused them and did not follow the proper instructions of what was to be taken. I was only taking 5mg's per night, never any more. Even with this small amount I still had to wean myself off them very slowly, now I'm totally free of zopiclone. Good luck, it can be done if you really put your mind to it.
You are quite right. I had abused them, used them as an anti depressant really to blot things out. However, have made progress with cutting back and I will suceed in the end as they are not the answer.
Hi Melissa, my withdrawal symptoms started with headaches, nauseous and vomiting. Very anxious, very aggressive even to a point where I threw stuff around. At night my legs and feet were extremely restless resulting in the fact that I would continuously rub my feet on the bed. Itching also especially on my scalp and in my face. It was all worth it, I still feel nauseous at times but that is it. At night I was very anxious, tossing and turning and at day time I was forever wondering if I would actually sleep and I was always thinking about my meds. I can now sleep in the afternoons and still sleep at night. Please keep me updated and feel free to ask me anything about this journey. Kind regards Hannelie
Hannelie, thanks for your response. Sounds awful. Did you, or are you going cold turkey? As I have not stopped taking them altogether yet
I havn't experienced vomiting or particular anger. I do however get very anxious, heart beating fast, aggitation etc. Thing is also, you need to have the space and time to go through it, a time when you don't have much on because you are worried other people will notice your distress. This is what I find hard. Feel I need to hybernate and then perhaps just stop them dead.
Melissa, one of the reasons you're experiencing these symptoms is that you are never supposed to go cold turkey. This can cause numerous side effects including seizures. You have to wean yourself off zopiclone, check on google or with your doctor to get all possible side effects, be honest with him. Good luck again.
I am in the process of doing this and have been for the last month.
Was on 5 to 6 a day (awful) and now down to 2 a day (7.5mg). I feel bad that I am even taking just the 2, so I am thinking maybe I am being too ambitious, and it will take much, much longer to get off them. Can't really seem to get passed 2 a day, I get really jumpy. Worried how long the process will take.
Melissa, I went cold turkey on the 1st of January this year. At the time I was on 2x7.5mg zopivane and 2x25mg phenergan. Dr suggested that I should wean off by reducing a quarter of a tablet every 10 days but I didn't do that. Maybe you should try his method, I'm sure it will work. It would be ideal if you could have a break from work for a week or two if you decide to go the cold turkey route. As mentioned by Effortly, you do run the risk of seizures. Please keep me updated, kind regards
Thanks Hannelie, it is good advice, I will try that. What exactly do 'seizures' mean though - as I have looked up but no definitive description? Well done on the cold turkey.
Seizures is uncontrollable convulsions of the body, the same as an epileptic. Usually there is no memory during the convulsion, look up epileptic seizures.
i never ever abused zopiclone and have suffered with my nerves ever since being forced to go cold turkey by my GP..I phoned for my repeat prescription and was told the doctor wanted to see me.So i went to see him and he said you cant have any zopiclone because you have been on them too long(approx 5 years),i explianed that i couldnt sleep without them but he insisted i try.So...i tried and got absolutely no sleep for 2 weeks,i was on edge,suffered palpitations and generally felt terrible,i tried accupuncture and chinese medicene(complete waste of time and money)..I went back to see the doctor who then started me on amytriptelene,i needed 150mg to get me to sleep but felt awful the day after,dry mouth and very lethargic..I changed my gp to a new one who said i should never ever have been told to go cold turkey.He put me back on zopiclone for a while and then suggested trying mirtazapine,,i have been on this for nearly two years now and have found that 30mg taken at night gives me (in the main) a good nights sleep..i try now and again to sleep without medication but i fail every time,positive thoughts of nice beaches and lapping waves make absolutely no difference,i am reliant on mirtazapine to get some sleep..At least i'm free of zopiclone..I would never recomend going cold turkey,i know we are all different but given my experience its a no no...i used to be on 45mg of mirtazapine but dropped that to 30 about three months ago,so maybe i can try 25mg now and see where we go from there.I f you find you cant sleep go to your docs and suggest mirtazapine,if it works for me i'm pretty confident it will work for you,i honestly thought there was no one else in the world who could not get to sleep with medication..good luck.