Unpleasant heart symptoms when trying to stop Zopiclone......can anyone advise please??

Signs and symptoms
1

I've been on Zopiclone 3.75mg every night for last 7 years. I don't have a problem taking them but recently the GP's at my local doctors surgery have started demanding I stop taking them as they are addictive. They said I should go to the local drug treatment centre for help. Well I reluctantly did and was told by a GP there that I should take one tablet every other night. I tried on 2 occasions but my heart just goes all crazy and acts weird if I don't take a zopiclone at night. It beats extra fast and seems all over the place making sleep all but impossible and greatly frightening me....and if I do manage to drop off to sleep within seconds I'm woken up by what feels like a thumping irratic heart beat.......I really can not cope with this!!!.....I go back to my local doctors surgery in a few days and I'm dreading it .......I know she won't prescribe any more and I'm panicking how the hell am I going to handle it ......it feels like I'm gonna die when I get the symptoms ....please some help or advice would be Good!!

2

7 years has been too long, I fear and withdrawal symptoms will appear.  Have you been advised to reduce dosages gradually e.g. breaking the 3.75 pill in half each night?

3

Hi, sorry to hear what u going through,

Am so so surprised that u have been allowed to take these for 7 years, I have suffered horribly with insomnia for many years and I have been prescribed zopliclone but I will only take when I am very desperate and the doctor doesn’t give me more than 7 days tablets.

You will have horriable Withdrawls but I suggest u stick with it and follow gp advice gradually go down and than give up. 

This medication really is no good especially if it’s been 7 years.

I wish u all the best and we here to support u through ur journey. 

You can do this don’t give up.

4

u need zopiclone to taper slowly

5

Thank you. I broke the tablet in half and i could sleep last night (not the best sleep but at least the heart palpitations were bearable)

So yeah that's the way to go. Slowly cutting back

I just hope I can end up off them but with no distressing symptoms