I have been following this forum for a few months now and it has helped me investigate alternaitves to Zopiclone. I haven't posted before as I wanted to post a positive outcome which might help other readers.
Very briefly (which isn't like me at all!) I was prescribed Zopiclone in October of 2015 after a long term relationship breakdown which left me with chronic insomnia (I coudn't sleep at all without sleeping tablets), inabillity to eat (I lost almost 2 stone in 4 months) and severe depression.
I am a single parent and run my own business so needed my sleep to be able to put food on the table and to look after my son. The Zopiclone helped with this and I was taking 7.5mg (sometimes 15mg) every night until the end of the year including taking Citalopram (an anti-depressant). I started to get side effects such as memory loss (I once found my keys in the bin), clumsiness (I had bruises on top of bruises) and increased anxiety. Although I was getting some sleep, it wasn't enough and so my doctor suggested coming off the anti-depressants which he had prescribed which he thought might be counteracting the Zopiclone. I really didn't know whether it was the lack of sleep, the sleeping tablets or coming off the anti-depressants that was making me feel the way that I was.
I then went on the journey of coming off the sleeping tablets and what a nightmare! I googled everything I could, accessed this forum, read books, had counselling, changed my mattress, changed my diet, had acupuncture, even went to bed with a quartz crystal one night but nothing seemed to replace the tablets. My doctor then prescribed Molipaxin (50mg) which is an 'old style' anti-depressant which he prescribed for it's sedative effects while I was 'coming off'' Zopiclone. 50mg didn't work so he said to take 100mg - which gave me lower leg pain and also heart palpatations - so I reduced back to 50mg. I also read that some recent research had suggested 2 days of Zopiclone with 2 days off - this made me even more tired (a nurse had suggested this was too drastic) I then did 6 days on and 1 day off (as per her suggestion) but this would have taken too long and I wanted to be back to normal quicker than this. I then cut my 7.5mg in half to 3.75mg and managed to sleep (just enough) with that for about 1 month. I then cut the 7.5mg into quarters (1.875mg) and again managed with that (just enough sleep again) for approx.1 month but could not sleep without taking something. I was soooo frustrated. I then crushed up the quarter tablet with a pestle and mortar to a powder and licked my finger and put this in half the powder and took that, again just enough sleep and did this for approx. 1 month. I am now Zopicone free and I am sooooo relieved that I have done it. I have been Zopiclone free for about 2 weeks now I have also been having acupuncture for around 2 months and also eating Bananas, Figs and drinking cherry juice which is supposed to increase levels of the amino acid Tryptophan which is changed eventually by the body to Seratonin which has naturally calming effects.
So that's my story and I hope it is hepful to others who are currently suffering with a Zopiclone addiction. Although I was aware that it was an addictive drug, I never thought I would become as totally dependent on it as I was. My body simply could not function without it. I would advise to investigate all the other alternatives than to resort to Zopiclone. I never thought I would come out the other end, but I did. Good luck to everyone battling with this and you can do it!! Claire x