Zopiclone or Amitriptyline?

Brain and nerves
1

Ugh I'm so confused and don't know what to do, I'm partly confused due to the fact that I have to do all this research for self help because my doctors are no help whatsoever.

But the thing I'm wondering is, what would be better to take to help me sleep. Zopiclone or Amitriptyline? I am on 100mg of Sertraline and obviously one of the side affects is insomnia which I've been suffering with for over two years, I have broken sleep when I do eventually sleep and can't sleep more than two hours straight, I'm just always waking up every hour.

I'm tired and just want some god damn sleep, and to be able to sleep like a normal person. Zopiclone was given to me as a one off by my doctor, she gave me 7 tablets and said she'd never give me them again after that and it was just to help me get back to sleeping properly.

But I've done exactly what she told me to do previously as she gave me instructions to follow regarding a sleeping schedule; unfortunately the insomnia has not been cured and I'm still exactly the same.

I've heard some people on Sertraline are also on amitriptyline as amitriptyline can be given as a sleeping aid at a low dose; which I'm thinking of trying but I just don't want it to do any harm to me or make me worse with mixing the two. (It'd be great if it could also help my anxiety at the same time haha)

Or should I take zopiclone, I know that zopiclone isn't a long term fix and I know all about how it's addictive- I've suffered with addiction before and I can control it now so I wouldn't allow myself to become addicted to zoplicone (I know people will probably say it can't be helped) but with my willpower I think I'd be able to manage it.

Can someone give me advice please on what I should do or take?

2

Have you been prescribed the Amitriptyline? You haven't mentioned that in your message? Well Zopiclone would be better for insomnia i would imagine. Usually only addictive when taken regularly for long periods. Amitriptyline is safe with Sertraline and is not habit forming, although is less sedating. Has your Doctor prescribed Diazepam previously? (i'm guessing yes) Flurazepam is very good for insomnia!

Hope this helps smile

3

No I'm going through getting the prescriptions myself as my doctor won't give me anything else to help me unfortunately. I'd just heard it helps people who are on Sertraline for their sleep taking Ami's. I might try Flurazepam then, have you taken it before?

4

Hello, how I sympathize with you and understand.  I have been diagnosed with needing Sertraline, have been taking 100mg at over a year.  It has changed my life!  All my life, since childhood, I have felt responsible for the world and all the problems - from the age of 10.  My father was dead, there were five in the family, and I knew I was the last unplanned baby that made my mother's life even harder.  Then two nice but unreliable men (husbands over 20 years) who depended on me;  then money problems, two babies, a whole life of feeling responsible, about world news too.  Now - As if a weight has lifted from me.  I didn't know, however, that Sertraline had an adverse effect on sleep.

on sleep, since my children were born I;ve been a poor sleeper, through worries and even not worries.  My brain is always ín tune' even when my body is exhausted.  I have always slept intermittently, waking tired.  For some years I have taken sleeping pills, even Rohypnol (on prescription) when I lived in Australia.  Now I manage to squeeze a small amount of Zopiclone from my GP (they love giving you lifetime supplies of statins, which have no benefit on your awareness of sleep/health, but seem terrified of Z drugs).  I buy large quantities from internet providers who have proved honest and reliable.

Without Sertraline and Zopiclone my life would consist of me being anxious, short of sleep, and in a poor mental state.  With both these drugs (long time as far as I am concerned) my underlying belief that life is essentially meaningless remains but I derive joy from everyday things.

However I may differ from you because I am 74 years old.  No job.  Live alone.  content in my life, with my dog.  But will always miss very interesting career - what else does one fill nine or ten hours a day with?  I'm lucky because I'm a reader, and love to grow my mind.  But too much time to think and for self analysis!

so for me, Zopiclone and Sertraline are wondrous benefits.  I don't care if I'm addicted at my age, especially since GPs so happy to give long term physical drugs (heart, cholesterol, etc.) which treats ailments which most of us are not even aware of.  But drugs that can change our whole attitude to life, and enjoyment of life, and reduce feelings of anxiousness and potentially suicide, they withhold.  It's a crazy world.

Anyway message this is far too long, and you are probably a generation younger than me.  In my life, a combination of Sertraline (which seems to get to the very specific point in my brain that needs it) and Zopiclone brings me still some joy in life,

I wish you very good luck with your decisions xxx

5

Zopiclone is better and much stronger than amytryptilin but very addictive like you said. So I would try amytryptilin first if I was you.

6

PLEASE don't get Zopiclone. Major addictive and HECTIC to come off. I am also an addict so I started to abuse them. It's so easy. On here you will find so many People who get badly addicted to Zopiclone. Your memory goes it's just bad news, it affected my job my family everything. They have also started banning it in a few countries already. It's not meant to be used over a long period of time. Please please try anything else but stay away from Zopiclone especially if you have addictive tendancies. Sending love and strength your way.

7

Hello Brokenbutterfly! Hoe I can be of some help. I was the same as you sleep wise. Always tired from not sleeping. I have bi-polar disorder so I think that has something to do with it. On the verge of suicide many times I insisted I get a prescription for ANYTHING to help me sleep. DOES ANY ONE ELSE KNOW HOW BAD THIS IS??? I was prescribed Zopiclone 7.5mg over 8 years ago. They saved my life. I used them almost every night until I stabilized after a year or so. Since then I only take one if I need to get up to go to an appointment/date as this ensures I get a good nights sleep. I am now retired so my wake up times don't matter.

I would say go for it and good luck!

 

8

Thank you for your reply!

Really nice to hear they've worked for you, I've just recently ordered some and I was wondering if it's normal to still be waking up every hour whilst having taken one? I wake up every hour and I'm unable to get more than two/three hours other than that I've not had a proper deep sleep for just over two years. Will the zopiclone take a couple of days to help?

9

Thank you for your advice but something is better than nothing right now, I'm so sick and tired of not being able to sleep jrokally and I've tried doing everything else before having to resort to sleeping pills. I just need sleep.

10

I've got zopiclone now smile

11

Thank you for your inspiring story! Sertraline does do wonders but the insomnia that comes with it not so much aha, like you- I've ordered some Zopiclone on a trusted website, so I've now got some. When you first started taking them, did you still struggle to sleep whilst having taken one? I've took a few within the previous month's and find that I'm still waking up every single hour all the time (it's exhausting and frustrating) do you reckon that if I were to take them a couple of days on the run, that my sleep would improve and I'd be able to sleep for more than three hours without waking up?

I'm really glad to hear your side of the story and that Sertraline and Zopiclone have worked for you xxx

12

It takes a long time to acclimatize your body to the Zopiclone. It needs to get distributed into your body a bit at a time. I found that I would sleep for a few hours on and off for weeks at a time then sleep well for a few days for 8 hours. Guess it depends on your body/system

13

I havnt read the other posts from everyone else , but in my opinion and experience 10 to 20 mg of amitriptyline worked for me although they were in conjunction with 5mg of nitrazepam .

I stopped the nitrazepam in January and I still use the amo's . But tablets aren't the answer but hey hi they work

14

Hello again. I'm wondering if you have ever have been tested for sleep apnea??? Even if you don't snore you may have it. This was the cause of my sleeplessness for forty years. I've been using a CPAP machine for 8 years. No fun but hey I sleep very well most nights. Sometimes I'll take a Zopiclone. I never had a problem being addicted to them or had a hard time decreasing my dose. Please think about the testing. All you do is a sleepover with electrodes carrying your every move to a computer. They discovered I had restless leg syndrome too, which interrupted my sleep, so am on Pramipexole for that. I didn't even know I had it or that the creepy feeling in my knees was treatable!! Too bad I couldn't have found out about all this until i was around 50!

Wishing you luck as I know Dr.'s are totally useless most times.

 

15

I had problems sleeping with antidepressants and used zopiclone for six months.  I was only getting an hourmor somthen awake again.  I followed Ashton method and transposed them for diazepam at night, now i need 5mg of that to get some sleep and its meant to be one ofmthe easier ones to,lower according to Ashton but i cannot do it.  Looking for anyone with similar problem for help.

16

Hi to everyone, I used to work night duty for 20 years, when I stopped I suddenly found I couldn't sleep, couldn't get to sleep, and couldn't stay asleep. I went to my doctor who was no help at all, told me to work through it. I decided to do research and found I could buy sleeping pills online, so I ordered zopiclone, and they were fantastic, one 7.5mg and I was asleep in 10 mins, and asleep all night (great) after a year, they were not working, so i upped it by half a tablet, before knew it I was taking 3 to go to bed, and only sleeping 4 hrs on a good night, I also started needing them during the day, because by 24 hrs I was in withdrawal and needing 1 and half tablets to get me through the day. So I stopped taking them, thinking I could drop them out of my life, as they were making me I'll, and not working. So the first night I didn't take any, I was in Accident and emergency, I'd had a tonic clinic seizure, stopped breathing, my partner had to restart my heart on my living room floor. The hospital put me back on them, and I gradually reduced it down to 2 a night, I tried diazepam, limovan, tramadol, any to replace it, but nothing works, I have a dreadful memory now, constant headache, and still on zopiclone, I am thinking of taking amitriptyline 25mg, along side 1 zopiclone, I'm hoping to gradually stop taking zopiclone, horrid drug, if anyone has tried coming off and can advise? Doctor's are useless.

17

hey! I have similar sleeping issues and have had them for my whole life. i have tried zoplicone with fairly good results however my Dr will not prescribe them to me. where are you able yo order them online? ans is it from a trusted reliable source?

18

You're lucky that Zopiclone helps you, I had over 50 tablets and it unfortunately didn't work or help whatsoever. Even tried 15mg but that didn't work, think I'm just a lost cause aha. I'll give you the links later on, both are from a trusted source. One is a legit pharmacy, and the other isn't but it's legit and cost affective as I've had some from both.

19

i still wake during the night when taking zopiclone but i am able to fall back to sleep quicker. Nothing else has worked for me. hopefully you find something that can help you sleep. send along those links when you can and good luck! thanks!

20

I'm a little hesitant of taking amitriptyline because of the whole side affects and that and then the whole weaning off them. I'm soon to be off my anti depressants within a week or two, so I'll give it a few months and if no luck then I dunno aha. I'll message you the links now :)