Zopiclone

I have been prescribed Zopiclone, and been taking 7.5 mg per day for 3.5 years. I am now addicted to this drug. The amount of sleep I now get is no more than 3 hours per night, and I am desperate.

My doctor insists that contending that Zopiclone cannot be the cause of my problem. I have no intention of suing anyone; I am just desperate to locate someone who can help me.

What kind of medical treatment should I be persuing, and how do I locate a specialist - even if I need to travel outside my country, the UK?

Any help would be really appreciated.

[rodewc]

Zopiclone has been given to a few of my UK buds after (minor) coronaries, first in the hospital for sleep and later for the same- at home. It is a hypnotic and none were allowed a refill of more than 3x of their scrip after 14 days (14 pills per scrip). ~

[BLUE501]

hey guys,

i havent posted in quite some time. But i am going through a hard time.  I am on day 2 of withdrawal form mostly oxy's and vic hp's. but anything i could get my hands on worked fine. I have degenerative disc disease. The depression while going through w'd's is awful for me. i just really need to here some postive feed back and hear that it's all worth it.

linda

[mystere]

Gee you sound exactly what I'm going through--I am also on day two and feeling like sh@#$t.  I had 35 hydrocodone free days back in January and then discovered some pills and as they say it was off to the races--I was taking anything I could get my hands on. Last week my husband discovered how many pills I had been taking and when I tell you he freaked out!  It was the worst week of my life!  The ONLY THING that got me through it was the support of this forum.  Things are much better and I've finally decided those little demons aren't worth the risk of losing the man I care for more than life itself--I know the withdrawals are a *****--God knows I've been through them enough times but it is soooo worth it on the other side!  Just hang in there we are all in this boat together! Post as often as you like thats what I do--its sort of therapy especially during withdrawals--Can you use the Thomas Recipe?  It really does help. We can get through this one minute,one hour,one day at a time! I'll be checking in on you--much love, Peace and Prayers Mystere/AKA N.O. Lady (my office computer nickname)

[mystere]

Just checking in on you--How is the depression?  I'm on Wellbutrin (anti-depressant) and it seems to be making a world of difference. Please just don't give up--We can and WILL do this!  I have been on the other side and I will tell you it is great!--I want my life back and I know you do too!  It's just getting through this initial phase of withdrawal and things will start to look a lot better!--Think about it--Not worrying about how many pills do you have, How to get more, your whole day being consumed and revolving around those little demons! Yes it is very worth it as many on this forum will tell you. We are all in the same boat trying to stay afloat. Take sweety you are in my prayers--Much Love Mystere/AKA N.O. Lady

[NEW ORLEANS LADY]

Hello and welcome! Congrats on not only 4 months but did you say 8 yrs. previously? Wow what an accomplishment!  If you are looking for support this is the place to be!  As I have said all to frequently this forum has been my lifeline!  I have battled substance abuse also most of my life-I thought I had discovered a cure for alcoholism--HYDROCODONE!--How do you like that one!
Oh well I finally decided this beast has become much more trouble than its worth (I almost lost my husband last week due to my rx drug addiction) Sooo a decision had to be made and I am going to do everything it takes to defeat this addiction! Keep posting you will find a group of wonderful caring people on this forum willing to help!  Good Luck I'm looking forward to the day I have been hydro free for 4 months!--Peace/Prayers N.O. Lady-AKA
Mystere (home computer nickname)

[AmberHunter]

i am new to this board and have jumped in here and there. i have battled substance abuse most of my adult life, ok, ALL of my adult life!

i spent alot of time in the rooms of NA and even made it to my 8th year clean and then relapsed...

i have 4 months clean today and am so damn happy and grateful... i chose NOT to go back to NA b/c if i failed again in staying clean the NA way i didn't want to have to go through the whole "chip" thing and feel so ashamed etc... i know, can't save your ass and your face at the same time! i know all the slogans before anyone slams me with them! lol!!

it amazes me the type of fellowship that there is between the people on this board. it means a great deal to me to have found this board and i plan to use it to help me to stay clean and help me even if i don't. i appreciate the anonimity here online...

thanks,

amber

[pammy0690]

You are the only one who can be the judge of how you can handle medicine.  It is best to focus on the here and now rather than worry about the future.  SOunds like you have serious health problems.  You should not feel guilty for taking pain meds if it makes your life better.  THere is a difference between use and abuse.  Pammy

[Thomas03]

He said you could never stop taking pain meds? Mmmmm, how do I get your doc?

Every doc who ever knew or suspected I was an addict told me I could NEVER take pain meds again or, at the very least, didn't deserve to. At no extra charge, some docs threw in the implication or outright pronouncement that I was a very bad man, a parasite on the ass of humanity, and a stain on the tapestry of western civilization.

I think I became an addict too soon, or just picked the wrong town.

Thomas

[Hydroholic]

I think that's what happens when we desperately need a doc to write us a script. They all then treat us like dirt! It was the one time that I think I could have stayed off with a sympathetic doctor with a dull pencil. He said I had too much wrong with me to not take pain medicine. Believe it or not! I found out around that he was a pain med prescriber to tons of people. Hey if I'd known that I would have been there longggg ago! Just bad timing on my part I guess! I took it as an omen that I probably should take them (typical addict huh?)

[Hydroholic]

Well, This is my first post. I found this site a few weeks ago quite by accident and I am like everyone else, I thought I was the only one in this shape! Or nightmare should I say! I am like my name says a HYDROHOLIC! I'm amazed when I see people here that only take 6 or 8 a day. I take 20 10/650 a day, easy! I know it's going to KILL ME! At the very least, all the tylenol! I have had three back and neck surgeries and had RSD which is in remission, thank God! But I don't take the pills anymore for pain, I just crave the little demons and get sooo sick when I try to quit, I wish I had found this forum a year ago, I had flushed all my pills and on my forth day without (Now I know the worst withdrawal was about over) But at that time I was uninformed (Have hid this disgrace from everyone)And on the forth day, I knew if it got worse I would die, so I made an appointment with my doctor (not the script doctor) intending to bare my shame once and for all, and ask for help. I was shaking and sweating so bad I thought I would fall out in the waiting room, I finally got in the room, the Dr. comes in and he says I will never be able to not take pain meds and gave me 60 10/650 's.  I sure wish he hadn't done that. I'm in the middle of moving and as soon as I'm done, I have vowed to quit forever and hope to have you good people to talk to. My question is, could the dr. be right? Do some people have to have pain med's. I won't take them correctly, I know that. Any input appreciated! Thanks!

[sosimovan]

I've been on immovane for 3 years, on and off. Last year and a half much moreso. My nightly dose went to 3 tabs of 7.5mg/night, and was experiences tolerance withdrawals during the daytime which made me miserable and feeling pretty useless. My sleep also became shortened as they stopped being effective on me. Tried getting the doctor I saw to help me taper, but he seeemed more interested in prescribing more at a higher dose. Finally I called an addiction hospital and am now tapering. They put me on 1 mg of lorazepam for 1 week, .75 mg for 2 weeks, where I am currently. I haven't been sleeping more than 2 hours a night and am so tired. I think I should have been put on valium not lorazepam, but I'm pretty determined to get off imovane for good and to feel like myself again! I was being prescribed imovane to help with anxiety and sleep, not knowing of the risk of dependency. Be careful, it seems common nowadays and doctors don't care...do your own research online about anything you take!
Does anyone think I should switch to valium , even now that I have been on lorazepam for almost 3 weeks? I will ask the doctor, but I am almost sure he will say no. He's a real *****...makes me do urine tests for no apparent reason. I am not a drug addict, but they treat me like one...I think more information about the potential for addiction to benzos needs to be out there for people who suffer from depression or anxiety...too widely prescribed and too easy to get...never start and you are better off!

[imzadi820]

Im about to come off zopiclone having been on it for three years, gp is now   Changing policy on prescribing these on a repeat prescription basis, i dont know how to sleep without them, and im worried about withdrawl (withdrawal). Im going to see the gp this week to try and get some supportany advise on this

[derbyboy]

hey i have been on zopiclone on and off for a while, can anybody tell me how addictive they are?? or is there any better alternatives?? for bad sleeping

[blockedearlady]

I was in a similar situation. If you continue to take the zopiclone or anything similar you will have to keep increasing the dose and keep getting less and less benefit. My side effects were anxiety, depresion, suicidal feelings, shaking, nausea, unable to relax, tense, agrophobia and going all hot and cold. It was a nightmare. The doctors never connected the two. When I stopped taking the zopiclone all of these symptoms disappeared  but it took me 18 months to be able to sleep again.