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Z-Drug Support Group (Lunesta, Imovane, Zimovane, Ambien, Sonata, Zopiclone)


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I echo Wannabe because I do not understand why your doctor is giving you “ let’s see how this does” medications that will only add another that you’ll have to taper. I said I don’t know why but I do…your doctor IMO does not know what he/she is doing. Lunesta has its own issues as well and so does Valium ( diazepam).

If I were you….I would not take the Valium if you’ve only had a few doses here and there. I wouldn’t take anymore. I wouldn’t take the lunesta either. I would ask for REGULAR Ambien 10mg…two 5mg tablets. Because those are easier to taper. Yes Ambien has interdose wd and tolerance wd but as you taper you still can get some sleep at night. If it were me that’s what I would do….to me it is the lesser evil that your brain is already used to. I would taper 1/2 to 1 mg every 14 days. It was pretty simple when I tapered. I measured the 1mg cut by drawing a model of the pill on paper. Then marked the paper where each 1mg would be so I knew where to cut my pill. I used a thin sharp knife or razor blade. When it got to where I couldn’t cut anymore, I used a fingernail file to shave it down. When I got down to a crumb I jumped. Did I have wd symptoms? Yes but they were bearable because I tapered slow yet steady. I also mentally prepared myself that I would have symptoms and be uncomfortable for awhile. That’s part of it and requires acceptance. I distracted myself by making a schedule for during the day to keep busy. I did not take naps. Sleep restriction worked well for me and still does. I started a sleep hygiene and sleep routine when I began tapering to retrain my brain to fall asleep. It still works for me to this day.  :thumbsup: 

Sometimes you will struggle to sleep, not get much sleep or maybe not sleep at all. It is temporary and a direct result of coming off the medication. Expect it. Accept it. Your brain as it heal will return back to good sleep. Many including me are now sleeping better than I’ve ever slept with NO medication at all and NO supplements either. Just a good bedtime routine, no naps in the day, morning sunlight and a comfy bed while playing soothing ocean waves at bedtime. Deep lovely restful sleep about 7 hours nearly every night  :thumbsup:  All naturally so. The brain knows how to restore/repair. We have to give it the time and not interrupt it to let it do that. The last thing you don’t want to do is polydrug IMO. It’s a terrible situation to have more than one drug that gives WD. I can’t tell you what to do…but if I were you, I’d think long and hard about letting that doctor try this or that. Your brain is already suffering enough….that’s why you have symptoms already.

Best wishes to you. Big hugs 🤗 You can do this! Stay positive and have a good doable plan.

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Doctors giving individuals "let's see how this goes" drugs is how a large majority of people get on this forum. Total recklessness and frankly, a lack of intelligence. (The doctors, not anyone here.)
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Doctors giving individuals "let's see how this goes" drugs is how a large majority of people get on this forum. Total recklessness and frankly, a lack of intelligence. (The doctors, not anyone here.)

That’s exactly my point…that’s why it’s called “ practicing” medicine. I have such a greater respect for medication and supplements now. If I’m not dying, I’m not taking anything. I mean it will have to be absolutely necessary. I’ll try natural approach.  :thumbsup:

Hope you have a good day of feeling better 🤗

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Hi Zzers, today I got the result of my apnea research, conclusion; I have no apnea. Of course that is good news, but then I have to accept my morning/noon grogginess. Perhaps that will leave when I tapered my zopiclone. But I have also other medication that can cause the grogginess. I stopped watching the Giro Italy cycling tour on tv, too much images from the sky, which triggers my height anxiety. Huggsss Jerry  :thumbsup:
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Hey Jerry that’s great news…no sleep apnea! Way to go! Yes as you taper you know symptoms fade away. Some leave immediately when you’re done with tapering. Sorry you couldn’t finish wat hung the show. I also can’t watch fast moving things. Take care 🤗
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All,

 

I’m still on 20 mg of Valium per day but I’ve been down to 15 mg of Valium for the past week and have been substituting 5mg of Valium for 10 mg of Ambien at night for a week. 10mg = 5mg Valium

 

The reason I did this is I had the flu and needed sleep, but the Ambien is making me feel like crap during the day. Depression and more anxiety.

 

 

Can I quit this now and just go back to my Valium at nighttime ?

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Ambien did the same thing to me, if it were me, I'd just stop it.  Are you planning to add that 5 mg Valium back in?
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All,

 

I’m still on 20 mg of Valium per day but I’ve been down to 15 mg of Valium for the past week and have been substituting 5mg of Valium for 10 mg of Ambien at night for a week. 10mg = 5mg Valium

 

The reason I did this is I had the flu and needed sleep, but the Ambien is making me feel like crap during the day. Depression and more anxiety.

 

 

Can I quit this now and just go back to my Valium at nighttime ?

Does your doc know you want to taper off?  Are they on board with this?  Replacing val with a Z drug is kind of a wallop.

Since insomnia is just part of the withdrawal from these drugs, I'd cut a little faster down at first on Valium - starting 20mg, 19, 17, etc  -- if insomnia is your only symptom.  If it is not -- and if it were me -- I'd slow way down around the 10mg mark and hang out with the Valium users on BB who are microtapering for the best advice -- perhaps even more than one dose a day.    There are good threads for insomnia all over BB, too. 

Sorry you are going through this.

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Read my history.

 

I relapsed and have been on it for a week.

I'm sorry you've relapsed.  I agree with Pamster to get off the Z drug.

WBB

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Ambien did the same thing to me, if it were me, I'd just stop it.  Are you planning to add that 5 mg Valium back in?

I agree

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If I were you…I’d leave the Ambien alone. Stay on the Val then micro taper off. No going back and forth!
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Hey Jerry that’s great news…no sleep apnea! Way to go! Yes as you taper you know symptoms fade away. Some leave immediately when you’re done with tapering. Sorry you couldn’t finish wat hung the show. I also can’t watch fast moving things. Take care 🤗

 

Tonight I do another small taper step, I want to stay on that for a couple of weeks. It starts more and more to look like a crumb. Still I know I want to go slow, and to do some more steps before I jump. I guess I have some months left before that. I had my weekly saxophone lesson today and it was nice, we had an active lesson, and I played on my soprano. We mostly did jazz and chords. The weather is nice here, not warm and a mixture of clouds and sun. Huggs for all of you!  :smitten: Jerry

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Jerry,

 

You'll get through this next taper step just fine, I bet. I'm glad you got to play your sax and you have nice weather.  All those are good things!

 

Take care.

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Hey Jerry that’s great news…no sleep apnea! Way to go! Yes as you taper you know symptoms fade away. Some leave immediately when you’re done with tapering. Sorry you couldn’t finish wat hung the show. I also can’t watch fast moving things. Take care 🤗

 

Tonight I do another small taper step, I want to stay on that for a couple of weeks. It starts more and more to look like a crumb. Still I know I want to go slow, and to do some more steps before I jump. I guess I have some months left before that. I had my weekly saxophone lesson today and it was nice, we had an active lesson, and I played on my soprano. We mostly did jazz and chords. The weather is nice here, not warm and a mixture of clouds and sun. Huggs for all of you!  :smitten: Jerry

That’s great! Nothing like jazz!  :thumbsup:

Our weather here is hot but for the past few days we’ve had rain and tornado threats. We did have an actual tornado but it was not a big one. Minor damage in the next town. No loss of life. So counting the blessings.

Only a crumb….that’s great. Won’t be long now before you jump. I’m excited for you.

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Team Z love and hugs all around. I pray you all have a splendid day of lesser symptoms so you can enjoy something fun.

 

:smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

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What post wothdrawal symptoms have people had from zopiclone and how lomg do/did they last?

 

I am tapering zopiclone, but am not finished yet, so I cannot help you. I am going very slow with it, because I want to prevent to get too much withdrawel symptoms. The symptoms I have are lightheadedness and height anxiety. I hope they will go away when I am finished.

Jerry

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Sleepyjo the WD symptoms from Zdrugs are pretty much the same as benzos. As Dr Ashton said. She also said that whether it’s benzos or Zdrugs, you might not get all of the symptoms therefore don’t worry about that. Personally I can say that is true. I didn’t. But the ones I did get are long lasting ( 3 of them) but now are much milder and even disappears now for a bit. Which also confirms what Dr Ashton said about them waxing and waning with a gradual going away progression. It’s slow but definitely getting better. I also have a pattern to my waves that I can easily say when i will have my wave. When I do have waves they don’t last as long as well. Some people have rough waves for a long time then wake one morning completely healed. Some have rough waves for a few months up to a year then feel healed for months followed by getting slammed again for a few months. Some heal gradually ( in my case). And some have a combination of those. Unfortunately nobody can tell you what YOUR healing will be like. It’s up to your brain the way it repairs, genetics, and many other factors. Almost all of my symptoms are gone except the 3 vestibular issues I’ve had since day 1. Boatiness ( feeling like on a boat in wavy rocky waters), imbalance attacks which are ataxia episodes ( muscle don’t want to allow me to tolerate standing, walking or sitting up) and a magnet pulling downward sensation that makes it hard to be upright. Now that I’m 3 weeks from being 2 years out, those 3 symptoms have gotten better to the point that I can do normal things now with limitations. I am just now starting to ride in a car a short distance but can’t drive. Now I’m only in bed when I have a rougher wave. Even those are short lived. So no matter what pattern of healing your body takes….it gets better and as long as you don’t reinstate you will heal. That takes time….no exercising, supplements, diets, etc will heal you. Being completely off and time will.

:thumbsup:

I hope that helped answer your question. Hugs

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Thanks ladyden, Im hoping that my gut problems have been made worse because of zop, so theres a chance they will improve if you know what I mean
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Yes I had gut issues too. Ambien made them worse…same as you. When I got off Ambien they were rough for awhile then started improving in big strides  :thumbsup:

Now I don’t have any gut issues except……when I’m in a wave they pay a short milder visit then go away.

 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Time my dear time! There’s many gaba receptors in the gut so it’s not surprising to have gut issues.

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SleepyJo,

 

I took Lunesta for years which I think is the American equivalent to Zopliclone. After being on them for a while, I began  having gut issues and my doctor at the time (to her credit) warned me that my gut might have trouble due to my brain neurotransmitters being hit over and over again.  I agree with Lady Den that the Z drugs (I also took Sonata/Zaleplon) and the benzos pretty much have the same withdrawal syndromes.  I hope your gut improves soon!

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