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Quitting zopiclone


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Hello buddies,

I have been using zopiclone now for 3 months. I first got it because I was burned out from work and had panic attacks from which I could not sleep. The panic attacks have faded away but there is some anxiety still around. Now I am just realizing that this drug is bad and I want to get rid of it.

I tried cold turkey a couple of weeks ago but ended up being awake for one night (no other sideeffect). Now as I am thinking about quitting I would like to know what I am up against? I realize that my problem might be considered small compared to others but does anyone have a clue? How many nights does it take to befor I start sleeping? I am currently taking one pill (5 mg) every night. It seemes the sleep is getting worse (shorter) all the time so I have to take propavane as well now. The doctor say that my sleep will come back as I will start feeling better and to continue with the meditation for some time (about 1 month) and that we will have no problem quitting thereafter. But I wonder.....i think that I am a lot better and still I am sleeping worse.

There is also a risk that I will start getting worse again (panic attack etc) when quitting due to insomnia but I also feel that I don't want to wait to long.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
I took Ambien after going as much as 5 days with zero sleep twice and 3 days with no sleep more times than I can count. No one can say when sleep will return. I know people 6 months off benzos sleeping 2hrs anight . I was taking up to 20mgs of Ambien anight . Then decided enough is enough. Now I’m one of those sleeping 2hrs anight.
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Don't elevate your doctor to god status as it is apparent that he knows very little about the negative effects of z-drugs (which unfortunately is way too uncommon). Z-drugs are intended only for short-term use and you have already exceeded that by being on for 3 months. Suggesting that you stay on for an additional month after evidence of tolerance has set in makes zero sense. I suspect that you have expressed concern to him about renewed panic attacks from lack of sleep so he is just trying to get you out the door feeling that there is a plan in place when in actuality he is probably hoping out of ignorance that things will resolve themselves and then  you can just simply stop taking the pills. That belief is what came pretty close to killing me, or at least driving me to be locked up on a psych ward. Problems with taking z-drugs simply do not just resolve themselves, rather they tend to keep getting worse and worse.

 

You can probably verify what I say through independent research and through extensive reading of the multitude of postings on this forum. I very much doubt that you will find anything to suggest that remaining on Zopiclone at a constant dosage would be viable solution. You might want to read up on crossing over to a longer acting benzo and doing a long taper off. I don't have experience with that and would not personally opt for that choice, but you might decide that it is the path for you.

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[c4...]

Sleep is like a mirage. We have a long day, we work hard, we exercise, we eat right, we feel tired....we are hopeful....of sleep tonight....then, your inner voice, the monologue, your "thinking" gets busy, you don't sleep...... was it the decaf coffee, not completely decaf? Was it my sleep hygiene? The programme on TV? We keep looking for possible causes of insomnia - especially the ones we can avoid - the things we can definitely do - like not having decaf at all.

 

Let me rather speak for myself and not use the words we and us. I have bad mental habits  - stupid ones, ones that breed anxiety, ones that keep the wheel of anxiety turning - I forget this day in and day out and I try and be a SLEEP POLICEMAN! Catch those sleep disrupting objects and activities! Catch them!

 

Get up early, go to bed on time

Watch what you drink and eat or you will be up all night like a freak

Blue light filter and not too much stimulation, watch what you read...

it will give you an all nighter that no-one needs...

 

I should make a poem of it.... all of the above are important but if you do not get to know the tell tale signs of a diseased mind, that is an anxious thought generator, you can be MR. or MRS. Perfect at Sleep Rules but you will still have little sleep.

 

Just getting off benzos? Your body is in withdrawal - insomnia will be a symptom  - accept it and persevere - as you can read and educate yourself more get to know anxiety and its causes and the habits that feed it - look for them in yourself - you may be facing the underlying cause of why you got onto benzos in the first place! (That is if you started benzos

for anxiety and panic). Then, in the process, ditto for depression, this one is particularly stealthy.

 

Insomnia is caused by anxiety and depression which is very hard to realise and to be objective about and address in yourself. It is easier for me to whip myself about sleep hygiene and routine and to IGNORE the elephant in the room! In simple terms anxiety is thinking about the future too much and depression is thinking about the past too much. Your brain is an organ, you cannot stop it, it thinks, watch your thoughts! BE A THOUGHT POLICEMAN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION!!!

 

Insomnia is also caused by physical withdrawal but that insomnia does not last too long (this is where the politically correct want all the disclaimers (maybe even new pronouns)), months to a year, maybe two, probably less. I trust Prof. Ashton's view on this.

 

Insomnia is the underlying theme why I stayed on benzos all these years..... it was just too easy to eat that dirty doctor candy (disclaimer goes here). Now I sleep quite ok  -  6 hours a night about 5 nights a week - whenever I get lazy, I do not watch my thoughts, bad mental habits and anxiety and depression take a little hold  - I reach for an aid, anything that affects brain chemistry, it is nice for a night or two, then within 3 or 4 nights more my whole architecture of sleep comes tumbling down and I take two weeks to a month to sleep well again, and I do, without the antihistamines, pain killers etc..... they never help because my brain goes out of homeostasis with them (disclaimer here for the medical fraternity bullies). Sleep aids never help long term (repeat disclaimer to fade.....).

 

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