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Zopiclone withdrawal hell


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Hello everyone,

 

I’m having a torrid time with sleeping since stopping Zopiclone. I was only on it for 6 weeks, but found I was having to increase the dose every two weeks just to get the same effect and actually sleep. It was when I tried to sleep without it alarm bells started ringing as I just felt completely alert, no sleepy ness at all and spending the whole night awake. I realise this drug appears to have affected me more so than the average person, but I just wondered if anyone else has gone through this same misery with this drug. I had four sleepless nights in a row when stopping, then a random 4 hours. Then back to nothing, then an occasional night where I get some sleep but it will always be proceeded by more sleepless nights. I kind of just want some reassurance it will improve and to see if anyone else has been as affected by it.

 

Thanks.

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Insomnia is really normal - especially for people who took these drugs for insomnia.  Sounds like you cold turkeyed which tends to make the withdrawal a bit more brutal.  fwiw - I found Unisom (doxy) to be stronger than Benadryl (diphen), but neither worked very well for a while.  Basically, it's not good to take any sleep aid regularly.

 

Try to relax about the whole sleep issue.  I'm sure your sleep will return in time.  The less anger/anxiety/sadness you associate with sleep, the better.  It's also good to accept that many people do just fine sleeping less than 8 hours a night.  I probably average around 5-6 hours a night and do just fine during the day.

 

Please consider adding a signature to your posts.  It helps us to know where you are without having to look up all of your old posts.

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Thanks for your reply. I am pleased I found this site purely to hear from other members as before this I had no idea whether what I was experiencing was withdrawal or something else. What I find quite disconcerting is that despite the extreme sleep deprivation I never feel sleepy or dozy or able to take a nap. I’m guessing that comes back eventually? Yes I agree about trying not to be anxious about sleep, I just find it difficult not to be when the physical and mental effects of sleep deprivation are so grim.
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The fact that you had to increase your dose to get the same effect means you reached tolerance.  IMO, once you reach tolerance, all bets are off.  Other short-term users, even those that used for less time than you, experienced horrid sleep issues after stopping their Benzo.  Siggy and Aloha are two that come to mind along with myself. 

 

As Badsocref said, sleep issues are pretty common.  The good news is sleep evens out over time.

 

I went for months and months on 5-10 hours of sleep per week.  I would go 3 and sometimes 4 nights in a row without any perceived sleep and then get some sleep for one night, maybe a few hours then go back to the zero nights.  Eventually it progressed into an every other night pattern for another 2-3 months where I'd get some sleep one night and then zero the next.  Slowly I got more and more sleep.  Today, I average 6-8 hours per night.

 

The thing that helped me the most was accepting my sleep issues and wrapping my mind around that fact that this wasn't permanent.

 

You'll get there.  It could be very up and down for some time though before it finally evens out.

 

Hang in there.

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Hello and Thankyou for your kind reply. Yes and before I stopped I’d hit tolerance with the higher dose too as the sleep was deteriorating on that amount. Hearing from other members is probably the most reassuring thing right now as you find yourself in that mode of thought that things will never improve. Especially as my GP basically laughed off such a reaction from short term use which didn’t help. Your experience resonates with what I am going through at the moment, I’ll have 2-3 sleepless nights, then have maybe 4 hours or so, get excited, then it’s another 2-3 nights with nothing. I think one of the most priceless things about this forum is the encouragement you get from people who have been there. Thankyou.
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You are very welcome.  The biggest thing I needed was hope and reassurance from others that went through what I was experiencing.

 

I literally thought I'd never sleep normally again.  It's the not knowing when it will end that is the most difficult to deal with. 

 

I was on Benzos about 5 weeks longer than you and my PCP along with 4 other ER doctors I saw over a one month period all told me there was no way Benzos could cause the symptoms I was having along with the little to no sleep and that I had some other psychological illness or condition. 

 

It got to the point where my PCP would no longer see me until I saw a psychiatrist.  I did that and she only wanted to poly-drug me.  I turned her down and sought advice/support on this forum. 

 

Almost all doctors do not recognize Benzo WD.  As a result, many get caught in a vicious cycle of getting putting on more drugs to treat the WD symptoms from the original drugs.  As you probably know, Benzos are designed for short-term (2-4 weeks) use. 

 

Not sleeping truly is the worst, but you'll get past this.  Ashton says insomnia normally resolves in 6-12 months for most?  Some take longer, some take less time.  That doesn't mean it zero nights right up and until it ends.  It slowly improves over that time period until it evens out.

 

 

 

 

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I think that has been the most disconcerting thing, when the professionals tell you that it can’t be a withdrawal process. That their beloved drugs could not cause such misery. My doctor wanted me to see a psychiatrist as they refused to accept that sleeping pill withdrawal can cause such extreme sleep loss. That’s where this forum really makes the difference.. people are lost before they find others who can understand and appreciate what they are going through. One doctor wanted me back on Zopiclone and Trazadone as he said it was more important to get a regular schedule back. I’m so pleased I didn’t, even though it’s been hell. As I would just have had to go through it again. This guy is supposed to be a world renowned sleep doctor too. They could all do with coming on these forums to understand and the effects these drugs have on people.

 

I now understand more and can accept it’s going to be a long struggle and there will be setbacks as the brain and nervous system heals.

 

It’s thanks to people like you that still take the time to help even though you are way ahead in the recovery process. Thanks again.

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I think that has been the most disconcerting thing, when the professionals tell you that it can’t be a withdrawal process. That their beloved drugs could not cause such misery. My doctor wanted me to see a psychiatrist as they refused to accept that sleeping pill withdrawal can cause such extreme sleep loss. That’s where this forum really makes the difference.. people are lost before they find others who can understand and appreciate what they are going through. One doctor wanted me back on Zopiclone and Trazadone as he said it was more important to get a regular schedule back. I’m so pleased I didn’t, even though it’s been hell. As I would just have had to go through it again. This guy is supposed to be a world renowned sleep doctor too. They could all do with coming on these forums to understand and the effects these drugs have on people.

 

I now understand more and can accept it’s going to be a long struggle and there will be setbacks as the brain and nervous system heals.

 

It’s thanks to people like you that still take the time to help even though you are way ahead in the recovery process. Thanks again.

 

My sleep doc told me that my withdrawal symptoms must be due to thyroid issues.  I had that checked out.  No issues.  I think that one has to realize that doctors are no different than any other profession.  There's a spectrum to their skill sets.

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[65...]

Alright, here's my experience:

 

Had a traumatic event at the end of Sept 2020 (looking back on it, it wasn't that serious, but at the time it felt overwhelming).

Stopped sleeping. Had 3 days of no sleep. (Which is not normal for me, I am a light sleeper, but once I was asleep, I'd sleep thru the whole night)

 

Went to doc. Prescribed Zopiclone 7.5mg.

 

Started taking in Oct. The first day was outstanding, after 1hr of popping the pill, I felt my anxiety disappear, and 10min later I dozed off. 5hr later I woke up abruptly, like someone had rung an alarm (but it was just my body). But I went back to sleep for another 3hr.

 

When I woke up the 2nd time, I felt refreshed, but with a mild headache, which lasted all day. I thought "man, this is a small price to pay to get sleep".

 

2nd night, I did not get the same effect, but I still slept about 5hr with abrupt wake up and another 3hr sleep.

 

3rd night the same.

 

4th night I panicked because I took the pill and I was not asleep after 1 1/2 hours, so I took 11.25mg Zop. I fell asleep.

 

Slept 5hr, but with a much worse headache, and could not go back to sleep.

 

Spoke with doc, and doc approved for me to do 11.25mg for a month.

 

For the next week and a half, I took 11.25mg nightly, to get 5hr sleep, and I took Tylenol 1000mg to get another 1hr sleep afterward.

 

(I'll make a note here and say that in this time, I heavily researched this drug, and most of the medical literature said the drug was relatively safe to take for up to 4 weeks, and that 2 - 3 days rebound insomnia was about the worst side effect to expect)

 

But the side effects were piling on: Migraine that was stronger every day, abdominal discomfort (not a stomach ache, but generalized discomfort). That zapping voltage across my brain, like somebody stuck a 12v battery's electrodes to your brain matter, which would begin the moment I woke up and get 10x worse by the time it was 6pm - 7pm, and the fatigue! I was dozing off in the car. I could not keep alert. I thought "man my body wants to sleep, so let's sleep" and I parked the car, rolled the seat backwards, and put my cap over my eyes. I felt exhausted, and yet after 2hr of just lying there, no sleep. That's when I called my work to request sick leave.

 

I went home and the same, full blown symptoms (which I now understand were due to reaching tolerance, and the very short acting half life of the drug). And 1 1/2 tablets were not working now either. So I called doc over the phone and explained everything.

 

So doc's advice was to take 15mg and see how that worked for me, and suggested I book a sleep study as I might have sleep apnea (lol).

 

I did not take the 15mg. I wanted off this drug. Instead, I started tapering. My "taper" was going back to 7.5mg for a day, and then 3.5mg for the next 2 weeks (my idea was to do 3.5mg for 1 week, and 1.75mg the second week, but I was not able to reduce from 3.5).

 

Those 2 weeks were the worst weeks of my life. A complete living hell which everyone on this board understands (because we've all gone thru it). On 3.5mg of Zop I would only get 2hr sleep, and wake up to the most side splitting headache I've ever had (like a migraine time 10). And the entire day I'd sit on my sofa, being electrocuted by my brain, and my days all became sitting there like a zombie, watching TV to distract a little, with headache, abdominal pain, the zapping, and extreme fatigue.

 

So many times I was tempted to daily dose Zop to make the sides go away, but I was determined to get off the drug.

 

I read the Ashton Manual, and asked my doc if they would give me Diazepam to wean off that instead. Doc refused saying benzos were addictive (lol).

 

I could have pushed, but I decided risking the switch was not worth it, I was already on 3.5mg daily, what was the point. So I endured for 2 weeks straight with some nights getting 2hr sleep, and some nights getting zero.

 

I did ask the doc if there was anything else that would help me sleep. Doc prescribed Trazadone. The last day of Zop, I took 100mg Traz, and it made me drowsy like I've taken 30mg Benadryl, but even with that and the Zop, I got zero sleep that night.

 

2nd day Zop free, I took Traz 100mg again. This time I got 2hr sleep, and it went on like this for another 2 days. On the 3rd day I got 3hr sleep, and then 4hr sleep.

But Traz had different side effects: Extreme constipation, and stuffy nose out of hell. I had to take laxatives daily to keep regular, because the constipation would not let me sleep. I also had to get a Sinus Rinse kit, to clean my sinuses enough to be able to breathe.

 

It was like that the entire month of Nov. The whole month I was surviving on 4hr sleep a night, only to be drowsy and sedated the entire day. On Dec I started getting 6hr sleep on Traz. I thought "hey maybe my body is starting to heal". So I went off the Traz by tapering to 50mg for 3 days, and then cutting it out. I went back to sleeping for 3hr, but once I was completely off the Traz, I started to sleep 4hr on my own, very broken (It would take me 3hr to fall asleep, and I'd wake up on the hour, but was able to go back for 4hr total).

 

Tried to go back to work. Bam, 1 day later, I get hit with total insomnia again, the entire week zero sleep. So I have to get off work again.

 

Went back to the doc. Traz helps sleep, but do you have any other suggestions? Doc offered Mirtazapine.

 

I tried it and holy crap was one pill sedating, twice as strong as Traz. That night I slept 8hr, waking up once an hour, but the sedating effect so strong I'd fall asleep again almost immediately.

 

I bumped it down to half a tab (7.5mg). Now I'd get 6hr sleep, but sedated as s*t the entire morning and half the afternoon. I got a pill cutter and started taking 3.75mg instead (a 1/4) and that was enough to get me 5hr daily, and the sedation was light enough to endure. Went back to work. Was on Mirt for 1 week like that, and was able to cope. I cut it cold turkey, and the next week I was able to sleep again on my own about 5hr, broken, but no medications (some supplements though, which I will get to). I thought that was it, the worst was over. But the week afterwards, BAM!! full on insomnia again, no sleep for 3 days straight. So I had to go back on Mirt, and with that 3.5mg sleeping around 6hr.

 

That's where I am now. I'm attempting a taper now. I cut pills to 1/4, took 1/4 and cut approx 10% of it with a razor. I was able to get 7hr sleep last night.

 

We'll see how it goes tonight.

 

 

I'm not a success story yet, but getting there. In hindsight, I should have just endured the original insomnia. It would have probably cleared up on its own after 2 - 3 weeks.

 

I am thankful my recovery was relatively quick compared to some of the other poor people on this site. But it still sucks that I have become reliant on meds to sleep. I was able to sleep on my own with no problems prior to all this BS.

 

Supplements that help me:

 

BioPQQ + CoQ10 = A lot of research seemed to point to this substance a good thing to try to repair cellular damage, since it directly influences NDMA receptors (which as per some posts above, is part of the problem with Benzo Brains. I think it made a big difference. It was after 1 week of taking this stuff that I went from 4hr broken sleep, to 7hr reasonably steady sleep.

 

L-Theanine = After a lot of research, it seems that this is a weak Glutamate antagonist. I started taking 200mg before bedtime, and I notice my sleep is definitely deeper now. With 3mg Mirt + 200mg Theanine, I almost felt like last night was a normal sleep.

 

 

Supplements that did not do anything:

 

Melatonin = 3mg makes me drowsy as F* but no sleep.

Lemon Balm = This made me REALLY drowsy but it was so pronounced, I did not sleep.

CDB Oil = I took 60mg before bedtime. Got me relaxed, but no sleep. Studies say you need 150mg to get the sleep effect. I can't afford to do 150mg daily, so no go.

 

So there you go, my experiences with a short term use of that evil drug.

 

It's funny how Zop became a drug of the devil for me, but Mirt was basically sent by Angels. I could not have endured without it.

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[53...]

When I woke up the 2nd time, I felt refreshed, but with a mild headache, which lasted all day. I thought "man, this is a small price to pay to get sleep".

 

2nd night, I did not get the same effect, but I still slept about 5hr with abrupt wake up and another 3hr sleep.

 

3rd night the same.

 

4th night I panicked because I took the pill and I was not asleep after 1 1/2 hours, so I took 11.25mg Zop. I fell asleep.

The same as my experience. Z-drugs and ultra-shortacting benzos like midazolam stopped working after three days for me.
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  • 2 weeks later...
I was on zopiclone from march to August.  I quit cold turkey and when on restoril and didn't get any symptoms except now I am addicted to restoril.
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[65...]
Zopiclone and Restoril might as well be identical except Restoril has a longer half life. That's why you got no Zop sides. The Restoril is covering you right now.
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