Doc wants to take me off zopiclone...I need them for sleep!

[blackstorm]

Hey,

I have been taking zopiclone for around 7 months because I have very bad problems with sleep.

I was getting 10 7.5mg tablets every month but when I went for my last refill I had a note saying "Reduce use and stop now" and giving me 10 3.75mg instead of the 7.5.

Apart from thinking it was a bit rude without asking me in to talk about it, I do really have a very bad problem with sleeping and these have helped a lot.
I could go 3 nights without sleep and thats when I resort to the zops. Sometimes I take 2 because I really need the sleep to function after not sleeping for a long time.

I think the reason for this is because I told my doc I am drinking way too much, 1 of the reasons being because it helps me sleep...I went to the doc to get help with cutting down on the drink and got an appointment with an alcohol service...

I dont know what the doctor is thinking..If I go off the drink, my sleep will be even worse.
Taking both away seems to be a lot more of a problem, with the zop its more likely I will just start to drink more to finally get a sleep.

I am also an effexor 225mg..this isn't helping with sleep at all, it makes me feel even more tired than I would, but actually stops me from sleeping.

I went to the doc last week to ask them to take my dose down for effexor because it is stopping me sleeping but was told I would be better off sticking with it for now.

Anyone know what I should do in this situation? Right now, all I can see is me drinking more to get the sedative effect so I can sleep and stop the insomnia I have.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

Your best bet is to be honest with your doctor. Zopiclone is a z-drug with effects similar to the benzodiazepines. Issues with tolerance and dependence exist with z-drugs just like with benzos.

Talk to your doctor about your concern and ask them about slowing down the taper off zopiclone. While throwing alcohol into the mix may be a short-term solution, it will eventually cause more problems in the long term.

 

[Allein]

^^^ truth

I'm on effexor and have been on both zopiclone and zolpidem, the booZe really isnt helping you get real sleep but I unbderstand why you are doing it. I gave up the booze last year and it didnt really effect my sleeping, I'd recommend Valerian root tabs as well as a sedating antihistamine like diphenhydramine (Nytol in the UK).

Z drugs loose their effect with me in a couple of weeks so they were only a short term answer, a short walk in the evening also helps allot for me.

Best Wishes

 

[mgrady3]

Be honest with your doc.
Do your best to let him know you are trying to right your life; getting off Booze is a big step and he/she should appreciate that.

That said you don't want to "need" benzo's (z-drugs too) for sleep - from personal experience. They certainly help but they (rarely) treat the underlying problems so you end up being stuck on them for a long time.
its been 2 years for me in various amounts/combos: xanax, ambien, zopiclone, temazepam, clonazepam... I sleep, but generally only because of the benzos. Its a double edged sword that must be handled with care.

best wishes to you - hope you can get some good sleep

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

You don't 'need' them for anything, other than a taper to prevent risk of seizure (which is pretty much non existent an that dosage level anyway). Believe me when I say that that the majority of people who have sleep problems can be cured with simple good sleep hygiene and a hard days work (no, 8 hours in an office isn't a hard days work) or some strenuous daily exercise.

Go out and run/swim to exhaustion a couple of hours before bed every night and then go to bed (with a regular routine that you set up and go through every day) with a hot milky drink such as horlicks. For the vast majority of people this will cure them almost instantly, for you it will be a bit harder as you are addicted to a sleeping pill, but try it for a month and then come back if you still have a problem. I bet you don't.

 

[Violenza666]

You could always go all Tyler Durden on him...

Seriously though... Sleeping pills fucking SUCK because they cause rebound insomnia... not to mention addiction. You need to talk to your dr... there is an easier more comfortable way to do this...

You can always order them online...