Zoplicone

[StormsDontLastForever]

Hi, has anyone been prescribed ziplicone by their gp? I've had trouble sleeping for months and gp has prescribed zoplicone 7.5mg but can be doubled if required.

I have a dd (6) so don't want to be in too much of a deep sleep at night or very groggy in the morning.

Just wondering if anyone could share their experiences.

Thanks

LookingforSalt I want to live in your country.

November that's an interesting argument and I used a similar one. However, with all the nannying here I could sense they were ready to label me a druggie and put me in rehab so I got a last squeeze out of them when my father died and haven't tried since. That was 2018.

We talked about this at work and the worst thing is the lack of it actually makes you behave like an addict. You cut it up smaller and smaller and eventually end up with a foil wrapped quarter that you try not to use...

A lot of people do become addicted, I know people who are taking 3 tabs a night and still waking.

I've been through patches of taking 2 a night but have always been advised to taper back very gently when reducing again and that has worked for me.

I love Zopliclone, but also have GP who doesn't like to prescribe it in case i enjoy it a bit too much.

I take these boots OTC tablets now, only occasionally when things are bad, and I can't recommend them highly enough. Works as well as zopliclone for me and I can still wake of the kids need me.

They may be useful for someone
www.boots.com/boots-sleapeaze-tablets-50-mg---20-tablets-10263964

@sadpapercourtesan

My GP insists it's highly addictive and won't prescribe it at all now. I've had two short courses of it when I was absolutely at the end of my tether, it worked brilliantly for me, but that's my lot, apparently. He told me not to ask again.

I thought about trying to procure some online, but bottled it because i wouldn't know what I was getting. So it's back to chronic insomnia and a persistent foul mood

Yeah, a lot of them make you think it's nigh on smack. It's fine in short courses for trauma.

I have taken it on occasion when I have gone weeks without more than a few hours sleep per night. I found it excellent for catching up, gave me a nice quality sleep and no side effects. I took a very low dose - half of the 7.5 and it was enough for a hardcore insomniac.

The problem is that it is too good and I know lots of people who have become dependent on it despite it not being addictive.

I now take daily high strength magnesium citrate which has actually cured my insomnia altogether and is very healthy.

Sounds expensive!

Seems to be banned in the US now.

I love how they ban stuff that works and then act stunned they have an opioid problem. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My now retired GP gave me a little extra - years ago - because to quote her "they don't like giving out drugs that work these days".

I'd say they prefer you on long term drugs than something you can take once or twice a week.

Yeah, that's how they're going here. Then they wonder why people turn to street drugs. Instead they hand out anti-depressants that you're not supposed to quit cold turkey (but those are not addictive, apparently) that come with way more side effects. Handed out like sweeties, perimenopausal - ADs. Can't sleep - ADs and the kind that are known to cause weight gain, then you get tutted at for that. Short-term bad jags due to say, anniversary of bereavement, ADs.

rawal exactly! I am in the UK by the way - are you?

divided I tried that, no extra sleep but stomach cramps and er, other tummy upset problems.

@LunaHeather

rawal exactly! I am in the UK by the way - are you?

divided I tried that, no extra sleep but stomach cramps and er, other tummy upset problems.

That's a shame, it is known to cause GI distress in lots of people but it doesn't affect me that way.

It doesn't knock me out like a nice 'drug', but if I go and lie in bed I feel sleepy enough to drift off, which is life changing for me.

Absolutely agree with all those on here - particularly about the ADs. They gave me fluoxetine - massive weight gain, amongst other side effects - when actually it was menopause and I needed HRT. I wasn't depressed! I was menopausal and had fluctuating hormone levels that were causing issues.

The Boots tablet - like most others - is simply an antihistamine. It's meant to treat allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes and one of the side effects can be drowsiness. None of these over the counter things like Nytol have anything that has worked for me. I have hay fever and take an antihastime for it. It doesn't help with my chronic insomnia.

Gave me nightmares.

No reason anyone should take advice from me
But

Whatever you try, even just OTC, I'd say try half. That Nytol/Sleepeaze stuff makes me feel horrendous and at least if you only try half pf something, if you react badly you will only have half of it needing to get out of your system.

I'm in the UK.

High strength magnesium caused negative GI symptoms in me, too. I have acid reflux.

OTC antihistimines do FA for me, too, November.

YY, GPs are legend for handing out ADs for menopause symptoms because it's cheaper than proper hormone testing and treatment. And whilst some are good for things like night sweats, they're not treating the cause, hormone loss due to menopause.

@LunaHeather

No reason anyone should take advice from me But

Whatever you try, even just OTC, I'd say try half. That Nytol/Sleepeaze stuff makes me feel horrendous and at least if you only try half pf something, if you react badly you will only have half of it needing to get out of your system.

Diazepam made me hallucinate! Even with the half.

rawal half of how much diazepam, just out of interest?

I remember taking diphenhydramine HCL for a transatlantic flight so I could sleep. For whatever reason I missed the 'sleep point' and was stuck wide awake but feeling seriously wasted for a whole 10 hour flight. The jet lag on top was a killer

@LunaHeather

rawal half of how much diazepam, just out of interest?

think it was a 5mg, the half, IIRC, had been prescribed it for a panic attack. I had dire insomnia at the time, too. Fuck, it was awful! I'll never take that again!

YY, GPs are legend for handing out ADs for menopause symptoms because it's cheaper than proper hormone testing and treatment. And whilst some are good for things like night sweats, they're not treating the cause, hormone loss due to menopause

This is interesting as I just assumed my anxiety/depression and insomnia is 'straightforward'
But I'm nearly 48 and not once has my GP mentioned perimenopause or menopause as a possible cause.

@middleager

YY, GPs are legend for handing out ADs for menopause symptoms because it's cheaper than proper hormone testing and treatment. And whilst some are good for things like night sweats, they're not treating the cause, hormone loss due to menopause

This is interesting as I just assumed my anxiety/depression and insomnia is 'straightforward'
But I'm nearly 48 and not once has my GP mentioned perimenopause or menopause as a possible cause.

I'm with the pp

They hand out ADs because it's cheaper than HRT.

Mate of mine recently went private but she has cash to throw at the problem. She is feeling her usual self now, she has a hormone patch.

PS she is in full menopause
Her mum had early menopause too.

My GP won't give anything for sleep now. Exactly once a year I have a bout of insomnia. Usually I go in they go "ah yes, that time" give me 5 zopiclone which resets me and I'm fine
Now? Nope. So I go months with the insomnia dragging on and on
Yet I can have dihydrocodiene quite happily for the past 3 years without any questions

@middleager

YY, GPs are legend for handing out ADs for menopause symptoms because it's cheaper than proper hormone testing and treatment. And whilst some are good for things like night sweats, they're not treating the cause, hormone loss due to menopause

This is interesting as I just assumed my anxiety/depression and insomnia is 'straightforward'
But I'm nearly 48 and not once has my GP mentioned perimenopause or menopause as a possible cause.

Get thee to the menopause/perimenopause section of this site now! It's a wealth of info. Anxiety/depression and insomnia are all well-known symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Of course, they may not be, but it should be ruled out because women should not be fobbed off with anti-depressants without having had their hormone levels assessed. MANY GPs are sadly woefully ignorant at this and quick to fob off the cheaper option even though it may not be best for the woman and/or have way more negative side effects than HRT for them.

At your age, it's assumed you are perimenopausal, that this was not mentioned is shameful.

@QueenPaw

My GP won't give anything for sleep now. Exactly once a year I have a bout of insomnia. Usually I go in they go "ah yes, that time" give me 5 zopiclone which resets me and I'm fine Now? Nope. So I go months with the insomnia dragging on and on Yet I can have dihydrocodiene quite happily for the past 3 years without any questions

Yep, very standard.

Just wait, your dihydrocodeine will soon be on the block and you'll be given leaflets on mindfulness apps and sites for talking therapy.

Thanks Luna and Rawal

I'm going to head over to the menopause/perimenopause section!!!

@QueenPaw

My GP won't give anything for sleep now. Exactly once a year I have a bout of insomnia. Usually I go in they go "ah yes, that time" give me 5 zopiclone which resets me and I'm fine Now? Nope. So I go months with the insomnia dragging on and on Yet I can have dihydrocodiene quite happily for the past 3 years without any questions

Yes, I was on about 10 a year when I got told it was abuse if the medication.

The fact that I halved it and was therefore using it 20 nights a year annoyed them more.

Another colleague went from being refused it, a high dose of ADs to anti pysch meds which caused the most astonishing weight gain in a short period....also now pays a private psych. Back to peak health, I'm glad to say.

I just can't risk the money, even just for one private appointment, to get told no. What happens if it gets banned here? Then private can't prescribe it either.

The 7.5mg dose of zopiclone works very well in my experience. I suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome, which translates into severe insomnia when I have to try and sleep at 'normal' times, which I do because of work. Although I can only take it occasionally because addictive etc, I do find it handy for nights before something important is happening, when I absolutely must sleep.

Although I've heard of people doubling the dose I can imagine that leading to a really zombified state. I don't find 7.5mg makes me too groggy though.

Just one caveat: I've been drastically cutting back on my use of Zopiclone lately because of links to cancer and a possible increased mortality risk generally. I don't think anything concrete has been proven about a cancer risk, but I've read a number of articles online recently that flag this up, e.g.
www.ukmeds.co.uk/blog/do-sleeping-tablets-cause-cancer
www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20120227/sleeping-pills-called-as-risky-as-cigarettes

I should just stress I'm not a doctor or scientist, I'm just sharing what I've read.