Zopiclone - Normal dose?

[zopiclonehelp]

GP gave me 7 x 3.75mg to take for insomnia secondary to traumatic stress - I’m already on max dose of mirtazapine which should be sedating but isn’t really .

The zopiclone at the half dose is doing sod all … I know mumsnet can’t say yes or no really but would I be safe to take a second? Unsurprisingly NHS24 won’t commit to an answer, said I’d need to talk to a GP but said there’s chance I might not get the answer for hours yet .

I’ve previously taken that combination and been absolutely fine fwiw .

You have absolutely no idea who anyone on here is and should NOT trust any answers you are given.

No one (including myself) with any medical background who values their professional registration will answer this.
It's not safe to give advice like this over the internet.
You need to see your GP in hours to adjust your medication if it isn't working.

Standard dose for me in hospital was 2 tablets of 3.75mg each.

do you mean half of 3.75? That wouldn't do anything for me.

I know, I’m just desperate to get some sleep . I won’t risk it . I think looking online 7.5 is normal dose but I don’t know why they’ve given me half, there might be a reason I’m unaware of .

No the full 3.75 . It’s made me reasonably calm but not really sleepy .

Standard dose for one patient is very different to what is suitable for another unless you are identical, with the same medical conditions and taking the same other medications
Agree with other posters who say you need to contact your GP who knows your history

Okay
I only took 7mg when dad was dying but I was on prozac rather than mitrawotsit.

can you manage for tonight and get an answer tomorrow?

It's the dose they give if there's a good reason not to give the higher dose. Maybe because of your other meds? Could you give it more of a chance? — sometimes sleeping meds only help you drift off if you're giving them the opportunity to work by lying down with your eyes shut etc., and won't necessarily make you feel sleepy if you're typing away on your phone.

Interestingly, mirtazapinr at 15mg is sedating but the higher doses of 30mg/45mg becomes less so.

Zopiclone also is a short term solution so focusing on other parts of sleep routine might be helpful to help you manage to sleep better in the long term. i hope your GP can review your medications to find a balance to help!

God I miss zopiclone. Hope you find something that helps you OP.

I have been on Zopiclone for years, 3.75 x 2 give me the most horrendous nightmares, so if it is that sort of night I take one and another in the middle of the night. I am retired with nothing to do and all day to do it, so no worries about waking up.

Though generally 3.75 is just the nudge I need into the land of nod.

My Zopiclone dose was 3.75 for less than 3 nights per week.
I also had Amitriptylene on other nights.

I'm also on mirtazapine and take nortripiline
If I still can't sleep I also have phenegan and take 7.5 mg of zopliclone

Because it's highly addictive and my GP won't prescribe more than a couple of days worth.

You could ask your gp for promethazine which is a antihistamine and really does help with insomnia.
I take it when I can't sleep and I've also taken zopiclone and I've had the same results. But chat with you doctor as they will know your history.

Promethazine can be bought over the counter, no need to use a GP appointment.

How have you found a GP willing to prescribe for so long?

actually, it might be zolpidem I liked so much. But there's like, a tiny difference in the isotope I think?

Great that promethezine works for some
i felt so ill on it, it was bizarre.

@EmmaH2022 fellow Zolpidem lover here. Zolpidem helps you fall asleep faster but has a shorter half life so you don’t wake up groggy. It’s absolutely brilliant when it works, I feel like I’ve been hit on the head with a hammer (in a good way). If you take it and don’t fall asleep you may have a pleasant time doing stuff you absolutely won’t remember. (Not recommended).

OP 3.75 of Zopiclone wouldn’t do it for me. I always take a whole dose. I appreciate everyone is different though, & I think I am fairly immune to sleeping pills now as lifelong insomniac.

I know someone on mirtazipine who takes 7.5 of Zopiclone too. If it’s worked for you with no adverse effects in the past why question yourself? Everyone on these sorts of threads always clutches their pearls & says they can’t advise you & that it’s incredibly dangerous.

7.5 is standard dose. It comes in 7.5 tablets.

Definitely Zopiclone.

My GP trusts me, I will try melatonin first and lavender spray and Audible books, but if after an hour or so I am still awake then I take one.

I understand you shouldn't take advice from us but this one I know something about.

The 'standard' dose, confirmed by various doctors and my neurologist/sleep specialist, is 7.5mg BUT several times in hospital and with GPs, I've been given 3.75mg 'due to my small size' (5"5 and 9 stone so not miniature). The hospital nurses just gave me another one both times I questioned it but in terms of prescriptions, GPs often only give me 3.75mg and sort of say 'well take 2 then'. Which meant I was technically getting half the amount of doses prescribed (and they weren't following the neurologist's advice).

Well it worked in the end, midnight I fell fast asleep . And now keep dozing off . So it’s definitely worked . Probably need to fo
for a nap to sleep it off a bit more .

I remember being given phenergan as a child and finding that had a horrendous hangover effect too .

Interesting that a couple of you love zolpidem. It does nothing for me. 10mg might help me to get to sleep (not as well as zopiclone) but I'll then just wake a bit later and feel rubbish.