Sertraline and Zopiclone

[Vanill1]

Please help I’m so desperate. I’ve been taking Sertraline for 5 days and have had little to no sleep. I got zopiclone today but terrified to take it as I don’t want to become dependent on it. Any advice greatly appreciated. I’m taking sertraline to calm the anxiety around sleeping.
thank you

My NHS GP flatly refuses to prescribe Zopiclone. I have used Melatonin successfully (I have Fibromyalgia). It is a more natural product and it’s what can sort out your sleep cycle , mostly people use it for jet lag. However in the UK it’s only available on prescription, I get mine in Spain as I spend time at my home there. Hope this helps.

@Cruisebabe1 thank you for replying. I do hate being on the zopiclone but not sleeping is so much worse and my doc said once the Sertraline kicks in we can wean the zop. Here’s hoping! Do you just suffer with insomnia in general or is it side effects of a med? X

Don’t worry too much about the here and now. Do whatever you need for sleep and ditch the guilt. I say this as a long-term insomniac.

I’m in the US and now have a medical marijuana license for insomnia and it’s been life-changing. One 5mg gummy at night and I sleep 6-7.5 hours. I’m over beating myself up about needing to take it. Insomnia is a beast, and quite often it has nothing to do with poor lifestyle habits.

I don’t know about the legality of CBN in the UK (similar to CBD but more potent) but that’s an excellent next-best to medical marijuana.

Supplements that also work well for calming anxious thoughts and promoting sleep are L-Theanine, L-Tryptophan and L-Glutamine.

I take 100mg of Sertraline in the morning and 15mg of Mirtazapine at night to counteract the insomnia from the Sertraline. Together they work perfectly.

@GarlandsinGreece thank you so much! I guess I am beating myself up about it atm and you’re right I need to think about day by day. I will try some of the things you have mentioned. Marijuana is probably not that tolerated here in UK.

@CustardySergeant thank you. I was actually on Mirtazipine for a few years then it stopped working so well hence the Sertraline . It’s just so hard x

Gosh, no. It’s still very much illegal in the UK. The medical stuff is a different animal—soil-tested, precise etc. I wouldn’t randomly buy some from a street corner anywhere.

I didn’t really get on with zopliclone. I found it became ineffective within a couple of weeks. Talk to your doctor about phenargen. It’s an antihistamine so doesn’t build tolerance in the same way. Best thing I did for my insomnia was CBT over zoom. It was life changing

So, another update for myself, I started work (yes on 3-4 hours sleep a night) and it’s a struggle but I did it. Day 24 now and can feel anxiety fading a bit. Still not managing more than 4-5 hours sleep on sleep meds but at least that’s better than nothing. Appetite better. Not lethargic during the day. Just taking each day at a time. Will try to cut down on sleep meds once I have a school holiday x

How's it going @Vanill1 ?

Hi @BSky thanks so much for checking in. I’m averaging 4/5 hours sleep now which I think is an improvement but still on sleep meds. Lot less physical anxiety though. How are you? X

Sertraline takes around four weeks to work and like other anti depressants can interfere with your sleep and have other side effects. These lessen as the drug gets into your system and starts to lift your mood. I would take the Zopiclone until things even out. My mum has taken Zopiclone for sleep problems on and off with no problems re addiction or reliance.

Hi, im on both! And i have been for years now. Im also on quetiapine and lorazepam. And i can get up for the kids.

What time of day do you take your sertraline? If you take it in the evening then it can interfere with your sleep.

If your zopiclone has a line down the middle you can break it in half if youre unsure.

@Rosscameasdoody thanks so much! I think I’m just wanting to come off the zopiclone sooner than I’m ready. I’m in week five now so not really sure when to try cutting zop x

@Sharkpenis thanks for this, makes me feel not so alone! I guess I just don’t want to depend on the zopiclone but at the moment can’t fall asleep without it and only sleep max 5 hours so worried that I cut it and it doesn’t work I’ll get anxious again x

I needed the zopiclone badly when I became unwell to give the sertraline a chance to work and let my mind rest at night. Dr. told me to take them for 6 weeks. I was horrified but I did need them and took them and got the rest I badly needed. After 2-3 weeks I started trying to sleep unaided but gave myself a deadline of midnight and if still awake I took them. After about 4 weeks, knowing I had them if needed, I was able to sleep. I’ve never needed one since and it’s been 3 years.

My point is take them when you need them but make sure you don’t take them when you don’t.

Zopiclone generally does work well but you'll only be given a week's worth of 7.5

Mirtazapine is prescribed for long term use if you sleep badly.

Tell yourself it will work, and it usually does.

I was on SSRIs and zopiclone for years. Yes, I took two 3.5 zopiclone every night for years starting in my twenties. It’s how it was, they wouldn’t prescribe it now. I am still on Sertraline now but weaned off the zopiclone some years ago. When you come off the zopiclone, come off it really slowly. It’s probably not necessary for you as you won’t have been on it a long time but it can’t do any harm. When I did it I cut the dose by an eighth, then stayed on that for a week or so, then another eighth etc, and you can make it slower still by doing a transition week between each dose change where you alternate the old and new dose each night for a few nights. Actually it’s good to come off all these drugs slowly unless of course you have urgent medical reasons to stop them.

If you have anxiety around sleep it’s going to be natural to think you need the zopiclone but actually it’s not going to create much dependence. The reason I came off so slowly was more to prevent other withdrawal symptoms than to help with sleep.

its stressful starting these drugs and wondering when or if they will help, adjusting to taking them when you’re already unwell and need help now, not more upheaval as you adjust to the drug. I have been there and I really feel for you. It’s ok, it sounds trite but it is true…you will get through it. Things will settle down. Feel free to pm me if any questions about the drugs.

Maybe try to reduce it starting at a weekend or other times when you haven’t got commitments the next day. The Sertraline should deal with any anxiety now, so when you feel ready try reducing the zopiclone and see how you get on.

Saying this as gently as possible. Anti depressants are not a ‘sticking plaster’ and it’s wrong to suggest this to anyone taking them. They are not usually prescribed for mild depression, as there are alternatives to try first, but for moderate to severe depression and anxiety, anti depressants work quickly in reducing what can be very distressing symptoms. Often depression and anxiety have no root cause except for a chemical imbalance and some people need repeated courses of anti depressants which work on neurotransmitters to lift mood. Talking therapies and CBT are helpful if there is a root cause but they take time to deal with causes of depression and ways of overcoming it and there are also long NHS waiting lists for this kind of therapy, depending on where you live.

Hey @Vanill1 4/5 hours sleep & less physical anxiety is real progress!

I know it still feels hard but you are sleeping more & working, which is improved from when you first posted. Slowly you'll get more sleep & more confidence to reduce nightly does or go alternate nights with the zopiclone.
ADs take time to kick in as others have said but hopefully now they are helping & you'll see greater improvement in the next few weeks.

Once you're sleeping & coping better you can start to think about addressing the causes of sleeplessness & build in some other strategies to help with sleep in the longer term.

I've found the calm app good - but there are lots of similar things, lots of sleep /meditation stuff you tube etc.

Hope things continue to improve.

Right so an update into week 6 now. I’m shaving about one 6th of my zop for the past week and still getting over 4 hours sleep. Not past 5 hours yet but not under 4.5 either so surely improving. I’ve managed working full time as a teacher at a new school where the behaviour is awful (one 12 hour day for parents evening) and have coped. I’d like to thank you all for your support and am looking forward to the day I can fully sleep without zopiclone. Onwards and upwards. I will post again soon 😘

Update! Last night I slept without zopiclone 😅 Never ever thought I could. Soooo happy. Things do get better on Sertraline 😘

Take it and don't worry. Enjoy your sleep.

That's great @Vanill1 - sounds like you're doing really well