Please can someone do my b/f a crossover plan from klonopin & zopiclone

[[ch...]]

Hi all. 

 

With the advice of some bb members we have been told its best to get off the zopiclone first,  due to short half life. 

 

Trouble is my bf is already in a state knowing what dose he is on of the klonopin ( doctors lied,  said the were putting him on equivalent of 10mg value) so in other words he will not take anymore to cross over from zopiclone. 

 

so how do we taper from the following

 

he is currently breaking a 3. 75mg tablet in half,  and has been for about 3 weeks.  ( he was on 7.5mg,  been taking since March)

 

we have only recently made a cut on the klonopin last Sunday,  so 5 days ago. 

 

We did try cutting the zopiclone in half again on Wednesday night,  what an awful day he had yesterday,  so last night went back up to the half 3.75mg ( so is currently on 1.875)

 

Do we just try cutting again when he has settled on dose on klonopin?  I hope this doesn't take long to come off,  the thought of tapering from the klonopin and how long its goin to take sends him crazy,  I am trying to keep him calm but its so hard.  we need off it ASAP,  so he can continue his klonopin taper. 

 

Please any help for a taper plan without crossing over to something? 

 

xx

[[...]]

Wow, What an undertaking.

 

There are really two ends of the withdrawal spectrum: the rough ride of fast withdrawal, and the long gentle ride of slow withdrawal. Obviously your bf cannot cope with strong w/d (nor can I). But some people go that route, preferring quicker release from this awful prison.

 

I had to look up this drug, and found a taper plan at this location: http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/zopiclone.html

 

It really be simpler to use valium to get off both drugs. Easier and more straightforward. You can see that the zopiclone w/d plan involves crossover to valium. Zopiclone has a short half life which makes getting off pretty rocky. Thus the benefit of replacing it with an equal value of valium. I can't see how to do this without updosing on benzos. I understand your bf's reluctance to do so.

 

So the bottom line is I personally certainly don't have an answer, but if it were me, I'd study the webpage on the zopiclone taper plan.

[[ch...]]

We have booked an appointment. with our doctor next week,  I am hoping to find one that will work with us crossing over to diazepam from 1.5mg klonopin and 1.875mg zopiclone. 

 

my b/f is really struggling so need to make this as smooth as possible. 

 

Pam,  would you mind deleting my other thread regarding coming off zopiclone,  sorry to be a pain,  I am just getting desperate here x

 

 

[[xe...]]

I'd replace the zopiclone in one go without a c/o, and then replace the K in steps as per Ashton or Reg Peart. I am pretty sure he'll feel much better chiggylit...

[[ch...]]

I think he would probably want to follow the Reg Peart as it is a quicker c/o. I don't think he will wait as long as the asthon manual because while c/o he is not tapering, if that makes sense?

 

x Thanks for the reply.

[[Be...]]

I got off a similar drug (zolpidem) by cutting my 10mg tablet in quarters and dropping a quarter of a tablet (.25mg) every 2 weeks.  zolpidem is slightly stronger than Zoplicone so your bf could make larger cuts.  I decided not to take the extra time and side effects risks of switching to valium and did okay.  I still had difficulty sleeping for quite a while but eventually my natural sleep rhythms returned.

[[Pa...]]

I quit a huge dose of Ambien cold turkey and actually felt better because the inter-dose withdrawal symptoms went away.  I couldn't sleep for a week or so, but I was sure glad to be rid of the drug. 

[[xe...]]

I think he would probably want to follow the Reg Peart as it is a quicker c/o. I don't think he will wait as long as the asthon manual because while c/o he is not tapering, if that makes sense?

 

x Thanks for the reply.

 

Actually in the Ashton c/o you taper while c/o, in Reg Peart it is faster but you are supposed to hold for at LEAST 2 weeks afterwards.

[[Pa...]]

 

Pam,  would you mind deleting my other thread regarding coming off zopiclone,  sorry to be a pain,  I am just getting desperate here x

 

 

 

Hi chigglit,

 

I merged your two threads, we don't typically delete them. 

[[ch...]]

Hi Pam

 

Do you think once he has settled on the K dose he should quit the Zopiclone cold turkey then? or break the dose in half and quit over a few days?

 

I think he would prefer not c/o to valium as his depression is already really bad.

 

x

[[ch...]]

Pam,  can you advise what you. think is best to do?  He is very keen not to c / o to valium x

[[Pa...]]

At the low dose of Zopiclone your boyfriend is on, I feel he could safely stop taking it.  He's going to be miserable on or off the Zopiclone because of the Klonopin withdrawal, but at least he'll only be down to one drug when it's gone.  If he does stop the Zopiclone, he should probably hold his last cut for awhile longer though. 

[[ch...]]

Thanks Pamster

 

Ok thank you, we will leave it for a few days because today has been so bad, depression wise.

 

x

[[ch...]]

Hi Pamster

 

We are wondering whether this Zopiclone is causing him not to stabilize on his last cut on K.

 

It has been two weeks tomorrow and still he has had crippling anxiety so far today,(has has this all week, and really struggling to cope with every hour)

 

If we were to stop this now, would this cause more anxiety or help?

 

He wakes up first thing in the morning with terrible anxiety  :'(

[[xe...]]

Chiggy, the zopiclone causes very uneven levels of benzo due to the fast half-life and incomplete action, so yes it's totally possible. I really think he needs to either taper it first or drop it and updose the K to compensate. Since he's now very unstable and very unhappy I'm sure he might be more reasonable about updosing his K to drop the zopiclone. At least he will be down to one drug.

[[ch...]]

Thanks very much for replying.

 

So how would I work out the equivalent of 1.875mg of Zop, I the nearest I would get is 0.125 of the K?

 

x

[[xe...]]

Thanks very much for replying.

 

So how would I work out the equivalent of 1.875mg of Zop, I the nearest I would get is 0.125 of the K?

 

x

 

That's very little? According to the equivalency chart by Ashton, half of that .125mg of K (.0625mg) would be equivalent to 1.875mg of zopiclone.. maybe since he is so unstable, he can just drop it and add 0.125mg of K, wait a bit to stabilize... or he could just drop it altogether, he is on over 1mg of K right? I doubt that little would do much to make him worse if he ditched it... but he's already very unstable...

 

Glad to help

[[ch...]]

Ok thank you.

 

I think we are going to replace the Zop with the 0.125K, we cannot risk upsetting his system anymore right now.

 

x

 

 

[[ch...]]

After we have swapped the Zop for the K, how long do we leave it like that then?

[[ch...]]

What would happen if we didn't replace with the K, he really just wants to stop taking the Zop, but what's the worst that would happen?

 

His anxiety is already through the roof (I am sure that the Zop is adding to the withdrawal symtoms)

 

Decision decisions.....do we cold turkey the little dose of Zop or replace with 0.125mg of K?

 

 

[[xe...]]

BUMP this people complaining about my advice jeez... Pamster told him to just drop it.

[[ch...]]

I agree, could have been worse if you hadn't suggested to replacement x

[[Pa...]]

BUMP this people complaining about my advice jeez... Pamster told him to just drop it.

 

Hi Xenofears.

 

I'm not sure what you're getting at here?  My suggestion to get rid of the Zopilcone is based on my experience with Ambien, so I feel I have some valid points to make.  The Z drugs, because of their short half life do more harm than good, and Buddies would be better off without it.  Because we're withdrawing from the Z drugs each and every day, it makes the benzo withdrawals that much worse.  chigglits boyfriend can safely drop the Zopiclone without going up in Klonopin dose, and probably feel better for it.

[[ch...]]

The only thing is my b/f anxiety is so bad at the moment I agree that he needed to replace with something, then when he stabilizes we can remove that dose....stabilize again.

[[xe...]]

Oh no Pamster I wasn't critical of your advice I was just defending mine, i.e. your advice was "harsher" than mine, everyone was jumping on it in her other thread, I have no idea why. Both what you suggest and what I did are perfectly valid options. The only difference of what I suggested to you is that he do a tiny updose of the K to compensate because he already feels SO lousy. I agree with you!