zopiclone addiction

[[z ...]]

my journey started about 10 years ago.my gp gave me 28x7.5mg.then the same next month and so on and so on.well it didnt take long before tolerance set in and i started using more and more.well here i am all these years later.i went cold turkey a year ago and had a bad seizure.in fact  i have had 2 more seizures but not for a long time now.problem is my gp wont cross me over to valium.so i dont know what to do??

[[z ...]]

he gives me 14 7.5mg tabs a week

[[z ...]]

no.its funny you should mention feeling sick because i have had muscle cramps from head to toe all day.

[[z ...]]

he just hates valium as a solution

[[z ...]]

i am going to change gp.i have to.

[[Pa...]]

Hi z boy,

 

How much are you currently taking?  I'm not a fan of the Valium crossover either, going from a non benzodiazepine to a true benzodiazepine can be tricky.  A gentle taper from the Z drug will leave you with only insomnia to deal with, a crossover to Valium will leave you with benzo withdrawal symptoms to deal with.  We can help you figure out a taper of the Zopiclone if you'd like.

 

Pam

[[St...]]

I don't know, you might consider it a blessing that your Dr. won't switch you to valium. I hope you're able to find the right help, let us know how it goes ok?

[[z ...]]

well it varies.put it this way,i take more than the gp gives me.i take about 7 or 8 7.5 mg tabs

[[z ...]]

you know to be honest i have tried valium before for anxiety issues and i never liked it.

[[z ...]]

as for slowly reducig well i have been  trying that for years and i just cant do it.

[[z ...]]

i was wondering.valium crossover or just reducing do you have a rough idea how long it will take to be clean and free from the drug?

[[Pa...]]

The equivalency table we use equates 7.5 mgs of Zopiclone to 5 mgs of Valium, you could probably crossover to the Valium in two stages, then taper 1 mg of Valium every week or two after that.

 

I quit Ambien cold turkey and while I couldn't sleep for a week or two, I felt instantly better because the inter-dose withdrawals went away.  The Z drugs have an incredibly short half life, so you're actually withdrawing from it each day, you can do this without risk of seizure.  If you're taking more than your Dr prescribes you might want to consider doing it this way and be done with it.  It's wonderful to get away from the psychological hold this drug has over you.  It makes you think you need it, that you can't sleep without it, but you'll find as I did that you can and you will.

[[z ...]]

i dont think u fully understood my addiction problems.you see i take about 4-5 in the morning then when they wear off i have another 4-5 at t time.its cos they got such a short half life is the problem.and as for the seizure thing i have had 3 since being on zopiclone??

[[z ...]]

after all these years of taking them i dont even use them for sleep.i take them to keep away the nasty withdrawals i get everyday.

[[z ...]]

hi pam.in one of your replies you said i could c/o to valium in 2 stages.what does that mean?

[[Pa...]]

I took Ambien the same way towards the end of my use of it, every three hours I'd have to take some more to make the nausea and tremors to away.  A Valium cross might be good for you since you're having to take the Zopiclone so often.  Have you been hospitalized for your seizures?  Have the Dr's run tests on you to determine if they were indeed caused by the Zopiclone?

 

Can you tell me the total mgs of Zopiclone you take each day?

[[z ...]]

i no the seizures were caused by zopiclone because they happened every time i went cold turkey.i havent had a seizure for a year and a half because i have drastically cut down the large amounts i was taking at the time.i am thank god not epileptic.i no this for sure.

[[z ...]]

i take give or take 75mg a day

[[Pa...]]

When I said you could cross over in two stages, I didn't realize you were on such a high dose, sorry.  You're probably right about the seizures being caused by the cold turkey, that's a pretty high dose.  You should probably cross over to about 50 mgs of Valium, you could probably do this in 5 stages, which is what Professor Ashton says are 1 to 2 week intervals.  You could take away 15 mgs of Zopiclone every week or so, and add 10 mgs of Valium, until you're fully crossed over to the Valium and can begin to taper it.

 

Can you find a Dr to prescribe the Valium to you?

[[z ...]]

yes i can find a dr to help me c/o.i just need to stay with my current gp a little while longer just for some medical and driving licence things to be sorted and then i am changing doc.i dont want to cos hes a great doc but not benzo aware and not prepared to give me valium.

[[z ...]]

the only thing is that the doc whos going to help me stops the zopiclone straight away.its straight onto valium.not ideal i dont think but i dont really have a choice.

[[z ...]]

do u think it will be a rough ride with having the zops stopped straight away?

[[Pa...]]

It takes awhile for the Valium to build up in your blood, but I don't think you'll feel too bad, because as I mentioned, I actually felt better by stopping it, the inter-dose withdrawal went away.  If your Dr is calling the shots on your crossover, then you'll have to trust his judgement here, the main thing is to keep you from seizing.