Z-Drug Support Group (Lunesta, Imovane, Zimovane, Ambien, Sonata, Zopiclone)

[[Li...]]

At the moment, I am still using a half tablet zopiclone before I go to bed. I have used it for years. A couple of years ago I tried to quit it, but in the end my taper was not successful. According to my shrink it doesn't give interdose withdrawl, like benzodiazepine's do. I wonder if she is right. I daily have anxiety problems, which also could be related to my higher bloodpressure which can give dizziness. At the moment I am using medication to lower the bloodpressure. But still I have anxiety problems. Maybe me bloodpressure is still not low enough?? I would like to know whether if people here experience anxiety of their daily use of zopiclone?

Jerry

Hi Jerry.

Im on a low dose too. It can cause anxeity mabye you are in interdose withdrawal as you dont increase your dose? I dont have anxeity (well not much) but I have depressed feelings. Its hard. Its a lonely place... I think its correct that CBT dont help if its chemical but Im not sure because I think if serotonin is low, för instance, theraphy should help dispite why its low?

My depression ifton ease up around 7 or 8 pm does your?

 

Hi 2forone,

I don't really know when the depression lifts. Since a couple of months I have medication for high blood pressure, which makes my evenings harder to bear. I think I will start tapering the zopiclone after the summer. When the heat is gone...

Jerry

[[Li...]]

Today And also evening it is all so bad. I feel groggy and I feel light in my head. I need to do things outdoors, like shopping and going to the swimming pool. But it is tough. I have done these things, yes I did. But the load I am carrying is getting heavier and heavier. The reason for this trouble is probably a mixtier of zopiclone interdose withdrawal, my bloodpressure medication, and other medication I use. I have no questions, I just have to go trough this ordeal.

Thank you for reading,

Jerry

[[Li...]]

I am thinking over and over what is occuring to me now, and I think i am in tolerance. That must be it. I am reading the Ashton manual (in Dutch) and recognize things I am suffering from. Mostly anxiety, depression, lightheadedness, troubling thoughts, trouble with reading and memory problems. So it is time to work on a solution. Finally taper the zopiclone. I know it will be tough, but I have to do it. It is the end of the summer, so the heat will be over soon. The best time to start. In Holland there is a pharmacy that makes tapering strips. With these strips you can slowly taper down to zero. In my case I can taper the 3,75 mg zopiclone in two months slowly to zero, in such tiny amounts, that I could never cut by myself. It is also possible to make holds so you can stay on a certain amount for a while. I will have to ask my shrink to order this for me. And otherwise I have to ask my normal doctor if he can help me with this. I have even an uncle who is a doctor who could help me.

Jerry

[[be...]]

I just noticed this great thread. I'm so sorry people are suffering. Z drugs are bad news all around. Quite a long time ago before my benzo nightmare my pdoc put me on ambien. Of course I had no idea what it was. Many years later when I found out, I dropped 2.5 mg a week for four weeks. I had a bit of trouble sleeping 💤 but that went away quickly. My point is not to throw this in the face of those in agony, but to point out healing may be just around the corner. I suppose I dodged a bullet, but if I took it again I guess not. I’m guessing part of the reason was my body was not yet poisoned by benzos. Try and keep the faith.

[[al...]]

Z-drugs can be beaten. I got slammed very bad with a long hard Ambien withdrawal. Over a period of years I did see lots of improvement, but the whole experience was still in the front of my thoughts and sleep would revert back to the rotten withdrawal sleep from time to time. I now consider the ordeal to over since my sleep has been pretty stable and I have left the experience behind me. I don't identify myself as a person impaired by Ambien anymore.

[[Li...]]

Z-drugs can be beaten. I got slammed very bad with a long hard Ambien withdrawal. Over a period of years I did see lots of improvement, but the whole experience was still in the front of my thoughts and sleep would revert back to the rotten withdrawal sleep from time to time. I now consider the ordeal to over since my sleep has been pretty stable and I have left the experience behind me. I don't identify myself as a person impaired by Ambien anymore.

 

I have just made an appointment with a friend; He will stop smoking and I will stop using zopiclone

We'll start after the summer. At 21 September...

[[or...]]

Jerry, those tapering strips sound great! I wish we had them here. I chucked my 10 mgs of zolpidem by dropping 2.5 mgs a month until I got to 2.5 mgs. Then I cut that little piece in half for a month. Then, off. So it can certainly be done. I might have gone more slowly than I needed to, but it worked for me.

 

Good luck!

 

Katz

[[be...]]

Z-drugs can be beaten. I got slammed very bad with a long hard Ambien withdrawal. Over a period of years I did see lots of improvement, but the whole experience was still in the front of my thoughts and sleep would revert back to the rotten withdrawal sleep from time to time. I now consider the ordeal to over since my sleep has been pretty stable and I have left the experience behind me. I don't identify myself as a person impaired by Ambien anymore.

 

I have just made an appointment with a friend; He will stop smoking and I will stop using zopiclone

We'll start after the summer. At 21 September...

 

That might work. I have a friend who was very addicted to coffee ice cream from a particular store. She went well out of her way to buy it. After years I’d eating it every day, she got hypnotized and hasn’t had any for months and doesn’t miss it,

[[le...]]

Just wondered if anyone in this group tried Anti depressant to help withdrawal. Reluctantly just started one. Been over 7 months since I jumped no windows at all, the last month symptoms escalated and new symptoms starting. Literally have no life due to extreme intrusive thoughts. Have friends on one I am on who have just stopped without any problems. People advise against them but only very low dose and when you feel there is no hope figure worth a try as seems people can take well over a year to recover. Only intend staying on it few months literally don't want go on so figure worth a try

[[be...]]

I was allergic to the SSRis so eventually I was put on trazodone for sleep. That really helped a lot. I got off it after I jumped because I noticed it was keeping me up. I don’t regret it at all.

[[2f...]]

Hi. Can anyone please help by answering? Ive scipped the nigtdose Zopiclone for 5nights now. I was in 3.5mg at night. I take day dose 2mg. Ive slept okey besides one night when I did not at all. But what to expect now? My depression got worse daytime (still feel okay after about 7pm as I always do) . I get warm on and off like sweating and it started when I took away nightdose. Can anyone put some Light into this as I feel horrible in my depression? Should I continue scip night dose and will it help my healing? I guess its a 50% decrease?

[[wa...]]

yes -- everything you are experiencing is the withdrawal.  Keep going and dismiss these discomforts as part of the process.  I used to say to myself all day "This is just withdrawal".  You'll feel better eventually and even sleep eventually.  Don't reinstate or updose if you can.  WBB

[[2f...]]

yes -- everything you are experiencing is the withdrawal.  Keep going and dismiss these discomforts as part of the process.  I used to say to myself all day "This is just withdrawal".  You'll feel better eventually and even sleep eventually.  Don't reinstate or updose if you can.  WBB

Thanks wwb.

Its now day 7 without night dose. Its the same as before but its okey. Day depression is the same I would hooed it should ease up after skipping night dose. ❣️

[[be...]]

yes -- everything you are experiencing is the withdrawal.  Keep going and dismiss these discomforts as part of the process.  I used to say to myself all day "This is just withdrawal".  You'll feel better eventually and even sleep eventually.  Don't reinstate or updose if you can.  WBB

Thanks wwb.

Its now day 7 without night dose. Its the same as before but its okey. Day depression is the same I would hooed it should ease up after skipping night dose. ❣️

 

It will eventually get much better. It’s trying on you now but hopefully it will be a distant memory. Keep the faith.

[[Li...]]

Hello all,

At the moment I am still busy with finding the right medication for my high bloodpressure.Have to find that first.  i hope to start tapering at the beginning of autumn.

[[2f...]]

8 nights without Zopiclone (just day dose wich I decreased too) . Im loosing hope as Im still depressed thinking its not them... its me (and I not aloud to take AD s because of a rare condition with AD s.

[[be...]]

Are you intolerant to SSRis or all antidepressants? I ask because the SSRis made me very sick but the trazodone worked well. I took it for sleep 💤.

[[2f...]]

Are you intolerant to SSRis or all antidepressants? I ask because the SSRis made me very sick but the trazodone worked well. I took it for sleep 💤.

No I had TMA (trombotic microangiopathy) its lifethreatining condition. They are not sure it was SSRI. Is tradosone an AD?

[[2f...]]

yes -- everything you are experiencing is the withdrawal.  Keep going and dismiss these discomforts as part of the process.  I used to say to myself all day "This is just withdrawal".  You'll feel better eventually and even sleep eventually.  Don't reinstate or updose if you can.  WBB

Thanks wwb.

Its now day 7 without night dose. Its the same as before but its okey. Day depression is the same I would hooed it should ease up after skipping night dose. ❣️

 

It will eventually get much better. It’s trying on you now but hopefully it will be a distant memory. Keep the faith.

Benzogirl how long before you felt okey? Im down to 2mg now

[[be...]]

yes -- everything you are experiencing is the withdrawal.  Keep going and dismiss these discomforts as part of the process.  I used to say to myself all day "This is just withdrawal".  You'll feel better eventually and even sleep eventually.  Don't reinstate or updose if you can.  WBB

Thanks wwb.

Its now day 7 without night dose. Its the same as before but its okey. Day depression is the same I would hooed it should ease up after skipping night dose. ❣️

 

It will eventually get much better. It’s trying on you now but hopefully it will be a distant memory. Keep the faith.

Benzogirl how long before you felt okey? Im down to 2mg now

 

Trazodone is an AD but a different kind. I tried them all but they made me manic and super anxious. Well I felt terrible with insomnia after the beginning of my K taper. I was paradoxical to it. My pdoc gave me adjunct meds and they helped me sleep a lot. I was very tired on 70 mg Valium and I had horrible fatigue. That lasted quite a while. When I got below 10 mg it went away but the insomnia crept in regardless of my medications.

 

Beginning at 9 mg to 4 mg was hellish. I didn’t think I’d make it. I was only cutting by tiny amounts. When I got below 4 mg I started to feel a lot better. I held longer and jumped at .25 mg. It was a non event. Given the chance, I would have never taken Valium.

[[on...]]

I would like to join this support group because I have come off Lunesta and am still having a hard time with withdrawal. I took 3 mg Lunesta for 7 weeks in the spring and then started tapering off. My last dose was in the middle of June. I am still getting nasty "waves" at times (high anxiety, insomnia, burning skin, fatigue, foggy brain) after 2 1/2 months off. Sometimes it feels like depression too. I keep thinking that this can't still be the Lunesta -- but many things that I read tell it that it probably is. Is anyone else experiencing these kinds of waves after months off of Lunesta? Any help and support would be appreciated!

[[mi...]]

HI there. Has anyone tried a microdose taper for Zoplicone? Can you dilute it in milk?

[[wa...]]

Hi Oneday -- good for you for asking -- I was a Lunesta user, as you know, and it was awful coming off.  Be patient.  The crummy withdrawal ends.  I didn't believe it would but it did.  I also didn't believe I would sleep again and I did.

 

 

Milkeyboy  I have not heard of microdosing Zopiclone.  It is so fast acting.  Perhaps purchase a jewelers scale and cut the tab really in small increments like I did.  Yo may want to take 2 x a day.  SG57 on here helped me a lot.  See if he is still helping folks.  I used the cheapie kind but they were accurate (I had to buy a couple)https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Weigh-GEM20-Precision-Milligram/dp/B00ESHDGOI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=175CJC70I7SPI&keywords=jewelers+scale+digital&qid=1571342664&sprefix=jewelers+scale+%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-5

 

 

WBB

[Guest [Lo...]]

Hello,

I am struggling right now trying to figure out where my sx are coming form.  Came off Remeron in June. Horrible symptoms still persist.  Had been on .5 Klonopin for years, so that is still on board.  Also started Ambien in June for horrible insomnia.  Now I am feeling more panicky and getting numb feelings on soles of feet and around mouth.  Also, getting twitches. Can Ambien be doing that?  How do I taper off of it?  Thanks!

[[or...]]

I tapered my Ambien by getting 100 mg pills and reducing by 100 mg a month. I went too fast -- at 300 mgs I wish I had opened the capsules and poured half out. So reducing that way -- just dropping 100 mgs at a time might be an option for you. Short of crossing over to valium (I sure didn't want to do that after a 3+ year valium taper) I couldn't think of another way to taper. It had long since ceased helping me get any sleep -- I was just left with rotten tolerance and bad s/x similar to my benzo taper.

 

But my taper method worked. I have been free of Ambien for about two years.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Katz