Zopiclone withdrawal

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GP started prescribing me Zopiclone around 10 years ago when I lost both of my parents within 2 years of each other and I started suffering with sleep paralysis.

Midwife said I could take it through pregnancies at a lower dose so Dr told me to take half of usual mg, DD & DS born healthy thank goodness.

I have had PPD since my DS was born a year ago and found myself taking double doses, sometimes a tablet in the day as it makes me feel calm.

I stopped driving, I’ve put on 2.5 stone, my hair is falling out and I’m buying it on the internet as 28 tablets a month isn’t enough.

Anyway, I’m waiting on a delivery and have been without for 3 days. My body feels rigid, involuntary leg jerks and my neck and jaw feel really stiff. It’s making me feel so unwell and I’ve not slept more than 2 hours a night for the past 3 now but as awful as I feel, I’m tempted to bin them when they are delivered and just get through this in order to stop.

I hate that my life is controlled by these tablets, I take 2 or 3 then worry I’ll die in my sleep and leave my children, I can’t drive as I won’t put their lives or anyone else’s at risk whilst I’m taking them.

My home is clean, my children are happy and healthy, my DH has no idea and I’m terrified to say it out loud but I am an addict. As somebody who grew up with an alcoholic Mum, I thought I was different as my children are not neglected but I am just like her which makes me sick.

I don’t know who to turn to or what to do, if anyone has any experience shall I just not take them again? If I was going to die from withdrawal would I have done so by now?

Go and see your GP or pharmacist for advice: be honest. Also look up a narcotics annonymous nearby and go along.
You can beat this but withdrawal and recovery will be hard.

Thank you, I’m so worried that social services will take my children. They are everything to me 💔

You won’t die from zopiclone withdrawal. Some nhs trusts offer a service for people who are dependent on prescribed medications. Otherwise, it might be helpful to look at ongoing therapy about what the cause of the issue is. You’ve put at the beginning of your post about the death of your parents. Bereavement counselling may be helpful?

You need to speak to a dr asap as you are addicted to them and have been abusing a controlled drug, you should not just go cold turkey after 10 years without medical supervision.
Also you should never have been prescribed it for more than 2-4 weeks let alone a decade

If you're already in withdrawal the sensible thing to do would be tell your gp the truth and hell help you with the symptoms and check it's not dangerous territory but please bin the ones online. Ive bought different medication online to survive before as well and I can promise you the danger you're putting yourself in is far worse than you realise. They don't have the correct drug or correct amount a lot of the time so you could be overdosing off of one online tablet or taking a substance that gives similar effects but is cheaper to make. Once the withdrawal passes you need to have something in place less addictive to help you sleep from your gp because night sweats and crazy dreams and insomnia are par for the course for any drug withdrawals and you'll just convince yourself you need them again. Please don't be too hard on yourself, it's extremely easy to become dependent on these things and tbh your gp has blame here leaving you on it so long

Coming off any medication like this needs to be slow and controlled. I wouldn't advise going to cold turkey. Sometimes it can take months to taper down the dose and needs to be done with help and support from your gp. You admitted yourself you have an issue with them so thats the first step. You can and will over come this. You sound like a great mum so don't be too hard on yourself.

I am a retired nurse and also worked in child protection as part of a social services team.

The very fact of you going to your gp and asking for help will be seen as responsible and protective behaviour.

Your children will not be taken away.

Ask for help today.

Those involved in prescribing you zopicline for such a long period have more to reflect upon than you.

I was prescribed it myself for many years without review which amazed me.

Thankfully I stopped taking it fairly early on myself, but despite me asking the prescriptions to stop numerous times it still arrived (my meds are delivered due to disability) with the result of a large stockpile building up.

My experience of zopiclone was that I soon became tolerant and the prescribed dose had less effect.

When I stopped cold turkey I had withdrawal headaches but that was it.

You can stop this medication, and you deserve help.

Don’t be scared, you can do it.

This is good and sensible advice

Speak to your GP today and say everything you have said here. They will help you.

Don’t be scared, get focused, you can and will beat it… because, you want to!

your hair will flourish, the weight will drop off, you’ll be engaged more with the kids…

tell the husband you need his support, find some online tools, talk to the gp

i wish you all the best