Zopiclone / Zimovane

Asystole · 16-05-2008, 06:44 PM

I've been having trouble sleeping lately and have been using zopiclone to get myself off to sleep. I was quite surprised actually when I took two the other day and slept for 15 hours accidentally.

Anyway my question is, I'm aware you can develop a tolerance to the drug, but will this always happen? As my sleep is quite messed up lately and I may need to be on it a while so I don't want to be working my dose up constantly.

pixiedust · 16-05-2008, 06:46 PM

I became tolerant to it after about 3 weeks but it's different for everyone. Talk to your GP about it x

Tig · 17-05-2008, 02:58 PM

Yep, you can definately become tolerant to them. I started off on a dosage of 7.5mg and now need to take quite a bit more than that to get me to sleep or take another tablet to coincide with that.
It varies in people about how quickly you become tolerant. I think it's taken me quite a while, I haven't taken it consistently for long periods of time anyway but just built up a gradual tolerance when I do take it.
What did your Doctor suggest when they prescribed it to you? If you've been given it to get in to a routine then I suggest you do take it every night at the same time and get up at a reasonable time every morning so your body has time to adjust, you may feel drowsy but it will eventually get a routine going [hopefully anyway]. Mine is prescribed as PRN so I take it when needed sort of thing, in which case I'd advise you don't take it every night - just when you need it most.
Of course though, your Doctor may have suggested something completely different!

I got stripes · 17-05-2008, 04:16 PM

More of a worry than tolerance should be the chance of addiction, zopiclone is pretty addictive and shouldn't be taken over long periods of time. Once addicted it can be pretty hard to get off so watch out for that.

Ami · 17-05-2008, 06:23 PM

Ive took 7.5mg alternative nigths for the past 3 month and havent got a tolerence or an addiction! x

everylastbit · 21-05-2008, 05:17 PM

I started on them just under a week ago and I can already feel some sort of addictive effects. Maybe that's cos I've had addiction problems before and that's just how my body works. I read somewhere that you should only be on it for 2 or 3 weeks or so...

I got stripes · 21-05-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strawberry-Gashes

Ive took 7.5mg alternative nigths for the past 3 month and havent got a tolerence or an addiction! x

Perhaps because you're taking it on alternate nights?

Ami · 21-05-2008, 09:58 PM

^^ maybe yeah. i dont take them every night! Just saying that there are ways you can take them without deveolping a tolerance :)
x

GirlAfraid · 22-05-2008, 02:07 PM

Like Strawberry-Gashes, I take them every other night too, which is probably why I'm not addicted to them.

I guess you could try doing that if you're worried, or as others have said talk to your doctor about it.

I mean, according to the instructions leaflet the chances of developing a dependency are slim... but I've heard otherwise from research online and stuff so it's really difficult to say what's right and what isn't :/

Asystole · 22-05-2008, 02:55 PM

Well he said this week is the last week he can really prescribe them to me. That's pretty harsh. Said he'd have to move onto something stronger if my sleep wasn't fixed after this. And that may mean changing my other meds. :/