Weaning off prescription sleeping tablets

Such a calm, helpful post Madeleine45. It has reminded me that some things in life have to be accepted and a good work around devised.

Plenty of good advice for the OP above.

It is probably easier to cope with sleeplessness when sleeping alone. The worry of disturbing another person must make it worse.

MerylStreep

Dickens
Have you seen the film Dopesick. It’s the story of the Sackler family who developed that poison.
Nobody was ever meant to get off them.
Or look up up ^the opioid epidemic that took over America^

... thanks MS.

I'm researching the info you have given right now.

I'm taking two different types of the same drug - fortunately I've been able to taper one of them - the "quick-acting" one - almost to the point where I can discard it now. The "slow-release" will be more difficult, but having researched how it alters the brain chemistry, I'm not prepared to be a victim for the remainder of my life.

I appreciate the information you've given. I might even mention it to my GP - if I ever see her again that is. The drug is on 'repeat' - no-one has ever reviewed my medication list. So I do it myself!

aggie

You need to ask your Doctor for help , posters here are not qualified

Absolutely!

Dickens
Have you seen the film Dopesick. It’s the story of the Sackler family who developed that poison.
Nobody was ever meant to get off them.
Or look up up the opioid epidemic that took over America

You could try going to bed much later than you normally would, maybe 11pm or midnight. Try halving the tablet.
There is a breathing exercise that works for me:
Breath in for 7 hold your breath for 4 and breath out for 8. Its really relaxing.

When needed to ensure a good night's sleep, I take half a phenogran tablet. I know I will sleep like a log. As someone up thread said they are for travel sickness. No sleepiness the next day, just wake up refreshed. I cut down to half a tablet because a whole one made me sleepy the next day. Available over the counter.

I have very poor sleeping habits , mostly from the back pain I live with constantly, but which can be worse at different times, so either cant get to sleep or fall asleep exhausted and wake up at 3am etc or usually twice a night, If I turn over badly in my sleep the pain wakes me up and there I am stuck in the middle of the night with the world and his wife fast asleep and me wide awake. Once my brain realizes I am awake it sets off at great pace with thoughts of jobs to be done, people to see etc. So have a couple of strategies. I have a notepad and pen by my bed, anything from remembering appointments, lists of things I need to do, people I need to call on. Good ideas of how to deal with some problem etc. Then sometimes having wrtten them down they are out of my brain and I can put the light off and try and go back to sleep. But doesnt often work but here you see my usual response . It doesnt disturb others, allows me to be ahead of the game, releases my fury at whatever the idiot politicians are doing etc. Yes here it is, I get a glass of water and sit at my laptop reading messages, writing my comments etc. The other night had a rant about the moron who cut down the wonderful tree. If it is a 16 year old (doubt that couldnt have done it on his own) and it can be proved it is him, well then I would make the punishment fit the crime _ well nothing could really compensate for the murder of this wonderful tree - and I would make sure that every weekend and all holidays he spent planting trees and dong work for the woodland trust or similar. NO holidays or time off until he was 18 when he could then move to another area and change his name as if he stayed in the original place I would have encouraged people to ignore him, invite him to nothing , show their disapproval of the wanton behaviour and the damage he has caused . IIt lets me calm down and have my two pennoth of comment. Then my morning joy and pleasure. My equivalent of the japanese tea ceremony. I take time making my first coup of coffee, enjoying the smell and look and then pour it into my lovely fine china mug and sit down to listen to the start of my day and listen to Bach before 7 on radio three. I just sit in peace with no other sound and let Bach brighten my day Watch the dawn coming up, look at the garden and then time to go for a shower and face the day. So the overall thing is Locus of control. I cant choose when my back hurts most, or do much about it but this way at least I am not getting more tensed up - which often causes more pain, and at the least I amup to date on emails or have done some ironing or whatever. I at least see something positive from the situation rather than getting annoyed or depressed by what I cannot control. i always read in bed, especially last thing at night. Again it takes your mind away from pain or worrying that you wont sleep. Hope things inprove for you

polnan

Ex Dancer,

some of my friends here, ie. at home, have suggested I should go on some anti anxiety pills, I have resisted so far, and yet they have said, why worry about being addicted at my age, over 80! but I don`t want to be addicted... so I keep on keeping on

... and if you live to be 100 - that's 20 years hence... a mini life-time!

Don't take them unless you absolutely have to... they alter the brain chemistry and are probably subject to the laws of diminishing returns - so you'll need a stronger dose just to stay where you are.

I have been on opiates (Oxycodone) since surgery over 2 years ago. Much needed drugs at the time, but less so now. And weaning off them (my decision) is the devil's work.

This idea that it doesn't matter 'cos you're old anyway is so wrong. Drugs have side effects, and they bugger-up your body's natural defences against stress, pain, etc. Drugs should be taken on a strictly "as needed" basis.

You shouldn't just be put "on" them. I watched an elderly relative virtually sleep her life away - she was otherwise fit and healthy - through being on 'anxiety' medication. Ultimately she could not bring herself to taper down, too tired and exhausted - from the effects of the drug!

Ex Dancer,

some of my friends here, ie. at home, have suggested I should go on some anti anxiety pills, I have resisted so far, and yet they have said, why worry about being addicted at my age, over 80! but I don`t want to be addicted... so I keep on keeping on

I ve had awful sleep for 25 years ….lucky to get 3-4 hours ( broken) most nights! I was prescribed two different types of sleep tablets ….which neither worked . Once when I was in hospital ( stroke) I couldn’t sleep of course and they brought me a sleeping pill …I told them it wouldn’t work ….that was Zopiclone …and it didn’t let me sleep …the next night they gave me two …didn’t work!
They threw up thier hands and said “ bloody hell” I think the phrase was. NOTHING Makes me sleep! So in the end I just accepted it and gave muddled my way through 25 years of it ! I’m still standing …still walking 3 miles a day and swimming twice s week! You don’t need as much of the snoozing as you think.

Oh boy, addiction… sleeping pills, never good. You need the help of your Doctor to wean yourself off of them. Please don’t buy “other” sleep meds either - could be a toxic mix.

I don’t think sleeping pills give you REM sleep either - which is healthful - just zonked out rest that clogs your mind in the morning.
Good luck. You can do it.
USA Gundy

When I use zopiclone , completely wipes my memory from the previous night…. 7.5 mg. The lower dose does not work on me at all…
I tend only to take them maybe once a week..

crazyH

I was prescribed Zopiclone 3.75 mg since my divorce. 20 years ago. Yes, I probably am dependent (I don’t like word ‘addicted’), but it doesn’t bother me. I’m in my 70s and would rather have at least 6 hours sleep at night, than none at all.

You make a good point.

I think the NHS bods are concerned that the residual morning-after effects makes the elderly more susceptible to falls - ending up in hospital - so I believe that's why some GPs try to discourage their use.

On the other hand, trying to function on little-to-zero hour's sleep could also have the same effect!

I don't like the word "addicted" either... your body's dependence on these drugs is not the same as mentally craving them. You are not taking them for a "high".

I have zopiclone 3.75mg. I have learned what triggers my non sleeping (if I have to get up early the next day for an appointment or social event) so I take a tablet when I know I won't sleep or when I have had several sleepless nights and just need a good one. The rest of the time I just accept I am not a good sleeper and I get up and do puzzles or read a book. Just knowing that I have the means to get a good sleep when I really need it enables me to accept that some nights I will have to put up with being wakeful.
I have heard that hypnothereapy can be beneficial but not tried it ... yet!

I've been taking Zopiclone since by Mum died in 2019, as I was only sleeping 5-10 hours per week I get 14 a month and generally 12 will work. I've never been bright in the mornings, more of an owl so grogginess is nothing new.

I was prescribed Zopiclone 3.75 mg since my divorce. 20 years ago. Yes, I probably am dependent (I don’t like word ‘addicted’), but it doesn’t bother me. I’m in my 70s and would rather have at least 6 hours sleep at night, than none at all.

Smurf52

I had to wean myself of the 7.5mg Zopiclone many years ago.

I'd take one about an hour before bed. One night I was doing a final 'clear up' in the kitchen, putting things away etc, to 'wind down'... in the morning I discovered when I looked for the milk in the fridge to add to the coffee that would wake me up, it had disappeared overnight.

My OH found it - on a kitchen shelf. Next to the coffee filter papers, which had also vanished. They were in the fridge where the milk should've been.

I realised that this dopey drowsiness was not good so, with the approval of my GP , I got a pill cutter and quartered them (yes, they are very small tablets, but it worked). I reduced them by a quarter per week.

The last thing I did every night before bed was go for a stroll around the garden (this of course might not be possible for you) coupled with a few 'stretching' exercises. It was slightly invigorating and I did feel alert on getting into bed... but quite soon the benefits took over and I fell asleep.

The other thing I did, if I couldn't sleep - was get up and do some minor 'job' in the kitchen... it's interesting how soon you become tired when you do that. Lying in bed when you can't sleep and fretting about it is guaranteed to keep you awake. If you can't sleep, read, make a cup of tea - anything to break the 'hold' and gradually your normal sleep pattern will return. It took a while, but eventually I was able to ditch the tablets completely and I stopped needing them.

The most important thing is not to get anxious about not sleeping, and not to rely on a 'substitute'. Good diet, a little light exercise before bed - and maybe a hot drink, will help enormously.

Can you wean yourself off slowly by reducing the dose to, say, 3/4's of a tablet for a couple of weeks and then reducing by a quarter until you are off them. Meanwhile, take the form of magnesium which assists sleep.
I wouldn't advise you to start taking anything else to help you sleep if you are the sort of person who can become truly addicted. An addiction is usually something that you need more of over time and causes you physical symptoms are well as mental symptoms when you stop them suddenly.
I have to take my antidepressants now because the physical symptoms are absolutely awful but I look at the benefits they bring so keep taking them. I might be on them for life but they aren't hurting me, do help me and that is why I am happy to take them. You might feel the same about your sleeping pills.

'gP' not 'go'.

I asked to be referred to the pain clinic as i'm hooked on morphine but they were useless.
They suggested paracetamol, but no more than 8 in any 24hr period. I was in agony.
Now they've prescribed pregabalin - but that's addictive too.
I gave up and went back to my go who was quite happy to reinstate the morphine, as she said - at my age (nearly 85) why worry?
I know Zopiclone was prescribed to you for insomnia not pain, but did it work for you? Does it matter if you're addicted?

I remember taking pfenerghan for travel sickness and it did cause drowsiness.

I don't need much sleep (never have done) but my little elderly dog wakes me up every 3 or 4 hours - when I'd rather have 5 or 6. Often, I just stay awake, then have a little afternoon nap, but it's not ideal.

If I feel sleep deprived, (every few weeks) I'll take Piriton antihistamines as they give me a better chance of going back to sleep for another few hours. It's tough being wide awake at 4.30 am - soon to be 3.30 am when the clocks change.

Are you taking zopiclone once a week or more frequently?
You really need to try to cut back slowly but if you can’t you need to get help via your surgery,
I understand how easy it is to get addicted to something like zopiclone because insomnia is awful. I have limited access to them because my doctor will only prescribe in small doses.
Instead she prescribed pfenerghan 10 mg which do work for me.
See your doctor and be honest about your access to this powerful drug because if you can get at it easily so can others,

Zopiclone are the devils pills in my opinion
The very best way is to ditch pills and accept your sleeping or not sleeping habit…. once you stop worrying about it you can work on it acceptance stops all the hassle and frees you up to real natural sleep In the meantime see your doctor about coming off them I believe you have to do it gradually over a period

You need to ask your Doctor for help , posters here are not qualified