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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by otis on September 23, 2002, at 11:28:07
I have been prescribed zopiclone for over 6 years. Although i have now got it down to the lowest possible dose I still find it impossible to sleep without. I am now desperate to come off it as I want to get pregnant. I have just managed to come off venlafaxine for the same reason, which is hard because i am quite depressed without it. I know zopiclone is not supposed to be addictive, but it most definately is in my case. I have tried herbal pills, aromatherapy, accupuncture, hypnotherapy and pschotherapy to cure my chronic insomnia with no real results. I am desperate as this is now affecting every area of my life. I would like to know of any similar experiences and advice, and also exactly how dangerous is zopiclone in pregnancy? Are there any safer alternatives that actually work? I will be very grateful for any response. thankyou
Posted by Tabßitha on September 24, 2002, at 2:35:37
In reply to coming off sleeping pills, posted by otis on September 23, 2002, at 11:28:07
I've had some luck with 3mg melatonin tabs from the drugstore. The kind I use also has B6 in it. It offsets the insomnia I get from Celexa. I get to sleep quicker and sleep better all night.
Posted by madison88 on September 24, 2002, at 6:36:13
In reply to Re: coming off sleeping pills, posted by Tabßitha on September 24, 2002, at 2:35:37
Remeron really knocked me out. Sonata usually puts me to sleep but not always. check out the book, the insomniac's handbook. i thought it was pretty neat. at the least it is nice late night reading.
Posted by jrbecker on September 24, 2002, at 10:42:43
In reply to Re: coming off sleeping pills, posted by madison88 on September 24, 2002, at 6:36:13
On the flip side, for me, melatonin was actually sleep disruptive, causing too much intensity in REM cycles. If you are going to try it though, supposedly, the recommended dose that's been studied is around 1mg, and NOT the usual store- bought 3 mg. The 1 mg tablets are hard to find, so either search around for them or break the 3 mg tablets in half or in thirds.
The best for me was Neurontin. It helped me a lot: 200-400mg 1/2 hour before bed. It's fairly fast-acting and usually caused no sluggishness in the morning. Really no dependancy involved as well.
Other misses for me were sonata and ambien, which always worked except I would arouse very early in the morning when the drug wore off. If you tend to sleep well during the early morning, then this might work for you though. Best thing about them is they have no after-effect and limited dependancy.
Another shot might be klonapan or xanax. Xanax put me out like a light (never tried klonapan). Of course, these have more dependent qualities, but they do work wonders for people.
Posted by Tabßitha on September 24, 2002, at 13:01:07
In reply to Re: coming off sleeping pills, posted by jrbecker on September 24, 2002, at 10:42:43
> If you are going to try it though, supposedly, the recommended dose that's been studied is around 1mg, and NOT the usual store- bought 3 mg. The 1 mg tablets are hard to find, so either search around for them or break the 3 mg tablets in half or in thirds.
I'd heard that too, even that 0.1 mg was best. I tried various doses from about 0.3mg up to 3mg, and 3mg really works best for me. I've noticed a big improvement from when I was using 1mg. If you try it, it's worth it to play with the dosage.
Posted by Dinah on September 24, 2002, at 16:46:01
In reply to Re: coming off sleeping pills, posted by jrbecker on September 24, 2002, at 10:42:43
>
> The best for me was Neurontin. It helped me a lot: 200-400mg 1/2 hour before bed. It's fairly fast-acting and usually caused no sluggishness in the morning. Really no dependancy involved as well.
>
It's funny how we're all different. I had to stop Neurontin because of the sleep side effects. I got some variety of sleep paralysis I guess, where I felt like I was awake but I couldn't move. It was miserable. I would wake up with the worst backache. So I had to stop it before I really had a chance to see if it worked for mood stabilization or anxiety.
Posted by McPac on September 25, 2002, at 18:57:40
In reply to coming off sleeping pills, posted by otis on September 23, 2002, at 11:28:07
otis, try lose doses of Remeron (7.5 or 15 mg.)
This is the end of the thread.
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