Like many of you, I can't remember the last time I actually had a decent night sleep. I decided to ask my GP for something to help me sleep to break the vicious circle of fatigue, pain and low moods. He agreed that a short course of tablets would be a good thing to try and prescribed me Zopiclone.
I sat and read through the info leaflet, and realised that I had to be careful with some of the other medications I'm already taking, as they can enhance the relaxant affect of the Zopiclone. The first night I took one (it says to take immediately before going to bed), I read on my Kindle for about an hour, turned off the light and duly fell asleep. I still managed to wake up twice during the night, and it took a long time for the drowsy feeling to go once I finally got out of bed.
The second night, I took the tablet about half an hour before going to bed, again did a little bit of reading, turned out the light and was asleep in seconds. This morning though, I couldn't get myself out of bed!! I was so tired that even when I did eventually emerge from under the duvet, I still fell asleep on the sofa watching TV! My whole day was just a blur of lost time!
So this time, as I began to feel like I was ready for bed, I took the tablet on my way upstairs (about 8pm), and started to read. Very soon, the print all started to melt together and I couldn't read any more so off went the light and off to sleep I went. I wake up at 11.50pm and I'm wide awake!!! I've come downstairs desperate for a cup of tea, my eyelids are all swollen, and I just want to be asleep!
Written by
Kestrelflyer
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I know how you feel! The last time I had more than four hours sleep solidly was so long ago I can't remember.
Zopiclone is a strong med and it sounds like it's not suiting you- might be worth speaking to your doctor again and see if there's something different they can give you.
Hope you manage to get some sleep xxx I've been awake twice since 11pm and not holding out much hope of nodding off again!
Gentle hugs xx
hi i am same i have been adised to go see gp aout lack of sleep i am getting about 2 hour max a night have been for 3 weeks or more but i dont want to end up the otherway where i am as;eep like a zombie all day i think you need to see your gp love to you diddle x
Morning Ladies. I finally went back to bed about 3am. I read again for about half an hour then tried to sleep. It took a little while but I eventually dosed off. Then came 5.35am and Flyn woke me up by watching a film too loudly on his IPod in his bedroom! Needless to say, IPod has been taken away from him!!
Think you're both right and I will go back to see GP again next week.
Understand totally returned to doctor and he told me to take 3 instead of two Clonazepam - yes it works now - maybe it might help if you return to doctor and ask his advice. When in pain there is nothing worse when you cannot sleep it just heightens the pain more. It is difficult for each of us as we are all individuals for docs to assess at first how much you need. Unless you return to him/her.
Hugs I am sure eventually the doc will find you the correct balance xox
I take clonazepam at night too. And 1 antihistmine. For months I have been on 1 clonazepam a night. They are only 0.5mg dose.
When I started suffering from anxiety and depression and had problems sleeping again, upped it to 1 and half, then tried two, but still can't sleep.
I bought some One a night Nytol, clinically proven to get you to sleep it states, no use and £5 for 16 pills.
I am having a job to get an appt with my GP to try and sort it.
He did put me on Doloxetine 30mg but I know they kept me awake before on a 20mg doze and made me sweat profusely at night and flush daytime. I tried them again for a few days but have stopped them. I took them in the morning as that's better than at night.
I sympathise with all of you who don't get a decent night's sleep, it's one of my worst fears.
I have managed to get 3 clonazepam a night prescribed, but still only get about 4 hrs sleep. Can you let me know what dose you are taking please? And how many hours do you normally get on 3 a night. Mine is 0.5 mg.
But I do feel rather unsteady when I get up of a morning on that.
I knocked it down to 2 and half for a couple of nights, but got only 3 odd hours, so have gone back to 3.
I have been almost pain and fatigue free for a while now, but last week it cam back with a vengeance.
I've probably over done it, as I have been more active in an effort to beat the depression and anxiety I have been suffering of late. So will have to cut back on all these courses I've been offered.
Thank you
Hello
I find that zopiclone is extremley good but that might be because I
take a slow release tramadol as well for the pain, there are still
nights that nothing makes me sleep no matter what I take
I know as a nurse that its not good to take all the time and some
doctors dont like to precribe it for long perods as your body gets
used to it but I have been on it for a year and I must say that because
I sleep although as I said it does not always work and I do wake in
the night. my painis so much better.
good luck Viv
maybe you need a lower doze a high one what doze are
you on, or maybe it does not suit you there are a lot of
i know just what you mean about the tablets. i don,t think i have had a good nights sleep in over a year. and i awake nearly all night. go to bed really late but still up at 6am if i do stay in bed that is i have been up at 2 am after going to bed at midnight.i am tierd and irritable. but what can you do. i have talked to my doctor but he says i should go to bed early in the evening or have a nap in the afternoon
I tried to go back to bed when Burnie got home from work this morning, but Flyn was still misbehaving, so I had to get back up to sort him out. By that time, I was just too wound up to go to sleep.
It was midday before I eventually got to go back to bed. I have to admit that I'd been extremely grouchy all morning, even though I tried to do some relaxing, therapeutic things like potting my seedlings and doing my nails.
After 3 hours sleep, I do feel much better now, but still didn't really want to get out of bed! I've been invited to a friends house tonight for drinks and nibbles with a few people. Although i don't really feel up to it right now, I am going to make the effort to go and perhaps I'll sleep better tonight.
The dosage I'm on at the moment is 7.5mg. I will see how I get on the next couple of days, then go back to the doctor to see what else we can try.
Hope you all get a good night sleep, or as best as you can, tonight. I sympathise with you all.
About 13 years ago my GP gave me zoplicone, before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It kept me awake all night and my head was buzzing! Never touched them again. I have nitrazapam now for occasional use.
I am on Amitriptyline 25mg GP said 2 at night but find I am like a zombie next day (not unusual) so now take 1 about 1hour before bed, then with my other night meds take a 5mg diazepam to relax the muscles, still waking up 3 or 4 times then lie thinking must have a pee before try to sleep again, so end up having approx 2 hours sleep, but at about 7 am snuggle up and sleep till about mid day, missing every morning and still feeling so exhausted and wrecked with pain end up staying in bed till 6pm ish. I am always exhausted cannot shower or do anything. Would appreciate any suggestions as at 65 when my "so called friends" are going on cruises, enjoying retirement I feel my life is over, and I am holding my husband back from doing anything, he is my carer as well as having FM, CFS I have degenerative discs, macular degeneration in both eyes so have very limited sight, Recovering from breast cancer and having knee replacement. I feel so guilty, stressed, anxious plus loads of family problems.
The good side is I lie in bed listening to audio books, iTunes books you can download straight to iPad are good and have a great choice, this helps to stop me "thinking"
i take 30mg of amitriptyline three times a day along with 600mg of gabapentin three times a day and i am a space cadet, i cant do anything for myself or anyone else thank god my kids are old enough to look after themselves and me. I tried to go without for a week and i got no sleep not even a couple of hrs , i have thyroid eye disease which has made my eyes bulge and with no sleep i look terrible the bags under my eyes are bigger than my boobs, i often wonder if i was sent for an interview for a job what they would think of me.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Minimal sleep again..
Morning all ............Tuesday and another fine day I hope. I find myself still troubled with eyes that 
Insomnia in Fibromyalgia 
Melatonin
