Indifference.

[Evey]

Indifference.

Hi Bleep, After you take the sleeping pill are you getting into bed shortly after? Sometimes it seems like there is a small window of time for the pill to be effective (around a half hour) and doing any activity can sometimes make you miss the chance for the pill to work.

Good job on quitting smoking. I smoked for about 5 years and quit 10 years ago. It was much easier for me to quit smoking than drinking alcohol. I had stopped a few times before but then always bought the dreaded pack and told myself it was just going to be that one pack which it was never was. After I quit the last time, I still smoked a few sometimes when I was with friends but I never bought another pack. It gets easier with time, a lot easier.

[susiesmum]

Indifference.

Zopiclone (imovane)

The main difference is that Zolpicone (known as Imovane in Europe) will knock the lights out of you, probably for 8 hours. It's one of those kick-ass sleeping pills you were wary about and I wanted to avoid for that reason. But ok, it's not a benzo. Not as addictive. No highs (just sleep). Def not as scary. (Doctors are not warned off of prescribing it to people with addictions or previous addictions, as they are with benzos -- that says something.).

Hi All,
I just have to butt in here! The "zopiclone' word really gets me going. It has been one of the most destructive meds for my daughter. (Of course it maye be helpful for some).
1. While it is not a benzo, it works in the same way, on the same pathways.
2. She was abusing diazepam, with AL. The first rehab replaced it with zop. She was AL free for 6 months, but taking zop, thinking it was, as she had been told, non addictive.
3. Zopiclone gave her a high and buzz. She began abusing it. Became addicted.
4. Combined with AL, zop made her angry and out of control.
5. It is not used in USA, and was described by the USA rehab, as 'nasty stuff'.
6. When she relapsed, she relapsed first with zopiclone. It opens the 'pathways' for AL etc.
7. Go to benzo.org.uk for the facts about benzos, and zop.
8. She has a 20 year history of sleeping disorders and insomnia, so I know how desparate one can get for sleep.
9. Benzos must be weaned off very, very slowly. She is doing that now, as she increases bac, under the doc. (I dont know what answer will be when she hits insomnia)
10. Just do your homework, and be very careful. Its not worth it.

[susiesmum]

Indifference.

Sorry, I didnt get the quote entered right.

[beatle]

Indifference.

Zopiclone

I was going to say this in my own words, but someone on another site said it already

"I had problems getting to sleep for as long as I could remember, with no obvious cause, and only sought medication in my early twenties after unsuccessfully trying natural/lifestyle remedies. I only take (zopiclone) consecutively for a week, then reduce the dose until my use becomes sporadic/very occasional. I find this allows me to readjust my (nocturnal) sleep pattern, and I am then able to keep it relatively steady without medication for some months (with interspersed periods of insomnia). I only seek another prescription when my sleep cycle has once again reverted to nocturnal, genuinely impeding my day to day life. It seems from reports that the main concerns over its use are due to a lack of information regarding its addictive qualities, and dependency among people with underlying emotional or psychological problems, increasing the tendency towards dependant behaviour. This however, can be said of virtually EVERY psychoactive drug! These factors should be considered before taking, but with cautious use, and no over-riding mental issues, I have found Zopiclone to be a highly effective sleep aid when used sparsely and responsibly." Laurence - Bedfordshire, UK

[bleep]

Indifference.

Hi S.Mum,

I hear you - loud and clear, in fact - I read the wiki attached to zopi and family, and thought, jesus, all I want is a nice night's kip! Beatle and I went over it together, and I think provided that's all you're after, it's ideally suited. Well, that's what we thought, until it turns out it doesn't work for me (I say that - we are trying various routes to sleepdom as we speak...)

Evey, I was tucked up in bed, reading, expecting at any minute to nod off. when I looked at my watch, and discovered that hours had gone by instead of minutes, I called time. I suppose I could just shut off the lights and try fall asleep, but my thoughts were that these are SLEEPING tablets! They should make me sleep!

Smoking, and quitting, sucks. I was in the bar tonight with my father and a couple of his mates. All of whom smoke. It is a hard, hard thing to stop! Well worth it though, so that one day I can look forward to the day I can safely see at smoker, without wanting to leap across the bar and tear his cigarette out from between his lips for myself! I do know that if I have a single drag, this particular attempt is over, so I'm going well thus far...

[bleep]

Indifference.

beatle;1114437 wrote: ...
This however, can be said of virtually EVERY psychoactive drug! These factors should be considered before taking, but with cautious use, and no over-riding mental issues, I have found Zopiclone to be a highly effective sleep aid when used sparsely and responsibly." [/I]Laurence - Bedfordshire, UK

Eeeek! I wish you'd pointed this out earlier! Safe, sparse responsible drug use! The very watchwords I have used so religiously up to now!!

[Murphyx]

Indifference.

bleep;1114493 wrote: Eeeek! I wish you'd pointed this out earlier! Safe, sparse responsible drug use! The very watchwords I have used so religiously up to now!!

LOL, don't sweat it though. Trust the bac. Your brain has been rewired and you no longer crave psychoactives...theoretically.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Indifference.

bleep;1114493 wrote: Eeeek! I wish you'd pointed this out earlier! Safe, sparse responsible drug use! The very watchwords I have used so religiously up to now!!

:H Yes, the bleep we know and love is so good at following direction/moderation and temperance. Your experience with the Zolwhatever proves it, however. You are officially in the anomaly category along with Lo0p.

Hope you find some solace/somnolence, and soon! (are you manipulating your bac dosing schedule?)

xo

[bleep]

Indifference.

Ne/Neva Eva;1114629 wrote: ...

Hope you find some solace/somnolence, and soon! (are you manipulating your bac dosing schedule?)

xo

Nah, I have given up - I am pretty sure it's due to quitting smoking, so I am just relaxing and seeing if it sorts itself out. If it doesn't change in a week, then I will reassess. The number of times I have sat up at night thinking - "it's nicotine shortage, have a smoke, then you'll sleep..." defies belief. So far so good.

I've stopped taking zalplicexorotonedoesntworkeflex for that reason - I'll keep it handy for handy for a random night that sleep eludes me for whatever reason, then chug a few and hope.

This whole thing has really given a perspective on people who complain about insomnia, it must be said. I have never had it before, so this has been a literal eye-opener. Ha ha.

[LadyLush]

Indifference.

Bleep,

I have been around, sorry not here, I hope you are doing okay. The sleep turmoil has me by the horns too. I seem loopy and out of sorts. Reminds me when I had my children and being zombie like going to work after many nights of zero sleep!
Lady:l

[RudyB]

Indifference.

wow! you insomniacs have given me some interesting perspective. sheesh. i feel so lucky that i haven't much had to deal w insomnia in my days. i also need to quit smoking, and will do so more easily from taking bac, far's i can tell. but i sure hope i don't lose any sleep over it!

as for quitting smoking, i'm lucky that i've not much been a social smoker. in fact, i've not much been social at all, which is weird, given my social nature. but i digress in my redundancy. my point is that i won't have to fight associations out in the world -not too tough, anyway- that would challenge my intention to be cigarette free. on the homefront, well, that'll be the hard part. wish me luck, all, please, that out the door with al will also go the cigarettes!

...which brings me to my next thought: ACCOLADES to all of you who've already given up smoking, whilst still drinking. to me, the two are inseparable! you give me hope.

xoxoxo rudyb

[bleep]

Indifference.

Well, I'm pleased to report that my sleep seems to be returning to normal - normal being the rather odd pattern of sleeping for 2 hours, pottering around the house at strange hours, sleeping for another 2 hours, and doing it all once again before work. I think it was entirely caused by stopping smoking, but this is based on nothing more than a feeling.

I have proved to myself (accidentally), if nobody else, that baclofen is making it much easier to stop smoking. I got some very basic maths wrong somehow, and have been taking between 210 and 240mg's a day, instead of my normal dose of 270 / 300mg's. I first became aware of it at a party where wine seemed to flow down, which was very odd. I also started thinking about cigarettes, more so than at any other time since stopping. I looked back, and spotted what had been happening for the last few days with my dosing. Today I have corrected the error, so I'm expecting both the boozing and the thoughts of nicotine to fade. If this does happen, it will cement in my head the notion that baclofen helps nicotine addiction.

Of course, the very fact I'm expecting it to help casts doubt on the whole thing, but I don't really care. I will say that out of all my many attempts to quit, this has, so far, been the easiest. It is simply the habit that I need to break, I am not really getting cravings at all. I suppose it makes sense, seeing that baclofen acts on all addictions, but it still seems too good to be true. I suppose baclofen simply removing my pisshead nature seemed too good to be true as well though!

[RudyB]

Indifference.

bleep, you're speaking to many of my thoughts. i'm encouraged by your reports that bac is reducing your smoking. i'm also relating to your experience of the habit of the addiction vs the brain chemistry. ergh. i feel like my habit is fighting with my chemistry, and the former is winning for now. i feel less desire to drink, but i still do it cause that's my pattern. but i hate it. yet i do it. and so it goes.

anyway, i'm encouraged just by reading what you write. it reminds me that i'm not alone and it validates my experience somehow. reading about your process inspires in me that there is hope. lots of it. so thank you for sharing.
xo rudyb

[bleep]

Indifference.

Baclofen didn't reduce my smoking - on the contrary, I was smoking more than ever whilst taking baclofen! What it has done though is made the cold turkey process much easier to deal with.

It is heartening to hear you are getting something out of this. Drinking despite not wanting to is something I still fight against, particularly in times like these when I am on too low a dose. It is a strange thought process, but I am finding that as time goes on it becomes easier to deal with the whole thing in a slightly more sensible fashion, something that has never been an option in the past.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Indifference.

bleep;1115001 wrote: Baclofen didn't reduce my smoking - on the contrary, I was smoking more than ever whilst taking baclofen! What it has done though is made the cold turkey process much easier to deal with.

YES! I so get this, Bleep! I have been wondering about that study in Canada where they're studying bac and smoking cessation. My first thought was, "ha! Good luck with that!"

I too smoke more than I ever have in my life. WAY more, as in double my pack a day habit. But yesterday I went for 3 hours rather effortlessly. I was busy, but I still didn't feel that familiar physical panic-y thing that it was time for a smoke.

In fact it was so low that I may actually *try* to quit!

Kudos, to you, btw. sorry I forgot to say that earlier. Maybe I was a little put out at this whole 'getting healthy' thing you have going on. :H Not really, of course. Cigs are almost as evil as AL is for the alcoholic, imho. And just as deadly.

xo!