While withdrawal symptoms are not common, they can include: Whereas another study found that withdrawal reactions like headache, anxiety, or agitation occurred in only 0.05% of the individuals studied. 5 7 8 9Ī review of studies investigating discontinuation of zopiclone found no significant rebound effect on sleep and few withdrawal effects such as anxiety and vertigo. Research has shown that when zopiclone is used at the appropriate clinical doses then withdrawal effects are negligible or considerably lower than those associated with benzodiazepines. One of the concerns surrounding the use of sleeping pills is the incidence of withdrawal symptoms after stopping taking the drugs. What are the withdrawal symptoms associated with zopiclone? The effects of zopiclone were found to persist for 8-9 hours, suggesting a possibility of a reduction in function after waking the morning after a night-time dose. 6 All active drugs were found to have a negative effect on balance and also reaction time on a test of memory. This refers to carrying out everyday tasks which involve coordinated movement, such as driving a car, playing an instrument, sewing or throwing a ball.Ī study compared the effect of three hypnotics - including zopiclone 3.75mg and placebo - in 49 healthy volunteers aged 65 years and above. These drugs also tend to affect psychomotor functions more in the elderly too. Increased daytime fatigue is also reported more frequently in older people being treated for insomnia. These include cognitive processes such as being able to concentrate or remember things. More adverse effects on how the drugs such as zopiclone tend to have more adverse effects in older people. There is however a concern that they may impair both balance and memory functions. Hypnotics are often prescribed to the elderly. However, many studies that have looked at sleeping brain activity in people who have taken zopiclone have shown results that are very variable, so all we can say with any certainty is that zopiclone can affect all stages of sleep. 3 Research also shows that it can reduce stage N1 sleep. Zopiclone has been found to prolong stage N2 and N3 sleep with a proportional decrease in total REM sleep. When we fall asleep, we enter N1, then pass through N2 and N3 and finally into REM. Our sleep is made up of sleep cycles, which last for roughly 90 minutes and repeat several times throughout the night.ĭuring each cycle, we pass through four different stages of sleep which are called N1, N2, N3 and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). It’s not available for use in the United States although the related drug, eszopiclone, is on the US market. Zopiclone is available under the brand name Zimovane in the UK and Imovane or Rhovane in Canada. 2 Short-term use is also advised to avoid you developing a dependence to it. It’s usually prescribed for short-term use (2-4 weeks) to limit the risk of your body becoming used to it and the drug losing its effectiveness. You can find more information about Zopiclone from the NICE website. These doses have been found to result in sedating and sleep-promoting effects similar to other benzodiazepine sleeping pills. This can be increased, if necessary, to 7.5 mg daily. In the elderly, the initial dose is 3.75mg once daily, for up to four weeks. Zopiclone is licensed in the UK for adults with a bedtime dose of 7.5mg once daily for up to four weeks. In the elderly, the half-life is slightly longer, at around 7 hours. It has a ‘half-life’ of about 5 hours (range of 3.5-6.5 hours), which refers to how long it takes for the concentration of the drug to be reduced by half in the body. It’s often called a short-acting hypnotic because of how quickly it’s eliminated from the body. Zopiclone was the first compound developed with a different chemical structure to the benzodiazepines but which binds to the same cell receptors as they do. These drugs were developed as safer alternatives to benzodiazepines which can be highly addictive and whose use can lead to dependence. Zopiclone is one of the so-called “Z drugs”, along with zolpidem and zaleplon, and was introduced during the second half of the 1980s as a treatment for insomnia. how to improve your sleep without medication.withdrawal and addiction risks of zopiclone.In this article we look at what’s known about this sleep medicine and whether it is useful for people with insomnia. Zopiclone is a drug that’s often used for the short-term treatment of insomnia.
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