What Is Zopiclone
Zopiclone (another name is Zimovane) is a hypnotic pill that helps to deal with sleeping problems.
Poor sleep is a condition familiar to everyone. It may manifest itself in the following forms: difficulty falling asleep, staying awake for long periods at night, or waking up too early in the morning. These conditions are temporary and often don’t require special treatment. However, if your doctor prescribes you Zopiclone, that means that your problems may be quite severe. Luckily, the treatment is short.
Zopiclone’s main aim is to send the message to your brain and make you fall asleep faster than usual. As a result of treatment, the duration of your sleep will increase as it takes less time to fall asleep.
The duration of treatment with Zopiclone is rarely longer than 2-4 weeks. The body gets used to this medicine quite quickly, thus, lowering the efficacy of the tablets. Moreover, there’s a possibility to get dependent on the drug.
Beginning treatment with Zopiclone
Any kind of treatment comes with certain risks. If you want to take Zopiclone for treating insomnia, be sure to consult your doctor first.
There are plenty of patient categories that cannot be treated with this medicament:
- When trying to conceive.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- If having any difficulties breathing.
- If diagnosed with myasthenia gravis or sleep apnoea.
- If having a history of drug addiction.
- If suffering from a mental health disorder.
- If having problems with the liver or kidneys.
- If suffering from an allergic reaction to a medicine.
- If taking or using any other medicines (including the drug that are sold without a prescription, all herbal and complementary medicines).
How Should Patients Take Zopiclone
- The first step is to read the leaflet inside the package. It contains lots of useful information about Zopiclone and the full list of side effects.
- Take one tablet per night. The strength of the pill is prescribed by a doctor and depends on your age.
- Adult patients may take the 7.5 mg pill, while elderly people (65+) should stick to half of that dosage.
- Take Zopiclone as told by the doctor. There’s unlikely that you will have to consume them daily. 2-3 times per week is a standard course of treatment.
Useful Tips For Improving Medicine Efficacy
- Never increase the duration of your treatment. You may take Zopiclone for 4 weeks maximum. After this period, your body will get used to the medication and the efficiency of the treatment will decrease significantly.
- The pills may make you feel sleepy on the following day. If you experience something like this, take care of your health and avoid driving.
- Zopiclone doesn’t work well with alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol during your treatment, otherwise, you may experience unpleasant side effects.
- As you approach the end of treatment, you may be given a recommendation to slowly decrease the dosage of Zopiclone. This is normal and can prevent sleep issues from coming back.
- Zopiclone cannot be taken abroad unless you have a special letter from your doctor. Think about your international trips in advance.
What are the Side Effects of Taking Zopiclone?
There’s almost no medicine on the planet that doesn’t have any side effects. However, there is also good news. Only 1/10 of patients (and even less) experience unpleasant conditions when taking Zopiclone.
Here’s the list of most common side effects:
- Feeling sleepy or tired.
- Bitter or metallic aftertaste.
- Dry mouth.
Some patients may even do some things during their sleep that they aren’t aware of. Starting from sleepwalking to sleep-driving, these are conditions that require you to see a doctor.
If taking Zopiclone causes other symptoms we haven’t mentioned, you should also give a call to your doctor and discuss the details.
How Do I Store Zopiclone at Home?
- Keep the medicine away from kids.
- Keep away from heat and light.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
Basic Rules Related To All Medicine
When you purchase any medication and want to add to the treatment course, make sure your current meds can be taken with the new one. Ask your local pharmacist for advice.
Stick to the dose that your doctor recommends. In case of international or sudden overdose, go to the local hospital as soon as possible. Take the container so you can show it to the nurses.
In case of having surgery or dental treatment, tell the doctor about the meds are taking.
The prescription medicine must not be given to anyone else. Avoid sharing or selling the medicament to people with similar symptoms. Always dispose of all expired and unwanted tablets. If you don’t know how to do it, take the original container to the nearest pharmacy.