What Is Zopiclone Good For?

Zopiclone is a drug that acts as a sedative, in addition to having the characteristic that it can be used in the long term , especially when it comes to patients with difficulty falling asleep or maintaining it.

This medicine belongs to a special category known as hypnotic-type medicines, which serve to help people who cannot sleep comfortably by acting directly on the brain, slowing down its activity.

What is zopiclone and what is it for?

Zopiclone is a hypnotic drug and is used to treat problems that are generally related to sleep conflicts, allowing the person to rest better at night and lead a better quality of life.

Zopiclone sleeping pill

This pill medicine works by maintaining a state of relaxation during sleep and reducing interruptions during the night, allowing those who take it to rest deeply.

Zopiclone serves as a sedative

Zopiclone is a sedative that acts directly on the brain, producing relaxing effects on it. Treatments with this drug are generally used short-term unless the problem is very chronic.

How does zopiclone work in the brain?

This medicine acts directly on the bezodiazepine receptors, producing relaxing actions in the brain mostly during the night. It also works in conjunction with brain receptors to generate a reduction in activity in this area, making the person able to fall asleep or stay asleep for full days.

How is zopiclone taken?

To date, zopiclone has only been developed in tablet format and the dose will depend entirely on the individual needs of each patient. This drug is consumed orally and has a bioavailability of 75%.

Doctors generally recommend taking a zopiclone tablet just before going to bed. Only in specific cases, doctors recommend taking more a higher dose.

What is the maximum dose of zopiclone?

The dosage of this medicine must be prescribed by a doctor, who is indicated to give an adequate dose. However, as we have already said, the generally recommended dose is only one zopiclone pill, to avoid some undesirable side effects or dependence on the drug.

In patients who have sporadic insomnia, taking half a pill of zopiclone is enough to satisfy their sleep needs, ensuring that they can sleep peacefully and without interruptions throughout the night. But in patients with chronic insomnia, the maximum dose is two zopiclone pills to help them fall asleep.

How to stop taking zopiclone?

Hypnotic sleeping pills such as zopiclone are very useful when it comes to treating insomnia, but the problem begins to appear when a dependency on its components is generated.

Additionally, tolerance phenomena can occur, resulting in the person producing drug resistance.

When there is resistance to zopiclone, the person increasingly needs higher doses to achieve the same effect. It is for this reason that doctors emphasize that pills to control insomnia should not be taken self-medicated.

Stopping zopiclone: ​​progressive method

The best way to stop taking a hypnotic type medication such as zopiclone, when a dependency is created, is through a progressive method, that is , if you previously took two zopiclone pills, you can try to lower the dose to one pill and a half .

In the case of the amount of mg, if 1mg of zopiclone was taken before, it is possible to stop it little by little, and try to decrease it to 0.75 mg, which would be three-quarters of the zopiclone.

After an estimated time of about two or three weeks has passed, the amount can be reduced again. This time is necessary for the body and brain to get used to the change in dose.

Once the body has assimilated the dose, you can try to ingest only 50% of the initial dose recommended by the doctor.

Stopping Zopiclone: ​​Alternating Method

There is a second method to stop taking zopiclone little by little, this basically consists of not taking zopiclone every day, but alternating every other day so that the body gradually loses the habit to the components of the drug.

When about a month or month and a half have passed, the person should be able to take zopiclone only two or three times a week.

Once this point is reached, the person can take zopiclone only in the situations that really warrant it, making a bottle of 30 zopiclone tablets last 6 months or up to a year, successfully eliminating the habit and eventually taking the sedative.

Composition of zopiclone

Each zopiclone tablet contains, according to the presentation, approximately 7.5 MG of the following excipients:

• Phosphate Dihydrate
• Hipromelosa
• Polyethylene Glycol Microcrystalline Cellulose
• Titanium dioxide
• Soccer Dibásico
• Starch Sodium Glycolate
• Copovidona
• Magnesium stearate

Side effects of zopiclone

The side effects caused by zopiclone vary according to the person and their sensitivities, or according to the doses they use of this medicine. Among the most common we have:

After taking the pill, the person may have a bad taste in the mouth or bitter taste for a long time, they may also feel dry mouth, drowsiness, asthenia, headache, feelings of vertigo or amnesia disorders.

As for people who have managed to abstain from this drug, the syndrome that occurs from not taking it does not really last very long. This is due to the fact that the life of this drug in the body is relatively short, although it would cause a decrease in thyroxine levels with greater focus in the elderly and also disturbances when walking.

Other side effects produced by zopiclone

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Vomiting
• Disturbed dreams or strange dreams
• In women, menstruation may come with more pain than normal
• Enlargement of breasts in men
• Decreased appetite for sex in both sexes

Side effects that require immediate help

The following effects caused by zopiclone represent immediate severity, therefore, if they occur, it is necessary to go to the doctor as quickly as possible or call the emergency room:

• Urticaria
• Skin rashes or rash
• Swelling of the face, eyes, lips, or tongue, hands, or lower legs.
• Difficulty breathing

Other medicines similar to zopiclone

Other hypnotic or tranquilizing medications, like zopiclone, are also prescribed to combat insomnia and anxiety states, among other diagnoses.

What is alprazolam for?

This medicine is a sedative that is generally indicated in patients with anxiety attacks. It is also prescribed for people with panic disorders, as well as patients who are in control of alcohol withdrawal and because of its relaxing effect, it is very effective in controlling episodes of insomnia.

What is Zolpidem for?

It is another hypnotic medication that acts directly on brain imbalances that cause insomnia in some people. This drug has a fast-acting coating, so the person can fall asleep almost immediately after taking it.

What is Zopiclone for?

Zopiclone also belongs to this same group of sedative-hypnotics, and serves to control sleep disturbances in a short period of time. Its effect is prolonged, managing to keep the person sound asleep throughout the night. This medicine, like all of its class, should not be prolonged for more than 10 consecutive days.