Managing insomnia with Zopiclone

Zopiclone for sleeping problems

Poor sleep or insomnia is a fairly common medical condition which affects a large number of people everywhere around the world. The difficulties experienced by those who suffer from this type of medical condition may include waking early in the morning, waking during the night and difficulty in falling asleep. Zopiclone is a certain type of medication which can be of great help for all those who suffer from insomnia because it is very efficient in decreasing the time required to fall asleep and also increasing the length of time normally spent sleeping. There are certain measures of precaution which need to be taken before using zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia. Pregnant women and women who plan on becoming pregnant need to be very careful and they should not use zopiclone because it may have a rather harmful effect on the unborn child. Breastfeeding mothers also need to steer clear of zopiclone because it may pass into mother’s milk and trigger some negative effects on the baby. There are certain medical conditions which may be rather problematic for those who want to use zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia. Those who suffer from different types of mental health problems, those who suffer from numerous sorts of liver or kidney related problems, those who suffer from sleep apnea, those who suffer from respiratory problems and those who suffer from myasthenia gravis should consult the doctor before taking zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia. For those who do not know, myasthenia gravis is a certain type of disease in which the muscles get weakened. Persons who are addicted to alcohol or illegal drugs also need to be very careful and consult a physician before using zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia. Older persons should not take zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia before consulting a healthcare provider. Those who are allergic to any kind of drug or medicine should discuss that with a doctor before takin zopiclone for the treatment of insomnia. Those who take any type of complementary medicines, herbal remedies, prescribed drugs or nonprescribed drugs should also check with their doctor whether it is safe to take zopiclane in order to deal with insomnia. Children who are under 18 years old should never use zopiclone as a treatment method for insomnia.

How to take zopiclone

One should always use zopiclone according to the direction given by the doctor. It is also a very wise idea to follow the instructions included on the label of the medication which is provided by the manufacturer. One should never use the medication for longer periods than recommended by the doctor and it is strongly advised not to take larger amounts than prescribed. The tablet of zopiclone needs to be swallowed along with some water right before going to bed. The tablet should never be sucked or chewed upon. If a person somehow forgets to take her or his dose of zopiclone it is of utmost importance not to take it if the time for the next dose is near. In such cases the missed dose needs to be skipped and the dosing schedule needs to be resumed starting from the next dose. It is very dangerous to double the dosage in order to make up for the missed ones. Zopiclone is one of those medications which can only be used for short periods of time mainly due to the fact that the human body gets used to it rather quickly. The manufacturers claim that the maximum period in which it is intended to be used is 4 weeks. In most cases, zopiclone is prescribed for much shorter periods. Prolonged use of zopiclone should be avoided because it may lead to the development of dependence. One needs to be aware of the fact that due to its nature zopiclone induces drowsiness to a certain degree, and it gets further emphasized by the consumption of alcohol. One should stop taking zopiclone slowly and gradually by reducing the dose, because otherwise it may be associated with certain symptoms of withdrawal such as irritability, confusion, restlessness, tension, anxiety, muscle pain and headaches.

Side effects of Zopiclone

As is the case with most different types of prescribed medications, nonprescribed medications, herbal remedies and all other substances used for the treatment of various ailments and medical conditions, zopiclone may sometimes be associated with certain unwanted side effects. In the first few days, the patient may experience some of them such as stomach upset, headaches, dry mouth, bitter taste in mouth, lightheadedness, dizziness and daytime drowsiness. Some rare cases may also involve certain other, much more serious side effects such as behavioral changes, depression, confusion, lack of coordination, loss of memory, severe drowsiness, slurred speech, changes in vision, skin rash and heartbeat irregularities. Zopiclone may also interact with other types of medications.