Zopiclone is a sleeping pill used to treat bad bouts of insomnia.
Zopiclone is only available on prescription.
It comes as tablets.
Brand names include:
- Zimoclone
- Zimovane
- Zopitan
- Zorclone
Uses of zopiclone
Zopiclone improves sleep by making a chemical in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) more effective.
It helps you:
- fall asleep more quickly
- stop waking up during the night
Check if you can take zopiclone
You can take zopiclone if you are age 18 and over.
Zopiclone is not suitable for some people.
Do not take zopiclone if you:
- have had an allergic reaction to any medicine
- have myasthenia gravis, an illness that causes severe muscle weakness
- have breathing problems or sleep apnoea
Check with your GP before taking zopiclone if you:
- have liver or kidney problems
- have had mental health problems
- have had issues with alcoholism or drug abuse
- are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding
Contraception and fertility
Zopiclone does not affect contraception. This includes the contraceptive pill and the morning-after pill.
There is no evidence that zopiclone affects the fertility of men or women. But do not take zopiclone if you are trying to get pregnant.
Pregnancy and zopiclone
Warning
Do not take zopiclone if you are pregnant. It may harm your baby and cause side effects in newborn babies.
Talk to your GP if you're taking zopiclone and you:
- are pregnant
- think you may be pregnant
- are trying for a baby
Taking zopiclone right up to labour can increase the chance of your baby having withdrawal symptoms at birth.
Breastfeeding and zopiclone
Do not breastfeed while taking zopiclone. Zopiclone passes into breast milk in small amounts.
If you must take zopiclone, talk to your GP or midwife about your options for feeding your baby.
When you start taking zopiclone
Zopiclone takes around 1 hour to work.
You might feel sleepy or confused in the first few days after taking zopiclone.
Do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machines until you know how zopiclone affects you.
Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you are unsure if it is safe for you to drive while taking zopiclone.
Avoid alcohol
Do not drink alcohol while taking zopiclone.
It can make you sleep very deeply. You might not breathe properly and can have difficulty waking up.
Avoid caffeine
Do not have drinks that contain caffeine while you are on zopiclone. These include:
- coffee and tea
- cola
- energy drinks
Caffeine has the opposite effect of zopiclone in your body and stops the medicine from working.
How and when to take zopiclone
Always take zopiclone exactly as your GP has told you.
You usually take 1 tablet a day just before you go to bed. It takes around 1 hour to work.
Follow the instructions on the label of your medicine. Check with your pharmacist or GP if you're unsure.
Your GP might tell you to take a tablet only 2 or 3 nights each week, rather than every night.
Warning
Do not take more than your prescribed dose.
You can take zopiclone with or without food.
Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush or chew it.
Dosage
Your GP might recommend a lower dose to start with.
This is to reduce the risk of excessive sleepiness or other side effects if you:
- are age 65 and older
- have kidney or liver problems
How long you will take zopiclone
You will usually take zopiclone for between a few days and 2 weeks, and no longer than 4 weeks.
Your body gets used to this medicine quickly. This means it will not work as well the longer you take it.
Talk to your GP if you feel you need to take it for longer than 4 weeks.
They may recommend other things to help with your sleep problems.
Stopping zopiclone
Do not suddenly stop taking zopiclone without telling your GP. You may get withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms include:
- your insomnia returns worse than before
- you feel anxious, restless and have mood changes
- you become very sensitive to light, noise and touch
Your GP might suggest that you reduce your dose of zopiclone slowly. This will help prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Addiction and zopiclone
You are unlikely to become addicted to zopiclone if you just take it for up to 4 weeks.
You may become dependent on zopiclone if you take it for longer than 4 weeks.
Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you have been taking zopiclone for a long time. They can help you come off your medicine gradually. Tell them if you're worried about becoming dependent on it.
If you forget to take it
If you forget to take zopiclone by bedtime but remember during the night, only take the missed dose if you are still able to have 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
If this is not possible, skip the missed dose and take your next dose before bedtime the next night, as usual.
Never take 2 doses at the same time.
Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.
If you take too much
Taking more than your prescribed dose of zopiclone can be dangerous.
Emergency action required: Contact your GP or go to your nearest emergency department (ED) straight away if
you take too much zopiclone and you have symptoms such as:
- feeling drowsy or confused, sleeping deeply and possibly going into a coma
- feeling dizzy, light-headed or faint due to low blood pressure
- floppy muscles
- falling over or losing your balance
- shallow breathing or difficulty breathing
Do this even if you feel well. Do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you or call 999 or 112 for an ambulance.
Take the zopiclone packet or the leaflet inside it and any remaining medicine with you.
Side effects
Common side effects of zopiclone include:
A bitter or metallic taste in your mouth or a dry mouth
Try taking sips of water and keep some water by your bed at night. Using a mouthwash before bedtime may also help.
Ask your pharmacist to recommend a mouthwash that's good for a dry mouth. Some mouthwashes can make a dry mouth worse.
Feeling sleepy or tired during the day
Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery if you're feeling this way. Do not drink any alcohol as it will make you feel more tired.
Feeling sick (nausea) or getting sick (vomiting)
Take small, frequent sips of fluids, such as water or squash, to prevent dehydration.
Speak to a pharmacist if you have signs of dehydration, such as peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat vomiting without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor first.
If you take the combined contraceptive pill or progestogen-only pill and you're getting sick, your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for advice.
Headache
Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk to your doctor if the headaches last longer than a week or are severe.
Not everyone will get side effects with zopiclone.
Talk to your GP or pharmacist if these side effects do not go away.
Serious side effects
Urgent advice: Contact your GP straight away if you:
- have memory loss (amnesia)
- see or hear things that are not real (hallucinations)
- fall over, especially if you're age 65 and older
- have delusions - imagining things that are not real
- feel low or sad
- have difficulty breathing, including very slow or shallow breathing
- sleepwalk or do other activities while asleep
Serious allergic reactions
It's rare to have a serious allergic reaction to zopiclone.
Emergency action required: Call 112 or 999 or go to an emergency department (ED) if you:
- get a rash that's itchy, red, swollen or blistered
- are wheezing
- get tightness in your chest or throat
- have trouble breathing or talking
- have swelling in your mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat
See the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine for a full list of side effects.
Non-urgent advice: Find your patient information leaflet
Your patient information leaflet is the leaflet that comes with your medicine. You can find a digital version of the leaflet online.
Report side effects
You can report any suspected side effects to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA): report an issue - hpra.ie
Sleepwalking and zopiclone
Some people become active while they are asleep after taking zopiclone. For example, they sleepwalk, make food or make phone calls.
This is more likely to happen if you take it with alcohol or other medicines for mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.
If this happens to you, ask your GP for advice.
Zopiclone and other medicines
Tell your GP or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines. This includes herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.
Some medicines can affect the way zopiclone works. This can increase your chance of side effects.
Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you are taking medicines for:
- schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
- depression
- epilepsy
- surgery (anaesthetics)
- sleep problems, anxiety or to calm you
- hay fever, rashes or other allergies that can make you sleepy (some antihistamines)
- pain such as codeine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, pethidine, or tramadol
- infections, including the antibiotics erythromycin or clarithromycin
- fungal infections, such as ketoconazole and itraconazole
- HIV, such as ritonavir
Taking zopiclone with codeine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, pethidine, or tramadol may increase the risk of side effects. This can lead to dependency.
It may also increase the risk of drowsiness and difficulties in breathing. This may lead to coma and could be life-threatening.
Herbal medicines and zopiclone
Do not take any herbal remedies that make you sleepy while taking zopiclone. They can increase the drowsy effects of your medicine.
Do not take St John's wort, the herbal remedy for depression. It can reduce the drowsy (sedating) effects of your medicine.
Recreational drugs and zopiclone
Using cannabis, methadone or heroin with zopiclone will increase the drowsy effects. You could go into a very deep sleep and have difficulty waking up.
Talk to your GP if you think you might use recreational drugs while you are taking zopiclone.
Fact check
This content was fact checked by a pharmacist, a GP, and the National Medication Safety Programme (Safermeds).
