Zimovane is a brand-name prescription drug used for those struggling to fall asleep each night. Unfortunately, sleeplessness is far too common in the United States and abroad, and solutions have been sought for centuries to overcome them. Not only is feeling a little groggy the next day after a poor night’s sleep an annoyance, but it can also cause real dangers. If you’re driving to work in the morning after poor sleep, your chances of getting into an accident rise significantly, or if you operate heavy machinery at work, it’s possible to have an accident.
Doctors were once keen on using benzodiazepines to aid in sleepless nights, but they found it caused more harm than good. Benzodiazepines can be miracle workers to someone with trouble sleeping, but over time, these miracle drugs can turn into nightmares. They are both extremely addictive and dangerous, which is why chemists searched for safer and less addictive alternatives.
Chemists developed a class of drugs known as Z-drugs, which are central nervous system (CNS) depressants similar to benzodiazepines. Where sedative-hypnotics differ is how they affect the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in our brain. They’re considered GABAergic, meaning they bind to receptors and activate them to regulate excitability throughout the nervous system. The primary difference is that Zimovane targets specific receptors that influence sleep, while benzos affect them all.
Although these were created as a less addictive alternative, heavy or long-term usage of Zimovane can cause tolerance, chemical dependency, and addiction. Those using significant doses can also encounter severe withdrawal symptoms if they cut down their dose or stop using it altogether. Similar to benzodiazepines, withdrawal symptoms can also be life-threatening without the right care.
What Are Zimovane And Z-Drugs?
As was mentioned above, Zimovane belongs to a newer class of drugs known as Z-drugs. These are capable of producing benzodiazepine-like effects, but their sole purpose is to treat those who have insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Zimovane, the brand name for zopiclone, and other Z-drugs like zolpidem and zaleplon were brought to the public in the ‘80s and were viewed as an improvement over benzos. They became highly sought out because they didn’t produce next-day sedation, dependence, or withdrawal symptoms like its benzodiazepine counterpart.
Zimovane and other Z-drugs like Sonata and Lunesta are seen as non-benzodiazepine hypnotics designed solely for the treatment of sleeplessness.
Zimovane Side Effects
As you’ll find with all medications, Zimovane produces side effects. While some people won’t notice any, others might find them to be a bit more extreme. Each person is different and reports experiencing a broad range of symptoms. The most common side effects stemming from Zimovane use include the following:
- Body aches and pain
- Dry mouth
- Daytime drowsiness
- Loss of coordination
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Painful menstrual cycles in women
- Breast enlargement in males
- Decreased sexual desire
Other more severe Zimovane side effects include:
- Feeling that your throat is closing
- Difficulties swallowing or breathing
- Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, feet, throat, lower legs, or ankles
If you experience any of these side effects above, you should speak with the prescribing physician and stop using the medication. If you feel that you’re in danger, you should immediately call 911. The sooner you get help in a situation like that, the less likely you’ll develop long-term damage.
Prolonged usage of the drug can also lead to withdrawal symptoms. If you want to stop taking Zimovane, you should always consult with your doctor first. They may tell you to hold off until you seek professional help to avoid potentially severe or life-threatening symptoms. Let’s take a look at what withdrawal symptoms you could face.
What Are The Zimovane Withdrawal Symptoms?
Zimovane is responsible for suppressing excitability in our nervous system that otherwise keeps us from falling asleep. As you’ll find with any drug, as it adapts to the presence of Zimovane in your system, it’ll produce stimulating chemicals to combat the effects.
When you slow down use or stop altogether, your brain chemistry will become scattered and unbalanced, causing your nervous system to overreact. Overactive nerves will lead to common symptoms like rebound insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness. In more severe cases, you could endure heart palpitations, seizures, and delusions.
If you decide to quit turkey – meaning you stop all at once without a taper – after being dependent on the drug for an extended period, you’ll notice the symptoms are more severe. What can also make withdrawal worse is if you’ve gone through it before with another depressant like alcohol or opioids.
The neurological phenomenon is known as kindling, and it causes changes in your brain that make each withdrawal period more intense. Abusing Zimovane with other substances like alcohol is common. Recreational Zimovane users have a higher chance of debilitating psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms. If you misuse alcohol or opioids, it can also lead to worse symptoms.
Other common withdrawal symptoms include the following:
- Mood swings
- Rebound insomnia
- Panic attacks
- Changes in blood pressure
- Changes in heart rate
- Heart arrhythmia
- Extreme confusion
What Are The Stages Of The Zimovane Withdrawal Timeline?
First and foremost, if you misuse Zimovane and use it recreationally, you should seek immediate medical attention. With that said, it’s nearly impossible to give a definitive timeline when it comes to withdrawal. There are so many factors that must be taken into consideration, including how long you’ve taken Zimovane, your age, gender, size of the last dose, your average dose, and if you abuse other drugs in conjunction with Zimovane.
The following is a generalized timeline that can help navigate you through the experience. Again, we can’t stress it enough; professional help is vital at this stage.
- 24 hours after the last dose: Anywhere from eight to 12 hours after your last dose, you’ll start experiencing the initial Zimovane withdrawal symptoms. The first symptoms will include anxiety, restlessness, and an inability to fall asleep.
- Three days after the last dose: The first days will be challenging, and you will experience peak withdrawal symptoms. These include heart palpitations and seizures. Withdrawal affects everyone differently and can be unpredictable. For that reason, it’s vital that you get professional help. Addiction specialists can administer medications to alleviate the worst of your withdrawals and mitigate any potential dangers you might encounter.
- One week after the last dose: Once you’ve passed the most dangerous point of withdrawal, your physical symptoms will start to subside. However, psychological symptoms will persist for several days or weeks, making it tempting to give in to your urges and relapse. Anxiety will be ruthless, and sleep will be nearly impossible to achieve. Again, professional help can assist you during this period.
- One month after the last dose: Once you make it to this point, congratulations to yourself are in store. It’s quite a challenge to reach this point in your recovery, but don’t think it’s over quite yet. Unfortunately, there will be some lingering issues that cause you to consider relapse. Insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and drug cravings will be prevalent at this point for quite some time.
Do I Need To Detox?
The short answer is yes; you should absolutely detox. Although Z-drugs like Zimovane isn’t as likely to cause severe withdrawal symptoms like benzodiazepines, quitting cold turkey after developing a chemical dependency can lead to some undesirable symptoms similar to benzos. Fortunately, medical detox can help you overcome these, and it’s intended for those with pressing medical needs. The client will be supervised around the clock to ensure that they’ll have immediate medical attention if they develop severe symptoms like seizures.
Those who may have developed a mild chemical dependency but have health concerns should also opt for detox. When you’re dealing with central nervous system depressants, you should always consult with a doctor about your next steps. Anytime you enter into addiction treatment, you must go through a thorough medical evaluation to determine if detox is the right choice. Each person is different and should have care tailored to their needs.
If you’re struggling with an addiction to Zimovane and fear the withdrawal symptoms, call for help today.