[TheFirstCut]

Myself and my friend get Zopiclone prescribed by our GPs however our other friend no longer gets this prescribed, she does want to take them from time to time.

OK I know we shouldn't be, but we do give this friend a couple of tablets now and then when she really does need to get some sleep, she is thinking about buying some online. I've heard a high percentage can be fakes, but what are the actual laws about buying drugs like Zopiclone online, most seem to be outside the UK and having them imported for personal use.

She's found one site which ships from Australia I think: http://www.unitedpharmacies.co.uk/Im...ets_p_448.html are these OK and would any problems arise for her?

[darkjedimaster]

While there are some decent companies around selling meds to the public, there are also some scammers that sell some right dodgy sh*t. They could say 1 thing on the box, but the actual tablets are fake or have been mixed with the wrong chemicals .

The only advice I can give to you is try and findout a bit more about the company like typing it's name and then say review by the side of it on a search engine. I would like to place a lot of trust on these suppliers as they provide meds at a cheap price but at the sametime I would hate for your friend to become ill from taking the cheap way out.

Yes you are right about it being wrong about giving your friend another persons pills as they might be of a different dosage to what your friend was on. But if they only come in 1 type of mg then it isn't so bad.

Just being curious but has your friend tried a legal herbal form of med to help aid sleep ?

[ejm]

There must be a reason why she isn't prescribed them any more. She should go back to her GP and either ask for them again or get something else.

You should never take someone elses medication, and I would be wary of getting prescribed drugs of the internet.

[TheFirstCut]

Originally Posted by darkjedimaster

While there are some decent companies around selling meds to the public, there are also some scammers that sell some right dodgy sh*t. They could say 1 thing on the box, but the actual tablets are fake or have been mixed with the wrong chemicals .

The only advice I can give to you is try and findout a bit more about the company like typing it's name and then say review by the side of it on a search engine. I would like to place a lot of trust on these suppliers as they provide meds at a cheap price but at the sametime I would hate for your friend to become ill from taking the cheap way out.

Yes you are right about it being wrong about giving your friend another persons pills as they might be of a different dosage to what your friend was on. But if they only come in 1 type of mg then it isn't so bad.

Just being curious but has your friend tried a legal herbal form of med to help aid sleep ?

The pills we let her have are identical to the ones she was prescribed.

Would she get in to any king of legal trouble buying Zopiclone online, wouldn't want her to have the police knocking on the door.

Will have to ask if she's tried any natural meds, I know she's tried Nytol both the blue and green I think they were and they were useless, like they were for me, though the Herbal Nytol made me have nightmares they didn't make me sleep, they didn't give her nightmares just had no affect.

[TheFirstCut]

Originally Posted by ejm

There must be a reason why she isn't prescribed them any more. She should go back to her GP and either ask for them again or get something else.

You should never take someone elses medication, and I would be wary of getting prescribed drugs of the internet.

Her GP just didn't want her to have any more saying they were addictive.

Yet both mine and our other friends GPs are happy to repeat prescribe them time after time after time.

[sebright]

I had the same thing happen to me. It's a new policy that certain surgeries are implementing. I've been getting about 30 zopiclone about every 9-10 months for occasional sleeplessness, and when I dropped in a request for a repeat prescription, I got a standard letter (from a GP I'd never even seen) that owing to new NHS guidelines they were no longer issuing repeat prescriptions blah blah. Apparently their policy now is to prescribe anti-depressants instead!!!! Sorry, I don't want to take anti-depressants to suit general policies that don't suit me as an individual.

I've ordered online 3 times--2 good experiences, and one where the tablets didn't arrive.

I haven't heard of the website you mention (but the price seems very cheap) but there is an information and discussion board for people buying medication online, with a list of websites, and users' review of them, which your friend could check out:

http://www.drugbuyers.com/ (check the section for the international firms)

2 things she should be aware of--one, it often takes a long time for the medication to arrive, and the UK customs can confiscate the package (but usually the firm will send a replacement package if this happens).

I think it's a stupid situation where I can go out and buy enough alcohol to drink myself to death if I wish, but I'm denied a few sleeping pills because Mother knows best.

[snowy ghost]

The trole with stuff like Zopiclone is that people become tolerant of it and it is less effective over time. Your friend might be better off going back to the doc ertc etc etc.

[sebright]

Originally Posted by snowy ghost

The trole with stuff like Zopiclone is that people become tolerant of it and it is less effective over time. Your friend might be better off going back to the doc ertc etc etc.

The OP says her friend uses Zopiclone occasionally--not every night. I have been using it for several years occasionally, and it still works as well for me as it did at the beginning.

[anfortis]

Originally Posted by TheFirstCut

Her GP just didn't want her to have any more saying they were addictive.

Yet both mine and our other friends GPs are happy to repeat prescribe them time after time after time.

According to the British National Formulary, Zopiclone is not licenced for long-term use. It should only be prescribed for up to 4 weeks due to risk of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. As far as I can see, it's your friend's GP who is correctly prescribing according to licence, not your GP.

[mrsparadox]

Originally Posted by anfortis

According to the British National Formulary, Zopiclone is not licenced for long-term use. It should only be prescribed for up to 4 weeks due to risk of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. As far as I can see, it's your friend's GP who is correctly prescribing according to licence, not your GP.

I think it depends on the individual because I have cared for several people who have an ongoing pescription for Zopiclone. However, OP if your friends GP isn't pescribing them then there must be a valid reason for it. I wouldn't encourage any online purchase. You aren't a Doctor and you aren't likely to know your friends FULL medical background.

Be a good friend and suggest your friend goes back to your GP for an alternative.

[sebright]

Originally Posted by anfortis

According to the British National Formulary, Zopiclone is not licenced for long-term use. It should only be prescribed for up to 4 weeks due to risk of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. As far as I can see, it's your friend's GP who is correctly prescribing according to licence, not your GP.

Well, then all the other GPs who are still repeat prescribing it are doing so incorrectly, aren't they? It shows you can't always trust GPs....

[TheFirstCut]

Thanks for the replies.

[anfortis]

Originally Posted by sebright

Well, then all the other GPs who are still repeat prescribing it are doing so incorrectly, aren't they? It shows you can't always trust GPs....

Indeed - and I doubt that the patients are going to complain

I too suffer from bouts of insomnia and would appreciate some sleeping pills to take when I am unable to sleep, but my GP is adamant that they are only to be used during severe episodes of insomnia and not as an occasional sleep aid. To be fair, whenever I have been going through a bad patch, he has never refused to prescribe a short course of temazepam.

[Sambda]

Originally Posted by mrsparadox

I think it depends on the individual because I have cared for several people who have an ongoing pescription for Zopiclone. However, OP if your friends GP isn't pescribing them then there must be a valid reason for it. I wouldn't encourage any online purchase. You aren't a Doctor and you aren't likely to know your friends FULL medical background.

Be a good friend and suggest your friend goes back to your GP for an alternative.

An alternative, since the GP is willing to prescribe anti-depressants - may be Venlafaxine. I've found that very soporific. Two tablets 45 mins before you go to sleep and you're out.

Originally Posted by Sambda

An alternative, since the GP is willing to prescribe anti-depressants - may be Venlafaxine. I've found that very soporific. Two tablets 45 mins before you go to sleep and you're out.

Presciption I hope. How strange, when I was on venlafaxine, I had trouble sleeping.

[shazzyfizz]

Mirtazepine is another anti-depressant which is good for insomnia

[mackie1]

if sleepers are in short supply just taking half a tablet with a glug of benylin (original/drowsy variety)
this increases the effect of the sleeper, works also if becoming tolerant to the sleeper.
this is obviously contra indicated but works a treat.
my gp also wont prescribe sleepers anymore for my own good and i can recomend the company mentioned in the first post cheap and reliable for zopiclone

[tvaddict37]

you can get a lot of counterfit drugs on line - ie they have no active ingredient in.

Also, please be careful mixing sedatives with cough medicines / alcohol etc. Or you'll wake up dead.

[Sarah04]

simple, dont do it. the chances are its going to be fake.

[Hypnodisc]

I can confirm that Unitedpharmacies Zopiclone is genuine

[Xassy]

Originally Posted by Hypnodisc

I can confirm that Unitedpharmacies Zopiclone is genuine

How do you know?

[miafi]

Originally Posted by tvaddict37

you can get a lot of counterfit drugs on line - ie they have no active ingredient in.

Also, please be careful mixing sedatives with cough medicines / alcohol etc. Or you'll wake up dead.

Really? I didn't think the dead woke up.

[Hypnodisc]

Originally Posted by Xassy

How do you know?

Because I've bought it and tested it?

It's well known in the right circles to be a reputable site

[helensams]

yes i ve bought zopiclone from unitedpharmacies for years now and they seem to be the real thing cheap too ,£250 for 10 they usually take 10 days to arrive and they come from china ,registered post you will need to sign for them ,as long as they are for your own personal use its not illegal,i ve had no probs over the years

[helensams]

sorry i meant £2.50 lol sorry