[Little Jay]

Hello,

So yesterday I started back on Venlafaxine and was also given some Zopiclon to help me sleep. They didn't help my sleep at all, and within about 20 minutes of taking it I started to have hallucinations - I could see thick black spiders webs all over, which turned into weird spikes. The shadows on my bedside table turned into animals and people, I remember telling my boyfriend that I could see a monkey there! It's really freaked me out but I'm scared to tell my pdoc when she comes today (I'm under the crisis team at the minute so they come to my house daily) in case she thinks that im crazy. But if its just the tablet then that doesnt mean there's something else wrong with me does it?

[Blue_Bird]

Hi Little Jay, that's a scary experience. Sometimes meds can have scary adverse effects like that. I'm not familiar with Zopiclone, you said it's a sleeping med. Is it like a hypnotic like ambien? I've heard of people having issues with hallucinations on ambien if they stay up after taking it. Don't worry about telling your doctor, whatever it is she won't think you're "crazy", she is trained to deal with this stuff

[Little Jay]

Thank you Blue_Bird, yes it's a hypnotic (I think it's also known as Zimovane and Imovane). I think it just freaked me out but I've done a bit of googling and it looks like a lot of people have had it too. I will tell my doctor when she comes today and see what she suggests.

[-jimi-]

It's very similar to Ambien. Ambien causes this more often than Zopiclone but that med can also cause it. Those are very weird meds. Quite many experience weird stuff on them.

Hehehe, sorry to laugh, not laughing at you, laughing at my experience on it.

I used to be on it for sleep years and years ago. My pdoc specifically said take it AFTER you brush your teeth and go STRAIGHT to bed. I did this every time pretty much. And had no problem (although it wasnt brilliant to get me to sleep). One night I got a phone call after I had taken the tablet, so I went outside for a smoke and a chat to my friend.

I started hallucinating. I wasnt that scared in the experience but it was unnerving. I saw fireballs and shooting stars.

After that experience I hallucinated a few other times on it, nothing that hurt me and nothing like true psychosis.

Pdoc says it is common, exactly why she said to go straight to bed after you take it and DO NOT stay up. You shouldnt have any problems if you do that. And dont be afraid to mention it to your care team. All the best.