[CarolineC]

I was prescribed zopiclone years ago for fibromyalgia and have mainly taken half a pill every night.

A month ago I picked up my prescription at the local pharmacy (they know what I have been going through with cancer for the last 4 years) and noticed that the pills were a lighter blue. I mentioned it to the clerk and she said they were changing pharmaceutical companies, so I asked if they could print out the ingredients because I have a sensitive system and have a hard time adjusting to different meds-it seems I don't need much of anything to have an effect. I got just 7 pills to try out and had dull headaches, but thought I was just adjusting. Last week I woke up at about 3 am and took another half pill-which I have sometimes done, and I was completely out of it for my bloodwork the next day.

I didn't like how I felt and just looked up zopiclone on wikipedia.org. Wow. If you read it, note the subtitles on carcinogenicity for breast cancer because of the drug having an adverse effect on the immune system. I also noted that "patients with liver disease eliminate it slower than normal patients and in addition experience exaggerated pharmacological effects of the drugs" -I have Gilbert's Syndrome which I'm believing is not such a benign liver condition. I have also been experiencing an "out of it" feeling constantly and am wondering if it was also interacting with Letrozole which I take around 8 pm and can also cause dizziness and drowsiness-at least it had a label saying so when I was having radiation at a larger centre and had the pills renewed. The local centre doesn't put that label on the box. I am "only" on metoprolol and zopiclone besides Herceptin, Letrozole and Clodronate. I never thought my little blue pill could be so dangerous. I have now dropped to 1/4 pill nightly and am trying to get off them, and I feel abit more coherent in the morning.

I spoke to the pharmacist when getting the rest of the pills saying that from now on could they please inform me of brand changes and he apologized and said they normally do. I have yet to show them this information. The brand of these pills looks to have less fillers and are abit larger although they are supposed to be the same mg-they feel more potent.

These were the only pills I was on before I was diagnosed and no one has reviewed the prescription with me, at least not in the last 4 years. I thought I was being so careful, checking my anti-cancer meds out and trying to boost my immune system by eating healthy, exercising, stress reduction, etc. and this makes me frustrated.

Tammy, I hope you are doing well and that you have discontinued the pills.