Swallow

Name: Zdenka

Sex: Female

Age: 25 years

What: Zopiclone

A doctor prescribed this to combat stress-induced insomnia. They’re tiny bitter blue pills that I take 30-minutes before bedtime. The man at the prescription counter told me they are a relatively ‘lightweight’ sleeping pill, as opposed to some of the more intense, addictive kinds. Only the latter are covered by insurance, so I had to pay out of pocket.

They work beautifully. After about twenty minutes I feel heavy and drowsy. My hands go limp and I’m out for a good eight hours. I’ve always been a vivid dreamer, and I notice that the drug bleaches out a lot of my dreams; I often wake up with no memory of having dreamt at all, which is rare for me. I wake up with a bitter taste in my mouth, as if I’ve been sucking on a fork.

Despite what the pharmacist said, I’ve grown dependent on them. I only have a few left and when I try to sleep without one I become quite anxious. I’m not allowed to have any refills.

Three weeks later: I had to go the herbal route to flush the Zopiclone out of my system. Now I’m taking valerian root. Also cortisone cream, and other crazy prescriptions for other things; I think I’ve got about six different drugs cycling around my body right now. Disgusting.