Sleeping tablets - been taking them since I was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer but my consultant and GP want me to stop taking them. What should I do?

Hello, I have stage 4 bowel cancer and have had nearly 18 months of chemo. When I was diagnosed I asked for sleeping tablets and have been taking them ever since. My consultant and also my GP are encouraging me to stop them. I have tried but poor sleep makes me more fatigued,emotional and anxious. I feel that being perhaps addicted to them is the very least of my worries. The stress of running out of the tablets,(zopiclone),and having to make a GP appointment for every repeat prescription is just adding to the misery of having cancer and using up my limited time. Perhaps too much detail but I live alone, when my partner stays he snores so I need tablets to sleep, I want to enjoy my relationship with him as long as possible.

I’d be interested to know what others think of this and whether anyone has a similar problem. I feel guilty for needing  them and feel that I am a bad patient.

Parents
  • It sounds to me that they are assessing you to have been taking them for too long, but they are perhaps disregarding bigger picture of where you are as an Individual with stage 4 cancer. Think u should have this discussion with them. I would take it to your oncology team rather than GP

Reply
  • It sounds to me that they are assessing you to have been taking them for too long, but they are perhaps disregarding bigger picture of where you are as an Individual with stage 4 cancer. Think u should have this discussion with them. I would take it to your oncology team rather than GP

Children