Posted by partlycloudy on February 14, 2005, at 12:26:04
In reply to cymbalta, posted by concerned partner on February 14, 2005, at 10:25:51
Welcome to Babble! I just happen to have first hand experience with abrupt cessation of Cymbalta and trying to sleep without Ambien.
I believe that since the Cymbalta's antidepressant works to combat the fatigue that often comes with depression, it acts as an "activator" and so disrupts sleep. When I had to all of a sudden stop taking Cymbalta last week because of a persistently high blood pressure, I had hoped I'd be able to sleep without the Ambien. Hah! Instead I had the most disturbing and anxious dreams I have ever had. So, I gratefully took the Ambien again - I'm lucky in that it works for me. Another choice might be Vistaril, considered a non-addictive anti anxiety medication, to help your husband relax before sleep. Also, an over-the-counter alternative to Ambien could be an antihistamine like Benadryl.
I hope my anecdotal experience helps! And I would also ask my pharmacist if he had any ideas, too.
Good luck and good health to you both,
partlycloudy
poster:partlycloudy
thread:457569
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20041227/msgs/457629.html