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Help Please! I've Started Sleep Walking Before I Ever Go
Question: Help please! I've started sleep walking before I ever go to bed, will fall asleep on the toilet and fall off or fall asleep standing in kitchen. It's becoming dangerous as I end up falling or banging into things and hurting myself. My husband has recently had a stroke and there is lots of stress involved with adapting to a new life with the person he is now and financial difficulties. I also have severe allergies and igg antibody deficiency along with hiatal hernia and moderate joint pain. Im on allergy meds(zyrtec, astelin nasal spray, 5mg prednisone until they get my antibody shots approved), I also have high blood pressure for which I take(25mg losartan potassium) also take nexium(40mg) for hernia, I have debilitating anxiety and panic attacks for which im on(30mg buspar and 2.5mg valium) since my husband's stroke they put me on cymbalta(60mg) and spironolactone (50mg) for blood pressure spikes and edema(they had me ob lasix 40mg first and switched when I told them I was sleepwalking) . It wasn't until the cymbalta and the lasix and now the spironolactone were added that I started sleep walking. I function just fine through the day as long as I haven't fell the night before from sleepwalking. And my ankle and lower leg and stomach edema are completely gone now and I can walk again without pain but the sleepwalking continues most nights. I'm really scared im gonna seriously hurt myself but also wanna have the ability to walk without pain from swollen legs/ feet. Please help. Any suggestions are appreciated. Im 41 years old.
Brief Answer:
Further evaluation is necessary to find the cause of sleep walking.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
In my opinion, besides the fatigue that may relate to your previous health issues, especially anxiety, and recent health problems with your husband, conditions that may cause excessive sleepiness such obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, should be considered and evaluated further even to exclude them.
Spironolactone and furosemide may cause some degree of drowsiness and lethargy, but falling suddenly asleep is not typical for these drugs.
Cymbalta may cause somnolence in the other hand.
Discuss with your primary care Doctor for further evaluation steps, Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a useful tool in understanding better your condition.
Consulting a sleep Specialist also may be necessary.
If Cymbalta will remain the main cause of your somnolence it should be substituted with another anxiolytic.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Further evaluation is necessary to find the cause of sleep walking.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
In my opinion, besides the fatigue that may relate to your previous health issues, especially anxiety, and recent health problems with your husband, conditions that may cause excessive sleepiness such obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, should be considered and evaluated further even to exclude them.
Spironolactone and furosemide may cause some degree of drowsiness and lethargy, but falling suddenly asleep is not typical for these drugs.
Cymbalta may cause somnolence in the other hand.
Discuss with your primary care Doctor for further evaluation steps, Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a useful tool in understanding better your condition.
Consulting a sleep Specialist also may be necessary.
If Cymbalta will remain the main cause of your somnolence it should be substituted with another anxiolytic.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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