Post Traumatic Stress disorder?

Question

How many years can you suffer from this? What are the best meds for it.. i have been on zoloft, lexapro, effexor (all causing me to be more crazy) and now wellbutrin... helping some... not a lot.

about the meds, I took them at different periods to see which would work over a coarse of 3 years

Answer 1

All your life... I suffer from this.

But you know what has really really helped me? Friends that listen and are there to comfort me... on a regular basis. Friends that laugh with you and hug you a long time when you weep.

Good quality friends. They are rare... rare indeed.

Answer 2

Hi,

I think it's extremely rare, but there are a few Vietnam vets that live in a VA hospital near us that are there fore that. Like I said though, that's about as extreme as it gets.

Re: Meds...

Zoloft is an "SSRI" anti-depressant -- meaning it only works on regulating the levels of seratonin (a neurotransmitter) in your brain. I've included a link to its website, but in a nutshet, Zoloft is used for depression, general anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and PTSD. It is largly prescribed and well tolerated. I can see why your doctor would choose that for you.

Lexapro pretty much does the same thing as the Zoloft. It is an SSRI as well, and addresses the same disorders as Zoloft. I don't know why your doctor is prescribing those two together -- seems like overkill to me.

Effexor on the other hand... is a "tricyclic" antidepressent which acts on seratonin, dopimine and norepiniphrine. It is a pretty hearty antidepressent that also helps treat GAD and also ADD/ADHD.

However>>>>> I read on the Lexapro website (2nd Lexapro link below) that you should exercise caution when taking Lexapro (or any SSRI (Zoloft) when taking a Tri-cyclic Anti-depressant.

I have a personal experience with this. My son had been on Effexor for over three years. At a certain point, (being the adolescent he is, his body changed and no longer needed the extra norepinephrine. He became extremely obsessive and pulled out most of his hair.

We carefully weaned him off of the Effexor and onto the Zoloft. It worked, but there were some tough transitions as we had to transition him too fast to address other underlying health issues.

So, anyway.... I'm not understanding why he's has you on two SSRI anti-depressants that both address GAD, OCD and PTSD but then pulls in a tricyclic that really isn't bringing anything to the table and isn't recommended.

Re: Wellbutrin. This is an interesting anti-depressant. It doesn't work like SSRI or Tri-cyclics, but it is used again as an anti-depressent, anti-anxiety medication, AND at least for me, keeps my mood stable throughout my menstral cycle.

So anyway...

I AM NOT a health care professional. I've just a very sick child that has ADHD, Opposional Defiance Disorder, temporary OCD, General Anxiety Disorder, BiPolar Disorder and Psychosis.

I've had to become my child's advocate, so I can't tell you how much research I've done on medications and their interactions.

I am NOT saying what your doctor has prescribed is wrong or harmful, I would just ask the questions and see if you're comfortable with the answers.

Google's a wonderful tool... Each medication has a website that explains anything you want to know. It will even give y ou a link to the full physicians prescribing material...

Good Luck...

Answer 3

I walked in to a burglar in my house almost 15 years ago and I still suffer form PTSD. I can't sleep at home without an security alarm system on, and I don't sleep well at hotels. I tried therapy, but found it difficult to "change how I think." My therapist tried behavior modification techniques for when I get the panic feeling, but it seemed so ineffective ("Just tell yourself that noise is just the trees or XXX, not someone breaking into your house. ").

I'm on Wellburtrin and Lexapro, and it has helped. I'm afraid to say that PTSD can be a part of one's life for years and years. It is a wiring of the brain, and some people respond well to therapy/meds while others do not.

I hope to be less dependent on meds and surround myself with things that will help me work through the PTSD (like getting an alarm, staying at "nicer" hotels, etc). If you can combine the meds with things that will help you mentally feel better (not necessarily overcome) your PSDT, this may be the best approach. You may need to try a combination of drugs/dosages to find what works for you. But be patient and work with your Dr. and therapist.

Answer 4

I've heard it could be a life long thing, too. I've been taking Effexor and Wellbutrin for about 3.5 years now. Had it for about 4 yrs. However, unlike you, the drugs work for me. I take a combo of Effexor and Wellbutrin. I just started taking the Wellbutrin about 6-9 months ago because the Effexor wasn't working anymore. But, now I can function almost "normally" and feel much more like myself.


Maybe the drugs haven't worked for you because you were prescribed too high or low of a dose or the wrong combination of pills...

Answer 5

Find a good cognitive therapist, and you should be able to work it out in about 12 sesssions. You still may need some meds at the same time, but the key is the cognitive therapy. It is re-structuring the events to help them make sense to you and to help you find meaning. It really helped me.

Answer 6

A fantastic book which may help (Helped me) is:

"Get out of your mind, and into your life!"
The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Answer 7

Supposedly it can last for the rest of your life.

You're on a pretty maddening cocktail of antidepressants there. I'd recommend more therapy and a few less drugs.

Answer 8

Check out (http://www.reducingstress.net ) there is a lot of great articles and expert advice on the subject there.

Answer 9

I think maybe psycho therapy (talk-therapy) would probably be the best thing right now, along with your medication.