What are the best medications currently available to treat PTSD?

Question

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. And why are the medicatiosn you selected effective at treating it? Please, serious, informed answers only. Thanks everyone. Best answer gets 10 points.

Answer 1

Treatment of PTSD

A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet

This fact sheet describes elements common to many treatment modalities for PTSD, including education, exposure, exploration of feelings and beliefs, and coping-skills training. Additionally, the most common treatment modalities are discussed, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, EMDR, group treatment, and psychodynamic treatment.

Common Components of PTSD Treatment
Treatment for PTSD typically begins with a detailed evaluation and the development of a treatment plan that meets the unique needs of the survivor. Generally, PTSD-specific treatment is begun only after the survivor has been safely removed from a crisis situation. If a survivor is still being exposed to trauma (such as ongoing domestic or community violence, abuse, or homelessness), is severely depressed or suicidal, is experiencing extreme panic or disorganized thinking, or is in need of drug or alcohol detoxification, it is important to address these crisis problems as a part of the first phase of treatment.

It is important that the first phase of treatment include educating trauma survivors and their families about how persons get PTSD, how PTSD affects survivors and their loved ones, and other problems that commonly come along with PTSD symptoms. Understanding that PTSD is a medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions is essential for effective treatment.
Exposure to the event via imagery allows the survivor to re-experience the event in a safe, controlled environment, while also carefully examining his or her reactions and beliefs in relation to that event.
One aspect of the first treatment phase is to have the survivor examine and resolve strong feelings such as anger, shame, or guilt, which are common among survivors of trauma.
Another step in the first phase is to teach the survivor to cope with posttraumatic memories, reminders, reactions, and feelings without becoming overwhelmed or emotionally numb. Trauma memories usually do not go away entirely as a result of therapy but become manageable with the mastery of new coping skills.
Therapeutic Approaches Commonly Used to Treat PTSD:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) involves working with cognitions to change emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Exposure therapy is one form of CBT that is unique to trauma treatment. It uses careful, repeated, detailed imagining of the trauma (exposure) in a safe, controlled context to help the survivor face and gain control of the fear and distress that was overwhelming during the trauma. In some cases, trauma memories or reminders can be confronted all at once ("flooding"). For other individuals or traumas, it is preferable to work up to the most severe trauma gradually by using relaxation techniques and by starting with less upsetting life stresses or by taking the trauma one piece at a time ("desensitization").

Along with exposure, CBT for trauma includes:

· learning skills for coping with anxiety (such as breathing retraining or biofeedback) and negative thoughts ("cognitive restructuring"),

· managing anger,

· preparing for stress reactions ("stress inoculation"),

· handling future trauma symptoms,

· addressing urges to use alcohol or drugs when trauma symptoms occur ("relapse prevention"), and

· communicating and relating effectively with people (social skills or marital therapy).



Pharmacotherapy (medication) can reduce the anxiety, depression, and insomnia often experienced with PTSD, and in some cases, it may help relieve the distress and emotional numbness caused by trauma memories. Several kinds of antidepressant drugs have contributed to patient improvement in most (but not all) clinical trials, and some other classes of drugs have shown promise. At this time, no particular drug has emerged as a definitive treatment for PTSD. However, medication is clearly useful for symptom relief, which makes it possible for survivors to participate in psychotherapy.



Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new treatment for traumatic memories that involves elements of exposure therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with techniques (eye movements, hand taps, sounds) that create an alternation of attention back and forth across the person's midline. While the theory and research are still evolving for this form of treatment, there is some evidence that the therapeutic element unique to EMDR, attentional alternation, may facilitate the accessing and processing of traumatic material.



Group treatment is often an ideal therapeutic setting because trauma survivors are able to share traumatic material within the safety, cohesion, and empathy provided by other survivors. As group members achieve greater understanding and resolution of their trauma, they often feel more confident and able to trust. As they discuss and share how they cope with trauma-related shame, guilt, rage, fear, doubt, and self-condemnation, they prepare themselves to focus on the present rather than the past. Telling one's story (the "trauma narrative") and directly facing the grief, anxiety, and guilt related to trauma enables many survivors to cope with their symptoms, memories, and other aspects of their lives.



Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on the emotional conflicts caused by the traumatic event, particularly as they relate to early life experiences. Through the retelling of the traumatic event to a calm, empathic, compassionate, and nonjudgmental therapist, the survivor achieves a greater sense of self-esteem, develops effective ways of thinking and coping, and learns to deal more successfully with intense emotions. The therapist helps the survivor identify current life situations that set off traumatic memories and worsen PTSD symptoms.


Psychiatric disorders that commonly co-occur with PTSD

Psychiatric disorders that commonly co-occur with PTSD include depression, alcohol/substance abuse, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders. Although crises that threaten the safety of the survivor or others must be addressed first, the best treatment results are achieved when both PTSD and the other disorder(s) are treated together rather than one after the other. This is especially true for PTSD and alcohol/substance abuse.



Complex PTSD

Complex PTSD (sometimes called "Disorder of Extreme Stress") is found among individuals who have been exposed to prolonged traumatic circumstances, especially during childhood, such as childhood sexual abuse. Developmental research is revealing that many brain and hormonal changes may occur as a result of early, prolonged trauma, and these changes contribute to difficulties with memory, learning, and regulating impulses and emotions. Combined with a disruptive, abusive home environment that does not foster healthy interaction, these brain and hormonal changes may contribute to severe behavioral difficulties (such as impulsivity, aggression, sexual acting out, eating disorders, alcohol/drug abuse, and self-destructive actions), emotional regulation difficulties (such as intense rage, depression, or panic), and mental difficulties (such as extremely scattered thoughts, dissociation, and amnesia). As adults, these individuals often are diagnosed with depressive disorders, personality disorders, or dissociative disorders. Treatment often takes much longer than with regular PTSD, may progress at a much slower rate, and requires a sensitive and structured treatment program delivered by a trauma specialist.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

In treating post traumatic stress disorder, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no magic pill to cure or control the symptoms of this disorder. The medication can take the edge off, relieve some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety, but does not take all the symptoms away. Therapy to talk about the source of the problems helps, medication but the best help is the new treatment referred to as EMDR (eye movement desensitization) is being called almost magic. Through a few appointments with this eye routine it trains the brains somehow to not recall the trauma or the effects that led to PTSD.

Answer 4

Almost any of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or selective norepinepherine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) will help. Combined SSRI/SNRI (e.g., Effexor, Cymbalta) might be the drug of choice because it can shorten the time to finding the right combination. HOWEVER:

1. Go to a physician and get a general look-over (doesn't need to be a $6M physical, getting vitals, history, looking at eyegrounds, examining nail beds, doing a rough basic neuro exam and mini-mental exam will probably do fine and most of that can be done by the nurse). This is necessary because not all patients react the same way to all drugs. You should never take any prescription medication without a health care professional going over you.

2. Ask the physician to prescribe something to kick you out of the depression. If the physician is not sure, that's OK, she or he can call a pharmacist for added information on specific drugs, or perhaps call a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist for some additional info).

3. Start seeing a psychotherapist. This is what will get you through the PTSD. Drugs will kick you out of the depression, enabling you to take advantage of the psychotherapy. Drugs alone will not work; psychotherapy without some psychopharmacological support doesn't have a great history, either, and usually takes longer than if combined with drugs.

4. Keep at it. If your psychotherapist (could be a licensed clinical social worker, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, any number of other levels are availabe) isn't right for you, find another one. Sometimes those with mental health issues need to go through two or more therapists before they find the right match. Competent therapists recognize this and are never insulted if you tell them this is not the right fit.

Best of luck.

Answer 5

98% of all mental problems in my opinion are stress and anxiety related. here is the answer you are looking for. I have ptsd as well and although i am not completely cured I feel 100% better. If I could have found this program 15 yrs ago or when it first started I would be a lot better off. BUT i am glad i found it when i did. http://bbs.stresscenter.com/eve?a=cfrm
I had just lost my fiance suddenly and lost custody of my children and was living in a motel with a job at a temp service. NOW I HAVE A HOUSE AND ALTHOUGH I JUST GOT LAID OFF I AM ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. I am not scared.
as for dealing with the symptoms until you can get t his program
if and when you feel an episode coming on take a deep breath and keep telling yourself it is in the past it can not hurt you any more. my chat name in the center is "rewind" maybe ill see you there

Answer 6

There are a lot of treatment options. Some medication (it is an anxiety disorder) so some SSRI antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can be helpful. But most helpful is intense therapy/counseling. PTSD survivors have to work THROUGH the trauma. Medication alone won't help much.

Answer 7

Be careful taking medications for PTSD, they are often discouraged. The reason is that they hide the symptoms, but do not allow the individual to process the cause of the PTSD. Obviously it was a horrible tragic event, but avoiding processing it only serves to keep the problem from being resolved. You will probably hear many different opinions about this, but please think about what I said.

Answer 8

The people who answered you are WRONG. Topamax is for a number of issues. It was originally for seizures, an anti seizure medication... then it was prescribed to treat migraines, also. and now it is used as a "mood stabilizer" --for bipolar patients. I HATED topamax, it ruins your taste buds and it made me very , very stupid. You get very forgetful, I have read stories of people getting lost going to their own HOMES. I wouldn't recommend it. I would recommend lamictal... it is the only med that hasn't had any side effects with me.

Answer 9

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