Poll Does Prescription Medication Help Your PTSD?

[Grama-Herc]

Hey guys. While I appreciate your experiences with the different meds in your lives, some of us would not even exist without them. Meds DO NOT cure us. Along with therapy the drugs HELP manage our symptoms. Some times it takes some trial and error to find the one that works for your situation. The key is to incorparate therapy with meds. One without the other is like baking a cake without all the ingredients, the outcome is somewhat disappointing AND it doesn't taste very good either. So there it is-----My opinon HERC

 

[batgirl]

Hey guys. While I appreciate your experiences with the different meds in your lives, some of us would not even exist without them.

You're forgetting though herc that the whole point of this poll/thread IS for people to share their personal experiences with medication, not to have a debate on whether or not medication is effective.

 

[Grama-Herc]

Batgirl Sorry didn't mean to step on any toes AND you are absolutely correct

 

[responsiblek9]

It was a Band-Aid approach and it did not work for me. The side effects almost killed me though. Internal bleeding on three SSRI's I almost bled out when some of the lining of my intestine sloughed off from the Paxil. That put me in the hospital for a while and they forbade me from ever using that class of meds again.

 

[sparta21]

I am in awe of what I'm reading here. I know that meds have helped some, but they were an awful experience for me. I've tried most ssri's; they made every symptom worse and added some new ones. I loved the benzo's best because they went great with my alcohol abuse. Doc's even suggested ect because the meds failed. Great, meds don't work, let's zap his brain. I did not go along for that ride. I'm so glad to have come across this site. Reading the posts is far more helpful than any antidepressant I've taken. Thanks.

 

[pandora]

I take ativan,1mg 2 times per day as needed, immovane 15mg at bedtime and I was taking but have stopped atenolol (much like propanolol a beta blocker as well) effexor xl 300 mg per day. I had no problems coming off either of these but I just can't not use the sleeping meds and ativan. I think I am definately addicted to those.

 

[Shinigami_Shimai]

From the age of 13 - 17 I was on many different meds. All I remember is there was something to wake me up, something to put me to sleep and something to calm me down. During that period I became this drone that could not talk and had violent flashes of anger. When I was in the Mental Hospital I determined that the meds were what was making me so angry and causing me to black out so I decided to take myself off them. The doctors kept trying to make me take more but I've refused and have been med free since then, it has been 15 years now. I feel a lot better without meds and no longer go near them. The last doctor to give me med I took them to a new doctor and showed him. He took the pills and dropped them into a trash can and told me I did not need meds. What I needed was to focus on what happened in the past and all those meds would do is make me forget. Now when I see a new doctor I first ask them their position on medication. If they try to prescribe me anything I walk away and look for a new doctor. I now only take medication that is for my physical ailments and not for the mental. The only drug I remember the name of was Prozac and they kept uping the dosage on that one. When I found out what Prozac's side effects were I remember getting very angry at my past doctors and even had a few choice words with a couple of them. They still thought I needed to be medicated and did not realize just how much damage they had caused me. It really pisses me off to think that maybe I would not have ended up in the mental hospital if they had not loaded me up with so much crap... Guess that is in the past now and there is little I can do about it.

Well, jaa ne

Kat

 

[ptsd_cracker]

They made me suicidal and it took forever to convince the doctors that that was the case. 11/2 yrs on med's and I am lucky that I didn't kill myself. 4 months off and life is so much better I can finally think straight again.

 

[rob4444]

i started on zyprexa,it was my chill pill...my specialist ceased this and i ended up on 2000mg epilim..30mg avanza..10mg endone daily.....i find all meds make me drowsy and its difficult to leave the house as im a zombie....ive since stop taking all meds including pain relief and i am using 30mls 8 herb essiac tea nightly....a very fast and unbelievable improvement in nervous pain relief, health ,attitude and boundless energy ensued....i am now superfit and spend my time outdoors ,in the bush cutting firewood and keeping busy,although i still prefer to do it alone i have more time for people and dont dread meeting new people like i used to...

 

[nie]

Effexor 150mg
Seroquel 100mg
I also have Xanax and Ambien for emergency use only.

My psychiatrist told me that medication will not cure my PTSD, but will help me as I go through the therapy process. I have found this to be true so far.

 

[anthony]

My psychiatrist told me that medication will not cure my PTSD, but will help me as I go through the therapy process. I have found this to be true so far.

Keep that doctor nieccole.... an honest one.

 

[nor]

I have been on 80mg of prozac for a few years now. Initially it was prescribed for depression (at a lower dose), and then progressed to 40 and now 80 to combat OCD symptoms. Supposedly it helps with the ptsd symptoms, but I don't see it. The only thing that it could be assisting, is the numbing feeling (but that is also a symptom of ptsd, so maybe it isn't helping at all!)

The prozac did help my OCD tremendously, but I have been on and off different mood stabilizers for the past few years as well. Right now, I only take prozac and trazadone (at night to sleep). My ptsd is full blown, so I don't see the prozac as beneficial with the illness.

nor