Research NAC for PTSD Clinical Trial

[NACforPTSD]

Do you have PTSD? Have you already tried other treatments?

You may be interested in participating in a clinical trial of a new medication for PTSD called N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC is derived from a naturally occurring substance with antioxidant properties.

If you are eligible for the trial, you will be randomly allocated to receive either active NAC or an inactive placebo to take 3 times per day for 12 weeks, while you continue your other treatment as usual. You will be asked to attend 6 appointments at the Psychological Trauma Recovery Service (PTRS) at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Ivanhoe (VIC, Australia), where your PTSD symptoms and related difficulties will be assessed by questionnaires and interview.

The research is being conducted by the department of psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and Austin Health. This trial has been approved by the Austin Health Human Research Ethics Committee. HREC/16/Austin/188.
You can read more about the trial here: ANZCTR - Registration

If you are interested in participating, or want to know more, please contact our researcher Anita : (03) 9496 2624 [email protected]

 

[EveHarrington]

NAC is not a “medication” it is a supplement that has been around for quite awhile.

It is misleading to state that this is a “new”....”medication”.....”FOR PTSD”.

Maybe it’s different in Australia, maybe you all don’t have this as an over the counter supplement, I do not know.

But for anyone in the USA who is reading this, NAC is a supplement you can buy over the counter. It’s definitely not “new”. It definitely hasn’t been developed FOR ptsd.

My doc recommended it to me a year ago. I have a bottle sitting on my dresser (NOW brand, you can buy it on Amazon amongst other places.) I’ve been meaning to start taking it but I’m trying to stabilize on my Rx meds first.

I just irks me the way this study has been worded. This isn’t a new medication for ptsd. (Playing fast/loose with words!)

 

[Sideways]

It is misleading to state that this is a “new”....”medication”.....”FOR PTSD”.

Not really. Sounds like a pretty accurate description of the goals of the study.

There are plenty of pills (medications/supplements, splitting hairs there) that assist with relieving the symptoms of ptsd.

I’m not personally aware of any that have been found to treat the disorder itself. Certainly none backed by actual peer-reveiwed research.

A study with the combined efforts of the Austin with the Uni of Melbourne would suggest this will be a fairly high-calibre study, and rare given the lack of treatments currently known to assist ptsd.

If they find one? Bloody brilliant - I can stop treating individual symptoms with my vast collection of current meds:)

 

[Eagle3]

I'm in the US, and NAC has been recommended to me for my autism. Its an amino acid used as the building blocks for glutathione. Its a supplement around here, used for ALL KINDS of detoxing of internal organs and removal of heavy metals. I must say, after taking it for a year, I like it! Helps with grounding, and breathing issues too. Glad someone is studying it for real!

 

[shatter eyes]

Canada here. And i have been taking NAC for about 6 months. I started 600mg x 3 and now reduced to 600mg x 2.

The bottle says to eat with food and then i read online from psych journal to take on empty stomach....

NAC can reduce the oxidative stress in body and free up cells to repair and clean up systems.

It is good a trial for NAC is being done for PTSd but i wonder if there is an objective way of measuring outcome and follow up changes after discontinuing does symptoms return? Will there be brain scans? What stages of PTSd early or late as it does change brain structure.

Please keep us posted ?

 

[shatter eyes]

For those taking NAC do you take it with food or empty stomach?

 

[Eagle3]

For those taking NAC do you take it with food or empty stomach?

I take it with food, but 2 hours away from any of my other supplements. Also, very important to stay hydrated, as this will dry you out pretty well.