Poll Does Prescription Medication Help Your PTSD?

[cat]

Hi Cate
Meds have reduced my anxiety, panic attacks etc but trauma focused psychotherapy has been the answer to my other symptoms of flashbacks, hyper vigilance & arousal. I still have some flashbacks but they are no longer daily & are less distressing. I'm still working on dissociation.

 

[AthenaErdmann]

This has been very informative, thanks! I wanted to use the Thank You button (described in the FAQ) for several of the posts in this thread - but I could not find that button :doh:

I started to suspect I might have PTSD after I got a prescription for Ritalin in 2007 for ADHD (diagnosed in 2004). The effects of Ritalin made me realize that I had been in a state of constant (24/7), mostly low-level panic since about 1968 = as long as I can remember. I felt so different I barely recognized myself - at first I thought I had lost all my energy, all my drive. What I had lost was my irrational, mixed-up-with-everything-in-my-life fear.

Now if I forget my medication too often, some of the fears and nightmares come back, and then they recede when I get back to normal dosage again (2-3x10mg per day, and seems to not need raising - I hope it won't in the future either). But Ritalin is not the ultimate answer or the final solution: it just puts a muffler on my anxiety, so that I can function better and above all work at learning to function better - to seek and accept help, to develop more constructive habits and to find tools and solutions that work. To do therapy, behavior modification, unlearning etc.

Several people have talked about the importance of a psychiatrist who cares and is sane her/himself. I could not agree more. Because I have seen what addiction can do (we have alcoholics, nicotine addicts, workaholics, psych meds dependents etc. in my immediate and extended family) I was very, very suspicious of any medication for ADHD. I did some 6 months of cognitive psychology based ADHD coaching first (it helped quite a bit), read a lot, and reorganized my study and professional goals. Currently I'm in a more emotions-centered therapy, which seems to be what is needed most right now. My shrink informed me right from the start about the existing ADHD medications and how they work, but he never tried to push anything on me. He also listened to and respected my specific reasons for mistrusting the idea of medication. Finally, after three years I asked, and we agreed I would try. I am glad I did - not because methylphenidate hydrochloride would solve any of my problems, but because it helps me to make the effort to find help, resources and solutions.

Compared that with an experience with a shrink who only prescribed me sleeping pills, when I was 22 and had problems sleeping while working as a nurse with dying patients only (including kids), without any emotional support... It is amazing that both these people are/were supposedly professionals in the same field.

 

[anni]

My comments to the medical community will not be complimentary, which I don't like to do. Since this poll is to be used to perhaps have them actually listen, I'll do so.

In the 20 years I've been dealing with this stupid thing, I haven't had one medical professional genuinely LISTEN to what I tell them. I've been prescribed a plethora of medications at various strengths and in the end had to be the one to 'feel' what was correct for me, and when. Out of all the medications I was prescribed, every single one was prescribed at a dose which was at least twice as much was was needed, sometimes 3 or 4 times as much. In my opinion, this does not mean my symptoms were less severe, it means individual's chemistries are as different as our brains. To me that seems to be a big 'DUH', but try telling that to a doctor!

Most of my meds ended up being flushed down the toilet. I have been able to use Zoloft at 1/4 the prescibed dose to good effect, and have gone off of it when it 'felt' as if I could manage my symptoms without it. Doctors have told me this is impossible. I've stopped arguing with them and just nod my head. I've had Lorazapam periodically, which also worked at half the prescribed dose. This was prescribed too freely, in my opinion, and I did some research on my own. I stopped them and allowed the prescription to lapse.

At the moment, something in my system requires tweaking because my heart appears to be taking a beating ( ahem. Please excuse what would be a terrible pun.) from way too much anxiety than is healthy. I'll probably get something, have to figure out what miniscule dose will work for me ( as opposed to what I KNOW the doc will prescibe), wait for the symptoms to be controlled and then stop them again.

I'm sorry for such a long post, and REALLY hate talking about myself at such length but have a real 'thing' about this subject. Maybe some people's sytems do need what is prescribed, I do not know because I am not a professional. BUT anytime you fool around with how something as specific as how each individual's brains functions, it's just plain tricky territory and it seems to me the medical profession is way too cavalier in their handling of prescription meds for PTSD patients.

Thanks for chance for the little rant. :)

Anni

 

[AthenaErdmann]

...In the 20 years I've been dealing with this stupid thing, I haven't had one medical professional genuinely LISTEN to what I tell them. ... individual's chemistries are as different as our brains. To me that seems to be a big 'DUH', but try telling that to a doctor!

...have gone off of it when it 'felt' as if I could manage my symptoms without it. Doctors have told me this is impossible. I've stopped arguing with them and just nod my head. ...

I'm sorry for such a long post, and REALLY hate talking about myself at such length but have a real 'thing' about this subject. Maybe some people's sytems do need what is prescribed, I do not know because I am not a professional. BUT anytime you fool around with how something as specific as how each individual's brains functions, it's just plain tricky territory and it seems to me the medical profession is way too cavalier in their handling of prescription meds for PTSD patients.

Thanks for chance for the little rant. :)

Please, please Anni, do not apologize for talking about yourself. Especially after what you said about doctors not listening, I would feel quite bad if we here could not listen. If not here, then where could we unload? If not fellow sufferers would listen, who then?

I agree to some extent with what you said about feeling when one needs what dosage of medication - I usually can tell the difference between a 20 mg and 30 mg Ritalin day by checking how full my calendar is and listening to how stressed I feel. However, one needs to deal with low enough doses of low enough toxicity drugs plus be pretty well at home in one's body and have a healthy dose of self-criticism to do this safely. A dear friend lost his sister some ten years ago when she decided she did not want to give up on life, got back on her medication (don't know which kind) and did it too fast and died of the effects. It was not a classic overdose, but reaching too fast for the full therapeutic dosage, the same she had been on before.

The doctors who don't listen to a patient saying that they can do with a smaller dose or that an experienced patient can feel what medication is needed may be over-aware of "if you don't do everything exactly by the book, your malpractice and/or medical mistake insurance is toast" (what are those insurances called for real??). And I would imagine that most insurance companies do not exactly favor a doctor encouraging their patients to use common sense. :wall:

 

[anni]

Yes, of course-all completely true! It's all why doctors genuinely need to be so hugely aware of the specific needs of each patient and be completely dependable-otherwise we do tend to lost confidence in their ability(or willingness) to ascertain our requirements. I can never tell whether we're being prescribed straight out of the book using the same criteria ( which is I think age/weight?) as they would for something like an antibiotic. I'm not a profesional, but would imagine that bacteria behave an awful lot more predictably than brain chemistry to some intended medication. With some variables, XYZ will pretty much wipe out some bug across the board, while it just seems that ZYX seratonin reuptake-inhibitor is going to affect each individual a different way at a 'recommended' dose. I think my whole point is just plain awareness, and yes, as you say- common sense!

Certainly I'm not advocating playing around with meds on one's own-I've just had to do it because otherwise I'd have been a completely zoned out lemming. :) It was awful, so I can't even imagine how awful one would feel taking even more than the 'recommended' dose! These things are a wonderful tool for healing fo some people, I know. I do just wish doctors in general would 'shush' for a moment and listen up.

 

[gdf]

Hummmm, good question.

I was treated with antidepressants for a number of years at times off and on. I used an older one called Ludiomil which had a lot of anti-anxiety effects. When my depression got overwhelming in 08 I tried wellbutrin with bad results. Also tried trazodone. Generic Celexa worked well but I could only handle tiny doses and once things stablized I weaned myself off with very good results (depression abated) and did a bunch of research and found the blood pressure drug clonodine worked for hypertension and anxiety, etc. and it works well for me for both PTSD and high blood pressure. Keep in mind I had very poor psychological and medical support in 08 and 09 so the effects may have been very different if I had had better support. Everybody has to strike their own balance. I found mine in a better therapist, better family doctor, better diet and the Forum. The latter of which provided peer support and an outlet for my feelings.

Gina

 

[Lucky Laser]

When I was on the medication I wasn't sure... but after quitting it... ohhh boy! I think that over all, I am better now than when I started the medication back in 08. Back then, nearly every day was a bad day. On the medication I had about one bad day every few weeks. Off of it now after years of treatment, I have about 1 bad day per week (this is with other life stress at a maximum) and overall fewer nightmares but more dreams that are just weird in general. Medication may not be right for everyone, but I consider myself a success story.

 

[insomnia]

I kinda had a hard time selecting in this poll because I used to be on zoloft and prozac and it made me very depressed and zombie like .

I recently [ 3 weeks] have been on a new medicine called welbutrin and I feel a little better however I don't know if it will in the future I will still feel this way.

So I guess I will have to keep taking it for a while to know but I hope with all my heart it helps me.

I am also taking ambien and amitriptyline to sleep and most the time they work and I can sleep for at least 5 hours.

 

[freakofnurture]

My meds saved my life. Seriously. Within one week I came out of a sucidal streak that had me cling to the mattress to keep me from doing it every night for six months straight.
I've tried to get off of the stuff several times now, but the depression came back every time and I chickened out. So I guess today the meds are keeping me happy enough to be able to deal with my new diagnosis of ptsd.

 

[Cynthiatoo]

I struggled with finding a medication for years and years, initially when I only had depression and anxiety. It wasnt until I found an SNRI with a small extra dose of Edronax (Noradrenaline) that I could rely on entering a shopping centre, a gathering, answering the phone without flipping out. I also have not wanted to "be dead" , ever, since starting this combination nine months ago.

I believe there is too much emphasis on the role of serotonin and not enough research into the effects of noradrenaline in PTSD. Too much for me meant panic attacks where death seemed impending, too little meant I lay on the couch for three weeks all day every day and had to be sat up and walked to the toilet. I also could not speak...I cant believe that as I write it. That is all gone.

 

[myvandj]

When I was on the medication I wasn't sure... but after quitting it... ohhh boy! I think that over all, I am better now than when I started the medication back in 08. Back then, nearly every day was a bad day. On the medication I had about one bad day every few weeks. Off of it now after years of treatment, I have about 1 bad day per week (this is with other life stress at a maximum) and overall fewer nightmares but more dreams that are just weird in general. Medication may not be right for everyone, but I consider myself a success story.

You are truly an inspiration. I want so desperately to stop taking the the multiple medications I am currently on. I just want to cope naturally. I feel I have the coping skills I need. But how will I ever know they work if I'm on so much medication?

 

[Powder]

Effexor 30 mg/day caused anorexia and other symptoms that were more "crazy" than anything naturally going on. This happened only after taking it for a while. It also happened to other women I know who were also taking it during it's first hayday (90s) in our area. For both of us, the symptom appeared about the same timeline of treatment. This is going to sound weird...we both had a wierd compulsion to break whatever crystal or glass or other fragile type of item was lying around. I would see a beautiful crystal vase and have to really use my will power to not take it outside to hear it crash against the cement. Now, mind you, I wasn't angry, I didn't want to break it, I just wanted to hear the "ching" sound!! The sound that something makes when it shatters is what I CRAVED to hear! When I told other Effexor users, they scoffed until they also reached several weeks of treatment, and then they, unlike me (I stopped and had to suffer the horrible w/d) they actually broke every plate in the house! Their spouses thought they were angry and crazy.

The only other thing I hated about Effexor was feeling dissociated all the time (not real) like life was a crappy movie I was just watching and had no agency in. Perhaps this feeling of loss of control or agency led to a poor impulse control state and thus the weird compulsions (wanting to hear glass break for that satisfying "ching" sound).

I completely had negative and horrible stuff from all of it. Tried Paxil first (terrible back pain!!!Headaches!!!) I really felt the medication was like a major punishment which I really didn't need as I was depressed already. Not being able to get sexual release is icing on the cake. How can taking away the only natural stress relief help someone in pain?

Prozac at the very lowest dose possible is the only thing that helped a little, but the feeling of not being able to focus and get stuff done set in and never went away.

Muse