Poll Does Prescription Medication Help Your PTSD?

[absence]

Keep in mind that I'm a diagnosed atypical schizophrenic and that I also take the upper limit of my medications. My cocktail works good for me, though I doubt it would for anyone else. Before we came across this cocktail I didn't think I would survive to see 30.

Topamax - 400 mg per day in four divided doses of 100 mg each.
Gabitril - 12 mg per day taken in the evenings.
Adderall - 60 mg per day in three divided doses of 20 mg each.
Zyprexa - 20 mg per day taken in the AM. (when symptomatic)

Topamax has helped tremendously for my rage issues. Gabitril works great for the more generalized anxiety. Both are anticonvulsants. (AEDs) They also work great to keep my mood level.

I take Adderall for my ADHD. I've been on the same dosage nearly a decade. Some days I don't take the full dosage if I'm having problems with anxiety or heavy-duty psychotic symptoms.

I take Zyprexa for my psychotic symptoms when I can't handle it alone. I've learned over the years ways to cope without an anti-psychotic.

I'm lucky to have an excellent psychiatrist that works well with me and my symptoms. Over the past 15 years since my diagnosis I've had so many shrinks that sucked but only two that were worth the money.

Now that I'm in therapy for my trauma issues I'm not expecting to have to have a change to my medication. However, should my anxiety go beyond what I can handle safely I have no qualms in telling my psychiatrist about it. I do know that I would like to try beta-blockers first over benzos. Even though I've never had a problem with addiction.

 

[mcivers]

Zimovane sleeping tablets - prescribed 1 7mg - i need to take 2 now as im on them since october 08

Effexor - started at 75mg - now up to 300mg a day

Valium - 2.5mg three times a day - trying to avoid taking this one

All in all - i have PTSD since october 2004 - i have gone from getting therpy starting from local priest, to counselor, pyschterapist, psychologist & Finally seeing a Psychiatrist -

With the drugs - they ptsd symptoms are less - but when they happen there worse and i feel that im detached from my body these day. So at the moment drugs dont clear ptsd

 

[a3a2]

a3a2

I was given xanax, the smallest dose. It knocks me out cold. I only use it when in acute distress, because it make me sleepy for 24 hours.

When on buspar, I couldn't stop thinking about suicide. I had never experienced this before, and as soon as I stopped the buspar, the urge to kill myself went with it.

For me, therapy has provided the only real relief.

 

[Tanman]

Been using SSRI's for 3 years. they work for a while then seem to loose their affect. Am now trying welbutrin and prozac. I have been on them together for about 3 weeks. Seems to flatten my mood (no angry outbursts) but feel rather blank.

 

[suzie q]

I noticed this thread hadn't been answered in a while so after reading all the posts, I felt a need to post my two cents.

For a whole lot of years, I felt like a guinea pig. I went to many different therapist and MD's looking for ways to live life. I was completely hyper, severely depressed, suicidal, cutting, losing time with disassociation, severe anxiety then extreme anger. I ran away every chance I got thinking that a change of environment would help fix me. I had really long panic attacks, severe nightmares where I would feel claws on my face. I had a black pit that kept haunting me and several "personalities" in my head I didn't understand. I knew something was very wrong with me and tried to survive the best I could. I would self medicate to handle the severe episodes that happened more and more frequently. I, as money was available, sought out help as to why I was so sick. Each "professional" I saw had another take on what was wrong with me. I had so many diagnosis es and each one came with a different type of medicine. I started this journey when I was first treated after my attempted suicide at 16. I joined the military at 18 and had even more trauma added to my history. Off and on I would totally freak and end up living on the streets or with someone sick like me. I was given many types of medications over the years, and it wasn't until about 15 years ago my combination of medications started to open my awareness.

Here is a list of just some of the pills I have taken over the years. Then I will list what I take now.
Buspar
Topamax
Amitriptyline
Imipramine
Doxepin
Clomipramine...they had me try a lot of the tri-cyclics I don't remember
Prozac
Adivan
Depakote
Klonopin
Elavil
Remeron
Seroquel

I would give up or have side effects until I reached a point in my mental health that I was completely out of my mind. Getting married helped because my husband refused to let me live like I was.

My medications now are:
Prozac 60mg/daily
Seroquel 200mg/PM
Trazadone 150mg/PM
Requip-to help with the restless leg syndrome the seroquel causes.
Imitrex for migraines

I have asked both therapist (who saw me 8 years in CBT) and my shrink if I would ever be able to get off the pills. The answer from both was a resounding NO. To handle all my symptoms, I needed to stay on this minimum. I feel good today and even though I have the PTSD symptoms to deal with, I know if I went off my cocktail, I would go right back where I was. Maybe I've been scared into believing it, but as of yet, I'm to chicken to try.

 

[cat]

I've been taking Citalopram 20mg for the last 7 mths & have increased it to 40mg during the last month. Although I do have some side effects I no longer have panic attacks & my ptsd symptoms are more manageable. I've combined meds with therapy & loads of relaxation, once my meds starting working I found that I could engage in therapy much easier.

 

[Momma Kitty]

over the course of my adult life, I have taken many antidepressants. Paxil seem to be the only one I could maintain, but... I hated the "highs" my mood would be lifted until my actions were childish, extreme and too much. Xanax seems to be the ongoing stablizer for my panic attacks and stress. I only take .25 mg as needed. I no longer take anti-depressants because in my words: It is easier to lift myself up out of my gloom, than to bring myself down from some false happiness.

 

[onebravegirl]

To me Meds serve best as scaffolding They hold you up when you need them but you can't use them forever. A drug that works well for a while eventually needs to be replaced by another. Your body gets used to it. That is why I believe therapy is the key. Our minds have all this pain and fear inside and needs us to help it make sense of what is happening. Drugs help us cope with the anxiety, but is like treating the fever not the flu.
They also lead to side-effect upon side-effects, so on and and so on.
They are just pills, not miracles. We can create our own miracles by stepping out of the shadows and allowing ourselves to enjoy the sun and all its warmth.
O

 

[maria]

Here is the ultimate question, one of which I am actually going to press release to the world for input once members actively vote and comment upon this. I want to tell the physicians of the world where their going wrong in regards to using prescription medication as a first line defence, believing it will fully treat PTSD and allow the sufferer to live a normal, even semi-normal, life.

Have I already concluded the results? Well, from the above statement, yes. I am basing this from the discussions within the forums, and the issues pertained to people taking their medications with the side effects evolving, and realistically the little help it overall provides to a sufferer of PTSD. Whilst medications might solve some problems, it just does not seem to solve PTSD. Why? In my opinion, I believe it is because of the sheer number of symptoms caused and provoked by PTSD that makes it impossible for medication to even remedy too a point allowing a sufferer to partake within life.

My experience with it, I ended up more suicidal, more depressed, numerous side effects, still locked in my house unless I absolutely needed to go out, still didn't socialise, was still stressed, still anxious, still not living life... prescription medications did me no favours. Started at a small dose, worked for a little while, then needed more to get the same effect, then more, then reached the maximum dose and my body became immune to the medication, doctors response.... you guessed it, lets change medications and dose your body with a new one, one that it isn't used too. Yey... what a great theory (sarcasm).

What is your vote (honestly in regard to your experience with medications) and tell us your story please, so maybe physicians of the world can see positives vs. negatives and those issues surrounding the realistic problems of medications and PTSD. Let’s see if we can make them stand-up and think differently, opposed to walking in their office, doing nothing, prescribing medications and sending us on our way like good little obedient soldiers. If physicians want our money, I think it’s about time they start earning it.

I guess it depends on what medication we're talking about. I've taken so many different one. That's because for years and years I was being treated for depression. The professionals didn't realize I had PTSD. Nothing I ever took for depression helped. But it did give me some really nasty stuff to take for suicide attempts.

I started taking Prazosin a few months ago, and it really helps with the symptoms. I don't imagine there's a medication to make my PTSD go away. But I've now got Prazosin which helps a lot with the anxiety, more than a little with the nightmares and helps me to stop ruminating guiltily about my past and present. It gives me a little room to think about doing new things.

Drawbacks are the side effects of course. But someone once told me to do a cost-benefit analysis with medication. In this case the benefits far outweigh the costs.

maria

 

[zzzaaabbb]

I was hospitalized in August 2009 and 100% medication free before the hospitalization. I had no idea I had PTSD until being hospitalized. I was discharged on Escitalopram 20mg, Lorazepam 0.5 mg as needed (which I seldom took), Temazepam 15mg every night, and Seroquel 75mg every night.

Since being discharged I stopped taking the Escitalopram - my grandfather passed away and I felt I could not cry. I am thinking it did calm some of my underlying anxiety. I still have a prescription for Lorazepam but still seldom take it (I hate taking meds). I also still take Temazepam and Seroquel but have reduced the dosage of Seroquel to 25mg. My goal is to be medication free and I have a wonderful nurse practitioner who is willing to work with me. I honestly wish I hadn't been started on the temazepam because it is addictive and although I do not feel psycologically addicted to it, I feel my body is addicted to it because I cannot fall asleep or sleep without (have tried many times).

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Apparently I voted a while ago but didn't respond...

I've been on so many different medications, I don't even remember them all.

Antidepressants make me fly high as a kite and then make me crash. The mood cycling is horrible. No doctor ever listens to me when I say "NO antidepressants, EVER" Would they be putting me on antidepressants if I was bipolar? Uhm, no. So why do they insist I be on one when I have mood cycling like bipolar people?

Mood stabilizers help even me out, but also numb me out. Right now I'm on 150mg of Trileptal 2x/day and titrating downward.

I'm on the antipsychotic Geodon, 40mg/day. Hands down the best medication I've ever been on for anxiety. If I miss a dose, I don't sleep, period. I hate to be so dependent on a medication, but this one truly does make my life so much better. I could probably come off of all of my other meds and be able to adjust, but not this one. Lets just say if this one ever goes off the market, I'm taking my bank account and stockpiling it from Canada.

I take .5mg Ativan PRN for panic attacks and bad emotional flashbacks. I hate benzo's but have this on hand for emergencies. I can't even remember the last time I took it.

I also take a beta blocker, Atenolol, 50mg/day, to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety, i.e. heart palpitations.

Last but not least, I take 60mg Buspar for anxiety.

I guess that's a LOT of medication to be taking for anxiety, but since I started on this med regimen I am doing so much better. I hope to eventually be able to decrease the amount of meds I'm on, but don't plan on doing so until I'm farther along in therapy.

 

[cate1980]

Hello,

I couldn't respond as I'd need another option, which is: improved some symptoms considerably, but not others. In my experience you can treat the physical results of PTSD - eg, help you to sleep better, reduce some of the anxiety, palpitations, shakes etc, but you can't treat the flashbacks with meds....I'm hoping psychotherapy might be the answer. I am on Mirtazapine 30mg and also use Zopliclone occasionally for extra 'knock out' effect at night. It has reduced panic, and improved sleep and appetite. Flashbacks still there, and still some disassociation too.