Prazosin

[Sludge]

I just had Prazosin added to my regimen. Nearly a month in, I have not experienced any of the "helpful" effects. I have read the original PTSD trial reports on this use of the drug, but I just don't feel it is working for me.

I was curious if any of you receiving this treatment can explain better to me what the desired effect is. I still can't sleep much, and the nightmares are as horrible as ever.

 

[Lost Artilleryman]

Prazosin is a blood pressure medicine. They use it as a way not to "prevent" nightmares, but to help prevent your body from boosting in testosterone and raising blood pressure which causes you to wake up excited and on edge from the nightmare. You will still have nightmares. What dose are you at? You can go up to 10mg a night if needed. Granted that's pretty extreme, but clinical trials showed that to be a viable dose. Good luck man.

 

[Jimmy1]

The only way to deal with the nightmares is to deal with the traumas themselves.
I personally used to deal with them by using alcohol and other illicit substances. Then I tried sleeping tablets, but its only a band-aid fix. I still sleep like shit, but its not the nightmares anymore.

You will get sick of hearing it, but exposure therapy and talking about the actual horrors that keep you awake at night is the only way to really numb it. So find a good therapist that you can trust.

Don't get me wrong, in the interim, nearly every veteran is placed on some form of medication so they can get some rest, but you have to deal with your demons in the end.

 

[marc and honey]

I have been on Prazosin for almost a year now (5 mg). Everyone is diffrent, however the affect it has on me is instead of being at the time and place of the event; it's almost like a movie I am watching it happen but don't feel like i am there again. So in short when I wake up, I know I am safe, just still upset that I can't watch a funny movie instead. hope everything works out for you.

 

[Sludge]

Thanks for the info. I read the studies, but I just couldn't quite grasp what they were up to with this stuff. This makes more sense to me now. For me, the hard part is that I cannot remember any of the dreams, but waking up screaming every hour or so is really getting old. I bought my wife some of those fancy molded earplugs so at least she can sleep.

 

[jacquesdaspy]

Nightmares, specifically, (I was corrected due to my miss under standing) occur while you are asleep, in a dream state and are often accompanied by physical exercises, thrashing , outbursts, etc. The other category that seems similar is "intrusive or invasive thoughts" which occur when you are not asleep. (you are just pretending, trying to convince yourself) I found that the Prazosin helped with the nightmares but not the intrusive thoughts. Changing sleep environment, the recliner helped in that respect with a fresh dose of the pre-sleep regimen.(deep or belly breathing) The essence is to refocus or distract your mind, "I find" a physical relocation helps?

 

[Sludge]

I have been only sleeping when I am tired for years. I gave up hope on the nightmares, night terrors, uber-awareness and intrusive thoughts long ago. I'm in the habit of studying for school of fixing stuff around the house instead.