Psychiatrist giving med options, can you weigh in with your experience?

[IceQueencop]

I was diagnosed with PTSD more than a year ago, it was work related, so there were work comp hoops to jump through. The evaluating psychiatrist referred me to my GP for medications.

I started on seroquel about a year ago and Wellbutrin just a couple months ago. At my last GP appointment my doc referred me to a psychiatrist for med management. She said she wasn’t all that familiar with some of the newer meds.

Met with pdoc today, he renewed my current meds, but expressed concern about the long term effects of seroquel. He gave me the names of 2 meds, and told me to research them:

• Clonidine
• Prazosin

What is your experience with either or both?
I see prazosin is good for nightmares, but my symptoms are mostly somatic (flashback, reliving).

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
IQC

 

[Justmehere]

Prazosin works for lots of people for reducing nightmares. I found it to be fairly ineffective for me. Low dose naltrexone reduced flashbacks and other dissociative events super well.

 

[blackemerald1]

Prazosin didn't work for my night terrors either... but nothing has..

I agree with your psydoc's concern regarding Seroquel.. I've been there and it's not good.

Do searches re Seroquel here...

 

[IceQueencop]

Thanks! I really don’t have night terrors as much as I have flashbacks and hyper vigilance, and depression and anxiety...

It would be good to get off the seroquel....

 

[shatter eyes]

I am back on prasozin after seeing sleep doc. He want me to try again with rotating dose to stop my thrashing night terrors wake up frankenstein screaming sweaty heart attack spook oh sh1tmares.

Clonidine i never had experience with.

Oh no... whats up with seroquel? The hosp keeps telling me to take it when i get aggitated irritable. I take it and zonk out during the day then wake up groggy feeling i wasting away in a withdrawn state.

 

[blackemerald1]

Oh no... whats up with seroquel?

I take it and zonk out during the day then wake up groggy feeling i wasting away in a withdrawn state.

^^There is a thread or two on this site about it.. I just think it is a horrible, horrible drug... :sorry: But if you manage it well... go for it!!

 

[Vox]

I have taken both. The clonidine worked much better but caused me some chest pain (my doc said it's because it acts directly on the heart). The prazosin just feels like a more mild version of clonidine.

 

[IceQueencop]

Thank you @Vaux.

And welcome!

Can you tell me more about what you mean when you say the clonidine works better? Better for anxiety? Depression? Sensory distortions?

I appreciate it.

 

[EveHarrington]

Oh no... whats up with seroquel? The hosp keeps telling me to take it when i get aggitated irritable. I take it and zonk out during the day then wake up groggy feeling i wasting away in a withdrawn state.

Docs seem to jump to seroquel when someone needs help with sleep or agitation or anxiety, but it tends to be extremely sedating. The truth is that other antipsychotics can help with these symptoms without knocking you out so much.

 

[Vox]

Thank you @Vaux.

And welcome!

Can you tell me more about what you mean when you say the clonidine works better? Better for anxiety? Depression? Sensory distortions?

I appreciate it.

It helped me fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It lowers blood pressure though so you kind have to ease into it starting with a low dose.

 

[IceQueencop]

It lowers blood pressure though so you kind have to ease into it starting with a low dose.

Did you have any issues with this? @Vaux I have pretty low blood pressure as it is..

 

[Vox]

Did you have any issues with this? @Vaux I have pretty low blood pressure as it is..

Yeah, I think i got up to 0.4mg clonidine before we had to stop due to low blood pressure, it did help a lot with my sleep though. Your doc will most likely start with 0.1 and go up slowly while monitoring your BP every time.