Taking Medication for PTSD

[upstream]

I am curious, though, about the statement you made that SSRIs aren't anymore effective than a sugar pill.

Study:
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045

Commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqJhWG1aSVQ

Hope that clarifies... what is SOMA?

 

[nic]

Um...read the book...it's...um...interesting :-)

 

[Deleted member 541]

Upstream,


In my world SOMA is a drug. A muscle relaxant, very powerful, and it makes me feel like gumby.......LOL!!!!!! I take it when I have a flare of Fibromyalgia.

 

[nic]

It's actually pretty similar in Brave New World. It's their "happy pill," so to speak.

nic :-)

 

[upstream]

Wikipedia tells me that SOMA is a fictional hallucinogenic drug in the year 2540, used to escape pain and bad memories by creating fantasies. The concept reminds me of an air freshener; rather than get rid of the bad smell lets cover it up with a good smell so we don't notice the foul oder... not my kind of drug but certainly sounds like a fun experience.

The book's concept reminds me strongly of the movie Equilibrium... regulated government stimulation combined with the death of societal inventions such as art, religion, and culture. Sounds like a good read, though not sure why Henry Ford is idolized by the population?

Soma is also a smashing pumpkins song and the trade name for She Cat's muscle relaxant... fun.

 

[baileysemt]

I am a med taker.

I've been on Paxil 20 mg for nearly 11 years now. It is the right med for me. I realize that a lot of people have had bad reactions to various ADs ... I haven't had that with Paxil. I don't feel numbed, glossed over or drugged ... I just feel like my normal, happy-go-lucky self again.

.......... when it works. :) LOL !! Since my trauma (July 2006) it has not been nearly sufficient to treat both my pre-existing depression & anxiety, plus the PTSD. Whether it was PTSD all by itself, or if there was a concurrent flare-up of the depression & anxiety, does it really matter? Bottom line, I was miserable. Who cares the label -- Houston, we had a problem!

So 5 weeks ago, my doc put me on 150 mg Wellbutrin XL daily. It's worked like a *charm*. I am coming back to life. I am happy again. I have energy. I am out of bed every day and doing things! :) As we speak, I am cleaning my house for the first time in THREE YEARS. I had forgotten how to clean (you guys know how that goes -- forgetting how to do the most simplest of tasks? -- like where does that go, anyway?) :( nor did I freakin' care about it either ... now all of a sudden, I need the place clean, and I remember how to do it!!! ?? Crazy stuff.

Lemme tell you kids, it's good to be back ............ Lordy there is so much I am behind on.... *eek*

A very nice side-effect of the Wellbutrin is that my nearly-daily headaches, and my migraines, are greatly lessened or totally gone. Most days I do not get those daily headaches at all... and those days I do get a migraine (which is way less often than previously) they are a fraction of the pain that they used to be. (Major HOORAY!!!)

I also have mild hypertension, for which I take 37.5 mg metoprolol extended-release/day. (Yeah, it's a lot of fun chopping up 50 mg pills in 1/8ths to get to 37.5 mg *roll eyes*) Metoprolol also has anti-anxiety effects, and is a beta-blocker so it is supposed to be helpful in treating my migraines. The hypertension is genetic, saw that coming a mile away, so no surprises there. :)

Anyway, not sure if this helps at all, but I was hoping a success story might offer a bit of hope.

:) Bailey

 

[Cecilia]

I was on Paxil for 2 years and I felt great, but I gained weight. That motivated me to stop taking it. Coming off of it was horrible, it made me very sick. That inspired me to not take medication for a couple of years, but then I had a major crash a couple of months ago and started taking Effexor RX. My doctor said this should not cause weight gain. I definitely feel better.