What Do Ptsd Meds Do?

[Truth Seeker]

Any good info on what the meds do to help? Like what symptoms do they target, how do they affect your personality, etc?

I can't afford to see a T or buy meds, but if I ever have to take them what should I be prepared for? I suck at taking pills, and I've successfully managed depression without medication. I just want to know what the deal is.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

It really really depends on the person. Ever person has a different reaction to medication. So here is mine: Celexa ( anti-depressant) seems common on this forum, but me, for example, I can't take it. It makes me manic. Xanax and klonopin ( both for anxiety) also seems popular. I take xanax, and it seems to help. But I try not to depend on it, as it's addicting and habit forming. Abilify (antipsychotic and antidepressant) simply raised my blood pressure, which was disappointing, my doctors had high hopes for it. Saphirs ( antipsychotic) is my life line, I couldn't live without it. I also take Lamictal, which helps my mania and works has a mood stabilizer, seems some what common on the forum.

I've had my medication changed a lot in the last 6 months, as my doctors were preparing me to be able to attend college. I am grateful for my medication as I would not be able to function on a daily bases without it and be hospitalized several times a year.

It also depends on what you are trying to treat. If it's many things, medication is harder to mange becasue they might react badly with each other. What are you looking for? What is the worse for you right now?

But at the end of the day, it really depends on you. Hoped this helped. Let me know if you have anymore questions, maybe I can answer? :)

 

[Truth Seeker]

Is there anything that can help with the flashbacks?

 

[Lucycat]

I take Quetiapine (Seroquel) which is an anti-psychotic. I take it for anxiety but it also reduces the flashbacks and nightmares too. Yes it has side effects like all medication does, but for me they are acceptable.

However I think that it is psychotherapy that makes the most difference. Pills help when the symptoms are overwhelming but they don't 'cure' the symptoms, only make them manageable. Psychotherapy can actually treat the symptom at its cause so that you no longer need the pills.

What I am saying is that there is no quick fix for this. A lot of hard work is required. If money is an issue I would recommend you save for therapy first and pills second. ( I am lucky in the UK both are covered by the National Health Service so this is not a concern for me)

 

[Jen93]

I took Seroquel when I first got diagnosed with PTSD. I hated it. It made me sleepy the entire day. The thing with me is, I also have ADHD, so my ADHD pill made me focus- it's supposed to help me with everyday stuff like school- but it made me focus on my stupid trauma.

Now I'm on something else. It starts with a C. Ciprolex or Cipralex or Ciprulex. (I can't read my psychiatrist's writing.) It's slow- won't take effect for a month, but it's better than nothing.

If you want to be all scientific about it, they block your neural pathways or something, so that the messages that "Something bad is going to happen" can't get to your brain. (I dropped Psychology 1000Y like halfway through the first semester.)

As for the flashbacks, focus on grounding. Eat something sour, like Sour Cherry Blasters (I love those things.) or chew some peppermint gum, or make index cards to take with you wherever you go to tell yourself "If you are in a fog this is why (insert the possible trigger in the "this is why space") For example, for me I've got "If you find yourself thinking of Steph, you've just walked into a bathroom. Nobody will hurt themselves here. People in university are planning OUT their lives, not planning to TAKE it." Write some facts too, like "There is NO POSSIBLE WAY this could happen now. This is what you can do if it happens again. (That's just some reassurance that you're older, and you're NOT going to freeze if your trauma really does happen again.)

Read the cards when you feel your anxiety level rising. Also, write some nice stuff on there too. Stuff like "I love you, You're strong etc. etc." I write jokes too, stuff like "Sorry you're feeling sick to your stomach." and "I know I'm being nice to you right now, I'm you." That kind of takes my mind off of it.

But yeah, I agree with the above poster as well. Therapy first, then drugs. In my opinion, drugs can actually limit how fast you process your trauma, or even ACCESS it. You've got to get to the root of the problem first.

 

[resided]

I've been taking celexa since December and it's helped dramatically with my flashbacks, nightmares (for the most part, I still have weird dreams when I'm stressed about other things in life), severe anxiety and depression. I still get my low days but I'm not crying every day or nearly unstable as I used to be.

I know it doesn't work for everyone but as someone who is highly sensitive to medications, it luckily works for me. You won't know until you try it out personally.

<Edited - capitalisation.>

 

[Truth Seeker]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate your thoughts on this. Very helpful.

 

[Anna]

Only med I ever took was valium. I hate them, they make you into somebody else. Plus with valium you wake up feeling like shit afterwards. It knocks you out but that is about it. I am thinking of going to my doc though as I have been feeling very very bad lately. I prefer to go med free though.