Medications for PTSD Presented by the National Center for PTSD.
If you have posttraumatic stress disorder --- or PTSD ---
getting everyday activities and errands done like going to work or picking up your children,
[Kim, a woman in her mid 30s, sits in a crowded mall food court, eating lunch with her two small children.]
Even weekend trips to the mall can sometimes feel overwhelming
and trigger memories of a traumatic event from your past.
[Kim has a flashback. She is in a crowded, open-air market in Iraq. There is an explosion behind her.]
[Kim is back in the mall. She looks worried as she rushes her children out of the mall.]
The symptoms of PTSD can affect every area of your life.
[Kim sits in her doctor's office. Her doctor hands her a pamphlet on medications.]
You don't have to live like this. There is good news. Talk to your provider about what you're experiencing
because there are treatment options that can help.
Evidence-based studies show that talk therapies work best,
and there are also effective medications that might be right for you.
[Kim reads the pamphlet.]
Medication may be a good choice if you don't want to try talk therapy now,
or if you can't fit weekly therapy appointments into your life.
And some people find that taking certain medication for PTSD while they are in therapy makes the process easier.
So, how do medications work?
[Inside the pamphlet is a picture of a brain. We see neural synapses in the brain blinking and misfiring.]
When you have PTSD, there are changes in your brain and in the way your body responds to stress.
Basically, your brain cells aren't able to communicate as well as they should.
[Lines draw between the neural synapses connecting and balancing them.]
So, medications that balance the levels of certain chemical signals have been shown to help.
There are a number of medications that research has shown to work best for PTSD.
You may have heard of antidepressants. Many people don't realize that they're not just for depression.
A number of antidepressants are also effective for PTSD and anxiety.
Some balance your body's serotonin, which regulates mood.
They are called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors --- or SSRIs --- for short.
The best tested and proven SSRIs for PTSD are:
Sertraline. More commonly known as Zoloft.
Paroxetine . . . or Paxil.
And Fluoxetine . . . or Prozac.
Other antidepressants that work on both the brain's serotonin and norepinephrine system are also effective.
They are called SNRIs.
Venlafaxine . . . or Effexor works best for PTSD.
All four of these medications can improve your PTSD symptoms,
making them less bothersome so that you can navigate your life more successfully.
Antidepressants for PTSD usually take some time to work.
So, don't give up, and be sure to stick to the plan prescribed by your provider.
Typically, it will take about four-to-six weeks before you feel the full benefits of your medication.
[We see Kim standing outside her car. She is picking up her children from daycare.]
One word of caution:
We also need to talk about medications that should not be taken for PTSD.
Chief among these are a class of medications known as Benzodiazepines.
They include medications that you may have heard about such as:
Alprazolam . . . or Xanax.
Diazepam . . . or Valium.
Clonazepam . . . or Klonopin.
And Lorazepam . . . or Ativan.
Although sometimes they might be prescribed in a crisis situation for sleep or extreme anxiety,
long-term everyday use can cause problems such as:
addiction, memory problems, driving accidents, falls, or even a worsening of your PTSD symptoms.
[We cut to Kim driving in her minivan. Her children are in the back seat, and Kim is smiling.]
New medications are being tested to treat PTSD. So, as a general rule, talk with your doctor
to make sure you have the best medication for you, and that you are headed in the right direction.
[We see Kim's car passing a sign that says, 'Road Open Ahead.' She drives toward the horizon.
The National Center for PTSD is also a useful resource to give you the tools to make the best treatment decision.
Go to WWW.PTSD.VA.GOV to learn more about medication options and other PTSD treatments.
No matter how long you've been living with PTSD, know that you can get better.