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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Popular Medications:

• Paxil (paroxetine) / Zoloft (sertraline) / Risperdal (risperidone)

Popular Supplements:

• inositol / kava / passionflower / valerian root

Alternative News:

• Abnormal gut bugs tied to worse cognitive performance in vets with PTSD and cirrhosis - Science Daily, 9/12/19 - "A study involving military veterans with PTSD and cirrhosis of the liver points to an abnormal mix of bacteria in the intestines as a possible driver of poor cognitive performance -- and as a potential target for therapy ... the findings add to the substantial evidence linking gut health and brain function ... Those with PTSD had microbiota that were less diverse, meaning they had fewer types of bacteria overall ... These veterans, along with the relative lack of diversity in their gut, tended to have more potentially harmful types of bacteria, such as Enterococcus and Escherichia/Shigella, and fewer beneficial ones, such as Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae ... He cited probiotic supplements or fecal transplants as two possible therapy approaches" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Comparing Perika St. John's Wort and Sertraline for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Mice - J Diet Suppl. 2019 Feb 18:1-9 - "exaggerated acoustic startle response (ASR) ... Thirty-six mice were tested for baseline ASR, then they were exposed to rats in a predator exposure paradigm known to induce PTSD-like symptoms. Mice were randomly divided into three groups for treatment (control, sertraline, SJW), and ASR was retested one week later. One-way ANOVAs found no significant group differences in ASR amplitude at baseline but a significant effect of Treatment Group after predator exposure, F(2, 33) = 5.645, p = .008, n2 = .225, when SJW-treated mice had ASR amplitudes that were significantly lower than sertraline-treated mice (by 27%) and controls (by 26%). Fecal boli counts showed a similar pattern, with lowest counts in SJW-treated mice. These results suggest SJW could be considered for studies of PTSD treatment in humans as well" - See Perika St. John's Wort at Amazon.com.
• Cannabis may hold promise to treat PTSD but evidence lags behind use - Science Daily, 9/3/19 - "The lack of evidence supporting cannabis as a PTSD treatment is striking ... Every study had medium to high risk of bias and all were assessed as low in quality due to limitations such as small sample size, retrospective study design, lack of a control group or placebo, short follow-up periods, and not reporting other medication use or addiction. Only one study was a randomised controlled trial, investigating nabilone, but it was in a small sample over a relatively short period of time ... The researchers say there are still many unanswered questions about the safety and efficacy of cannabis-based medications for PTSD, and potential long-term effects such as addiction or a risk of psychosis ... Current prescribing of cannabinoids for PTSD is not backed up by high quality evidence"
• Supplementation with Robuvit® in post-traumatic stress disorders associated to high oxidative stress - Minerva Med. 2018 Oct;109(5):363-368 - "After 4 weeks, the percentages of subjects with recurrent memories and dreams, transient walking-dissociative states and reactive flashbacks/hallucinations, alarm reactions and intense emotional distress, emotional numbness, social disinterest and detachment were significantly lower in the subjects treated with Robuvit® (P<0.05%). Sleeping problems, irritability, and fatigue were also significantly reduced with supplementation." - [Nutra USA] - See Robuvit® at Amazon.com.
• Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on psychophysiological symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in accident survivors: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - J Affect Disord. 2016 May 30 - "A total of 83 participants received either omega-3 PUFAs (1470mg docosahexaenoic acid and 147mg eicosapentaenoic acid per day) or placebo within 10 days of the accidental injury. After 12-week supplementation, participants performed script-driven imagery of their traumatic event during monitoring of their heart rate and skin conductance ... Analysis revealed that heart rate during both rest and script-driven imagery was significantly lower in the omega-3 group than the placebo group, whereas baseline heart rate was comparable between the two groups" - [Nutra USA] - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Blueberries show promise as treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder - Science Daily, 3/31/15 - "Ebenezer et al. have previously demonstrated that SSRIs increase levels of serotonin (5-HT) and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) and that the increased NE may reduce the effectiveness of SSRI therapy. In the new study, the research team looked at the ability of blueberries to modulate neurotransmitter levels in a rat model of PTSD ... PTSD rats who did not receive blueberries demonstrated a predictable increase in NE and 5-HT when compared with the control group. However, the PTSD rats that received blueberries showed a beneficial increase in 5-HT with no effect on NE levels, suggesting that blueberries can effectively modulate neurotransmitters in PTSD" - Note:  That's probably another one that's a better alternative to pot for people who claim pot helps their PTSD when there's no evidence to support it and it's probably just a con-game to get high.  See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Medical Marijuana May Worsen PTSD Symptoms, Increase Violence - Medscape, 12/15/14 - "A large observational study of more 2000 participants who were admitted to specialized Veterans Administration treatment programs for PTSD showed that those who never used marijuana had significantly lower symptom severity 4 months later than those who continued or started use after treatment. Veterans who were using marijuana at treatment admission but quit after discharge ("stoppers") also had significantly lower levels of PTSD symptoms at follow-up ... On the other hand, the highest levels of violent behavior were found in the so-called "starters," those who were not using the substance at admission but who started use after discharge"

Other News:

• PTSD risk can be predicted by hormone levels prior to deployment, study says - Science Daily, 3/7/17 - "Seminal research in the 1980s connected abnormal cortisol levels to an increased risk for PTSD, but three decades of subsequent research produced a mixed bag of findings, dampening enthusiasm for the role of cortisol as a primary cause of PTSD ... However, new findings published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology point to cortisol's critical role in the emergence of PTSD, but only when levels of testosterone -- one of most important of the male sex hormones -- are suppressed ... Prior attempts to link PTSD to cortisol may have failed because the powerful effect that testosterone has on the hormonal regulation of stress was not taken into account ... Before deployment, soldiers' stress responses were tested in a stressful CO2 inhalation challenge. "Healthy stress responses showed a strong cortisol increase in response to the stressor, whereas abnormal stress responses showed a blunted, nonresponsive change in cortisol ... soldiers who had an abnormal cortisol response to the CO2 inhalation challenge were more likely to develop PTSD from war-zone stress. However, soldiers who had an elevated testosterone response to the CO2 inhalation challenge were not likely to develop PTSD, regardless of the soldiers' cortisol response"
• Dealing with death in deployment - Science Daily, 4/13/15 - "Many people assume that deployment equals exposure to specific forms of combat trauma, but the two are not equivalent ... The study found a 43 percent increased suicide risk when people were exposed to killing and atrocity compared to just 25 percent when looking at deployment in general"
• Common Hypertension Treatment May Reduce PTSD Symptoms - Science Daily, 6/11/14 - "individuals diagnosed with PTSD, and who happened to also be treated with ARBs or ACE inhibitors, exhibited fewer PTSD-like symptoms ... Our current preclinical results show that the ARB losartan, given acutely or chronically to mice, enhances the extinction of fear memory, a process that is disrupted in individuals with PTSD. Overall these data provide further support that this class of medications may have beneficial effects on fear memory in PTSD patients"
• Ghrelin, a stress-induced hormone, primes the brain for PTSD - Science Daily, 10/17/13 - "ghrelin released during chronic stress makes the brain more vulnerable to traumatic events, suggesting that it may predispose people to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ... Drugs that reduce ghrelin levels, originally developed to try to combat obesity, could help protect people who are at high risk for PTSD, such as soldiers serving in war"
• A Trial of Prazosin for Combat Trauma PTSD With Nightmares in Active-Duty Soldiers Returned From Iraq and Afghanistan - Am J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul 12 - "Prazosin is effective for combat-related PTSD with trauma nightmares in active-duty soldiers, and benefits are clinically meaningful. Substantial residual symptoms suggest that studies combining prazosin with effective psychotherapies might demonstrate further benefit"
• Pre-existing insomnia linked to PTSD and other mental disorders after military deployment - Science Daily, 6/29/13 - "The risk conferred by insomnia symptoms was almost as strong as our measure of combat exposure in adjusted models ... insomnia is both a symptom and a risk factor for mental illness and may present a modifiable target for intervention among military personnel"
• Half of Survivors of Traumatic Events Experiencing Nightmares and Insomnia - firstwordpharma.com, 6/6/13 - "Stressful events were defined as exposure to natural disasters; involvement in an accident or fire; experiencing combat or work in a war zone; experiencing physical or sexual assault; witnessing physical or sexual assault; observing a threat or injury to a family member; witnessing a death due to violence; and witnessing a sudden, unexpected death ... 43.7% of respondents to this survey complained of sleep disturbances"
• Many Older Veterans Suffer PTSD in Silence - Medscape, 4/2/13 - "Well more than half (67%) of respondents reported having a lifetime emotional health problem; such problems included depression, attention-deficit disorder, anger issues, mania, anxiety, and substance abuse" - Note: A lot of  problems with that study though.  It wasn't compared to non-vets plus only 72 of 400 responded and they may have been different plus it was at an Armed Forces Retirement Home and they may also have been different.
• Why some soldiers develop PTSD while others don't - Science Daily, 2/21/13
• Embattled childhoods may be the real trauma for soldiers with PTSD - Science Daily, 11/19/12 - "traumatic experiences in childhood -- not combat -- may predict which soldiers develop the disorder"
• Blood pressure drugs linked with lower PTSD symptoms - Science Daily, 5/1/12 - "These data come from an observational study, not a randomized clinical trial, so it is important to limit our interpretation until larger, placebo-control, double-blinded trials can be performed ... Patients taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs had an approximately 30 percent decrease in PTSD symptom scores, but no significant differences were apparent for those taking other blood pressure medications, including beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. In particular, individuals taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs tended to have lower levels of hyperarousal and intrusive thoughts" - See telmisartan or ramipril at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Casualties of war: Wounded veterans more likely to die of coronary heart disease - Science Daily, 1/26/11 - "During the 28 year follow up , out of 412 deaths, 140 were due to coronary heart disease (CHD), making wounded veterans 1.7 times more likely to die from CHD than the comparison group ... those who had been wounded in action had a higher BMI, a greater history of self-reported depression and were more likely to be claiming disability pension. This also suggests that as well as increased risk of PTSD, physical trauma in early life may cause longstanding physiological implications"
• Drug prevents post-traumatic stress syndrome, study suggests - Science Daily, 12/6/10
• Inflammatory bowel disease can cause post traumatic stress, say doctors - Science Daily, 12/1/10
• Post-traumatic stress disorder linked to death, atherosclerosis in veterans, research finds - Science Daily, 11/21/10
• Iraq Troops' PTSD Rate As High As 35 Percent, Analysis Finds - Science Daily, 9/14/09
• Innovative Therapies For Treatment Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Science Daily, 9/1/09
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Primary Suicide Risk Factor For Veterans - Science Daily, 8/25/09
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Associated With Higher Alzheimer's, Dementia Risk - Science Daily, 7/23/09
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Psychological Treatments May Not Prevent PTSD - Science Daily, 7/7/09
• Quetiapine Monotherapy Effective for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/09
• Beta-Blocker May Erase Fearful Memories - WebMD, 2/16/09
• High-Dose Hormone Treatment Might Reduce Risk For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Science Daily, 10/22/08
• Focal Brain Damage Reduces Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Risk - Medscape, 1/2/08
• Olanzapine May Be New Option for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/19/07
• Most PTSD Treatments Not Proven Effective - washingtonpost.com, 10/18/07
• Effectiveness Of Most PTSD Therapies Is Uncertain - Science Daily, 10/18/07
• Common Drug May Ease Some PTSD Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/07
• Posttraumatic Stress Ups Heart Disease - WebMD, 1/3/07
• Posttraumatic Stress: 19% of Viet Vets - WebMD, 8/17/06
• 1 in 10 U.S. Iraq veterans suffers stress disorder - MSNBC, 2/28/06
• SSRI Drugs Ease Depression in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 1/25/06
• Sustained-Release Venlafaxine Improves Symptoms in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/31/05
• Deployed Combat Medical Personnel Vulnerable to PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/05
• Heart Disease Patients Face Greater Risk Of PTSD - Science Daily, 9/26/05
• PTSD Algorithm Hits Cyberspace - Clinical Psychiatry News, 9/05
• Millions suffer post-traumatic stress disorder - MSNBC, 8/14/05
• War's Toll: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - WebMD, 8/2/05
• Dissociative Symptoms May Play a Substantial Role in PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/05
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation May Improve Re-Experiencing Symptoms in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/23/05
• Early Results Show Topiramate May Be Effective in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/22/05
• Propranolol, Other Drugs Eyed to Block PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 1/05
• Emotional Disclosure Is Key in PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 1/05
• Strategies for Treating PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 12/04
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Confers Greater Medical Illness Burden Than Depression Among Female Veterans - Doctor's Guide, 6/30/04
• Posttraumatic Stress, Fibromyalgia Linked - WebMD, 6/10/04
• Patients Who Broke Bones in Traumatic Accidents Frequently Suffer from Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 6/4/04
• PTSD Prevalence in Some Female Veterans at 22% - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/04
• PTSD Findings May Pinpoint Specific Tx - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/04
• Pharmacotherapeutic Options in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/25/04
• Busy Hands in Hard Times May Prevent PTSD - WebMD, 3/9/04
• Structural Abnormalities Reported in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex of Post-Traumatic-Stress Patients - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/03
• Combat Experience a Better Predictor of Cognitive Problems Than Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/03
• Common Drug [Inderal] May Help Prevent PTSD - WebMD, 10/30/03
• Mirtazapine More Effective Than Sertraline On Veterans' Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/14/03
• Few Traumatized Patients Fit PTSD Criteria Found in DSM - Clinical Psychiatry News, 8/03
• Posttraumatic Stress From Childbirth - WebMD, 5/27/03
• Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Have High Risk of Involuntary Commitment and Violence - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/03
• Risperidone Shows Efficacy in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/03
• Combining Prolonged Exposure With Sertraline Enhances Drug Benefits of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/03
• PTSD Underrecognized in Pregnancy, Childbirth - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/03
• Exposure Therapy a Success in Chronic PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/03
• Tiagabine Effective in Drug Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/31/03
• Early Treatment With an SSRI Following Trauma May Stave Off Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/31/03
• Venlafaxine XR Effective and Well Tolerated in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/03
• PTSD in Orthopedic Trauma Patients - Physician's Weekly, 2/24/03
• Prazosin Helpful in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Medscape, 2/7/03
• PTSD Can Deter Growth of Neurons in Brain - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/03
• Cancers Pose Significant Risk for Acute Stress, PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/03
• Reduction of Nightmares and Other PTSD Symptoms in Combat Veterans by Prazosin: A Placebo-Controlled Study - Am J Psychiatry 160:371-373, 2/03
• Changes to the Brain's Structure Are a Hallmark of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Clinical Psychiatry News, 1/03
• Combat-Related, Difficult PTSD May Respond to Risperidone - Clinical Psychiatry News, 11/02
• Childhood Post-Traumatic Stress May Affect Brain Development - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/02
• Younger Children at Higher Risk of Developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/02
• Memory Cited in Stress Disorder - Intelihealth, 10/15/02
• Remission Higher With Paroxetine Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 8/29/02
• 1 in 10 New Yorkers Has PTSD - WebMD, 8/6/02
• Paroxetine Eases Broad Range of Trauma Symptoms in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 6/26/02
• Acute Stress Disorder Seen In Children, Parents After Traffic Injury - Doctor's Guide, 6/3/02
• First And Only Medication For Patients Suffering From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Receives Approval - Doctor's Guide, 5/15/02
• Study: Stress Risk for New Yorkers - Intelihealth, 4/8/02
• Adrenergic Blockers Shortly After Trauma Can Block PTSD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/02
• Highlights of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. - Medscape, 1/02 - "several recent studies conducted by Dr. Yehuda and her colleagues have reported that patients with PTSD demonstrate decreased cortisol levels, increased sensitivity of the HPA negative feedback inhibition, and an increased sensitization of the entire HPA axis.[5,6] Thus, PTSD develops as a result of alterations in the stress response system, and these alterations prevent a normal path of recovery. One possible explanation for this biological difference is that exposure to prior traumatic events may cause a sensitization to the present situation. This, in turn, causes the HPA axis to shut itself off prematurely, therefore preventing the proper regulation of other neurobiological systems and resulting in a cascade of biological consequences"
• Researchers Probe Link Between PTSD and IQ - WebMD, 1/30/02
• Stress Causes Lasting Brain Changes - WebMD, 1/17/02
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy Effective for PTSD Treatment - Clinical Psychiatry News, 1/02
• Paxil (Paroxetine) First Medication Proven Effective in All Three Major Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Groups - Doctor's Guide, 12/3/01
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Related to Increased Medical Problems - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/01
• Nation Shows Signs Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Intelihealth, 9/16/01
• FDA Approves Zoloft (Sertraline) For Long-Term Use in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 8/16/01
• Research Sheds Light On Etiology, Treatment Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/01
• The Lasting Trauma of Stillbirth - WebMD, 7/24/01
• Prevalence of Problems Related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Grossly Under-Recognized - Doctor's Guide, 5/10/01
• Studies Find That Paroxetine Effective In Treating Both Men And Women With PTSD - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/01
• Paxil (Paroxetine HCl) First Effective Medication For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/01
• Link Found Between Loss Suffered During Earthquakes And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 7/10/00
• Children Suffer From Post-Traumatic Disorder Following Accidents - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/00
• Sertraline Effective in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/00
• Zoloft (Sertraline) Significantly Reduces Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/00
• Sertraline Effective Treatment For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 4/11/00
• Dementia In Aging Veterans May Trigger Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 1/14/00
• FDA Approves Zoloft For Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 12/8/99
• Researchers Link Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder With Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/9/99
• Serious Crime Victims Risk PTSD, Multiple Disorders - Doctor's Guide, 10/29/98
• Psychotherapy Helps Patients Recover From Post-Traumatic Stress - Doctor's Guide, 7/23/98
• Lower Intelligence May Be A Risk Factor For Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 3/36/98