Medication
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- Antidepressant medicines are often prescribed. These are commonly used to treat depression, but have been found to help reduce the main symptoms of PTSD even if you are not depressed. They work by interfering with brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin which may be involved in causing symptoms. Antidepressants take 2-4 weeks before their effect builds up, and can take up to three months. A common problem is that some people stop the medicine after a week or so as they feel that it is doing no good. You need to give an antidepressant time to work. If one does help, it is usual to stay on the medication for 6-12 months, sometimes longer.There are several types of antidepressants. However, SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the ones most commonly used for PTSD. There are various types and brands of SSRI.
- Benzodiazepines such as diazepam are sometimes prescribed for a short time to ease symptoms of anxiety, poor sleep, and irritability. The problem is, they are addictive and can lose their effect if you take them for more than a few weeks. They may also make you drowsy. Therefore, they are not used long-term. A short course of up to 2-3 weeks may be prescribed 'now and then' if you have a particularly bad spell of anxiety symptoms.
- Other medicines such as beta-blockers, mood stabilisers, and anticonvulsants are being studied. These are normally used to treat other conditions but there is some evidence that they may help some people with PTSD. Further research is needed to clarify their role.
A combination of treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy and an SSRI antidepressant may work better in some cases than either treatment alone.
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kate, over 2 years
I took note of your statement on diazapan.Ive been given diazapan 2mg twice a day to help me through symtons of posttrauma due to serious illness,that led me to a coma I am on the mend now but cant get rid of the fear that i will end up in hospital and not no how i got there-I was in a coma for 5 days with severe resporitory infection-My point is while i am on diazapanfor(2wek now its all still coming through but i can handle it just about-the thought of coming of them at the scares me especially when i am going to fly which makes me anxious anyway-I go away on 11th sept till 25 sept so i will then of been on them 6weeks is that ok
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