Last updated Thursday, 21-Aug-2008 19:39:37 MST

Yup, according to the VA findings (and our own here at the Carrot), antidepressants (SSRIs) are not effective when treating PTSD.

We have a simple explanation. Those with PTSD are "stimulated" by too many fight-or-flight chemicals. While people who are "depressed" need to be stimulated, PTSDers need to calm down. This explains why we're always isolating, hiding, sitting still, avoiding, and on and on. Right?

Well, the United States Veteran's Administration (VA) has studies that prove what we already know. Here's a tidbit of what they wrote:

CLINICIAN'S TRAUMA UPDATE, 1(3), JUNE 2007

Treatment

A note from the editor: Investigators in three recent studies have reported discouraging news about the efficacy of medications for treating PTSD. The findings of two studies suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—the recommended pharmacologic method for treating PTSD—are ineffective: one flexible-dose study in a VA outpatient sample composed primarily of middle-aged men who had experienced combat trauma, and one fixed-dose study in a civilian sample composed primarily of middle-aged women who had experienced civilian trauma. The findings of the third study also suggest that prazosin, an anti-hypertensive medication, is ineffective for treating overall PTSD symptom severity in VA outpatients. However, there is cause for some optimism. Prazosin was highly effective for reducing nightmares and sleep disturbance, the problems targeted by the investigators. Furthermore, a recently-published meta-analysis found that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR are more effective than stress management and other treatments for PTSD."

As the findings mention, Prazosin, which inhibits (blocks, stops) norepinephrine, is effective for reducing nightmares and sleep problems.

Geodon (Zeldox) also inhibits norepinephrine (as well as dopamine, histamine and certain serotonin receptors). This would explain why it is also so effective for treating PTSD. It would also explain why it is MORE effective than Prazosin alone, because it acts on additional fight-or-flight chemicals.

By itself, Geodon is 89% effective, which is pretty impressive. When used with propranolol, the two block all 3 catecholamines. This would explain their use in the PTSD Cocktail. We look forward to future studies that show just how effective the combination is together!

To read the entire VA article, just click here.